The Boy In The Loft

Chapter 3

(Rosie)

ETHAN POV:

The house was very rustic and had a look of being old without actually being old. The siding was a light brown, the the shutters were the same dark brown wood as the porch and the door was a dark red.

When I walked in, the smell of fresh baked cookies filled my nose, and it transported me back to my childhood home. Coming home from school and my mom had just made cookies and she would let me have one fresh before my dad would get home from work.

"Well you must be Ethan" The voice came from the living room down the hall. I tuned and saw a small woman with light gray hair.

"Yeah that's me." I said as she walked in the kitchen.

"Well my husband is running some errands in town. He should be home any time now." She pulled another pan full of cookies out of the oven. "Oh what was I thinking! I'm Sally, Sally Green. I'm the one who keeps this place above ground." She smiled and held a hand out for me to shake.

She walked to the front door. "Rosie! Olive! Come in here please!" She yelled from the porch. Two girls came trotting up to the door. "Girls, this is Ethan. He's the new hand you grandfather hired." She gestured to me when they walked in. "Ethan these and my grandaughters, Rosie and Olive." Rosie was the one I talked to not five minutes ago, but I haven't met Olive yet.

Olive had long brown hair and dark brown eyes. She was not very tall, probably only 5'5. Rosie was clearly older than Olive, but not by much. Her hair, like Olive's was long and brown but hers had blond streaks in it. Her eyes we brown just like Olive. You could tell they were sisters.

"Olive is seventeen and Rosie is twenty three." The woman continued. "How old are you again? My husband told me but my memory isn't quite what it used to be."

"I'm seventeen."

Olive rolled her eyes. "I have to go check on the horses. Grandma can I go?" She asked.

"Of course you can honey." Sally said with a smile. Olive walked out of the house and over to the barn.

About ten minutes later another pickup pulled up to the house. An older man stepped out and walked to the house.

"Sally! I'm home! Is the new hand here?!" He yelled from the front door Sally walked in with me behind her. She was smiling.

"Yeah Clark, this it Eathan." She waved a hand at me. Clark stuck his hand out for me to shake it.

"Welcome to Green Ranch. You'll be sleeping in the loft but I have chores to do and Sally needs to start on dinner so I'll have Olive show you around." He walked over to the door and yelled to Olive. She came running over and Clark started talking to her on the porch. I saw her roll her eyes.

"Come on." She said as she pocked her head in the house. I walked out and Clark grabbed my arm as I walked by him.

"Don't try anything funny or I'll make this summer torture." He said in a low voice.

"Yes sir." I responded then walked quickly to catch up with Olive.

We walked to the barn. She pushed the door open and stepped inside. It was cool in the barn. Afew lights hung from the ceiling and their were stalls with horses in them along the back wall.

"This it the barn, you will be in charge of mucking out stalls and making sure the horses always have food and water." Olive said without even turning around. She climbed a flight of stairs. "This is the loft, it's where you'll be sleeping." Once again she was not looking at me. I nodded.

"Come on. I need to show you the rest of the ranch." She walked out and I followed her. Once we were outside, she started pointing the things I will need to know where they are. "Dinner is at six. Don't come if you don't want to." I nodded and she walked away.

Rosie walked by me. I jogged to catch her. "Hey Rosie," I said when a caught up to her. "Did I do something I don't know about?"

"I don't think so why would you ask that?" She asked.

"Your sister, she's acting like I just shot he dog."

"Oh that's just how Olive is, she'll lighten up, I hope..." the last part she wispered so quietly I almost didn't hear her.

***

At six o'clock, I walked into the house and washed up for dinner. Clark, Sally, Rosie, and Olive were in the kitchen setting the table.

"Ethan," Sally said enthusiastically when I walked in. "I'm so happy you decided to join us!" I gave a small smile and sat down in the only empty chair, next to Olive. I gave her a small smile and she looked down at the plate. We passed around a big plate of steak, a bowl of mashed potatoes, and a plate of warm rolls.

"So grandma," Olive began. "Rachel's birthday is coming and she's having a party tonight, can I go?"

The table went quite. Everyone looked from Olive to Sally then back to Olive.

"I guess you can go, but Rosie already has plans and me and your grandpa have stuff to do around the house so," She pauses looking at me, "Eathan will be going with you."

"What!?" Olive jumped up and slammed her fist on the table.

"Well you can either let Eathan come with you or you don't go at all. I really don't care which."

Everyone was looking at me now.

"Eathan what do you say. Would you be willing to go with Olive?" Clark asked with a mouth full of roll. I looked at Olive and a gave a small smirk.

"I would love to go with Olive to her party." She shot me a glare and I smiled at her.

"Why can't I just go by myself?" She wined to her grandma.

"Well because that wasn't one of your choices." Sally said with small grin.

"Fine!" Olive yelled "I'm going to get ready! We'll leave at seven thirty." She stormed down a hallway and slammed the door behind her.

"I am so sorry for her attitude, she's not always like this. Thanks for going with her." Sally said with a smile.

"No problem, any time Mrs. Green." I said standing up.

"Oh please honey, call me Sally."

I smiled and walked out of the house. I climbed the stairs to the loft and dug through my bag for a clean t-shirt. I tugged at the hem of my dirty one and threw it into a basket in the corner of the room. I walked into the small bathroom I had and washed my face and brushed my teeth. I walked back out and pulled on a light blue t-shirt.

I walked back to the house and sat on the couch for Olive to finish getting ready.

After about thirty minutes, Olive walked out of the bathroom. She was wearing black skinny jeans, a teal baggy shirt and black combat boots. Her hair was up in a messy bun. She looked really nice.