Cowgirl Strong

by Jenny Hammerle

  They continued toward their lockers on their way to the portables across campus where their next classes were located.

  “Whose, Mom?” Travis interjected.

  “Fred’s. She took in an exchange student.” Rachael answered.

  “Oh. The Swedish girl? She seems nice enough.” He smiled, cutting his eyes at Rachael.

  Clay and Adam walked up behind them to join in the conversation.

  “I was thinking it wasn’t such a bad idea. Maybe we could take a few in, right Travis? A Brazilian, maybe Norwegian.” Adam teased.

  Rachael saw green and realized she was jealous. She glared at Travis.

  “Speak for yourself, man. No exchange students in our house.” Travis said, playing it safe.

  “Good answer, Travis.” Maysie surmised. “See Travis is well-trained. What’s wrong with Fred?”

  “Well-trained?” Travis raised his eyebrow.

  “Well-trained. Rachael has you well-trained.”

  “She does, does she?” Travis looked over at Rachael.

  “I never said that!” Rachael cast Maysie the shut up look. “I’d never say anything so ridiculous.”

  “Um, hum. So how long have I been in this training program, Rach?” He teased.

  “I didn’t say that.” She could kill Maysie.

  “It starts the moment you start dating.” Maysie clarified. “Tristan is in training and he doesn’t even know it yet. Of course, we aren’t actually dating, but by the time we are he’ll be like a Doc Bar cutting horse.” Maysie paused briefly and then waved over her shoulder. “Tootles trick pony!”

  Rachael couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

  “So you think that’s funny?” Travis cast her a sideways glance.

  “Admit it. She’s hilarious.”

  “We’re out of this conversation, man. I think it’s about to get heated around here.” Clay and Adam walked off cutting across campus toward the two hundred building.

  “I’ll remember this conversation.” He threatened in a teasing manner. “We’ll see about well-trained. How do you know I don’t have training of my own in mind for you?”

  He bent in and gave her a kiss on the cheek, turned walking back toward the two hundred building. Rachael watched him go, making her stomach turn a flip as she contemplated his comment further. She darted off to class and decided in future she’d have to pick up the pace a bit. While the teachers would cut her some slack today, being the first day and all, she wouldn’t be so lucky the next time.

  A few hours later Rachael was relieved it was lunch time. Shannah stood in the bagel line waiting for her coveted everything-bagel and cream cheese. Rachael had long ago foregone the everything-bagel, convinced the onions and garlic stayed with her until mid-afternoon. She’d been dating Travis for a while now but wiping him out with the stench of garlic wasn’t a priority for her. Shannah fixed her plate paying for three extra cream cheese packets.

  “You gonna put all of that on one bagel?”

  “Why not? I look at it this way. I’ve got a few good years before I have to start worrying about what I eat. So for now, it’s everything in excess.”

  Rachael grabbed a taco and a chocolate milk from the other food bar. The girls headed to their typical table. Maysie and Alex were already there with Fred…and the new girl.

  “Who’s the new chick?” Shannah vexed.

  “Elena. Swedish exchange student.”

  “Fred’s?”

  “Yep. Be nice.” Maysie paused, cutting her eyes at Shannah, “She seems super sweet.”

  “Since when am I the mean girl?”

  “Just the gruff, sometimes ill-tempered, and long to warm to new friends girl.”

  “Okay, I’ll give you that.” Shannah conceded.

  The girls quit talking as they sat down. Today the table was absolute silence. Alex was jealous of Elena. Fred was mesmerized by a combination of her beauty and foreign accent. Shannah just kept looking over at Rachael raising her eyebrows when she thought no one else was looking. Only Maysie seemed oblivious to it all going on around her, and began chatting nonstop about the dance tryouts.

  “I can’t believe there’ll only be three seniors this year. Three! Count them. One-two-three.” She pointed to each of them at the table. “Eight juniors. A few sophomores. And two freshman plan on trying out.”

  “I like to dance.” Elena spoke.

