“Hello, Palmer,” Hunter approached her as she was putting some books on her locker. Palmer had to fight the urge to roll her eyes at his presence.
“Hi, Hunter. What can I help you with?” She asked, closing her locker door and walking towards her classroom. Hunter walked next to her, trying to make conversation.
“I was wondering since the barn party is this Saturday, and you have agreed on a date; maybe we could go together?” He asked, showing her a flirtatious smile. Palmer sucked in a breath as she turned around to face him.
“I’m sorry, but I’ll be going with Faith and Gunner, and we also invited Christopher,” she replied. Hunter looked at her with narrowed eyes before he laughed.
“You mean to tell me you’re going out with that, that gallon of milk?”
“Watch your mouth, Hunter. I better not hear you talk about him that way again, and you know what? I don’t want to go out on a date with you anymore.”
Palmer walked away before he said another word. She was upset and didn’t even want to see his face. Walking around the corner, she could see a crowd forming, and curiosity got the best of her.
She tried to squeeze in between the students to get to the front when she saw Mitchell, one of Hunter’s friends, pushing Christopher against the wall.
“Come on, Casper. What are you going to do about it? We rule this school. We do whatever we want,” Mitchell said as he punched him in his face. Palmer approached them and pushed him so hard that he almost fell on the floor.
“How dare you? You, Jerk! Why would you punch him like that?”
“Come on, Palmer. Don’t tell me he’s your best friend now,” Hunter said as he approached them. She scoffed and helped Christopher get up from the floor.
“What if I want him to be my best friend? You don’t tell me what to do, Hunter!” She said as she pulled Christopher by the hand and took him straight to the nurse’s office. Mrs. King let them in right away, and Christopher sat down on the bed to get checked.
“Well, that’s going to turn into a big shiner for you, kiddo,” she said as she was putting some cream on his bruise.
“Hunter is such an idiot. I should have never agreed to go out with him, and now that I told him I didn’t want to, he’s upset. His friends are all jerks. I don’t like them,” Palmer said, folding her arms on her chest.
Christopher couldn’t help but look at her with admiration. Such an independent girl and he was just pathetic. Palmer noticed he was looking at her but quickly looked away when she saw him. A smile escaped her lips as her cheeks blushed suddenly. She wasn’t sure why, but it felt so lovely.
After Mrs. King finished, they walked out of the office, and she walked with him to his next class. “So how’s Misty and the foal?” He asked shyly.
“They’re doing good. We named him Jackal because he’s already a naughty one. Do you want to come to my house and see him? It doesn’t have to be today if you don’t want to, but maybe Friday when we’re done shopping?”
Christopher thought about it for a minute but agreed to see them. She squealed in excitement and kissed him on the cheek, making him clear his throat.
“See you at lunchtime?” She asked, and he nodded, surprisingly looking forward to that hour.
“I made sure to bring money today,” he replied, making her laugh. It was a very beautiful laugh, and he couldn’t help but smile. They both waved goodbye before they each headed to their classrooms.
♥♥♥♥♥♥
Lunchtime had arrived, and all three friends were sitting in their usual spot.
“You haven’t seen Christopher?” Palmer asked. Faith shrugged her shoulder and shook her head.
“No. Christopher was in class, but then he hurried out of the classroom before I did and didn’t see him anymore,” Faith replied. Palmer thought it was strange, so she skipped lunch and looked for him.
After a few minutes, she saw him sitting under a tree and walked over. She sat next to him and stayed there in comfortable silence. It wasn’t too long before he spoke.
“Can I help you?” Christopher asked with a nervous smile while he read his book.
“Yes, you can. You can help me if you stop being a loner and join us for lunch,” Palmer replied, and Christopher couldn’t look at her face. She scooted closer to him and tried to see what he was reading.
“A Science book, interesting.”
“Please, Palmer. If you could just let me be for a moment. I need to be alone,” he said, going back to his book.
“But, I would love to…”
“Palmer! Please leave me alone.”
Palmer stayed there, quiet for a minute, and she could feel her eyes stinging from some unshed tears. Suddenly, she was upset. Her cheeks turned red, and a frown crept up her face.
“Fine! All I wanted was to keep you company. If being alone is all you want, then go ahead. But I have to tell you; it’s not fun. I should know.” She stood up and walked away, leaving Christopher looking at her back, disappearing through the cafeteria doors. He closed his eyes and face palmed himself, realizing how rude he was to her.
Christopher closed his book and headed to his next class. He couldn’t stop thinking about Palmer. He would have to apologize to her and ask what she meant by knowing how it felt like not having friends.
It was the end of school, and Christopher was waiting for Palmer at the door. He would miss the bus, but he still wanted to wait for her.
