"Gray! Rodeo starts in fifteen minutes!" My grandmother called from upstairs. Her shrill voice startled me out of my daze in front of the mirror, causing my to bump my head on a low section of ceiling in my "room" which in reality was my grandparent's barely finished basement.
"Gray! Let's go your Granddad's already in the car!" I drew dark eyeliner around my eyes before jogging up the stairs.
"Yes, Grammie, I'm coming!" I ran out the door and jumped into my grandfather's beat up truck. My grandpa smiled at me from the front seat, crows feet becoming even more prominent in his leathery, tan skin. I smiled back and took a deep breath, smelling the familiar smoke from my grandmother's pipe, lemon cleanser my grandpa used to clean the dashboard, and the Altoids they both loved so much.
"Bill! We have to be there in ten minutes! For the love of God drive faster!" My grandmother scolded from the front seat.
"Ann, we'll get there when we get there." I smiled as my grandmother huffed and stomped her foot against the floorboards as if she had her own gas pedal.
When we pulled into the parking lot my grandma hopped out and hustled towards her friends to gossip. Before I could follow my grandpa reached over and locked my door.
"OK Gray, no g-"
"No going into the corrals, no talking to Steve Peters, no leaving with any boys, no drinking or smoking, no kissing."
"Alright, alright. Have fun. Be safe. I love you." He smiled and unlocked my door.
"Bye! Love you, Granddad!" I hopped out of the truck and walked over to my cousin, who was sitting in the back of his pick up behind the corrals.
"Hey Shawn." I climbed up and sat next to him.
"Gray."
"Did Carol dump you?"
"Yeah."
"She's a bitch."
"I know."
"You riding tonight?"
"No. Harry is though." I looked a few trucks over just in time to see Harry down another beer.
"He's going to die."
"I know, he has the bull I raised last year."
"Killer?"
"Yeah."
"He's going to die."
"I know." We laughed and Shawn took a sip from his beer before offering me a bottle.
"No. You know Granddad's rules." He shrugged and put it back in the cooler.
"I thought you'd be less of a pussy this year," I smiled and shook my head before shoving his shoulder. "You look hot though. I'm gonna have to keep the boys off you with a bat."
"Oh, please." I laughed into the dark air. A blush creeping onto my cheeks as I tried to pull down my shorts to cover more skin.
We sat in silence for a while only speaking to family and friends as they passed by and cheering for the contestants as the corral.
"Do I spy the Everett cousins this fine evening?" I smiled as the jovial, bald man lumbered over to our current place of residence in the truck bed.
"Hi Roy! How are you?" I jumped down off the truck to give him a hug.
"Oh, Harry and I are fine. How are your parents?" He smiled and looked in the direction of his son who was downing beers like there was no tomorrow.
"Well, Dad's in rehab for a few more years. We had to take Mom off of life support in May. Otherwise everything's been fine. I'm staying with my grandparents until I go to college." I gave Roy a small smile before leaning up against Shawn's truck. Roy smiled and patted my shoulder softly.
"You're a tough kid, Gray. I'll see you guys later I have to keep the booze away from my son before he kills himself."
I looked over in Harry's direction just in time to see him smash his empty bottle on the hard packed dirt and hop over the fence into the corral.