  Alex widened her eyes.

  “That’s fantastic! And you’re a senior too. Maybe you should try out.” Maysie offered.

  Shannah kicked her from under the table.

  “Ouch.” Maysie protested.

  Then a knowing look donned on Maysie’s face, but it was too late to take back the suggestion. Elena jumped on it like a kid at the fair jumping on the carousel.

  “I think it’s a great idea. Elena’s a great dancer, classically trained. We’ve got that in common.” Fred added.

  Lunch ended and Alex offered to escort Elena to her next class. Fred insisted on going along as well. After Fred, Alex, and Elena disappeared out of the cafeteria, Shannah unleashed her redneck side on Maysie.

  “What were you thinking?”

  “I plead temporary insanity.”

  “Hold up.” Rachael held up her hands. “If she’s a dancer why shouldn’t we encourage her to try out? If Fred and Alex’s relationship is strong, it shouldn’t matter that his family has taken in an exchange student. She’s sweet and nice- and we’ve got to be fair to her.”

  “So you’re telling us if Maysie took in a blonde, five foot eleven super model from Paris and moved her into the Baxter house- in the room next door to Travis’- you’d be like- Oh. That’s cool.” Shannah smirked. “There’s no way. You can’t fool me. I know you’d be all over that girl like gravy on a biscuit.”

  “Maybe you’re right, but this isn’t my situation. It’s Alex’s, and as her friends we have to help her cope. I think we should embrace Elena like Maysie is doing.”

  “Okay. If you say so.”

  “I’ve got to get to French.” Maysie waved.

  “I’ve got Spanish Lit.”

  “College level IB class?” Shannah asked.

  “Yep.”

  “Me, too.” Shannah surprised her with her answer. “Hey- I’ve got some smart classes, too.”

  They both laughed as they walked down to Senora Wilder’s Spanish Literature class. It was Siglo del Oro Literatura, whatever that meant, but they were both prepared…armed with Spanish dictionaries. They set them out on their desks alongside pens and the first book on the reading list, some sort of Spanish poetry written circa the sixteenth century. Rachael leafed through it in the bookstore the day before and found she could barely read any of it. It wasn’t exactly full of Spanish vocab words she’d learned in Spanish one through three, unless of course they’d be ordering some food or asking the whereabouts of the nearest restroom.

  The bell chimed and Senora Wilder fluttered in wearing her sombrero and high heeled boots.

  “That’s a look.” Shannah muttered.

  A flurry of late arrivals strolled into class. Most of them Rachael recognized as regulars at their high school. While the school was good sized, you pretty much knew everyone by name and face after three years, even if you didn’t necessarily hang out with them. Among the regulars, however, there was a new face. He was a tall, athletically built guy with dark-brown wavy hair and ice blue colored eyes that caught even Rachael’s attention. He was strikingly handsome with what Rachael thought of as soccer hair- kind of messy- kind of styled. He could’ve stepped out of the shower and run out the door- or he could’ve spent hours working to get just that look. His skin was naturally tan and he was about six feet tall. Of course, he caught Shannah’s attention as well.

  “Ruh row, raggy. Who’s dat?” She said in her best Scooby voice.

  Rachael slapped her knee under the table.

  “I’m just sayin’. Ain’t blind or dead over here, girl.” She whispered.

  He chose th
e desk next to Shannah’s, setting his stuff down. He flashed his pearly whites and took a seat.

  “Class, this is Romero, our Spanish exchange student. He’ll be with us for the year. Try to make him feel at home.”

  “It’s like a hot exchange student invasion.” Shannah muttered.

  Rachael stared straight ahead doing her best not to crack up.

  Senora Wilder continued, “This year our school is hosting twice the number of exchange students as we did in the past. As always, we’re looking for students and their families who would be willing to host these students. As a result of our program’s growth, I find myself with a few more in need of host families.”

  Shannah looked over at Rachael and nodded her head. Rachael mouthed the words ‘bad idea’.

