Stupid Boy

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Beginning: Hank is Love, Hank is Life and Throwing down the gauntlet
Previous: We Will See

     "Isn't he the cutest, Jarin!? He's just like you, so adorable and cute!" Tequila giggled, bumping her hips into Jarin's, giving his cheek a little pinch. She hadn't come to the show expecting to pick up a little gelding barrel racer baby from another set of riders but if that's what she had to do, so be it. She hadn't come to the show expecting to be stricken senseless by an adorable marshmallow of a boy either. She had met him briefly before when she visited her brother, Sydney, at the main RidgeRunner stable. This was the first time they had spent any extended amount of time together.
     He was adorable. And as sweet as the southern sweet tea she grew up on. She had been around many different kinds of boys; rough, mean, cocky, smart, dumb, rich, poor, silly, serious, and on and on. But something about Jarin was just so intriguing to her. He was so precious; nice and came by it honestly. He called her pretty and liked her horses. What more could a girl honestly want?
     Jarin let her hold his arm, she seemed to like doing that. He had nearly jumped through a stall wall when she tried grabbing his hand but an arm was okay. Hands were for couples. Arms...he was pretty confident were okay for anyone to hold. Or at least it was okay at dances and stuff. "Ah, we're not...cute. We're boys." he said quietly. 
     Tequila looked up at him, raising a brow, "Boys can be cute too."
     Jarin cocked his head to the side, "Can they? I thought girls were cute...?" 
     A smile spread across Tequila's lips, squeezing Jarin's arm, "You think I'm cute!?"
     Jarin leaned back from her, his cheeks lighting up! That's not what he said at all! He had just assumed 'cute' was a word reserved for girls! Like 'panties' or 'bra'! Those were girls words! She had him on the spotlight now! "I-thin-think-well-you aren't-uh- I mean, you could be- if you want to be!?" Oh Jesus, he was raised by two women. He knew the dangerous territory he was stepping in. Say something in the wrong tone or the wrong inflection and they would skin him alive. Girls are so scary. 
     Tequila hugged his arm, "You are just so gosh darn nice, J-baby. I can't wait to ride you."
     "Ride with me? Don't you...have to go home?" Jarin stopped for a moment, very confused. Since when were they going to get to ride together? She boarded in the Southern Branch down in Texas. Jarin stayed at the Main branch in Missouri. They were hundreds of miles apart. 
     That's not what she said. But it made her smile anyway. Stupid boy. "Well, yea, but you'll come down with me, won't you? How else will you get to ride your horse?" She gestured to the small grullo gelding, Sparks who was just minding his own business, following the pressure on the leadrope. He had glanced back at the group he had traveled with. assuming this was no different than going for a ride in the arena on his own. He'd be back with them eventually. So he wasn't too worried. 
     Jarin's eyebrows squeezed together, "Are you sure he's mine? I thought you bought him..." The whole thing had been very confusing and so fast. One moment Sparks belonged to Gabe and Beth, the next, here he was in Tequila's hands. 
     Tequila nodded with a smile, "I bought him for you! Just for you!"
     Jarin's jaw slackened, looking at the horse a little closer. She was serious. Normally, he'd be filled with glee and excitement! But there was a worry pulling at his happiness, "But I...I can't ride him..."
     "Why the hell not?"
     "Well he's...so short..." Jarin held a hand at the gelding's withers. It came just above Jarin's bellybutton. Jarin's personality might have made him appear to be smaller than he was, but in reality, his was still rather tall. Especially stood next to a very short stock horse. 
     "Size don't matter baby, it's what ya do with it that counts," she giggled, bumping her hip into his, giving him a wink. 
     "But, but, but I don't live in Texas," Jarin went on to the second problem in this situation. 
     Tequila stepped up to him, running a finger under his chin, "We could change that, sweet baby." She twirled his hair around a finger of hers, wrapping him around her hook. She could see him go rigid and the fear in his eyes like a precious little lamb. She backed off a little, stroking his cheek, "C'mon baby, don't you want to be with me?" She leaned a little closer to him, making his cheeks turn a brilliant shade of red. His eyes were so warm and inviting when she got this close to him. 
     SYSTEMS OVERLOAD. 
