Page 31 of The Brave and the Reckless

“Worse than usual? Meaning what exactly? That I, for one, actually don’t treat this place like a fucking high school field trip?” I emptied the last cup and stared at the mess on the counter. Someone else could deal with that. “I’m out of here.”

A few minutes later, I stomped through the hallways in the main office building. I thought that maybe, possibly, the fresh air would calm me down. Instead, each step had just hiked my pulse up more. The actual fucking audacity. Didn’t this count as bullying? Sexual harassment? Something?

Renee’s office door was closed, but Vivi glanced up from her desk when I stormed in, and that was good enough for me. “I can’t work with that woman,” I grunted.

“Who?”

“Esra.”

“Why?” She tilted her head like a fucking bird. Like she hadn’t been there last night when Esra had ordered a third drink even though she’d already been wobbly on her feet.

“She’s immature and irresponsible.” And half-naked in her room, etched into my memory.

Vivi laughed, then clapped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry. Why do you think my mother will care?”

“She should. I mean, if the show goes wrong because Esra can’t treat it like a serious job, people could get hurt. Between the horses and the explosions…”

“From what Mom’s told me, she’s doing all right during the shows.”

“She’s spoiled.”

“Have you gotten into method acting?” Vivi sighed and propped her hands on her hips, leveling me with a completely neutral stare that she had from her mother. It had the unique ability to make you feel like a little kid being questioned about the cookie jar, even if you never touched the cookie jar. “Hating the mayor’s daughter and the cushy life she stands for while becoming more and more of ahermit who doesn’t see himself as part of society? Is that what you’re doing?”

“What the fuck? Where did that come from?” I wasn’t a social fucking butterfly, but I wasn’t a hermit either. “That’s not what’s happening here.”

“If you say so…” Vivi pursed her lips. “My mom’s already in the park to set up for the final rehearsal. So if you want to complain about Esra being too immature to work with, you’ll have to head over there.”

“Great,” I huffed. Despite having a new destination, I couldn’t move. I could only stare at Vivi’s desk and the little digital picture frame that played a slideshow of party pictures. Just because I wasn’t out line dancing or blowing up lettuces or skinny dipping on a Wednesday night, that didn’t mean I was a hermit. “I know how to have fun.”

“Oh-kay?”

“I know how to have fun,” I repeated with a grunt and stormed out.

Esra had laughed. I’d confronted her about my missing food, and she had laughed. Was I supposed to find that funny? I’d stolen her drink last night, so she stole my food this morning, and now we were all in on the joke and having a jolly time laughing about it?

I paused in my tracks outside. Behind the main office building, some of the park’s attractions poked out above the trees and roofs. The Ferris wheel, disguised as a wooden mill, and the Mountain Pass Railroad were the tallest. I hadn’t been on either in fifteen years. Hell, I hadn’t been on any of the rides since then. That still didn’t make me a hermit who didn’t know how to have fun or take a joke, right?

Chapter Eleven

HAPPY HARRY’S HORSE RANCH

Visit happy rancher Harry to get a tour of the stables, where you might just catch a glimpse of Kit and Ace’s iconic horses. Ready to saddle up yourself or want to take a leisurely ride down Bravetown’s Main Street? Harry’s Ranch offers pony, trail, wagon and carriage rides for Bravetownees of all ages.

Trail rides require pre-booking.Inquire here.

ESRA

I wasn’t ready for tomorrow. Or Saturday. Or Sunday. The whole weekend would be a disaster. I had to do two shows a day on weekends. That equaled double the disappointment.

Rehearsals hadn’t gone horribly, but with the rest of the show’s cast surrounding us, I’d spotted enough costumed cowboys grimacing to get the message. My Annie Lou sucked. Running a few feet sucked. Of course it did. They were used to a tall blonde Annie twirling through the fucking air as she was hauled on to a running horse– and they got me instead.

I stomped across the dark park, using my phone’sflashlight to guide me past closed shops and restaurants.

I hadn’t signed up for this. I was meant to be scooping ice cream in exchange for a room. No more than that.

The stench gave away the stables before I could double-check the park map on my phone. Then came the lights. I stopped dead in my tracks and narrowed my eyes at the building, and the porch lights glowing warm orange beside the doors. Slipping my earbuds into my pockets, I listened for any signs of life. Only horses huffing and puffing. Neighing? Nickering? I should brush up on my vocabulary.

I opened an app I hadn’t used in months. So long, in fact, that it was still opened to the to-do list for my M1 biochemistry course. My stomach cramped in a familiar way and I quickly archived the whole M1 folder. I’d never complete the first year in med school, so no point in keeping it around. In its place, I created a folder calledSummer, and a list titledBravetown.

---