heart strings // jake virtanen

chapter 1

The path it took to get to today's festival was sure... an interesting one. Avery, my best friend, had been begging me about it the second that the lineup had been released.

"I will never come with you to a stupid cowboy festival." I had said firmly.

"But if you don't come, then I'll be alone, and I can't go alone." That was always her argument, that I had to go or else she wouldn't.

She could've gone with any of her other friends, but she seemed evident on convincing me. Two of our other friends would've been on vacation during the festival, and I guess Avery thought she had the best chance convincing me.

I wasn't a country music person, far from it. I had been to festivals before, but they were all like raves. Boots and Hearts was nothing like a rave.

I guess Avery had done a good job though, because when the weekend of the festival came, we both had bracelets. I honestly couldn't believe I caved in, but it was more out of guilt than an actual want to go. I just can't believe guilt made me spend hundreds of dollars for a stupid weekend.

It took us about 3 hours to drive there, since it was north of Toronto, in a city I'd never heard of.

I turn the radio down to speak to Avery, looking at her. "Remind me why I'm coming." I ask of her. We'd already been on the road for 2 and a half hours, and I was already ready to leave.

"Because you love me." She smiles, switching the station. She turns it up when she finds a song she likes, grinning and singing along.

"None of this music!" I say, immediately lowering it. "We'll be hearing it all weekend."

"We have to prepare, Sav." She said, making me roll my eyes. I don't know how I'd be able to stand three days of this music, non-stop.

"You don't know this song?" She asks, mouth wide open.

I push her cheek so she's facing the road while driving. She doesn't really need to, though, there's no cars around us for miles. "I only know one country singer, and it's Carrie Underwood."

"You're close, it's Miranda Lambert." She laughs.

I plug my earbuds into my phone and play something else, something I'd like. Avery starts talking, but I can't hear her. Once she looks at me and notices I wasn't listening, she laughs.

I take out my earbuds. "What?"

"Don't ruin the weekend for me, Sav. You'll have fun, I know it." She tries to encourage me.

I now take out my earbuds, feeling bad for ignoring her. I didn't have to necessarily enjoy this weekend, I just had to tolerate it. Avery's the bestest friend I could've ever asked for, she's always done so much for me. No way could I let her down. I'm sure it wouldn't be that bad...

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