Cowboy Take Me Away

The golden sun shot its fiery head over the rolling green hills. Its rays danced off the clear sparkling waters of the many streams. The babbling brooks whispered their songs luring fish and wild land critters to its banks. The night critters like the vigilant old owl and the masked coon scurry to their beds to sleep the day away. The low sounds of hooves echoed through the warm country air. The chickens squawked and screeched as they shoved their wobbly heads out of the molded out chicken coop. The pigs were restless squealing and bumping into one another trying to get as much slop as possible. The old red rooster strutted around on the top of the barn screaming his morning call. Duke, the old hound dog lifted his head off the peeling white porch. He perked his ears up than flopped his head back on the rug. Momma was down in the kitchen cooking her heart out. Pots and pans were banging around as she fried the eggs, put a little seasoning here, some milk in there, and slapped it all on glass plates. My little sister Katie was probably out milking the cow, feeding the cows, and squeezing the orange juice pa bought from the market. Lori, my mom’s friend was roasting the coffee and setting the table, while Casey and Kyle brought the muffins from home. It was always like this especially in the summer because those farm hands ate all of us out of house and home.

            I rolled over onto my side my blonde hair flowing over my shoulders. I grabbed my clock. It blinked 5:47 A.M. “UGH!” I screamed slamming it back down and throwing my face back into my pillow. I closed my eyes praying that maybe just this once I could actually get a few more minutes sleep. I was wrong. “Kelsey!” Get your lazy carcass down here!” Caleb hollered from the bottom of the steps. I sat up, “Shut up dipshit!” “People are trying to sleep.” I screamed. “Get your ass down here!” he screamed. “Ow Momma what was that fir?” he whined. “Stop your swearing boy, we have company.” Momma scolded. “Sorry Momma.” He said bluntly.  

