Down Red River Road

It was nothing but brown and red dirt from her house to the town. The dust would gather at her feet and cake at the edge of her blue jeans.
When a car would pass by, the person driving would wave to her and speed on by. Then the dirt would be in her auburn hair. She’d just laugh and keep walking, her golden retriever at her side.
Barefoot and tank topped, she walks down the road and into the small town of Red River.
         Mrs. Sheryl Downy waves from her rocking chair on the front porch of the post office, her fluffy terrier sleeping at her feet. Chris Walker, who works behind the counter at the corner market, tosses a can of soda from hand to hand. The Baker twins, Miley and Carley,  play in the creek behind their mothers bakery.
         She waves to the wet girls as the race over to her.
“ Morning Alex!” Miley grinned, her brown hair boyishly short, opposite of Carley’s long locks. They were both dressed in soaked yellow dresses.
“ Morning girls, having fun?” Alex smiled, ruffling their hair.
“ Yea!” Carley gasped, “ Can Shadow come play with us for a while?”
Alex saw through those innocent brown eyes. Shadow just had a bath, “ Not today girls, we have to haul back feed for my papa’s chickens.”
“ Aw.” Miley pouted, “ Next time?”
“ Next time.” Alex promised as they squealed in glee and ran back to the creek.
Alex continued on, passing up the sheriff’s office, the county jail, The library and Photoshop, then came the feed store.
         Donald Walker never had enough heart to remodel the store. It was still the same old wooden structure and sign that it had been when she was a girl. Only weather had roughed out the color and darkened the old wood to a blackish tint.
She pushed open the door, the small bell above her clanging.
“ Oh. Mornin’ Alex.” that laid back southern accent belonged to only one boy. Johnny Jones, or J.J for short. He was covered in seed shells, but still as handsome as they come down here.
Messy brown hair, hazel eyes and a smile that could melt even a city girls knees.
“ Morning Johnny, any business so far?” She asked leaning against the counter.
“ Other than Mister Johnston, nope, you’re our first.” He measured out a cup of seed and poured it into a bag. “ Becky called an order in, you need seed?”
“ Yea.” Alex smiled, “ My dad needs some for the chickens, said you’d know what I was talking about.”
“ Sure do.” He bent behind the counter and lifted up a bag of seed with a chicken on the front. “ Just got it in last night.”
“ Thanks.” She handed him the money, “ What does Becky need with sunflower seeds?”
“ She wants to start a sunflower garden.” Johnny stated, “ A fine idea if you ask me.”
Alex nodded, “ Didn’t think she’d have the nerve to set her hands in dirt.”
“ Neither did I.” He laughed, then rubbed a hand between the retrievers ears. “ Hey Shadow.” The dog barked happily at the show of attention.
Being friends since before birth, seeing as their mothers were the best of friends. Alex and Johnny shared just about everything.
Alex heaved the feed over her shoulder. “ I’ll See you at the festival tomorrow night?”
He nodded and waved her out of the store.
         Alex lifted an eyebrow as she turned the corner and spotted Becky Dunham walking up the street. Her pretty blue dress brushing her knees, perfect figure, black hair tied up neatly on her head. Alex looked down at her own scrawny body, then glanced at Shadow. “ 5 dog treats says she’s here to flirt with J.J.”
Shadow barked.
“ Wanna stay and watch?”
The dog barked again, turned tail and shot back to the door of the feed store.
Johnny gave them a puzzled look as they sprinted into the store and dropped the feed on the counter. Alex walked around the counter and dropped to the floor. “ Front row seats.”
Johnny looked out the glass window and rolled his eyes. “ You are such an idiot.”
“ Aw, but you love me for it.” she snickered as the bell went off.
Becky cruised through the door and gasped, hand hitting her heart, “ Oh! Johnny.” She smoothed out the invisible wrinkles in her dress. “ Didn’t see you there.”
Alex mimicked the over-dramatic scene and got a kick from the boy standing beside her.
“ You got my seeds?” Becky asked.
“ Yes ma’am.”
“ Oh don’t call me that. “ She insisted, “ You’re older than me.”
Alex wrinkled her nose, did this girl bathe in perfume?
“ Of course.” Johnny handed her the bag. “ Small enough to carry home.”
“ Thank you.” She smiled, “ You coming to the festival tomorrow night?”
“ Sure thing, I’m sure Mr. Walker is closing the store down for it.”
Her lashes fluttered, “ Wanna be my date?”
Alex’s eyes narrowed. How dare Becky ask him that, she knew that he and Alex always went together. It was tradition to them.
“ I go with Alex every year.” He stated.
“ Oh change it this year, you two aren’t 5 anymore. You’re 17.” She tugged on her black locks, “ Please?”
He seemed to think it over, “ I’ll have to talk to Alex.”
“ Oh stop it. You’ll call her by her name, but not me by mine.”
“ I’ve known her since birth.” He protested, “ We do everything together.”
“ Oh come with me.” She smiled again, “ I can do the same things she does.”
Not everything, Alex thought crossing her arms over her chest. Something nudged her leg and she looked up, catching Johnny staring at the clock.
Alex gasped, “ Oh crap!”  she hopped up. “ My dads going to kill me!” She hopped onto the counter and slide over the surface, grabbing the sack of feed on her way out, shadow at her heels.
“ Hey Becky, Bye Johnny!”
Becky gapped at the door for a while, then looked at Johnny. The boy had the biggest grin on his face.
“ Can you do that?”


