Jasmine stared into her closet. She knew what she had wanted to wear, but so many thoughts pushed her away from the outfit. The black and silver leather boots were within sight and added to the thoughts. This is why he had bought them, so they would be worn. Then again, he had bought them. They would forever pull her back to Garrett. She had only worn them the one time.
Now they sat, just beyond the door, gathering dust. She had fought internally what should be done with them. Should they be packed away like everything else Garrett had touched? Maybe she could bury them away until she was ready to wear them. She could forget how they found their way to her closet. There was always the most heartbreaking option. She could get rid of them completely either by passing them to someone else or selling them.
The familiar ringtone from her cell phone broke her concentration. It was Daisy. She walked to her bed, where the phone lay and picked up the device. She was reporting in, letting Jasmine know she was leaving her place and would be at Jasmine's front door in only a few minutes. She threw the phone back on the blankets and made her way to the bathroom. She had spent too much time fussing about the boots she had lost track of it. She still needed to do her hair and make-up. An outfit was still needed but gave up knowing Daisy would help her when she showed up.
**~~**
"I still can't believe you let your little brother and ex-boyfriend plan our birthday party." Jasmine rolled her eyes for the sixth time since her best friend showed up at her door. She expressed her disapproval about the whole thing from the start, and she wasn't lightening up. "I mean, seriously what's it going to be? Maybe some balloons and paying our way into the beer tent. Then what? Am I supposed to buy my own drinks the whole night while listening to a tone-deaf band?"
"You love the music in the beer tent every year. Besides, I'll pay for your drinks if it's really that big of a deal."
"All I'm saying is," she ignored Jasmine's comments, "It better not suck. You turn quarter of a century once."
"Way to make us sound older than we are." Jasmine's fingers began messing with the radio. First searching Daisy's presets then turning up the volume. The Offspring sang their anthem as Daisy rolled down all the windows. She turned to face Jasmine a huge grin on her face. They began singing loudly together as Daisy steered the car through town.
Main Street was blocked off with barricades at each end as were the side streets leading to it. The top of the Ferris wheel could be seen over the trees and surrounding houses. The sun hadn't set yet, but the glow of the flashing neon lights lit the paths between the buildings. Bells rang, and chattering game workers called out for attention and participants. Grease and sugar filled the air from the vendors hard at work.
After parking the car, the girls walked arm in arm up one of the blocked off streets. They passed the ice cream shop and post office before freezing before the runway. It was the same every year. They had to stop to take in the sight of all the rides and kids running around from the early stages of their sugar highs.
Since middle school the girls had gone up to the fair together. It was a silent promise they had made before they knew it. If there was a home football game, they would walk from the high school, four blocks and spend the rest of the night there.
Tonight though, was the busiest night of all; Saturday. Their birthdays had fallen on a Tuesday, so the boys had thought that it would be better to wait until the weekend. Everyone would be in town, off of work and they would have all night to celebrate. They exchanged a look of joy, both their smiles widening. Linking arms once again, they walk to the other end Main Street to the beer tent, and conveniently the bars. It was the one thing their town had done without ever realizing it. The three local bars were all in the same stretch of buildings.
"Ladies," Carter yelled from behind the temporary metal fence separating the legal and illegal crowds from the beer tent, "You're just in time."
Jasmine laughed as Daisy rolled her eyes when Carter hoisted himself over the fencing. He landed on his feet and a police officer pointed to him and said something too quiet to be heard over the music from the DJ. Carter nodded then smiled wildly at the girls as he approached them.
"Looks like the fresh twenty-one-year-old is enjoying his first beer tent experience," Daisy pointed at Carter, mocking the officer.
"Yeah, well Liam took this party planning a little too far and I needed a drink." Carter slung his arms across the girls' shoulders as he wedged his ways between them.
"Or a few," Daisy faked a whisper.
"Sue me," Carter laughed. He nodded to Rodeo with the wild grin still plastered on his face. The girls, still trapped beneath his arms, walked with Carter the bar across the street.
The guy sitting in a neon orange shirt with the words RODEO CREW on across his chest was checking I.D.s at the edge of its own temporary fencing. Carter showed the wristband from the beer tent and the guy shrugged accepting it as proof he was of drinking age. Jasmine and Daisy each handed over their I.D.s. The guy took a sharpie and sloppily wrote the letter R on the tops of their hands before gesturing for them to join Carter.
Pretending to hold open the propped door, Carter bowed slightly as the girls passed. Stepping over the threshold, Jasmine stood beside her friend and smiled. The raised section, across from the bar was roped off. Balloons were placed on each of the tables. A sign had been hung up over the section declaring the very words everyone shouted as Carter came up behind them.
"Happy birthday, Jasmine and Daisy," a crowd of family and friends cheered. Daisy grabbed Jasmine's hand unable to contain her excitement.
"They did good," Daisy mumbled under her breath as Carter nudged them toward the section.
A round of hugs and drinks later, and the party had picked up speed. Jasmine noted the subtle things. The candles which weren't normally lit glowing in their Mason jars. Their favorite finger foods already scattered on plates at each of the tables. Flowers, so many vases of flowers littered the back tables. Daisy had glued herself to David, sneaking kisses when they weren't small talking with the guests.
Jasmine took up residence at one of the tables. If she had to endure chit chat with everyone, she was going to do it sitting. Carter was talking to a girl at the bar. Eli was talking to the girl's friend. Both of them had lost their drunken smiles, and genuine ones took their place. Looking over her shoulder, she saw her parents dancing near the band. They were smiling as they exchanged words and her father twirled her mother every so often.
"Not too shabby," Liam joked, sitting beside her.
"Not too shabby at all," she remarked.
"Happy birthday, Jasabell."
YOU ARE READING
Back Roads | ✅ completed
Teen Fiction"What would you do?" Daisy raised a brow and an amused smile quirked up with it. "You want me to make the choice for you? Given my track record, are you sure that's a good idea?" "Your track record is the perfect reason. You've been with your share...
