Sweet Contradiction (5 page)

“I’ll stay a week,” I stated.

“Two months,” she countered.

“I’ll do two weeks,” I offered. She glared at me and then took a deep breath.

“A month and you also will go see your parents.” She clenched her jaw. Awe, crap, she brought my parents into it. I opened my mouth to protest and she held up a hand.

“It’s three months, or one month and a single trip to your parents … your choice.” I gritted my teeth. I knew she was right, I knew I needed to be there for her, but I’d spent the last four years avoiding this town and others like it. I
especially
didn’t want to have to see my parents … but, I’d do it for Jen. My shoulders sagged in defeat.

“A month and a
short
trip, then,” I said with a sigh.

Jen and I fell into a pattern over the next two weeks. We went through paperwork and drawers in the house and made trips to see her lawyer about all her momma’s assets and insurance. We stayed up late talking, neither one of us wanting to be alone with just our thoughts and memories of Jen’s mom. It was companionable and I knew with each passing day it was going to be more and more difficult for me to say goodbye all over again.

“Hello? You here?” Jen’s voice floated from the living room just as I heard the front door shut.

“In the kitchen,” I shouted. Jen walked in and dropped a handful of mail on the table.

“You’re making lemonade?” I gave her a look like
what do you think I’m making with a dozen cut up lemons strewn all over the counter.

“It’s hot today. I thought it would be refreshing.” I finished cleaning up my mess and handed her a glass of freshly-squeezed mint lemonade. She was flipping through her mail when I spotted a bright orange flier. “What’s that?” I asked, snatching it out of the “junk mail” pile.

“Just junk,” she muttered. The flier was announcing the Dent County Fair. It was in town Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, which meant it started that night. I glanced up at Jen and smiled sweetly. She began shaking her head right away.

“I know that look on your face and it has done nothing but get me in trouble since we were kids.” She put a hand on her hip and tried to look stern. “Do you remember what happened the last time we went to the county fair together?” she asked with an arched brow. How could I ever forget, we had the time of our lives and I had never felt more free to be who I really was than I did that night. Unfortunately “being me” sometimes came with serious side effects. I frowned.

“That’s right. We ate an entire helping of purple cotton candy and an entire helping of rainbow snow cone
each
just before we went on the tilt-o-whirl.” I winced.

“Not our best idea,” I agreed.

“Our idea? You mean your idea.” Jen huffed. My cheek twitched and I couldn’t stop the devious grin from spreading across my face.

“Yes, but you did get to meet that one guy you had a crush on … what was his name? It was something odd …” Jen’s hand was on her hip but her lips quivered a little and I knew she was trying not to smile.

“His name was Oxford,” she said with a tilt of her chin. “It wasn’t his fault everyone called him Ox.” I started laughing and Jen’s face turned bright red. “Elizabeth Michaels, that isn’t even the point, and you know it.” She was grinning now, but she wasn’t done. “After we met with Ox and after we ate all that junk, we went on the tilt-o-whirl. And it just so happened that Mr. John Baxter was on the ride next to us and we both spewed an unholy color of barf all over him.” I was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down my face. “And who was Mr. Baxter, Beth?” she asked, still managing to hold back giggles.

“The chief of police and a deacon of my mom and dad’s church,” I said as I held my stomach and laughed even harder. She finally caved in and began laughing too.

“Yes! And do remember the look on my momma’s face when we were escorted home in a police car and covered head to toe in puke when we were supposed to be asleep in my room?” Jen’s face softened and tears glistened in her eyes. Her mom had given us a stern talkin’ to and then hosed us down outside before we were scrubbed off in the shower. I remember the fear of her telling my parents. I knew if they found out, I’d never be allowed to stay at Jen’s house again. Luckily, her mom had never brought it up.

“You and your mom were the best thing that ever happened to me,” I said as I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. Jen nodded in my direction and took a deep breath.

“She always said she prayed that one day your parents would wake up and see what an amazing daughter they had before it was too late.” I stood there in surprise.

“She said that?” I whispered. Jen smiled at me and nodded her head.

“She loved you like a daughter, Beth.” Tears streamed down my face as I faced my best friend. She was right, I’d just never thought of it before. Mrs. Collins always had two of everything when I came over. If she had a new purse for Jen, I had one as well … of course only to use at school or at her house so my parents wouldn’t find out, but she had gone out of her way to make me feel like a part of her family. I was suddenly regretting all the years I’d spent away, years I’d never get back to tell her how much I appreciated everything she’d done for me. I hiccupped and let Jen pull me into an embrace. “I think you’re right,” she whispered.

“Of course I am,” I said without missing a beat. “But what exactly am I right about this time?” Jen pulled away and picked up the flier I’d sat on the table.

“We should definitely go to the fair,” Jen said with a mischievous grin on her lips. I grinned back and clapped my hands. I did love going to a county fair.

“Yay! I get to pick out your outfit!” Jen’s mouth popped open to protest, but we both knew it was an argument she’d never win. I held up a finger. “Let’s go see what you have in the closet.” I drug her back to her room and began rifling through her closet. It was never too early to plan an outfit for a night out.

Tonight we would have fun and pretend that neither of us had a care in the world.

can’t do this. What was I thinking? What will people think?” Jen stopped just inside the entrance to the fair, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. I wound my arm through hers and pulled her away from the gate.

“They will think you have been through a very rough time and are in need of a little relaxation and fun to take your mind off of things. No one will say anything, Jen,” I said reassuringly.
And if they did, I’d kick ‘em in the teeth
, I thought to myself. I smiled over at Jen and patted her arm. “Close your eyes for a second,” I said with a grin.

“There is no way I’m going to …” I glared at her until she rolled her eyes and made a pouty face. “Fine,” she huffed as she closed her eyes.

“Now tell me what you hear,” I said with a smirk.

“Really? Is this your idea of some kind of …” I growled over at her and she sighed. “Fine. But, let it be known I am doing this against my will.” She crossed her arms to drive her point home. “I hear a lot of noise,” she said quickly.

“And?” I asked, resisting the urge to pinch her.

“I hear people talking and laughing, carnies hollering out to people passing by, and I also here
Sweet Home Alabama
playing in the background.” I smiled and closed my own eyes.

“And what do you smell?” I asked in a conspiratorial whisper. She made a sound of protest before I elbowed her gently.

“I smell cotton candy, popcorn, fried corn dogs, and—I smell … candied pecans.” She made a sound of annoyance and my eyes opened to find her glaring at me with an affronted look on her face. “No fair that you know how much I adore candied pecans!” I smiled widely and began weaving us through the growing crowd towards the alluring scent of fried fair food.

“Candied pecans coming right up!” I announced cheerfully.

An hour later Jen was laughing and enjoying herself and we were finally headed off to play games and get on some rides.

“I can’t believe how much we just ate,” she laughed.

“I know. Who knew I’d love fried pickles so much?” I turned around and began walking backwards so I could face Jen as I spoke. “There should be someone manning the fried food booth. Like a bouncer … or … oh! One of those bartenders who cut you off when you’ve had one too many.” I nodded my head, thinking of the whole bag of candied pecans Jen and I had polished off by ourselves.