Dare You to Resist the Bull Rider (Rock Valley High 4)

There was a stark difference from this stiff woman and the people in jeans and t-shirts strolling past as the arena began to empty. I honestly couldn’t understand why Ms. Gentry would step within a hundred feet of a place like a 4H county fair. She looked like she belonged in a museum, next to the paintings of women wearing stiff lace collars and white powdered faces.

“Now, does anyone have any questions?” Ms. Gentry asked, her gaze sweeping over the girls sitting around me.

Part of me wanted to raise my hand and ask if she was in on the joke, but I kept my lips sealed. She didn’t look like the joking type. And besides, most of the girls were hanging onto her every word. For some reason, they actually wanted to be here. When Ms. Gentry turned to answer one of the gal’s questions about the rodeo procession, the redhead next to me leaned closer.

“You look like you’re about ready to bounce,” she said. Her voice was low and pleasant. “If you want, I’ll cause a diversion and you can split.”

I laughed under my breath and glanced over at her. Beneath her neatly French-braided mane of red curls, she had skin the color of milk with dark freckles dotting her face. Confidence oozed off of her—not in a cocky way, like Sarah, but with a way that instantly made me want to become this girl’s friend.

“I’d take you up on that,” I said with a sigh. “But I have the feeling Ms. Gentry is secretly a velociraptor in disguise. She’d be on me faster than you can say Jurassic Park.”

She nodded, her lips pressing together. “Yes, I see what you mean. The dress hides the scales. Good call. Chances of survival are minimal.”

“Maybe, if I play dead, she’ll move on to a new victim...”

“I once read that raptors were scavengers. Best not to take that chance.”

“Then, I guess I’m stuck here.”

She laughed. “Yes, I guess so. I’m Geminia, by the way.”

I was starting to feel a bit better about my situation. This girl was cool. The Junior Rodeo Queen competition couldn’t be all bad if she was in on it.

“Charlotte.” I smiled gratefully at her. “Thanks for not judging me on wanting to flee. I’m not sure who signed me up. Right now, the biggest suspects are my parents. They’ve been throwing activities at me like spaghetti at the wall, hoping something sticks. Not sure this is exactly my scene.”

She waved a hand. “No worries. I’m just here because I want that internship spot in the governor’s office. My dad’s a local rep and he thinks it’ll jump start my political career. I’m going to be a senator someday.”

With most kids, I would’ve secretly rolled my eyes at such an announcement, but with Geminia, I actually believed her.

“I’m really jealous you know that already,” I said, gripping the tops of my knees tight. “I’m sixteen years old and I have no clue what I want.”

Geminia’s laugh was low and throaty. “You’ve got time, sis. Don’t sweat it.”

I blew out a low breath and glanced at her. “Do I? Doesn’t feel like it.”

“Well, maybe not as much time as I’d first guessed,” she said, staring hard across the circle. “Because there’s a girl over there that looks about ready to murder you. Did you spit in her oatmeal this morning?”

It wasn’t hard to guess who she was talking about. And sure enough, with a quick look around the circle, I spotted Sarah sitting with her ankles neatly crossed, her hands folded in her lap, and her deadly scowl trained on me. She didn’t even have the decency to look away when our gazes met. I turned my head, my cheeks burning. Clearly, I’d stepped into her territory and she was not pleased.

“Let’s just say, Sarah Claiborne wouldn’t have shed a tear if I’d drowned in the Cascades two months ago when we cut school together,” I said in a low voice.

Geminia’s dark brown eyes grew wide and she covered her mouth. “Wait—that was you?”

I frowned, then nodded. “Yep. Yet another reason why my parents think I need a hobby. You know, idle hands and everything.”

“Are the devil’s workshop.” She grinned, flashing a slight gap in her two front teeth. “My gram liked to say that when I was little.”

“Guess it’s true.” I groaned and checked my cellphone in my pocket as Ms. Gentry entered into a lecture about proper hairstyles for this week. So far, no messages from anyone. It didn’t seem like I was getting rescued anytime soon. “How much longer do we have to do this?”

“We’re finished, Miss Hale.” Ms. Gentry stood in front of me with her hands planted on her hips and red dotting her high cheekbones. I gulped, wishing I’d spontaneously gained the ability to disappear. No luck. She was still glaring at me. “I’m about to release the rest of the girls home for a good night’s rest before the festivities tomorrow. Why don’t you stay a moment after and we can have a discussion?”

She’d made it sound like a suggestion, but the steel glint in her eyes as she went to pick up her clipboard told me that it was the furthest thing from a suggestion I’d ever heard.

Geminia patted me on the knee as she stood up, sympathy entering her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered behind her hand. “I was hoping we could be friends, but I have the feeling Ms. Gentry’s about to eat you alive. It was nice knowing you. I’ll spread the word of your bravery.”

“That’s kind of you,” I said with a solemn nod. “Don’t let them forget me out there.”

Geminia gave me a two-fingered salute and then broke into a smile as she walked away. My eyes trailed her until Sarah entered my view, the sour and pouty expression she threw me not much of an improvement from the homicidal glances of earlier. It didn’t matter, anyway. After I’d explain to Ms. Gentry about the big mix-up, Sarah would be ecstatic to find me missing from the rest of the competition. We’d never have to interact again.