A few days later, Amelia was on the phone, "Jack and I are going." Amelia told her. "I'll pick you up."
"I'm not going."
"So you won't have to show up on your own." Amelia continued as if Ella hadn't interrupted.
"I'm not going." Ella stated more forcefully.
"Why not?"
"I don't want to."
"We went last year."
"I know."
"Come on Ella, Jack will be busy, either taking part or helping. David will be busy with school stuff. You remember last year when we went they were both flat out. Ben just flirts with every woman there, so he's no company. Please Ella. You can't leave me at that thing alone!" Amelia pushed, "Twenty minutes, and Ella, pull on old jeans or something. I'm coming to get you."
"I haven't got old jeans. Or a picnic ready." Last year Amelia and Ella had put together a picnic and had watched the various competitions. They had even taken part in the three legged race. Amelia had loved it because it allowed her to do or watch all the things she had missed out in her teenage years. Ella had enjoyed it because it gave her a reason to be in the vicinity and watch David without drawing too much attention. But that was then. A year ago. Things were different now.
"Wear trousers. I have heaps of food."
"I..."
"Ella, come on. I don't want to go on my own. Jack will be in the thick of things, you know what these outdoorsy people are like. Knowing my luck that bloody woman will be there. I'll probably brain her! And it will be your fault for not being there to restrain me."
Ella knew that Amelia was referring to Davina. "Ben will be there." Ella reminded her friend.
"He'd help me brain her. You know he's as bad as Jack. They'll be joining in everything, tug of war, sack races, everything. Ben just does it so that he can attract the attention of some dopey woman. I need some girly company. Evie can't come, she got gored by a bull yesterday. I left messages for Mallory, she's said it depends on whether she gets in, on time, she's flying back from Christchurch I think. Come on Ella, please, pretty please."
"Evie was gored..."
"Not exactly. She said not to worry!"
"What?"
"She just said she was ok, but didn't want to come."
" So I'm your last ditch effort. Great. Thanks."
"Ella, you're being difficult. Just say you'll come. It will be fun. We can picnic like last year and..."
"Ok, ok." Ella conceded. "Give me half an hour."
The school fundraiser was a weekend event. Saturday had various ignominious races and a carnival type atmosphere, followed by the barn dance. Sunday had the school old boys and girls take on the school's current teams.
They had to park miles away due to the crowd, and as Ella and Amelia walked with Jack toward the school gates, Ben waved.
"You're late." He told Amelia and threw Jack a reprimanding look. It was obvious why they were late, he thought. Jack had the nerve to grin at him. Smug bastard.
Amelia however was not willing to take the blame for their tardiness. "Blame Ella. She can't walk fast in those heels!" Ben looked down at Ella's feet. He nearly groaned.
"Oh thanks." Ella swatted her friend.
"I've paid for us." Ben waved the four entry tickets "So you get the barn dance tickets for this evening."
"Hey!" Amelia challenged, "They're more expensive than the gate."
"Not my fault you're late. Come on." Ben told her and despite Jack's efforts to put himself between Amelia and Ben, Ben still managed to thread Amelia's hand through the crook of his arm, and cart her along, leaving Jack to follow with Ella. Ella's lips quirked as she read the posturing between the two men. Ben wasn't interested in Amelia, not the way Jack was, but that didn't mean that Ben was going to make life easy for him. He and Amelia had been friends for years, and he fully, as was evident from a few minutes ago, still thought he had first claim on her time and her company. Ella banked her smile and maintained her cool façade. Jack looked ready to throttle Ben, but given Ben and Amelia were already several feet away, Jack had little option but to keep Ella company.
The ambled through the throng, and eventually Ben and Amelia found a spot of green on which to lay the picnic blanket Amelia had brought along.
"Jack, you up for the tug of war?" Ben asked as he gestured toward a small table taking team names for the tug of war. He was fairly certain that Jack would want in. Anything to give him a chance to showcase and showboat in front of Amelia.
Ben was already heading toward the table when Jack asked, "How many have you got?"
"I figured David, you, me and the guys from the bike trip."
"You've asked them?"
Ben nodded. "Some."