“Hey, Christopher! Are you waiting for someone?” Gunner asked as he was coming out of the building.
“Yes, have you seen Palmer? I have to talk to her.”
“Palmer left an hour ago. She called her mom, saying she wasn’t feeling well, so she came to pick her up.”
He looked around, letting out a sigh. His bus had left him.
“Do you mind giving me a ride to her ranch? I really need to talk to her,” he said, and Gunner gestured to him to get in his truck before they drove off.
“So, what happened?” He asked Christopher.
“I was kind of rude to her,” he replied, holding his backpack close to him as he looked down.
“Listen, dude. Palmer is very extroverted, but she wasn’t like that before. She was like you. Shy and no friends. She also made it her mission to make others feel included and wanted. That’s why she is not giving up on you. From the moment she saw you, she liked you, and she really means well. Hell, she wouldn’t stop talking about you from the moment she found out you were in town.”
Christopher could only hear him talk, and he couldn't believe half of what Gunner was saying. There was no way Palmer was a shy girl. She doesn’t even show a hint of it.
A few minutes later, Gunner parked in the driveway and let Christopher out.
“Do you want me to wait? I can take you home,” he asked.
“No, that’s okay. It might be a while,” Christopher replied, waving goodbye and walking to the front porch of Palmer’s house. Daisy answered the door as soon as he knocked, and with a sweet smile, she greeted him.
“Hi, Christopher. I’m surprised to see you here. If you’re looking for Palmer, she’s at the stables checking on Jackal. She seemed sad. Do you know why?”
“Yes, Mrs. Wright. I do. Can I go see her?”
“Sure. Go ahead, and maybe you can cheer her up.”
He headed towards the stall, and when he walked in, Palmer was sitting on a block of hay, looking at the foal feed from his mother. He stood there, trying to think of words to say without making her upset. Palmer looked up and gave him a faint smile, and that is when he knew his attitude still hurt her.
“He looks great and very active,” he broke the silence.
“Yes, he does. He’s beautiful,” Palmer replied, petting the little equine’s mane. Christopher looked around and took a deep breath before he said anything else.
“I’m sorry, Palmer. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I just needed some space to think. There is so much going on in my life, and I needed a moment for myself.”
Palmer stood up from the hay and dusted her pants as she approached the wooden wall that separated her from him. Crossing her arms on top of it, she looked at Christopher straight into his eyes and smiled.
“It’s okay. I forgive you. But I want you to tell me if anything is bothering you. It would be nice if you could trust me. I want to be here for you when you need it.”
Christopher looked at her with a smile. He knew she was genuine, he could see it in her eyes, but he was still afraid to trust anyone. He thought they were there for him, only to be left alone.
“Do you want to pet Jackal?” Palmer asked, but Christopher was still hesitant. She stepped out of the stall and extended her hand for him to grab. When he did, she pulled him back inside, and they both sat down on the hay. The silence was deafening, but neither one of them could speak. They just looked at Jackal and Misty bond.“When I was in elementary school, and probably most of my middle school year, I was shy and alone. No one wanted to be my friend because they would say I was a nerd, with my nose stuck in a book all the time. I even had these big rimmed glasses, and they were always making fun of me,” she chuckled nervously. Christopher said nothing. Gunner was right; she was always friendless. “I was always looking for ways for the other kids to like me, but I wasn’t having any luck. Until Faith arrived at school, she had come from the city too, Chicago. As soon as she saw me, she wanted to be my friend, and at first, I was hesitant. As I got to know her, I realized she was t
Friday arrived, and Palmer took time off from classes to rehearse some dance moves. Sarah, a classmate, had accompanied her. She was an expert at playing the piano, and Palmer wanted her to play the musical instrument for her. “Are you sure they gave us permission to skip class and do this?” She asked skeptically.“Yes, Sarah. For the tenth time, I asked for permission. I’ll collect all my schoolwork as soon as classes are over, and you can do the same. The principal called every single teacher and let them know, so no need to worry,” Palmer replied, putting her bag on the stage and getting in position as Sarah did the same behind the piano.She ordered her to play something lively, no matter what it was, since all she wanted was to dance.“What’s this for?” Sarah asked while Palmer did pirouettes on the stage. “I just wanted to dance, besides the barn party is coming up soon, so I have to practice my moves. You’re going, right?” Sarah looked at her with an apologetic smile and shook