___________________





“ You ain’t gonna wear a dress?” Patty, Alex’s mother, asked hands on her hips. “ You’re 17, don’t go in jeans.”
“ Moma.” Alex sighed, “ Johnny doesn’t care what I wear.”
“ He’s a boy, They wanna see you in a dress or a skirt.” Patty huffed.
“ Alex! J.J’s here!” Her father bellowed from the first floor.
Alex sneered at her mother and raced down the stairs. “ What’s up? The festival isn’t for another three hours.”
He scuffed his boot on the wooden floor and sighed, “ My paw wants me to go with Becky. Said something about taking a real girl.”
“ What a sexist. I’m just as female as her.” She huffed, “ We always go together.”
“ I know.” He sighed, “ but maybe this’ll be good for the both of us.”
“ Good how?” She snapped, anger was skimming the surface now. “ It’s like tradition for us.”
He groaned, “ We’re too old for friendship dates.”
“ Oh.” She rubbed her temples,  “ Well then, go off and get ready.”
“ Alex….”
She started up the stairs, “ I told you to go.”
“ Well boy-o, “ Her father, David,  sighed, patting him on the shoulder. “ I’d leave if I were you.”
“ Sir….”
“ Just let it go. Have fun,” he smiled, “ Change is always good.”
“ But sire, I didn’t want to go with Becky.”
“ Boy, you’re the one who let your father rule over who you wanted to take to the festival.” The man put his hands in his pockets, “ My Alex is strong willed, but we’re only as strong as our greatest weakness.”
Johnny sighed, “ Becky expects so much from me, Alex asks for nothing, even if she wants it.”
David lifted an eyebrow, “ Got something for her did you?”
Hazel eyes narrowed, “ She won’t accept it now.” he waved to the man and shut the door behind him.
David rubbed his chin, a small smile on his face when he heard Alex’s loud scream.
“ MOM! Where’s that bloody dress?!”




_______________________



He didn’t much like Becky’s frilly white dress and that strong smell of perfume. Or the large red flower in her hair. Sure, she was pretty, but she wasn’t……
Johnny grumbled and watched as Becky walked back from the dance floor. “ Why don’t you dance?”
“ Tired. Long work day.” What a lie. Walker had given him the day off to help his mom prepare the food.
“ Oh…” She sighed, taking a seat. “ Where’s Alex?”
“ Dunno.”
“ What’s so special about a tomboy like her?” Becky hissed, “ She’s never dressed up, doesn’t even try, not even for Sunday!”
“ I said No!”
“ Oh come on Alex.” Marisa, Alex’s neighbor and second best friend smiled, brushing brown hair back. Her boyfriend, Conner Johnston was snickering behind his hand.
“ I said no!” Alex’s voice snapped from behind the talent building. “ I look…..I look….”
“ Like a girl.” Marisa smiled, clapping her hands together. “ You look lovely!”
“ I look stupid! I’m not cut out for this kind of wear!”
“ You’re the one who wanted to try it on.”
“ Didn’t mean I wanted to wear it.”
“ Too late, we’re here, now exposed yourself to all the wonderful people of Red River County.” Marisa twirled around, her green skirt moving with her. “ come now.”
Johnny stood up and walked over to where Conner stood. “ What the devil is going on?”
“ They forced her into a dress.” Conner stated, “ she looks mighty cute in it, but I prefer her in jeans.”
“ Hey!” Marisa pouted playfully, “ I’m your date.”
“ And I wouldn’t have it any other way darling.” Conner kissed her nose and pulled on her arm. “ We’ll leave it to you to get her out and about. I’d like to take my girl to the dance floor.”
Johnny nodded, “ Go on.” He smirked and tapped on the door of the bathroom. “ Come on out Alex Ann.” he stated.
Oh the nerve of him calling her by her middle name. He knew he could get her to do anything.
Sly dog.
“ No.” She remained stubborn. “ I look ridiculous.”
“ To you maybe, but the rest of us haven’t even seen you.” Johnny said, “ Come on out and I’ll get you a cotton candy.”
“ Liar.”
“ When have I lied to you Alex?”
“ That time when you told me you forgot my birthday and then shoved me in the lake as a present.” Her voice held humor in it too, “ Then gave me that silly sliver necklace with the dragonfly on it.”
“ You remember that?” he asked.
“ You don’t?” She asked, by the sound of her voice, she was leaning against the door.
“ of course I do. Now come out.”
“ Oh you buttered me up.” She sighed, making a note to ask him how he could get ‘round her like that.
The door opened slightly and her head popped out, auburn hair falling down in a strait red river. “ Promise not to laugh?”
“ On my honor.” He put a hand to his heart and heard Becky snort from behind him.
The door opened all the way now and he struggled not to lose his jaw. She looked…
She looked…..
Well, she looked lovely. Just as Marisa had said.
No, she didn’t go as far as to wear a dress, but that black skirt reached her ankles and fit together great with the blue jean vest and white shirt beneath it.
Nor did she bother with shoes, no one did here.
“ Well?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. God, she felt so stupid and naked. She’d put on shorts under it, but still felt naked.

