The Airdrie Firefly

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The Rodeo Dance

Talyn sat on the half-wall of the beer garden and looked out on the empty arena. Despite being in a crowd of people, despite being the celebrity of the rodeo, she felt alone. She was the only one at the dance who was under eighteen, and everyone there was with someone—someone who wasn't her dad. It also didn't help that she hadn't had time to go home and change and was still in full clown makeup and the same clothes she'd been wearing all day. She looked down at her wrist at the pink wristband, which had "Milk" stamped on it.

I wish Steven were here, she thought. That thought opened up a can of thought-worms. I should have just called him. But what if he thinks I'm a monster? I should just talk to him. But what if—I'm going to call him.

Talyn turned on her phone and a series of notifications rapidly appeared on the screen; the last one notified her that The Airdrie Firefly had been updated. She quickly clicked on the link to the site and saw the new headline: "Youngest-ever Rodeo Clown Saves the Day."

He was here! Talyn thought.

A bottle of root beer appeared in front of her.

"Thanks, Dad," Talyn said, reaching for the bottle. Her hand stopped in midair when she noticed the pink wristband stamped "Milk" on the wrist of the person handing her the bottle. "Steven," she said, breathing his name into a sigh.

Talyn took the bottle, a wave of shyness lowering her eyes to the ground.

"So, a little birdie told me you've been avoiding me because you're worried that I think you're some kind of monster," Steven said.

Something between shock and surprise washed over Talyn's face. "A little birdie?" Talyn said, her eyes landing on her dad.

"OK, well, maybe a big birdie," Steven said, smiling. "OK. A birdie that's big enough to block the sunlight."

Talyn rallied her courage and looked Steven in the eyes. "Do you . . . think I'm a monster?"

Steven reached up and grabbed her hands, gently pulling her off the wall, his eyes never leaving hers. "No . . . but—"

Talyn recoiled slightly in horror. "But?"

"But do you have to do the full-on clown makeup? You know it gives me the willies."

Talyn barked out a quick laugh. "Ghouls, zombies, and Bigfoot, and it's the whole clown thing that scares you?" She laughed again before turning serious once more. "Did my dad also tell you about . . ."

"The bonding thing?" Steven answered. "Yeah. I've got good news and bad news." He slid one hand behind her shoulder, holding her other.

"What's the bad news?" Talyn asked, nervously.

"The bad news—I've been practicing," Steven said, moving Talyn to the band's slow two-step beat, "but I'm still not a very good dancer."

"And the good news?" Talyn asked, hopefully.

"The good news is that we've got three more nights of rodeo dances to get better, and . . ."

"And?" Talyn prodded with a smile.

"And I'm not going anywhere."

THE END

Join Steven in his next adventure: The Airdrie Firefly: Cursed in Lunenburg.