The Boy From Oklahoma

Alana

  Briefly edited. 

   I slide into the passenger seat of Aunt Sarah's black dually truck, strapping myself in with the seat belt. Travis starts the engine and begins driving out of the long driveway to the ranch. As we pull out of the driveway I crane my head to stare at the tall white pole once again with the world Calumet printed vertically on it. We continue down the road until will come to a stop sign. At that sign, we take a left, which brings us onto the main road. I glance to the side and notice all the farms and little houses. As we continue to drive further into town, we drive by a building that reminds me of an old abandoned gas station. There were a few cars parked out front of the garage, so I had my suspicions it was being used. On the other side of the garage was a fairly good sized tan building with a sign that read: Johnnie's Grill. There were maybe five cars parked to one side. On the front of the building was a small white sign that read Drive Thru in big black letters. I laughed and gazed at their countrified version of a drive thru. 

   "What is it?" Travis asks me. 

   "Nothing, just looking around."

   We continue driving further and I gaze at the next building. It was about the same size as the other, but it had a blue roof. The large yellow sign on the front of the building read 270 Charcoal Grill. I thought it was weird to have two grills right next to each other, and wondered if they had a lot of competition. I look to the left to see a large white water tower set off in the distance with the word Calumet printed across it neatly. In front of that was a gas station labeled Jiffy Tripp. We continued down the road where we passed a few more small stores. We then stopped at the stop sign and Travis put the right blinker on. The street we turned onto was much wider than the one we had just been on. The grocery store was on the left. Travis slowed the truck down in order to let a car drive by going the opposite way before he turned to park in the spots out front of the grocery store. I unbuckled myself and open the door, sliding down onto the pavement. 

   Travis stands at the front of the truck, waiting for me. I shut the door and head his way, but a loud voice interrupts me. 

   "Hey Travis!" a female voice yells. I turn my head to find the owner of the voice. A girl about the same age as me is walking our way. She has long straight brown hair that falls down to her ribs. She's wearing cut-off shorts and a tight-fitting pink tank top with sandals on her feet. As she comes closer, I see a small pink purse dangling from her arm. I raise my eyebrows and glance at Travis, knowing this girl is a total diva. 

   "Hey, Bobby-Jo," Travis says with a tight expression. The girl continues to come closer, and I turn back to face her. As she comes closer I can tell her green eyes are skewering me, and her full bottom lip is stuck out slightly as if she's pouting. 

   "Aw, you found another toy?" she asks him, now standing directly in front of me. I lift my eyebrows in surprise at her sudden rudeness. 

   "Bobby-Jo-"

   "What did you just say to me?" I ask her, feeling myself slip into my own diva mode. 

   Her lips part, exposing her perfectly straight, perfectly white teeth as she laughs. "Oh honey, you can't be that stupid! I think you know exactly what I said."

   "Alana, we should probably-"

   I hold my hand up to quiet him, stepping closer to Bobby-Jo. "Listen up, I don't know who the hell you think you are coming over here when we're minding our own business just to harass me, but you better watch yourself. I am not someone you can just push around, and even if I'm not from out here in the middle of nowhere, I can still kick your ass." I glare at her and turn, taking Travis' arm. He leads me into the grocery store without a backwards glance.