Page 16 of Goose

WE HAD JUST GRADUATEDfrom high school, and everybody was making plans for a big party. My baby sister, Lilah, was wrapped around my best friend, Levi, sitting on our porch swing. They were so in love, and everybody thought they would be married as soon as she turned eighteen.

My brother, Silas, had his arm wrapped around some little brunette’s waist as he walked back from the barn. I smirked, knowing what they just did and that my Mama was going to beat his ass. Mama knew everything that happened despite us trying to hide it.

Levi looked up and nodded toward me. “What’s up, Brother?”

“Just heading over to Bambi’s place. She wasn’t at the graduation ceremony. I offered her a ride, but she turned it down.”

Silas shrugged. “Maybe she just doesn’t like your ugly face.”

He and Levi laughed. Lilah smacked Levi’s chest. “Oh, stop it. Bambi is such a sweetheart and we all know she likes Sawyer. I saw her at the store yesterday and she looked very pale. Maybe checking on her would do her some good. Want me to come along? We are close friends.”

I smiled and shook my head. “You’re an angel, baby sis. I think I’ll go by myself, though. If her pop is home, I don’t want you to get involved. Earl and I have an... understanding. You just stay here. I’ll see you guys at the bonfire, okay?”

They all nodded and headed inside. I jumped onto my shitty motorcycle and headed down the driveway. I had worked all last summer to buy this shitbox. It worked, was just ugly as fuck. This summer, I planned to restore it back to its former glory.

I raced across the train tracks and onto Bambi’s road. There was nothing out here except a few old trailers.

Reaching Bambi’s, I turned the bike off and walked up to the door. Tonight was the night that I’m asking Bambi to be my girlfriend. She was supposed to be at graduation and then come over to my house. Then we were going to the bonfire together and then staying over.

She had promised that once we were done with school, we could be more than friends. I had waited four long years for this. Bambi was my best friend and the girl I wanted to marry.

I knocked on the door and waited for her pop, Earl, to open the door. When nobody answered, I knocked again, this time a little louder.

Once again, nobody answered. I started to get a little worried, so I walked over to all the windows to try and look in the trailer. Curtains covered all but one window. Cleaning the dirt off of it, I looked inside.

The trailer was fucking empty! All the old furniture had been taken out, leaving the trailer empty. Panicked, I got back on my bike and raced home. I needed to find Bambi and make sure she was okay.

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IKNEW MY POP WAS GOINGto yell for driving so fast, but this was an emergency. I raced up my driveway and barely parked my bike before I was hopping off. It fell to the ground as I raced up the steps.

Levi, his Pop, and my entire family were sitting in the kitchen. They all looked up as I crashed through the door. “Bambi is gone! Her trailer is empty and Earl’s truck is gone.”

My Pop and Levi’s Pop, Bear, looked at each other and stood up. My Pop kissed my Mama on the forehead.

“I’ll be back, Rose. I love you.”

She nodded and kissed him back. “You bring that girl home. Be safe and I love you too.”

Bear and my Pop walked out of the house and toward the path to Levi and Bear’s ranch. I ran after them, Silas and Levi not far behind.”

“Wait up! I need to know what’s going on! Pop, please wait!”

He turned around and shook his head. “No, Son. This isn’t one of your adventures. This is serious. I was afraid this would happen, eventually.”

“What would happen? Pop, tell me what’s going on!”

Levi and Silas stood behind me. Silas looked back and forth between the two men. Levi placed his hand on my shoulder. “Come on, man. Let’s just go home.”

I pushed his hand off of me. “No! Bambi is my best friend. I promised her I would take care of her. I’m not fucking leaving. Keep going because I’m coming with you.”

Bear looked at me with a dark look in his eyes. “This isn’t a fucking game, boy. You will see things you’ve never seen before. My world ain’t like yours. So, if you follow me, there’s no going back. Silas, that goes for you too because we all know you twins have each other back.”

I looked at Levi. “What about him?”

Bear and Levi shrugged. “He’s my son. My heir. He knows what his future is. Sorry, Charlie. I know you wanted to keep your boys out of this, but it looks like Sawyer is diving in headfirst.”

I looked at my Pop and arched my eyebrow. “Pop? What’s going on? What is Bear talking about?”

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