            I threw the covers off my bed. I rubbed my eyes, still didn’t want to get up so I flopped back down on my bed. I propped myself up with my elbow and stared mindlessly out the window. Just another ordinary day like it always was. The day would begin with Momma in the kitchen, Lori helping, Caleb yelling at me; I’d yell back, Momma would chew him out for swearing, etc. It was the same everyday and it got kind of old. I took a deep breath as I pulled myself out of bed. The wooden floor chilled my feet as I walked towards my closet. The mirror doors cast an image of a girl, nearly sixteen, in clothes that would never be worn out of the house, out of this room more like it. I smiled my pearly whites gleaming like stars in the sky. I ripped open the doors. I grabbed the first thing I touch: A black T, an old pair of jeans, and a belt to match. “The bigger the better,” I smiled as I ran my fingers over the bronze trim.  I was my father’s kid, acted just like him, but I looked like my mom which was a blessing. She was pretty, like an Amarillo sky, dad said. She was his sky, the air he breathed, the things he dreamed, she was his whole life. She was the stars that twinkled in the night sky, the full moon the wolves howled to every night. She was his freedom, his prize; he could never live without her. A tear came to my eye, but I quickly brushed it off. “Cowgirl’s don’t cry,” I reassured myself. I grabbed the brush off my night stand and started it through the tangled mess I call hair. From the bottom of the stairs I could hear the door slam, but there was another sound. A low humming of a truck, I looked around. “What the….” I began. Before I knew what hit me Casey came plowing through knocking me across the room on my ass. “Casey, watch where you’re going!” I giggled. “Sorry,” she laughed as she helped me up. “Well,” I said dusting myself off, “What the hell is so important?” “New farm hands are here!” she screamed jumping up and down, “and did ya see the driver Hoo DAMN!” I looked at her with concern, “Casey, you alright?” “Haha YA!” she screamed as she danced around the room. “Damn girl, take a chill pill,” I said as I backed against the wall. She looked at me, “You ain’t going out like that are ya?” “Like what?” I said offended. “Like you just climbed out of bed and put a dang shirt on. Put some makeup on, straighten your hair. Can’t you at least look half way decent today?” She said as she pulled me over to the mirror and started caking shit to my face. “What the hell Casey!” I said as I ripped her arm away. “Oh come on Kels! You’re pretty and all, but we want to make a lasting impression!” She giggled as she started with my hair. I scowled as she ran the combs and many creams through my hair. “Ugh!” I growled.”Oh stop your fussin’,” she chuckled, “You look gorgeous.”  She spun the chair around so that I faced the mirror. I looked into the eyes of a foreigner, an alien, one not from this world. I was stunned. Caleb screamed from the bottom of the steps, “Hey Pa, the fresh meat is here!” Casey’s and my eyes widened. She grinned. Faster than a Jackrabbit we hauled ass down the steps tripping over each other we ended up rolling down. We hit the bottom with a THUD! Ma and Lori just stared. “What the….” Is all that came out of their stunned faces. Pa walked into the kitchen stuffing his shirt into his jeans. He hooked the buckle to the belt and threw on his boots. His face was stern. He always liked to put a fearing first impression into the boys…..it worked. The music blared as the red ford pulled up. The engine roared then quit. Two guys hopped out from the passenger side. The first was a tall slender guy broadly built. He was mean looking. Deep Brown eyes filled with hate. He had an army hair cut and on the right side of his face he had a deep scar across his eye.  Next to him plopped down porker. Haha just kidding he wasn’t a porker he was just a shorter guy than his bud. He had muscle and an army hair cut too. His green eyes looked around as a huge grin came across his face. Casey and I stepped out the door onto the porch. The boys turned to stare at us. Huge white grins spread across their faces. Pa turned toward us and cleared his throat as if he wanted to sound pissed off. The boys directed their attention from us to my father then back at us. “I call the tall one,” Casey whispered, “You can get porker.” I opened my mouth to object when the driver stepped out. Our jaws dropped. “Damn,” is all that came out. His shaggy brown hair hid under a camo hat and his brown eyes sparkled in the suns radiant beauty. He smiled. His crooked grin flashed my way. My heart seemed to leap out of my chest. “Kels, you alright?” Casey said as she sat me down on the porch swing. “Huh?... Um ya ya I’m fine.” I said dazed.  I just stared at him for a moment. “Damn,” I said again. Casey broke out laughing. “Hun, you better shut your mouth fir you start drooling.”  I gave her a quick glare then started laughing. She laughed along with. The guys all turned around and stared at us. My face turned bright red and Casey broke out laughing. I shot her a look. Her face glowed as she nodded her head over to where the boys were. My father had left and as I turned my head three boys came walking up to us. “Oh shit,” I said under my breath. Casey must have heard me cuz she looked at me with a confused look on her face. I nodded my head toward the strangers. She smiled. “Howdy, I’m Dustin.” The one with scar said, “What’s yawl’s name?” “My name’s Casey,” she grinned batting her long eyelashes, “and this is… “I’m Kelsey,” I said interrupting Casey. “I’m Chase,” the other one said grinning ear to ear.  My eyes bounced from once face to another till they rested on the driver. His head was down scuffing his boot through the dirt and hands in the pocket of his holy jeans. I froze when his eyes met mine. He gave me a little crooked smile then looked away. I smiled back shyly and my face grew red. “I’m Chance,” he mumbled as his face grew red. “Kelsey,” I mumbled back. We all grew quiet, but for some time it felt like he and I were the only two there until Casey spoke, “Ya’ll wanna hang out?” I blinked my eyes refocusing into this world. Dustin looked over to his buds. “Well sure,” he finally said.  We heard the front door creak behind us. I spun around to see who it was. Caleb stood leaning up against the door with an angry look across his face. “What the hell do you want?” I snapped at him.  He glared at me for a moment then turned his attention Chance. “Who the hell are you?” he snapped. “Chance.” Chance said bluntly. Chance’s eyes narrowed. Caleb’s fists were clenched and a muscle in his neck was throbbing. Dustin stepped between him. “You wanna fight Chicken Shit?” I looked at them. Caleb was so pissed if he was in a cartoon ya’ll would see steam coming out his ears. Casey’s eyes were wild. She always loved the thrill of a good brawl. I on the other hand didn’t like fights, but if one started I would finish it. Chase tried to calm Dusty down, but there was no stopping this boy. He was a six foot three, pissed off marine with a body built only of muscle. Caleb had muscle too, and also went to the army training, but Dusty looked meaner. “Bring it on!” Caleb hissed. Caleb pushed it too far. Dusty swung his left then his right one right after another beating Caleb’s brains out. Backed up against the barn Caleb took charge and body slammed Dusty to the ground. Chase and Carson tried to coax Dusty to stop, but there was no stopping this cowboy. Harder than steel they both were and wouldn’t give up until there was no chance of survival for one of em. “God dammit Caleb!” a deep voice screamed from the porch. “Oh shit.” I thought as the two boys kept going at it. A gun fire rang off the porch. Making the two boys jump higher than a jackrabbit.  Dad stood on the porch as pissed off as he could ever be. Caleb looked at his situation. He knew dang well that he would be in deep shit anyways, so he looked down at the sorry ol’ boy trapped in his clutches and socked him as hard as he could in his stomach knocking him to the ground. “Ooooo”, we all winced. “Caleb you son of a bitch get your ass up here!” Dad hollered from the bottom of the steps. Caleb like a dog with a tail between his legs walked over to daddy.