     She was too close! His eyes darted down when he was pretty sure he had felt a little tug on his belt loop. Boobs. All he saw were her boobs! OHGOD NO. Any sense that he had, crumbled into dust. It was time to run! He whimpered and bolted backwards. He was pretty sure there hadn't been a wall behind him, being out in the open, but he crashed right into one! He bounced off the wall, back into Tequila and her boobs and that panicked him again! He trashed backwards a second time, hitting the same wall again. 
     Tequila looked up at the wall, sharpening her glare as one was staring right back down at her. She grit her teeth and frowned. "Sydney, what do you want? Jarin and I are busy."
     Sydney flicked her hand hard, away from Jarin's cheek, "Busy talkin' bullshit. Back off, bitch."
     Tequila huffed, "Why? He ain't yours."
     That struck a nerve. One that he couldn't act on. Not in the way that his instincts wanted to. Damn straight Jarin was his and he did what he pleased with. But, hell no, he couldn't go making that known. Especially not to his sister, the biggest loudmouth he knew. She was conniving. A shit stir just looking for ways to stick her nose into business that wasn't hers. He grabbed her hand that she had stuffed in Jarin's belt and jerked it away, "Jarin, you have shit to do. Get to it." He grabbed Jarin by the back of his shirt and yanked him out from between the two of them. He gave him a solid shove on the back and a glare. 
     Jarin flinched and hunkered from the nasty glare. If there was one thing he knew, it was not to disobey Sydney when he was pissed off. He staggered but stopped when he felt a hand on his wrist. 
     "Jarin..." Tequila said quietly. "What about me...?" 
     Jarin's heart about broke. She looked so sad! She sounded so sad! She really wanted him to come ride with her! She bought a horse for him! What was he supposed to do or say!? He couldn't just walk away from her! Maybe he owed her to come to Texas for a little while. He could just transfer all his horses down! And then...what about his parents, what about Sydney-
     Sydney made that answer for him. He grabbed Jarin's arm and with a good jerk, ripped him free from the blood sucking harpy. He punched Jarin in the arm a good volley to break whatever trance he was in and shoved him to the barn again. He had to give him a couple good shoves to get him going. 
     "Sydney!" Tequila scolded her brother. "Jarin!" She called after him again. "Jarin!" She pouted. That stupid boy had no back bone, just getting shoved around wherever he was told! And worse, her brother had no reason to be such an asshole about it! Sydney was the worst of them all. The meanest of all her brothers and she had plenty others. He was always take, take, take. So no surprise, there he was taking Jarin away from her. 
     She looked back at Sparks who had backed up a couple steps once the tension picked up. His ears flicked toward the lady curiously. He had been left with her. He couldn't tell if she was the alpha or if the big guy that dragged the thinner one away was. He just didn't want to stir any problems. He was just waiting patiently until he was back with the black mare he had come with. 
     He was looked at with great scrutiny. Sure, a horse she had nabbed from a good bet. It wasn't like she had made the bet thinking she was going to get some great deal out of it. Hell, the little horse came fourth. Her brother's slow-ass old fart beat him. What the hell was she supposed to do with him now? She did think to just send him to auction. Get it over with before she had to haul him all the way back to Texas. 
     She glanced back over her shoulder at the two boys disappearing back into the barn. Stupid boys. She was surrounded by stupid boys. She looked back to the horse, "You're no better, ya know..." She huffed, putting her hands on her hips. But the more she thought about it...she couldn't help it. She sighed, letting her shoulders drop, her chin tip down, and her glare subside. She couldn't help but love stupid boys. 

(1579 word count) 

Previous: Barrels and Boys, Her Shiny Toys || Next: Bring Your Own Lightning

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Sparks booooooy! <3 I wanted to give him an official "you comin home with me, boy" piece of art after stealing him off Helsinge xD He deserves it <3 He's already planted himself into a plotline, the precious boy. He was a surprise to come home with but I love that he's here! I hope I've made him as adorable as I think he's supposed to be xD 
And watch out Gabe, Beth, yo boy may crash into ya on the circuit sooner than you know >: D bum bum buuuummmm

Naked Sketch:

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Tequila/Sparks/Art © Drasayer
Gabe/Beth © Helsinge 
No specific refs used.


Pencil/Photoshop CS63