Last To Know

1

The grass crunched beneath my feet as I followed Sadie through the fair entrance. I hadn't even wanted to come. I would rather be home reading or playing the piano, but Sadie, who'd been my best friend since we were in diapers, was relentless.

It was the first official day of summer vacation and she didn't want me to lock myself in my house until school started in August and I was forced to emerge.

She called this fun.

I called it hell.

"Isn't this nice, Emma?" She chimed, clapping her hands together. Her brown eyes were bright and happy.

"Uh...nice isn't the word I'd choose." I wrinkled my nose at the trash littering the grass. Some guy bumped into me, knocking me to the side. I reached up to keep my hat from falling off. It was one of those large black round hats that helped to shade my face from the sun. Sadie said it looked ridiculous, but I liked it. I'd never been one to take another person's opinion to heart. My mom raised me to be a free spirit like her, so I always did my own thing.

"Emma!" Sadie groaned when she saw I'd been separated from her. "Taking you places is like having a child. I take my eyes off of you for two seconds and you're gone." She grabbed my arm, dragging me through the crowd. "Willow Creek is playing and I won't miss this! I had to give Adam Carson a lap dance to get these tickets at the last minute."

"Ew! Sadie! You gave him a lap dance?!"

People turned to stare at us with my exclamation.

"A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do." She gave me a look like I'd know exactly what she meant.

"I don't even want to go!" I complained. "I don't know who they are, and I won't like their music anyway!"

"Well, we can't all be freaks that listen to classical music, like Beethoven," she argued.

"Why don't you go on without me," I pleaded, semi impressed that she knew who Beethoven was. "Look, food!" I pointed to a stand. "I'll get something to eat while you go listen to them play and we'll meet up afterwards."

"You really don't want to go, do you?" She frowned, her brows drawing together. Sadie wasn't used to me balking at her plans.

"Not really," I shrugged. "I'll probably just get a headache and want to go home afterwards."

She sighed. "Fine, you get something to eat, I'll go to the concert, and then we'll walk around for a while."

"Great," I said, prying my arm from her hold.

"I'll see you in a little bit!" She grinned, skipping off towards the bleachers in front of the stage. Her wavy brown hair swished around her shoulders.

I headed for the area with the food vendors, thankful that I'd gotten out of going to the concert. Willow Creek was the star act this year at the fair. Some local band that was making it big. I didn't know who they were or what they sang, and I didn't care to find out.

I grabbed a hotdog and fries before finding a vacant picnic table.

I heard the music start up a few minutes later with a clash of drums.

I sighed. Yep, so not my thing.

After I finished eating, I grabbed my purse—a large messenger bag with tie-dye strings of fabric hanging off of it—and pulled out the book I was reading. I never left home without something to read.

I got sucked into the fictional world of fairies and completely lost track of time.

I was shocked when I looked up and realized the sun was setting and people were clearing off the bleachers.