OO-RAH!

Chapter 5

"You're just so happy right now. You got the family farm, you got a hot guy crushing on you like you two are in high school, you barrel racing for the first time in two years, and you don't have to worry about a mama that's on the verge of getting really sick again." she said, flailing her hands around in slight frustration. I use my fingers to move a few stray hairs from her bun out of her face. 

"Oh, Billie-Mae. If only you knew how jealous I am of you." I tell her. She gave me the same confused look that I gave her. "At least you still got your mama and daddy. Granted, they ain't together anymore, but at least they're still breathing and alive. And you're taking college classes, earning your degree to become your own damn person. You don't a crybaby for an older sister, you don't have to run an entire farm by yourself, and you don't have to shovel animal crap every damn day." I say jokingly as I take a sip of my orange juice. 

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that." she smirks a little, letting her eyes droop at the papers. 

"It's just like Dolly Parton says: 'Everybody wants happiness, and no one wants pain. But you can't have a rainbow, without a little rain." I advise her. She smiled at me after giving her my coincidental advice. 

"That's something your mama would say." Billie-Mae says as she lightly nudges my arm with her elbow. I give her wink before standing up to put my cup in the sink. As I stand in front of the sink, I look outside at the rain falling against the kitchen window and out onto the ground. The horses were probably staying in the barn at the moment, the cows finding refuge under some tree, the chickens in the coop or wandering around, and the pigs sleeping in their pens. I guess today was a lazy day for the farmers. Just then, I got an idea. I ran back over to Billie-Mae excitedly. 

"Billie-Mae!" I shout. I jump on her, slamming the paper in hand down onto the table. 

"Hey!" she says, a little annoyed. 

"We're going dancing tonight." I tell her with a smile on my face. She looks at me like I'm crazy. 

"Dancing?" she asks. 

"Yeah! Me and you. What do you say?" I ask. I could feel the excitement running through my veins at the mere thought of dancing. 

"I don't know, Hayden. I got all this work and--" I cut her off immediately. 

"Oh come on, cuz! When was the last we went out? Especially when it was just me and you? Think about it. The two of us, in our good boots and jeans, wearing out tight shirts and our hats. We haven't been dancing at Wagon Wheel in years." I try to convince. She sat there in silence for a moment, thinking. 

"Well. . ." she starts. 

"Come on, Billie-Mae. Please!" I beg. 

"Oh, hell. Why not?" she agrees. I throw my arms around he and squeal with joy. 

"We're going to have so much fun!" I shout. I got up and and started making pancakes for the two of us. When we were finished and the dishes were cleaned up, I got dressed in my normal clothes and went outside to do what few chores I could while it was down pouring. I fed all the animals, checked for more eggs in the chicken coop, and then checked the utters of a few of the cows to see if they'll milking soon. I figured another day or two should be perfect. 

When I went back inside the house, I was soaked with rain water. Billie-Mae gave me a stack of towels to dry off with and to clean up what made and water I had tracked into the house. After I had dried off as best as I could and changed into dry clothes, I got a phone call from this year's director of the Jameson's Fourth of July Fair. Ever year they ask local farmers to pitch in in anyway they can to help make the fair a success. Sometimes they make specific requests from the farmers depending on what that year's director wants to do.