Range Feud
Into the West
Episode #2
by
J.A. Campbell
Range Feud
Into the West #2
An Echelon Electric Short eBook
First Echelon Press Publication / April 2011
All rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by J.A. Campbell
Cover Art © Karen L. Syed
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eBook 978-1-59080-773-6
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One
"Tina's got a boyfriend!" Betsy ran into the kitchen, waving something around.
Tina looked up from the survival book and the list of survival stuff she was creating. "What?"
Her mom turned from the sink. "That was fast."
"There aren't any boys here," Tina said, confused.
"You've got a boyfriend." Betsy sang and danced.
"Hey! Give me that." Tina lunged for the book her little sister waved around. She managed to snatch it, but she spilled her milk at the same time. She grabbed her book and paper off the table before it could get wet.
Bandit yapped at the excitement and started licking up the milk that dripped onto the floor.
"Tina?"
She sighed and got some paper towels. "Betsy had my notebook. I was writing stories."
"Betsy, did Tina give you permission to read her journal?"
"She left it out." Betsy scratched Bandit behind the ears when he came over to her. One of the cats took over drinking the milk on the floor while Tina tried to clean up.
"I didn't give you permission to read it, and why were you in my bedroom?"
Betsy ran off, the dog on her heels.
"I'll talk to her, Tina."
"Thanks, Mom."
"So, who were you writing about?"
Tina thought for a moment. Both of her parents were still concerned about her after her adventure. Neither of them believed she had really met a ghost and bandits. She was starting to doubt it herself.
"I wrote down the adventure I imagined when I got sunstroke." Sunstroke was the official explanation as to what had happened to her. "Is it my fault if I imagined a really cute cowboy?"
Mom smiled. "No, dear." She sounded relieved.
"When can we go shopping again?"
"Maybe next weekend. Jake said something about going to Flagstaff to look for another car. One isn't enough without public transportation."
Tina laughed. "We could get horses and ride everywhere."
"Not enough trunk space." Her mom joined her laughter. "However, Pete offered to send someone over to pick you up if you wanted to ride, now that you're feeling better."
Tina finished cleaning up after her spilled milk. She scratched the cat, and then put her books back on the table. "Yeah, that'd be great."
"Be sure to wear a long sleeved shirt today."
Tina looked at her arms and cringed. Despite the massive amount of lotion she'd applied, her skin was flaking off in gross chunks. The sunburn she received on the cattle drive was one of the worst she'd ever had.
"It's hot out."
"You don't have any skin left to lose." Her mom went back to the dishes.
"I'll go change. Can you see if we have anything on this list?"
"Yes, dear."
Tina put the list of survival gear on the counter by her mom and ran up the stairs. She was wearing a jersey halter-top and the shortest shorts she owned. Her dad had promised to fix the swamp cooler, but he hadn't had time yet. Out in the west, where there was very little moisture, instead of having regular air conditioners, most people had swamp coolers. They used water and the cool air created by evaporation to cool the house. It had worked great, until one of the hoses broke.
The thought of putting on a long sleeved shirt and jeans to go ride was unpleasant. However, she wanted to get out of the house and she hadn't ridden in almost a week.
Her phone beeped while she tried to find a shirt she could ride in.
Hey, how goes? It was a text from her best friend Jessica.
Okay. My skin is still gross. Gonna ride.
Cool. I'll call tonight. I just got asked to the dance. You'll never guess who!
Who?
Tonight. TTYL!
Tina sighed. It had to be a junior or senior. Sophomores couldn't go to prom unless they were dating someone older. Tina sank down on her bed. The thought of missing the prom depressed her. She was sad there was no one here her age. Several of the farmhands had kids, but they were all younger than she was or so much older that she didn't think it possible to be friends with them.
Betsy had managed to make a couple of friends already. The nearest neighbors had two kids slightly younger than Betsy. Tina was a little jealous, but her sister had the advantage of being the right age.
"Tina," her mom called up the stairs. "Ready?"
"Almost, mom."
"Agnes will be here soon."
Tina slid her journal between the mattress and box spring and stared at her closet one more time. All of her long-sleeved shirts were nice winter ones that wouldn't survive even a short time at the ranch. She had to get more clothes.
Finally, Tina settled on a plain T-shirt and jeans and found a lightweight hoodie that would probably get ruined at the barn, but it was the best she could do. At least it was tough. She hesitated a second before taking the turquoise bracelet off her dresser. She hadn't been wearing it because of her sunburn, but Eli's words came back to her. It'll help you find your way home, he'd said. She still didn't know what that meant, but she decided her arm was healed enough that she could wear it. Besides, it would match the turquoise on her saddle.
She felt a little silly when she put the boot knife her dad had given her in her boot. But she might need it. Having to think about anything other than finding the nearest mall was very strange. She was trying, though.