  “Anyhow, if you’d be interested please see me after class.”

  Rachael had a sinking suspicion Shannah would be the first student in that line, but when the bell rang, and she merely packed up her bag, Rachael was confused.

  “What? I want to date him, not move him in! Ain’t dead or blind, didn’t say I was stupid and a moron.” She teased.

  Outside the girls strolled, talking about the invasion of exchange students. It didn’t take long for Romero to jog up to them.

  “Ladies, I was hoping you could show me where the three hundred building is.”

  While Shannah’s typical response would’ve been along the lines of “What, they didn’t give you a map?” today’s response was a “Sure thing.”

  Rachael watched as they headed off in the direction of the desired building. Travis frowned as he walked up.

  “Who was that with Shannah?”

  “Romero. From Spain.”

  “Exchange student?”

  “Yes. And his situation is a sad one. He’s displaced and needs a host family.” Rachael tried to sound convincingly sad, wiping an invisible tear from her cheek.

  “I’m well-trained, not a pacifist.” He grinned.

  “Like I’d ever take in an exchange student.” Rachael almost added…especially a good looking one like that, but thought better of aggravating him too much.

  Chapter Twelve

  The first couple of weeks passed. Rachael and Michael seemed to find their rhythm once more. One afternoon, Michael sat complaining.

  “Why do the teachers pile on the homework from day one?” Michael grumped at the dining room table where he’d started his math assignment.

  “I don’t know. I always figured they’re trying to set the tone for the rest of the year.”

  “I don’t think being a hard ass right out of the gate gets you anywhere with your students.”

  “Watch your language, Michael!”

  Rachael walked over and picked up his book. It was a geometry book. She opened the front of it and read the names of the previous students who’d had this same book. She ran her finger up the list and stopped at one name.

  Travis Baxter.

  “This was Travis’ book?”

  “Yep. Sophomore year.” Michael snatched it away and set it back down.

  “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing. I’m just trying to get some work done here.”

  “Okay, moody boy.”

  Rachael walked into the kitchen. She unloaded the dishwasher, putting the silverware away first. Next she moved on to the glasses, plates, and bowls. She was carefully putting them away when she heard chuckling coming from the dining room.

  She poked her head in to check on Michael. “What is so funny?”

  He whipped his head up and looked like a cat caught eating the family goldfish.

  “Nothing. This teacher, Mr. Sanchez, he’s funny. Total jokester.”

  “If you say so. I never found him all that amusing.” Rachael shook her head and returned to her chore. She’d had Mr. Sanchez- and he was very stiff- maybe a little bit boring, but never funny.

  A few minutes later she heard more giggling. She knew better than to believe it was just Mr. Sanchez. She crept around the other side of the wall to the foyer where she could clearly see into the dining room, over Michael’s shoulder.

  Michael had the book opened to the index at the back of the book. Among the pages where the answers to the even numbered problems were, there was a white page completely covered in drawings. Along the top it read The Journey of a Redneck Debutante.

  She crept closer and saw it was similar to a comic strip- and the girl who was the main character throughout was her! There was the first one with her standing in a creek catching minnows with a shocked look on her face as a herd of stampeding cattle approached from behind. There was one with her sitting on an airboat- hair blowing widely about her face- bikini two sizes too small. Her personal favorite was one of her fishing with a tiny bass latched onto her finger. The caption read “Ouch! Bass have teeth?”

  At this point, Michael realized she was peering over his shoulder. He slammed the book closed.

  “What’s the problem? I thought they were cute!”

  “Okay. But don’t tell Travis you saw them.”

  “Why not? There’s nothing wrong with them.”

  “I think it’d embarrass him.”

  “It’s kind of stalker-like.” She teased. “Of course, I’m joking. It’s sweet. He chronicled our every meeting.”

  “Not all of them I hope. Geez Rach, don’t make me barf.”

  She punched her brother’s arm. “I want it.” She said.

