by Lewis, D. C.
Stacking their dirty dishes in one hand and grabbing the glasses in the other, Brandon tidied up and starts the dishwasher. Kiera was waiting by the front door when he finished. Quickly washing his hands, he grabbed his umbrella and headed to her.
"And where shall we adventure tonight, oh fearless leader?" he asked in a teasing voice.
"To Albright's farm," she replies nonchalantly, anticipating his reaction.
"Oh no Kiera, I said I would go out with you but I am not going to go do that."
"Oh yes you are," she said with a smile, patting his cheek, "Meet you in the car," and she walked away, leaving him without an opportunity to voice any more complaints. She knew he wouldn't be far behind her.
Fifteen
Albright's Farm was a 200-acre dairy farm on the outskirts of town. The patriarch of the family, Farmer Albright was in his late eighties but was out doing some work on the farm daily. He was a crotchety old man, given to enjoying the bottle, and cussed like a sailor. Mothers hid their children from him when he came to town since they never knew what he would say or what obscenity would come out of his mouth. He couldn't remember names of people so he made up his own. His primary favorite was referring to people as "Jughead", this was an equal opportunity label. He didn't care what your race, sex, color, or socioeconomic status was, if he didn't know your name, you were Jughead.
Due to his seeming antisocial behaviors, it is safe to say that he wasn't everybody's favorite person but for those brave enough to endure his abrasive personality, he was a loyal person, going out of his way to help those he considered friends, though the cussing never stopped. There was a story around town about a new pastor coming to preach at one of the churches. Having heard about Farmer Albright and the fact that he didn't attend church, the pastor took it upon himself to visit the farm and encourage Farmer Albright to attend Sunday services. Rumor had it that within five minutes of being at the farm, the pastor got into his car and immediately sped away, looking very pale and trembling visibly. People around town say that he gave up being a pastor on the spot and now has a job as a shoe salesman.
Having been there for hundreds of years, the farm was an historic landmark and the only dairy farm for one hundred miles in any direction. The rolling grassy pastureland gave the impression of being in the plateaus as opposed to being on the coast. A few hundred cows roamed the grassy field, chewing their cud and fertilizing the field. The cow dung was the perfect place for a certain kind plant to grow which a small percentage of the populace of the town would attempt to harvest by sneaking onto the farm. They took their lives into their own hands since Farmer Albright was known to shoot at people trespassing on his property, especially those disturbing his cows.
The farm also provided the younger crowd with another nighttime activity, cow tipping. The concept was very simple. Since some cows sleep standing up, you quietly sneak over to the slumbering bovine, and with all your strength, push it on one side as hard as you can. The result was the cow losing its center of gravity and "tipping" over. The cows didn't get hurt but did make the most amusing sounds and movements as they were dragged to the ground by the force of gravity. The key was to get enough momentum to tip it on the first push. And never to tip a bull. Bulls didn't take kindly to being made a fool in front of the cows and would immediately regain their footing and retaliate.
Cow tipping was where Kiera was taking Brandon and why he was so adamant about not wanting to go. Kiera figured it would be a safe enough activity. Besides, she was fueled by the fact that Farmer Albright had called her "Jughead" right before she went away to college even though he very well knew her name. She figured a little payback was due. She was actually one of the few people (especially those young) who had a decent relationship with him. She fully planned on telling him all about her adventures on his property next time she saw him. She contemplated taking pictures.
It only took Brandon a few seconds to take his usual spot in the passenger seat, lugging that big black umbrella with him. The night had gotten incredibly muggy, Kiera wondered how in the world Brandon was able to be comfortable wearing a long-sleeved black shirt and dark jeans. When she brought it up he responded with something about it being harder to see dark colors at night, it being better camouflage; missing the point entirely.
There were few cars on the road that led out of town so Kiera made good time. Since they couldn't drive right up to the farm, park in front of Farmer Albright's house, and then stroll into the pasture to go terrorize his cattle, Kiera took the old service road that led to the back of pasture. Not only did it never see traffic, it also positioned Kiera as far from Farmer Albright's house as possible while still being close enough to her car to make a hasty escape if needed. She turned left off the asphalt and onto the dirt road. Since it didn't see much use, it wasn't very well maintained so Kiera had to take it slow. Her car really wasn't designed for off-road use. Inevitably she had to drive through a few mud puddles, the dirty water splashing all over the side of the car. Kiera cringed each time she had to drive through one but it was the price she was having to pay. She vowed that rain or shine, she would be washing her car tomorrow. A dirty car really got on her nerves but she was undeterred. Her resolve was set and she continued driving.
Brandon had not said much on the car ride, voicing his displeasure through his silence, opting to fidget with the umbrella. It wasn't until Kiera cut the lights of the car off that he spoke.
"Kiera, do you think that is wise? We can't see the road," he said with a tone of panic in his voice.
Not only was the moon shining brightly enough that a blind person could see the road but Kiera's Lycoan sight made it seem almost like daytime outside. This fact she couldn't bring up. "You don't want Farmer Albright to see our headlights and shoot at us do you?" she asked instead.
"I don't want to be here at all," came the response.
