Chapter Thirteen

It was time for what we call the annual "Hick-fest". It was the County Fair. I had spent the first half of my week building the bike track and now here I sat watching the races. Dan sat next to me as we sat on the fence, cheering on all the racers, some randomly, others that we knew. I smiled and looked to Dan lovingly. The summer was almost over. There was one week left before school started. Dan took my hand and leaned into my ear. "I love you." He said softly. I smiled at him as he pulled away.

"Lets go explore." I said with a soft smile on my face. It was the last day of the County Fair and I had yet to see anything that was around us. Dan nodded.

"You and I are gonna go check out the livestock." He said as he hopped off the fence, then held out his hand and I took it and hopped off the fence as well. I smiled at him and we started off, wandering around looking at the booths as we headed towards where they were showing the cattle and the horses. We walked in silence, every few moments Dan would show me one cattle and tell me why it was either a good or bad investment. I smiled as I watched him explain to me one of his passions. It was amazing how much we had grown since Junior year. After we saw all of the cattle Dan made me go see the Sheep, which were amusing due to the fact that they had pajamas on them to keep their coats clean.

"Lets go to the petting zoo." Dan said tugging on my arm.

"No!" I said stopping in my tracks.

"Why not?" Dan asked turning to look at me.

"Because we are seventeen years old." I protested with a smile on my face.

"Thats the beauty of it." Dan said. "We're not too old to try new things, and I bet you've never pet a llama."

"You're right about one thing..." I replied with an eye roll as I gave in and let Dan grag me into the cage where the Llama lay, looking bored and ultimatley irritated.

It was one of the most fun nights I had in a long time, I ate a corn on the cob, with the whole stem still attached, I pet that stupid Llama, Dan even invested in a ten dollar bunny that he let us pet and carry around for a few hours and then sold again to a family of six kids for half the price. I even got to ride a horse for the first time, which scared me to death, but was totally worth it. I watched with a smile as Dan climbed on top of the electronic bull and pointed to the lady at the controls.

"Hit it!" He yelled and then the bull started to buck. After ten seconds a crowd had gathered and we started cheering for him. I looked at him as he smiled like a big ole' dope as the bull kept bucking and he just wouldn't fall off. After another ten seconds the bull stopped and the lady handed Dan his refund and a large buckle. Dan smiled and nodded, then staggered over to me. "That makes ya dizzy." He said.

We finally returned to the bike track to find it over and half torn down, but there were still BMXrs looking up to the sky, obviously waiting for the end-of-fair fireworks. Dan and I sat down on the bleachers and looked up to the sky as they immediately started. I sighed, I was such a sucker for fireworks.

As the fireworks flared off and into the air I smiled softly. I had grown up so much over this summer, and it all started in Kansas. It all started with me escaping the old me, and embracing the new me. I smiled as my stomach twisted into knots at the thought of Burbon, and I laughed softly as I remembered my first hangover. I looked up to Dan as I remembered the Mountain Dew toasts we made with his parents in their hotel room and the night out with Frank and Chris just a short while after. Looking back up to the sky the adventures of leadership camp flashed through my mind, and I laughed at the stupid no-purple rule that was always enforced. I thought of the dark basement that I found myself sitting in just to be scared to death and smiled again, and then my thoughts fell to my motorcycle trip up and into the mountains with Dan.

Dan.

I looked up to him and kissed him gently, a smile spreading across my face as I did so. I had grown up so much this summer...I couldn't wait to see what the school year brought. As I looked to the sky I couldn't help but smile. I had my blue eyes, my seventeen years, adventures to tell to my classmates, and best of all, my best friend who was my world. What more could I ask for?

Well, besides a longer vacation?

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Livin' in my own world/didn't understand
that anything can happen /when you take a chance
I never believed in /what i couldn't see
I never opened my heart/to all the possibilities
I know that something has changed
never felt this way/ and right here tonight
this could be the start/ of something new
it feels so right to be here with you oh
and now ..lookin' in your eyes
I feel in my heart/ the start of something new
now who'd of ever thought that
we'd both be here tonight year
the world looks so much brighter/ with you by my side
i know that something has changed /never felt this way
i know it's for real /this could be the
start of something new /it feels so right to be here with you.. Oh
and ' in your eyes /i feel in my heart
the start of something new
i never knew that it could happen /till it happened to me
i didn't know it before but now/it's easy to see
it's the start of something new
it feels so right to be here with you.. Oh
and now.. Lookin' in your eyes /i feel in my heart
the start of something new