Strawberry Wine (Winner of The Write Affair) | ✔️

Chapter 19

Ch. 19

"You're what?" Ruby shrieked as we lay in chaise lounge chairs next to her pool.

I looked around nervously, making sure there was no one in ear-shot. "In love," I hissed back. I wasn't interested in broadcasting my news to the whole world. "At least Mags seems to think so."

"What do you think, Addy?" she asked, big honey-colored eyes wide.

I shook my head and gave her a shrug. "Love's a strong word," I admitted. "I'm not sure what to think. I do know that I've never felt this way before."

"I can't believe you're in love!" Ruby sighed. Listening was never one of her strong suits.

I rolled my eyes and decided not to argue. Ruby heard what Ruby wanted to hear.

"So, now what?" she asked, frowning.

"What do you mean?"

"What happens when Jake goes back to Texas?"

It was a topic I didn't like to think about. "I don't know, Ruby." I took a deep breath. "I guess I'm not going to take things too seriously. He's here for the summer and then he'll be gone," I added, trying to sound nonchalant. But inside, my heart sank.

Ruby shook her head emphatically. "I don't know how you're going to do it. It's a tragic love story. You're like a modern day Romeo and Juliet."

I laughed at her analogy. "Let's not get carried away! It's just a simple summer fling." I laughed at her analogy. "There will be no poison involved, I can promise you that."

"I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to fall in love with a 'simple summer fling,'" she retorted.

I swallowed hard and reached for my glass of lemonade, attempting to look unaffected. I should have never even mentioned it. The best thing to do at this point was to distract Ruby and get her talking about herself.

"So, what all do you have to do for this Strawberry Queen thing?"

Ruby sat upright and her expression turned animated. "Can you believe I have to have a talent?"

Distraction successful.

I stifled a laugh. As smart and pretty as she was, Ruby was known for her lack of coordination.

"Maybe I should dance?" she suggested.

The thought of Ruby cutting a rug was too much. "Ruby! You have two left feet!" I giggled. "After you and Eric went to prom last year, he said his toes were sore for a week from you stepping on them."

Ruby looked at me through narrow slits. "He was exaggerating."

"I don't think he was. I was there, remember? He limped for a week."

She let out a dramatic sigh. "Alright then, maybe I could sing?"

Slowly, I shook my head, "Remember in sixth grade when you tried out for Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz? It didn't go so well."

Ruby blushed at the embarrassing memory. "Okay, maybe singing's not such a good idea either. God, Addy! What am I going to do?" she asked dramatically. "The pageant is next week! If I can't find a talent, I'm going to have to drop out."

I racked my brain trying to come up with a solution. "What did your mom do when she tried out for queen?"

Squinting from the sun's bright rays, Ruby shielded her eyes and said, "She had a ventriloquist's dummy."

I wasn't sure I heard her right. I just couldn't picture Mrs. Sinclair playing with a puppet!

"What?" I questioned. "Are you sure?"

Ruby rolled her enormous brown eyes. "Yes, she performed with it all three years she tried out. And she was crowned queen every single time."

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief but a plan was already forming. "Does she still have the puppet?"

Ruby shrugged. "I think so. I remember seeing it a few years ago in the attic. Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"Just hear me out before you say anything, alright?"

She stared at me with a painful expression on her face.

"Your mom won Strawberry Queen three years in a row, right?"

Ruby nodded. "You know she did. She tells us that story every single summer."

I ignored her impatient tone and continued. "And didn't she say the pageant judges told her a few years ago that no other Strawberry Queen had ever compared to her?"

"Yes. They said no reigning queen has even come close to beating my mom's record of community service hours. Plus, they still rant over her talent act. Apparently it was the first and only time they ever had a ventriloquist on the stage." Ruby ran a hand through her long blonde hair. "What's your point, Addy?"

"My point is, the judges remember your mom fondly--which means they're probably excited you're trying out," I explained. "What if you borrowed your mom's dummy and performed as a ventriloquist? I think it would go over really well."

I studied Ruby's face as she pondered my suggestion. I had to admit it, the idea was ingenious. Now, I just needed to convince Ruby.

"That is so random! Besides, I'm not a ventriloquist, Addy. I don't know the first thing about talking to a puppet!"

"Come on! I'm sure your mom would be happy to teach you what she knows. Plus, she'd be flattered. And I bet the judges would be thrilled. Remember, they are the ones you're trying to impress. You'll probably win just because you carried on with your mother's tradition. Old people love that sorta stuff."

Ruby still looked unsure, but I could see her wheels spinning.

"I think my mom still has the scripts she used. Maybe I could get ideas from those?"

"Absolutely!" I encouraged. "Besides, what are your other options?"

Ruby looked at me and smiled in relief. "I'm going to do it!" She jumped up and gave me a hug. "Thank you, thank you! You and Jake will be there, right? I can't do this if you're not there for me!"

I untangled myself from her arms. "Of course we'll be there. You're going to be amazing!"

We spent the rest of the afternoon brainstorming ideas with her mom, and just as I suspected, Mrs. Sinclair was elated her daughter wanted to borrow her act.

My plan for distracting Ruby from my situation with Jake worked better than I had anticipated.

It had distracted me as well.

Thank you for reading Strawberry Wine! If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a vote/comment. :)