Palmer pulled away from Christopher, seeing his face had turned much paler than before. She looked at him with her eyes wide open as she covered her mouth, realizing what she had just done. “Oops,” she said before looking at her quiet friends, but Faith had a smirk on her face. Her friend had been bold, and she couldn’t be any prouder.“Wow, you really have poor taste in boys, Palmer. You should have stuck with me. We would have been a good power couple at school,” Hunter said, shaking his head before he walked away with his friends, but not before murmuring something about Christopher. They all knew he was being childish. “Let’s go before any more drama unfolds,” Gunner said, taking Faith’s hand and walking out of the store as she laughed at Hunter. Palmer smiled shyly at Christopher as she headed to the truck with him following right behind. They got in and drove off, deciding to stop at the diner to get something to eat. Palmer and Christopher didn’t say a single word on the enti
James parked his truck near the crash site, and the firetrucks and ambulance were already there, trying to take Palmer’s friends out of the vehicle. She wanted to run towards them, but her father stopped her and ordered her to wait by the truck while he checked on them.She prayed that they were okay. Her anxiety was getting stronger when she couldn’t see them emerge from Gunner’s truck. The cool summer night made her shiver as she waited and waited until she saw any signs of life. “Please, let them be okay,” she whispered sadly. James walked back to his daughter and hugged her, knowing how she felt, and he needed to comfort her. Palmer knew it was late, but she needed someone to talk to, so she called Christopher again. She knew he wouldn’t speak to her, but if his mom told him what happened, he might take the call. “Hello?” This time it was him. He was still awake, something she was thankful for.“Christopher, please don’t hang up. I needed someone to talk to, and you were the fir
“Sweetheart, come down and eat. Your breakfast is going to get cold!” Palmer heard her mom. She groaned, covering herself with her soft blanket, not in the mood for anything. Knowing her friends were in the hospital made her want to stay in bed, sulking all day. Palmer looked at the ceiling, thinking about them when she heard a knock on the door. “Come on, sweet pea. It’s time to come out of the room. You have to eat and then do chores before we go visit your friends,” James called. With a long sigh, she got out of bed. Dragging her feet to the bathroom, she took a warm shower before getting ready. Palmer put on some jeans, a red flannel shirt, and grabbed her sneakers. She walked down the stairs with only her socks on. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, and her freckles were pronounced as she didn’t wear any makeup. Her eagerness to join her family for breakfast was more prominent than her sadness, especially knowing that she would see her friends. “So, how are they, Dad?” She as
Palmer sat by her friend’s bed, making sure she was eating well. There was a bowl of chicken noodle soup on her tray and some ginger ale. “I wish there was a nice burger and some shakes from Dino’s. This food here is bland and always cold,” Faith complained, pushing the tray away from her. Palmer laughed, shaking her head while taking a spoonful of the soup to feed her. “You can’t eat anything else. This is what’s best for you at the moment, so eat it. If you behave, I promise to take you out for some burgers as soon as you leave this hospital,” she mentioned, bringing a smile on her friend’s face.Christopher admired Palmer from the other side of the room. How she valued those she loved. He wanted to tell her so many things, but he was afraid of screwing up. As he was about to head out, Faith called him back inside.“Don’t go anywhere. I want you both here. While you’re at it, I want to know what’s going on between you two,” Faith asked, pointing at them. Palmer looked at her with h
“Chris, come on, honey! We have to get to the party!” Grace shouted from the bottom of the stairs as Christopher was nervously putting his clothes on. He was wearing faded jeans and black converse with a black flannel shirt, hoping he was presentable enough for his date.His first official date. It felt weird for him to talk about it when Palmer was just his friend. He ruffled his hair, letting some strands fall on his forehead, and put on some light perfume and deodorant. Christopher walked out and joined Grace at her car, getting in before they drove off. They arrived at the farm, and he was already feeling anxious. His hands were sweating, and a blush of pink crept up his cheeks. Grace took his hand, trying to get him to take deep breaths.“Calm down, sweetheart. It will be fun, and I’m sure Palmer will be cute to look at,” she said, smiling at him. Those last words made him even more nervous. He looked down at his outfit once more, taking a deep breath to calm himself.“Mom, plea
Palmer headed the next day to the hospital to check on her friends. She was still thinking about the kiss she stole from Chris.“Oh, my God! Tell me everything!” Faith said, not waiting for Palmer to walk into the room. “Good morning to you too, crazy one,” she replied, laughing as she hugged her before she sat down. Her friend was very impatient.“Oh, hush. I want to know the deets of the party. Did you dance? Did you confess your attraction or did you kiss him?” Palmer laughed, but she couldn’t lie to her friend. Faith knew her too much already. She took a deep breath and nodded, giving the confirmation to all her questions. Faith squealed, asking for every single detail she could give her. “It was such a fun night, and Christopher is the sweetest. We talked and danced for a while, but Hunter wanted to ruin our moment. Good thing I taught his friends a lesson. I regret not teaching him one. They left us alone for the rest of the night.”Faith smiled and waved her hand, urging her