Holding My Breath [Wattys 2016]

3 7 ~ R u s t y

                 

Present Day ~ July 10, 2011

Not many people can say that they are the sole heir to millionaires. I sure can't. Neither can Blue or Colton or Bailey. But Sawyer Kaydence Harper-Ray the second? He is definitely one of those people. However, he might have just gotten himself kicked out of that inheritance by going to live with his cousin.

Sawyer and I aren't that close, but we've come to be friends as criminals of sorts in the last month or so.

Today, before we meet up with the rest of the gang, he and I are walking around town and he points out all of the things nobody seems to know. In fact, not only is Sawyer KH-R-II a very interesting story, but he's made it is business to know everything about Wallen.

"You see that older lady over by the park bench, the one in red?" He asks, glancing over to where I should look.

I nod.

"Yeah, she was caught by Aaron's dad a couple of years ago for making moonshine in her tool shed." I look at him in surprise and he laughs.

"How could you possibly know that?" I ask, taking a sip from my water bottle. It's bright out, the heat setting in. I think that the idea of going to the fair has gotten me on edge a little bit. I've drunk at least three bottles in the last hour.

"I was there, princess." He keeps walking and we sit down at the outdoor seating at Archie's. It isn't busy today, and Blue isn't working, so we don't bother going in to say hello.

"How? Why?" I pause and then turn to him, wide eyed. "You weren't buying moonshine, were you?"

He shrugs and I slap him on the shoulder. "That's illegal!" As an afterthought, I add, "Don't call me princess."

"Fun things usually are," He laughs.

"It could be poisonous if it was made wrong. You know that, right?" I say, shaking my head.

"Not if it burns blue." He says. I give him a weird look and I guess he sees my confusion because he keeps explaining. "To see if the moonshine is safe, you pour a little into a shot glass, light it on fire, and make sure it burns blue. If it doesn't, don't drink it."

"And how do you know that?" I ask. This guy is ridiculous.

"My eighth-grade science teacher told me."

I shake my head and laugh. I take another drink.

"So what's your story, again?" he asks me and I glare at him. He puts his hands up in mock innocence and says, "I had to ask."

"I already told you not to ask, okay?" He sighs and nods. "Besides," I say. "I don't know much about your story either, Sawyer Kaydence Harper-Ray."

"The second." He adds.

"Yeah, the second," I say.

"Well, how much have they told you?" He asks, and I shrug.

"I know that your family is pretty rich and that you ran away. Oh, and that you stayed in Bailey's garage like I am now."

He sits back in his chair for a second. "I do owe you for the jumping thing..."

"That was over a month ago, you know."

"Alright, I'll let you make a few guesses. We've got some time to kill before we need to go by Colt's."

I nod, sitting back with a smile. "Okay... The money. Are you descended from a king or something?"

"No," he laughs. "But I'll give you that one. My dad inherited land that had a ton of oil under it. Made him rich."

I nod, encouraging him to keep going. He doesn't.

"So why are you here?" I ask.

"After I was born they moved to a rich suburban area. They became the stereotype of all rich people. Wanted me to go to Yale and be part of their... show. I came here instead."

After a second I pick back up. "So you just ran away?"

"When I got here, Aaron's dad said I could stay. My parents were glad to get rid of their problem-child."

"Didn't you say you stayed at Baileys, though?" I ask.

He smirks. "I met Bailey through Aaron. Stayed there a few days before talking to Jack."

"So you live with Blue now?" I ask. He nods, and smiles at me.

"You call him Blue." He says. It isn't a question.

"And?" I ask.

"It's not his name."

"And Rusty isn't my name, so what's so weird about it?" He shrugs but doesn't let in.

"We all call you Rusty, but you're the only one who calls him that." I feel a blush creeping up on my cheeks. It's an embarrassment of standing out, even though Sawyer took it a completely different way.

"You two would be cute together, you know." He laughs at me.

"Shut up, it's not like that," I say. He continues to look at me with raised eyebrows and stand up. "I am not having this conversation with you right now," I grumble and take a sip from my water bottle. He stands up and walks after me as I head off to the street again.

I drop the bottle in a trash can as we walk away from Archie's.

"So you're not even going to tell me your name?" he asks.

I glare. He shuts up.

"What time are we meeting up with Colt?" I ask him as he looks down the street at something. "Remember we don't have a ride back to Bailey's."

"We could go try and catch him right now if he is at the fill-up." I agree and we head back behind the diner and towards where Colt works. We had planned yesterday to all meet up at Bailey's before the fair.

I follow him into the gas station.

A bell rings overhead when we walk in, and I'm starting to see a pattern here. Bells seem to follow me wherever I go. I think that these bells keep trying to warn me...

"Ready, Colt?" Sawyer asks.

A few seconds later Colt comes out of the back room. "Yup. Let's go."