face and shook his head.
"Don't worry about it, Red."
Sam looked ahead. He realized that he had been so preoccupied with his own obsessions that he had never asked Scott about what he wanted.
"I'm sorry, Man."
Scott looked over at Sam.
"For what?"
Sam looked back.
"I haven't exactly been a best friend to you lately. You listen to me drone on and on about Sara, but I never listen to you about anything you might want to tell me."
Scott looked down at his horse. He thought to himself that he would love to tell Sam about the girl he wanted, but he didn't think it would go over well. So he raised his head and took off his hat, again wiping the sweat from his brow with his arm and putting the hat back on.
"Red, if I wanted to tell you something I would. But thanks for the apology, as unwarranted as it is."
They exchanged a knowing look that only best friends do. They were brought back to the train when they heard the sound of hooves approaching. Sam turned and saw his brother, Corey, riding towards them. He often marveled at how much they looked alike. Corey's hair was a bit shorter and he was thin, as opposed to Sam's larger build. But if Sam had not grown the van dyke he now sported, he would swear they were twins.
"Hey!" Corey shouted.
"What's up, Little Brother?"
"You guys ok?"
The two older boys looked at each other and smiled. The last few hours they had been asked that question so many times they had lost count, but they took it in stride.
"Yup, we’re fine,” Sam answered.
Corey looked at Scott, who was rubbing the back of his neck. Scott finally noticed that Corey and Sam were both looking at him.
"I'm fine, just a little headache, probably from the sun. I'm delicate you know."
Sam laughed. Corey smiled and shifted in his saddle.
"Can I ask you guys a question?"
"Sure."
"I like this girl…"
Scott groaned and Sam laughed. Corey looked around and stopped talking. Sam could see that Corey thought they were laughing at him.
"No, go on Corey. It's not you."
"No, Corey," Scott said. "It's not… go on."
"Oh, well, I like this girl, but I can't tell if she likes me."
Sam looked over at him, but said nothing, as he wasn't the one to give advice. Scott finally sighed.
"Alright, have you spoken to this girl?"
Scott said this to Corey, but looked directly at Sam, who managed to avoid Scott's stare.
"A few times, but she usually gets into a fight with her brother and it never really goes anywhere."
Sam looked over at Corey again.
"You like Rachel Levine?"
Corey's mouth dropped open and he tried to talk, but he felt his face go red. Sam shrugged.
"She's cute. She does like to fight with David though."
Scott nodded the turned back to Corey.
"Look, Corey, when the time feels right, go ask her to dance."
"But what if she says no?"
Scott shook his head.
"What if she does? Yeah, man, it sucks, but there are a lot of pretty girls at the Gathering. Besides, she might say yes."
Corey looked shocked and Sam laughed. He was again struck at how young Corey seemed at times. Corey and Chelsea were only a year apart, but she seemed so much older than he did. Sam's mother had often commented on how girls mature faster than boys do and Sam could see that when he looked at his brother and sister. Corey shook his head.
"Yeah, my other problem. What if she says yes?"
Scott dropped his face into his gloved hand and shook his head. Sam smiled.
"Then you dance with her."
Corey nodded his head as he thought about that.
"Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right."
Scott looked back over at Corey.
"Corey, why don't you ride back and make sure everything is ok."
Corey looked at him and nodded.
"Ok."
Scott and Sam watched him ride to the rear of the wagon train. Scott looked at Sam.
"I know I gave you crap about the chin fuzz, but considering how much the two of you look alike, I'm now reconsidering. Good move."
Sam again
"Don't worry about it, Red."
Sam looked ahead. He realized that he had been so preoccupied with his own obsessions that he had never asked Scott about what he wanted.
"I'm sorry, Man."
Scott looked over at Sam.
"For what?"
Sam looked back.
"I haven't exactly been a best friend to you lately. You listen to me drone on and on about Sara, but I never listen to you about anything you might want to tell me."
Scott looked down at his horse. He thought to himself that he would love to tell Sam about the girl he wanted, but he didn't think it would go over well. So he raised his head and took off his hat, again wiping the sweat from his brow with his arm and putting the hat back on.
"Red, if I wanted to tell you something I would. But thanks for the apology, as unwarranted as it is."
They exchanged a knowing look that only best friends do. They were brought back to the train when they heard the sound of hooves approaching. Sam turned and saw his brother, Corey, riding towards them. He often marveled at how much they looked alike. Corey's hair was a bit shorter and he was thin, as opposed to Sam's larger build. But if Sam had not grown the van dyke he now sported, he would swear they were twins.
"Hey!" Corey shouted.
"What's up, Little Brother?"
"You guys ok?"
The two older boys looked at each other and smiled. The last few hours they had been asked that question so many times they had lost count, but they took it in stride.
"Yup, we’re fine,” Sam answered.
Corey looked at Scott, who was rubbing the back of his neck. Scott finally noticed that Corey and Sam were both looking at him.
"I'm fine, just a little headache, probably from the sun. I'm delicate you know."
Sam laughed. Corey smiled and shifted in his saddle.
"Can I ask you guys a question?"
"Sure."
"I like this girl…"
Scott groaned and Sam laughed. Corey looked around and stopped talking. Sam could see that Corey thought they were laughing at him.
"No, go on Corey. It's not you."
"No, Corey," Scott said. "It's not… go on."
"Oh, well, I like this girl, but I can't tell if she likes me."
Sam looked over at him, but said nothing, as he wasn't the one to give advice. Scott finally sighed.
"Alright, have you spoken to this girl?"
Scott said this to Corey, but looked directly at Sam, who managed to avoid Scott's stare.
"A few times, but she usually gets into a fight with her brother and it never really goes anywhere."
Sam looked over at Corey again.
"You like Rachel Levine?"
Corey's mouth dropped open and he tried to talk, but he felt his face go red. Sam shrugged.
"She's cute. She does like to fight with David though."
Scott nodded the turned back to Corey.
"Look, Corey, when the time feels right, go ask her to dance."
"But what if she says no?"
Scott shook his head.
"What if she does? Yeah, man, it sucks, but there are a lot of pretty girls at the Gathering. Besides, she might say yes."
Corey looked shocked and Sam laughed. He was again struck at how young Corey seemed at times. Corey and Chelsea were only a year apart, but she seemed so much older than he did. Sam's mother had often commented on how girls mature faster than boys do and Sam could see that when he looked at his brother and sister. Corey shook his head.
"Yeah, my other problem. What if she says yes?"
Scott dropped his face into his gloved hand and shook his head. Sam smiled.
"Then you dance with her."
Corey nodded his head as he thought about that.
"Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right."
Scott looked back over at Corey.
"Corey, why don't you ride back and make sure everything is ok."
Corey looked at him and nodded.
"Ok."
Scott and Sam watched him ride to the rear of the wagon train. Scott looked at Sam.
"I know I gave you crap about the chin fuzz, but considering how much the two of you look alike, I'm now reconsidering. Good move."
Sam again
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