“ I think you look wonderful.” He smiled, “ Right Becky?”
Becky clucked her tongue, “ Much better than what she wears to church.” She shuffled her shoulders, “ Can we dance now Johnny?”
He looked back at her and then at Alex, “ I’ll get you that cotton candy after alright?”
She nodded and went to find a table. Her finger tapped on the wood as the band played a fast tune with a fiddle and the dancers sped up.
This was the one time of the year where she didn’t mind cutting loose and showing off her dance skills.
She was pretty damn good.
But Becky was much better at it, being as her parents were the richest people in town and could afford the lessons.
Alex’s mother taught her how to do everything. Housework, dancing and cooking.
“ Here ya go.” Johnny took a seat across the table and handed her the stick of sugar.
She took it with and smile and plucked a piece off, smiling at him. “ Letty sure has a hand at making this stuff.”
“ Oh it’s ‘easy’ she says, “ Johnny rolled his eyes, “ I tried it once, ain’t as much fun as she makes it look.”
Alex laughed, “ It takes some practice.”
“ Well now, there’s a smile.” His lips quirked up, “ You’ve been brooding since you sat down.”
“ I was watching everyone but me dance. The boys are too shocked to come ask me.” She huffed.
“ Maybe that’s because you look like you want to murder someone.” He pointed out.
Oh she’d like to murder someone alright and she was flirting with Chris. “ You’re dates fraternizing with other boys.”
Johnny looked back, “ Well then, in that case….wanna dance?”
She eyed him wearily, then stood up and took his hand as she followed him into the crowd.
He pulled her too him and smiled. “ You really do look beautiful.”
She blinked, “ I look pretty, not beautiful. That’s reserved for Becky.”
“ Any girl can be beautiful, but everyone is different.” He shrugged, taking her arms and sliding them around his neck.
Her eyes rolled, “ Well, I’m not much for being called that. I know I’m not.”
He smirked, “ You’re stubborn.”
“ You know me well.” Her smile widened, then dropped when he moved forward, dipping his head closer to hers.
His eyes lifted to hers, “ All the better to get you to let me do this.”
“ Do what…” The gasp was caught in her throat when he closed the distance between their lips.
Becky’s horrified squeal pitched over the music, but Alex was far from hearing it now. Her stomach was all knotted up and she couldn’t get a straight though in her head.
Johnny retreated slowly, watching her eyes as they narrowed at him. Rejection stung like a bad bee, and dropped into the pit of his stomach.
“ What the bloody hell took you so damn long?” She snapped.
He blinked, then threw his head back and laughed. Only Alex would say something like that after a kiss.
Only Alex could get Becky to throw a tantrum in front of a hot dog stand.


The walk home was a quiet one. He didn’t live far from her and Marisa and Conner were not far behind them. In fact, they could hear Marisa’s giggles.
Johnny took her hand and spun her out, then right back in, a smile on his lips.
She rolled her eyes. “ You are such an idiot sometimes.”
He kissed her nosed and laced one of their hands together. “ Aw, but you love me for it.”



~Fin~