Kiera suspected that this had a lot to do with the incident from the other night. Brandon had always been a target for bullies, which is why he spent so much time at home alone. He just didn't like people and Kiera couldn't blame him. The recent confrontation with Josh Riley had only gone to further encourage his lack of desire to be in public, and feel even more comfortable around his flickering computer screens, inanimate objects that never judged or picked on him. It was also possible, Kiera thought to herself, that Brandon might be agoraphobic (a term she learned in Intro to Psychology) and that was part of the cause for all his anxiety at being outside and around unfamiliar things.
There was also another aspect to this, one that cut Kiera to the core. It was her fault that he had encountered Josh. She was the one who had guilted him into coming out by saying that she would protect him and keep him safe. It was her selfishness that contributed to the events of the evening. She could have just as easily stayed in his basement, talking and having a good time, but she had wanted to exert her control and see if she could make him do something he didn't want. In many ways, it was she subconsciously testing him and making him prove his devotion to her by seeing what he would sacrifice for her. It made her feel important and special when he did come out with her. Knowing that he wanted to be around her so much that he would leave the safety of his home to be with her was reassuring and it made her feel good.
Now she felt rather cold-hearted and insensitive. This wasn't how one friend treated another, especially one as dear to her as Brandon. He was her rock, the one person she could count on, and he deserved better from her. She silently vowed to be better for him. Right after they finished their evening mission that is. But there was one thing she did need to do immediately.
"Brandon, I wanted to apologize again for the other evening, that whole Josh thing. That really wasn't how I had seen our evening go. Believe me, if I had known he would have been anywhere in the area I wouldn't have gone there. Will you forgive me?" she sincerely pleaded.
"I was never mad at you Kiera," he replied as he frantically grasped for any type of handhold. The car hit an unexpected
bump, sending its two occupants bouncing all over. "I was just...I don't know, frustrated I guess. That guy has been terrorizing me for as long as I can remember, I just get tired of it."
"Well, I guess you heard about him," Kiera said as she brought the car to a stop at the edge of the pasture behind a hill.
"Yeah I did. The guy had it coming, I can't say that I feel the least bit sorry for him. The world will be a better place if he never wakes up. "
Kiera felt the same way. She had voiced practically the same opinion to her mother earlier. Josh Riley was the type of person who boosted his self-esteem by destroying it in others. Kiera knew that Josh had not had the easiest of upbringing, with an alcoholic father that used to beat him, his siblings, and his mother. Josh would frequently come to school covered in bruises, always attributing it to, falling down the stairs, falling out of a tree, or some other equally unlikely scenario. While it was indeed tragic, in Kiera's mind it didn't excuse him for the way he treated others. Especially after talking to Brandon that evening, she believed that Josh did have a choice about how he grew up. He didn't have to follow in the footsteps of his paternal unit. She figured that somebody who went through what Josh went through would do everything in his or her power to not be like their abusive parent. The whole "fate versus free will" argument popped up in her mind again. Was it Josh's fate to be like that? Regardless, she couldn't dredge up the smallest amount of sympathy for him. She doubted there were many in town that could.
Brandon, deep in thought about something, stared intently through the windshield. The moonlight was very bright, so even if you didn't have Kiera's keen eyesight, you could still see things very clearly. The moonlight reflected off the water clinging to the grass in the pasture. If you moved your head from side to side, it looked like little candle flames dancing. Kiera took the chance to study Brandon's face as he continued to peer outside. There were still small traces of the little boy that she met on the playground all those years ago, but that boy had grown into a man. Brandon's blue eyes had an intensity about them that she hadn't noticed before, one that she couldn't decipher. It seemed that he was thinking intently about something. Looking down to his lips, she suddenly was reliving the kiss. The electricity she felt when their lips met reignited in her body and she began to feel a deep longing. The feeling was confusing. She had kissed other boys before, even made out with a few from time to time, but the feeling she got from them was nothing compared to what she felt from a kiss from Brandon.
In all their years of friendship, she had never seen him as anything other than a friend, almost a brother. Now her opinion was starting to change. A new feeling had been awakened inside her, causing a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. The more she looked at him, the more she realized that he was not a bad-looking guy, in fact he was quite handsome. His appearance would be greatly improved if he would get rid of those thick framed glasses and those outdated clothes. Some contacts would be the first item on the list.
"What am I doing?" Kiera thought to herself, "Here I am giving Brandon a makeover. And for what? So that we can be together?"
The idea was laughable on numerous levels. For starters, he wasn't her type. Kiera was a strong-willed, independent woman, and needed a counterpart with similar traits. Brandon was too timid for her, never exerting any authority, always doing what Kiera wanted. That type of behavior just wouldn't work. Kiera needed a partner who would challenge her, who wouldn't let her have her way, who would tell her "no" and stick to it no matter how much she pouted or begged. Brandon was also too reclusive, hiding away in his basement. Kiera was a social person, she liked going out and being with other people, out to dinner and a movie, or hiking. Those things were important activities for her and she just couldn't see Brandon willingly engaging in any of them. And if he did go along, she would constantly be worried if whether or not he were miserable, thus negatively impacting her enjoyment.
