I stood up as I grabbed my cowboy hat and looked at my mother. “I’m sorry, Mom. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I’m not interested in doing anything with my friends.” I started making my way to the front door.

“Is this because of Emma? Garrett, is that what’s bothering you?”

I stopped just short of the door. Just hearing her name hurt my heart. Both my mother and father had seen how I’d reacted to Emma last summer, and they were convinced I was head over heels for her. It was too bad Emma didn’t feel the same way.

“No,” I said as I opened the door. I gently closed it behind me, and I made my way down to the barn.

I just needed to ride. I needed to go for a ride and clear my head. I would be leaving and playing football for Texas A&M next year, and I would forget all about Emma. At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

After I saddled up Jack, I hopped on him and took off to my favorite spot on the ranch. Once there, I jumped off of Jack and let him roam while I went and sat against the giant oak tree. I loved it here. It was quiet, and I could really think. I closed my eyes and thought back to the other day.

Billy walked up to me and gave me a weak smile.

I smiled back as I put my books away in my locker. “What’s going on? You look like someone died,” I said with a chuckle.

Billy looked down. “Garrett, are you ever going to ask Emma out again?”

My heart dropped, and I knew what he was about to say. “I’ve asked her out a dozen times, and every time, she says no.”

He looked me in the eyes and then glanced back down. “This morning, Michael asked her out to go skating.”

God, please no. “What did she say?”

“Yes.”

I stumbled backward just a bit and hit my locker. “What?”

I looked past Billy, only to see Emma and Peggy walking up. Both girls were laughing.

“You’re going out with Michael?” I asked before I could stop myself.

Emma’s smile faded, and she quickly glared at Billy and then turned back to me. “Um…”

I shook my head and let out a laugh. “I’ve been asking you out for months, and you keep turning me down. He asked you one time, and you agreed?”

She swallowed hard and stared into my eyes. I almost thought I saw regret in her eyes, but I knew that was wrong. This girl had been pushing me away since the moment I met her.

“Um…well…”

I pushed off against my locker and stood right in front of her. “I got the message loud and clear.”

As I turned to walk away, Emma began calling out for me, but I kept going until I was out the door and to my truck. I jumped in and took off for home. For the first time in my life, I cried, and it was for losing something I never even had in the first place.

“Garrett?”

I slowly opened my eyes to see Margie sitting on top of my mother’s horse.

“Marg? What are you doing here?”

She slid off the horse and walked over to sit down next to me. “Wayne, Billy, and Raymond asked me to come talk to you. I guess you haven’t been hanging out with them very much, and they were getting worried about you.”

I laughed and shook my head. “I’m fine. I certainly don’t need them sending you to check up on me.”

“You’re fine? Really, Garrett? We never see you anymore. You go to school, football practice, and then home. You never come out or hang out with us. What is going on?”

I let out a long breath. I wasn’t in the mood to get into this with Margie. “Marg, I’m fine. I’ve just been busy. I’m trying to help my father with the ranch and—”

“Bullshit. What is your father going to do when you go to college? I know he has a few ranch hands who help him. You’re just avoiding her.”

I snapped my head over and looked at Margie. She always knew my true feelings. Everyone thought we had something going on, but she really was like my sister.

I looked away and mumbled, “I don’t know what you mean. I’m not avoiding anyone.”

Margie jumped up and kicked the shit out of my leg. I flew up and began jumping around, holding my leg.

“What in the hell, Margie? Why did you kick me? You bitch!”

She stood there with her hands on her hips, trying to look serious, when I knew she wanted to laugh.

“Why, Margie? I thought we were friends.”

I began walking off the pain, and she followed behind me.

“Garrett, she went out with him only once.”

I was pretty sure my jaw dropped. “How do you know that?”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “She likes you and only you. She’s just afraid to admit it to herself. I think it scares her how much she likes you.”

I shook my head, confused. “How do you know she likes me? I’ve been asking her out for months, only to have her turn me down time after time. Michael asked her out once, and she was all over it.”

“It wasn’t like that, Garrett. She doesn’t like him like that.”

I started laughing. “Then, why did she go out with him, Marg? I’m done talking about Emma Birk. I’m moving on, and I’m just going to worry about college. Emma can go out with anyone she wants. I don’t care anymore.”

“Right. Keep telling yourself that.” She smiled just a little. “Are you going to the sock hop tonight?”

I shook my head as I turned around and whistled to call Jack back over. Jack and my mother’s horse came walking up to us. Margie and I both quietly climbed up onto each horse, and we began slowly heading back to the barn. We were silent for the next ten minutes or so.

“Please come tonight, Garrett, just to hang out with your friends. Please. I need someone to dance with.”

I started laughing because Margie didn’t dance. In all the time I’d known her, I’d never seen her dance.

“You gonna dance with me tonight if I go?”

She gave me an evil smile and said, “Only if I get to dance to that Elvis song you like so much.”

I threw my head back and laughed. “‘That’s All Right’ is the name of the song, Margie, and Elvis is the coolest cat around.”

Margie chortled and nodded. We continued riding back in silence, and the only image that kept running through my mind was of Emma dancing with another guy. I would have to really keep it together since just thinking about it made me mad.

After Margie and I took care of the horses, I walked her to her car.