"So why are you asking me if you've already signed us in?" Jack asked dryly, still put out by the fact that Ben had commandeered Amelia as soon as they'd arrived. He really needed to have a word with the man, about the fact that he was no longer Amelia's body guard and that Amelia was now engaged. To Jack.
"Just being polite." Ben shrugged, knowing he'd already wound Jack up.
"Polite would be asking before signing me in."
Ben shrugged again, his lips twitched, yup he'd got to Jack, and all because he'd walked off with Amelia. "Ok. So. Let's check when we're up."
Jack and Ben sauntered toward the desk. Amelia and Ella began to lower themselves to sit cross legged on the picnic blanket and glanced around.
"Not as big as last year." Amelia stated, as she tucked her legs into a more comfortable position.
"No, but then the weather isn't as good either." Ella glanced overhead. It looked quite grey.
"Well at least it isn't raining."
"Not yet. They forecast it for later." Ella looked around, her gaze sweeping the crowd as she pretended general interest, all the while her radar was on David alert.
"Evening I thought."
"Knowing our luck it will come early."
"I brought some brollies." Amelia told her, and waved at two ostentatiously coloured umbrellas. "So which events do you think we should go for?"
"I'm not doing the three legged race with you." Ella stated firmly, "Last year you nearly crippled me." For while Amelia was very slim, and lithe, she also had significantly shorter legs than Ella.
"I can't help it if you've got legs up to your armpits." Amelia grinned, "Relay?"
"Maybe."
"Yeah, we actually have a four. You me, Jack and Ben." Amelia had yet to ask the two men, but she was sure that she would manage them. The more difficult person was bound to be Ella. She would need a lot of work. And true to form, Amelia heard Ella begin her campaign.
"Why can't we just watch?" Ella grouched, "And how did you say Mallory got out of this?"
"Because I never got to do these things as a kid. I have heaps to make up for. You, buddy are here to help me! Mallory hasn't got out of anything, she's just not made it back yet. When her flight gets in, I'm sure she'll show up." Amelia had been fast tracked through school because she was bright, and as a consequence had missed out on many of the school events, like school camps, team sports, school days.
"Not if she has any sense." Muttered Ella, "How is it that you aren't bitter?" Ella wondered aloud. "I would be."
"Well that's because you aren't as bright as me, and haven't figured out...."
Ella whacked her with the foam cushion they'd brought.
"Hey!" Squealed Amelia in feigned outrage even as she dissolved into laughter.
"Are you bullying my girl?" Jack asked as he bobbed down beside Amelia and pulled her toward him. Any excuse to touch her. He'd been taken by how animated Ella was. Of course he knew that Ella dropped the cool façade when with her friends, but even so, this close to her when she didn't reign in her natural charm, and he felt himself automatically warming to her.
"She was using that 'I'm brighter than you' routine." Ella told him bluntly then added, as her eyes homed in on the way he kept grinning at Amelia, "She's got you wrapped around her little finger."
"Yeah, so?" Jack asked with a raised brow, before leaning in to kiss Amelia on the lips.
"Hey Jack!" Ben yelled, "You're supposed to be telling them we're on in two minutes. Get over here!"
"We're on in two minutes." Jack muttered, got to his feet and hauled Amelia to hers. "Come and support." He draped an arm along Amelia's shoulder, "We are going to need it. You should see the other guys."
"Big?" Asked Amelia. Jack nodded.
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall." Ella told him glibly.
"You don't get the basics of tug of war do you Ella?" He retorted.
"Cheeky varmint." She cuffed his arm.
"Ow!" He grouched with a grin. It amazed him how wrong he was about Ella. She was anything but an icicle. But usually she was only warm and friendly around her friends. He draped an arm around her shoulder and tugged her closer, "That's a good arm, want to be on our team."
"No." She shrugged off his arm and took a couple of steps away. Ok, he admitted, she could still be an icicle when around friends.
"Can I be?" Amelia asked quickly which only made the smile return to Jack's lips. Her obvious enthusiasm was hard to miss. The light in her eyes practically danced in anticipation of taking part. "On your team? Can I?"
"Hon, you're a bit puny!" Jack grinned at her.
"Puny!" She pulled out of his grasp and smacked his arm.
"Come on!" Bellowed Ben. "Stop messing around!" He warned Amelia, seeing that she was busy swatting Jack, who was laughing at her half hearted effort.