  “I need the book, you can’t have it. How else am I supposed to do my homework?”

  “I’ll cut it out carefully. No one will ever know it was taken out of there.”

  “Okay. But if I get fined or something, you’re in huge trouble.”

  “You’re not going to get fined.”

  Rachael went to the kitchen and procured a pair of scissors from the crafting container located in the bottom of the pantry. She returned to the dining room and carefully cut along the edge up the spine of the book. Since the page was blank and had no credits of any kind listed on either side, its absence would be unnoticeable.

  “I think I’ll frame it.”

  She glanced at the pictures from top to bottom. She stopped at the one from last year’s dance. Had her chest looked that full in the dress? If it had, no wonder he offered her his jacket.

  Poor guy.

  She took the picture down the hall and found an empty picture frame in her aunt’s hall closet. She’d always kept a few on hand. Rachael removed the back and slid the page into place. She had to laugh at the one of her getting sick down the side of a horse and the caption accompanying it. ‘Moonshine might be the death of me!’

  She did her own homework and decided to catch up on social media. She had a short note from Ellery in response to her recent post about senior year and going back to school.

  Hi Rach-

  I can’t believe we’re about to start our last year of HS either! TJ and I are great. No changes there. He got accepted to UF and we’re super excited. Did you do your applications yet? LMK.

  Love ya,

  Ellery

  Rachael responded letting her know she hadn’t completed her application yet, but that she would get right on it. Rachael hit the send button just as she heard Travis coming up the driveway. She jumped up to go greet him. She thought about hiding the drawings but reconsidered.

  She leapt to the front door and swung the door open. He wore a shocked expression.

  “That was fast.”

  She threw her arms around him and gave him a bear hug and a kiss.

  “Wow. What’s gotten into you?”

  “She found the drawings dude.” Michael confessed from the dining room. “Not my fault. She found them all on her own.”

  Travis looked annoyed.

  “It’s not a big deal. I thought they were sweet. I had no idea you were such an artist.”

  “Yep. I like to draw.” He turned and quickly changed the subject. “I brought you those male dogs we talked about. Care to join
us, Michael?”

  “Here I come.” Michael jumped up.

  Outside the dogs barked at them in the back of Travis’ truck.

  “They going to bite us?”

  “Nope.” He lowered the tail gate and let them jump down. They sniffed around circling the yard and then ran back to meet Rachael and Michael. The one male dog, Spike, licked Michael’s hand sweetly, while the other one growled at him from nearby.

  Michael looked at the growler, also known as Hank, and whistled to him.

  “Hank’s a little rowdy, but he’ll warm up to you both.”

  Aunt Margaret and Mrs. Harte pulled into the driveway and up to the house. Both ladies got out. Hank barked at them, but warmed to them within fifteen minutes. Spike on the other hand looked like he wouldn’t bite a robber if he were loading a moving van with all of their most cherished possessions.

  “Hank.” Travis called.

  Hank came over and sat at his feet.

  “Hank is my dog.”

  Rachael held out her hand for Hank to sniff. He did doubtingly and then settled back down at Travis’ boot.

  “I’m not sure he likes us.”

  “He will.”

  “You should probably stick around for dinner and make sure he doesn’t take our legs off or anything.” Mrs. Harte commented.

  “Thank you, I will.”

  Rachael noticed a change in Travis. He was more bothered by her finding the drawings than he should’ve been. Something was wrong and she’d have to get to the bottom of what it was.

  “Travis, I was about to take a walk on the ranch to check on Taffy and ole’ lonesome George.”

  “Sure. They’re probably at the molasses tanks.”

  Rachael grabbed his hand pulling him along with her. When they were near the barn she started talking. “I loved the drawings.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “Have you done any others?”

  “I have. A bunch actually.” He grinned over at her. “Not all of you. Hate to disappoint.”

  She jerked her head around to look at him. “Of bunches of girls?”

  “No.” He laughed. “Animals mostly. You’re the only female human subject of my artwork.”