Probably her most important reason for not wanting to have any type of intimate relationship with Brandon was the part of her that was getting harder and harder to deny. How could she subject Brandon to being with someone who was only half human? Kiera could be selfish at times, she readily admitted it, but that was too much even for her. Brandon deserved better. Yet again, she wished that she could just tell him the truth. But as always, the fear of rejection permeated the idea and as much as she wished she could come forward, she knew it was impossible. She wondered if life ever got easier.
"Well, cows are not getting tipped with us just sitting here," she said, breaking the silence and grabbing the door handle.
Letting out a loud sigh, Brandon followed suit, opening the car door with one hand, holding the umbrella with the other.
"You do not need to bring that," Kiera stated.
"But what if it rains?" he asked.
"Brandon, we are on Albright's farm, getting ready to tip his precious cows. I really think that we have better things to worry about than rain, don't you?"
"Kiera, it never hurts to be prepared," he responded, reluctantly putting the vinyl behemoth back in the car and closing the door gently so as to muffle the sound.
"Well, look, the sky looks pretty clear, I doubt it will rain any more tonight."
Mumbling something under his breath that even Kiera couldn't make out, Brandon now hurried to catch up with Kiera, who had already started towards the pasture.
The pasture was wetter than what she had originally thought and Kiera began to question the intelligence of wearing flip-flops for this adventure. The water was getting in between flesh and leather, eroding all possible traction. No fast getaways would be made in these things. She opted to go barefoot.
"Kiera, what are you doing?" Brandon exclaimed, "Don't you know how unsanitary that is? What if you step in a cow patty?" The thought almost brought him to fits of gagging.
"Well I guess I will just have to be careful where I put my feet now, won't I?"
The pasture grass actually felt good on her bare feet. Not only was it nice and cool, but it was rather spongy, like she was walking on a field of marshmallows. That combined with the upcoming excitement of terrorizing the bovines and thus getting back at Farmer Albright, made her feel giddy.
From the car they had to make a short hike up a hill to get to their destination. At the crest of the hill, they would make out the cows, standing in a tight group about 200 yards away. From this vantage, the car was completely hidden, Kiera and Brandon would have to traverse three smaller hills to get to their entertainment for the evening.
The humidity in the air had not noticeably lessened and soon Kiera's body was covered in a sheen of sweat from the minor exertion of traipsing up and down the grassy hills. Brandon stayed close to her side, not complaining even though Kiera knew that he must be roasting in his long sleeves. She had to fight the urge to reach out and grab his hand. Not for reassurance but because it just somehow seemed appropriate. Once again admonishing herself for such foolishness, she really hoped that after a good night's sleep such desire would also be laid to rest. Brandon had seemed to forget it already. For some reason, that thought stung Kiera. Deep down inside she had wanted him to be as conflicted about it as she was, yet he appeared as if nothing had happened at all.
"Looks like he won another one," the faceless voice in her mind observed.
"Looks like he did," she admitted.
The walk was quiet. She wasn't sure whether Brandon was deep in thought or if he was just trying to remain as quiet as possible so that they wouldn't get caught by Farmer Albright. Albright would have to have the ears of a Lycoan to hear them at this distance and she doubted the oldster's hearing was anywhere near that good.
About halfway to their destination, the sky let out a peal of thunder that was near deafening. Kiera could feel the seismic waves from the massive concussion. It felt almost like being pushed.
Stopping in his tracks, Brandon gave her the "I told you so" look laced with a smidgen of self-satisfaction.
"Won't nee
d the umbrella huh? Give me your car keys, I am going back to get it," he said, holding out his hand.
"Brandon, nobody in the history of the world has ever been seen using an umbrella when tipping cows. We will look totally ridiculous!"
"Well looks like you are going to be the first. Besides, who is going to see us? The cows? Last I checked, cows don't gossip all that much. Let me put it to you this way. I will forgive you about Josh if you let me go back and get the umbrella."
"That's not fair," Kiera pouted.
"Well, that is my price, I think it is fair," he replied, shoving his hand closer.
Kiera had underestimated Brandon. He had never been as assertive before. She wondered where it was coming from. It did nothing to lessen the thoughts she had been having all night about him.
Reluctantly, noticing a slight smirk on Brandon's face, she handed over the keys. She made a mental note to pay him back for this foolishness.
"Anything else you require master?" she asked.
"Nope," was all he said as he turned around to head back to the car.
Infuriated, Kiera clenched her fists and called after him "I'm not waiting! You will have to catch up!"
His hand in the air was the only response she got back. He hadn't even bothered to turn around. Payback would be forthcoming as soon as she had a chance.
Kiera stormed down the hill, occasionally looking over her shoulder to see if Brandon was looking back to check on her. He never was.
Looking one last time before he crested the hill and would be out of sight until he started to return, Kiera finally realized a sound was breaking the quiet of the evening. From being deep in thought and plans of payback, she couldn't say how long the sound had been going. Dog barking was disturbing the peace of the night. And not just any barking, but the kind of barking dogs do when they are chasing something. Kiera wondered what dogs could be chasing, and then it hit her - trespassers on the Albright property.