20: Demo King

When I got home, chaos ensued. Betts pulled in late Sunday and from that point on it was all about getting her to school. I couldn't wait until I could drive. The county fair started Saturday and my Foods demonstration was slated for the following Monday. County Fair was a big deal for 4-H. It was nine days long and there was stuff going on all the time—not to mention the midway. In addition to Foods, I wanted to race and Dad said he'd bring Gypsy over on Junior Rodeo Day. That would be Thursday. I registered as a participant. My recent success at the dude ranch had me itching to race. Of course, I knew that Gypsy was older and probably not as fast as Jingo, but it was the fun and excitement I was interested in.

I was still coming down from the heady time I had making out with Jennifer and Courtney after the kids left the dude ranch on Sunday. When Jennifer's mom came to get them, I carried their bags to the car and was introduced. I'm not sure what she thought of Jennifer and Courtney meeting a boy at the dude ranch, but I don't think it was part of her understanding of what was going on. I wrote a letter to them and got it off the next day. I really hoped they didn't get in trouble.

I decided I wasn't going to have a girlfriend this year. I was a freshman in high school and it was time to have fun. And I was going to start having fun by calling some friends. I called Rose.

"Hey stranger," she said.

"Say, Rose, County Fair starts Saturday. Have you ever been?"

"Not in a couple years."

"I was wondering if you'd like to go on Sunday. It's half-price ride day. I could pick you up if you'd like. Well, my Mom will be driving, you know."

"Holy shit, Brian! Are you asking me out on a date?"

"You know how to put a guy at ease, don't you?" I stammered. "Yeah. I am. I'm not asking you to be my girlfriend or anything, but to go have fun at the fair."

"You don't want me for a girlfriend?"

"Oh crap. Rose..."

"I'm teasing you. I waited all summer for you to call and ask me out. It's a damned good thing I didn't just go find someone else. What time will you pick me up?"

"Wait. Did you just say yes?"

"No. I said hell, yes."

"We'll be there at noon."

We had one more prep class for Foods and then we got all our dishes assigned. Everyone had to know exactly what he or she needed because there'd be no time to run back to the school for dishes if someone miscounted the number of bowls needed or didn't have a mixer or something. There are a lot of clubs in the county, so each one could only have three compete in each category. Red, Shorty, and Checkers were our demo queens. I got to demo because I was the only one in our club competing at the senior level. Andrew and the other girls were all baking things on Wednesday that would be judged and awarded ribbons. I was taking bread as well, but I wasn't going to bake it Wednesday and let it sit until judging started Sunday afternoon. That was one of the reasons I got to go to the fair on Sunday. I was taking my exhibit in.

Betts intended to show Princess, but she was so frantic trying to get ready to leave for school that she canceled her registration. I was hoping I could just stay at the fair all week and avoid Hurricane Betts. It was bad enough that all the week we were home before the fair she'd get up about ten and want me to make another breakfast for her.

"You're the cook. You should make breakfast when I get up."

"Breakfast is served at seven. You should get up when I cook it," I shot back. Betts marched up to me and looked me right in the eye to make her demand. Then she backed off a step.

"When did you get taller than me?"

"Last week," I said. "I'm five-five. Now who's the shrimp-meat?"

"This isn't right."

"Maybe you should be making me breakfast."

"I'm still older and more mature. You have to do what I say."

I finally relented and made breakfast for her once. I wouldn't have, but by that time I was already hungry again and thinking about lunch.

Sunday finally came. My bread came out of the oven just as Betts came out of her room.

"Oh yum! Fresh bread!"

"Don't touch. It's my Fair exhibit." I put the two loaves on a rack to cool.

"Oh come on, Brian. You can't fill the house with fresh bread smell and then not let us have any."

"Yeah? What'll you give me? How about you muck out the stalls this week while I go to the Fair every day."

"So that's what you want. You want to get back at your big sister for making you work and turning you into a responsible young man." She was on the prowl and tried to reach for one of the loaves, but I blocked her way. "What do I really have to do to get a slice of bread?" she growled. "You want me to show you my titties again? Is that it?" I pretended to consider that looking at her up and down. She jumped back. "Don't you dare!"

"I'll let you have a slice of fresh bread if you'll ... drive to the Fair this morning. Grandma Friedman's sick and I don't want Mom to have to leave just to take me to the Fair."

"Oh, aren't you a good boy," Betts said. "Just slice me some bread and let's get going." I turned to cut the bread. I didn't bother to tell her that I only baked one for the Fair and one for the family. "Brian?" I turned toward Betts. She pulled her t-shirt up and flashed her breasts at me. I choked. "Scarred for life?"

"Nice boobs, Betts," I said as I handed her a plate with two slices of bread. "But wait till you see the pair we're picking up on the way to the Fair!"

I knew that Rose would want some bread as soon as she smelled it in the car, so I buttered and wrapped a couple slices for her. We sat in the back seat and I fed them to her. Rose had not disappointed me. It was a hot August day and she was wearing short-shorts and a halter top. There was a lot of pasture for my eyes to graze on sticking out of that top. Betts dropped us off and admonished me to be good. We went first to the registration desk and drop-off and I sliced the loaf put it on my breadboard and wrapped it in SaranWrap. My name tag on the board just said, 'B. Frost' instead of my full name. I'd decided maybe there was some prejudice for or against guys in Foods and I wanted to minimize it either way.

We started with elephant ears, that hot sugary pastry that just screams "County Fair." I promised Rose more food after we rode some rides. We started with the Scrambler and then headed straight for the Tilt-O-Whirl. When we got off the Mad Mouse, we were both ready for a break and some more food.

"Oh! I'm glad we didn't have Nachos before those rides!" Rose said.

"Yeah. You know that rule about no swimming for an hour after you eat? I think it applies to rides, too."

"Are you going to win me a Teddy Bear?" My laugh was more like a bark. I took a drink of my Coke.

"I tell you what. I'll throw the basketball at the hoop three times and then I'll go buy you a Teddy Bear." We laughed and headed to the basketball shot. Everybody, including me, was shocked when I swished the first shot. The hoops are smaller than regulation, so hardly anyone makes the shots. Rose jumped up and down and that did wonderful things for her halter top. I was a little distracted as I tossed the ball up for the second shot. I wasn't really looking when the guy said, "Two in a row!" Huh?

"When did you get to be such a good shot at basketball?" Rose asked. The third shot was wild, but two baskets won a little blue Teddy Bear which I proudly gave to Rose. She hugged it into her cleavage. That's when we spotted Brenda, Carl, Rachel, and Doug standing in line for the Viking Express. We jumped in line and surprised them.

"Hi, you guys!" Brenda said. "Don't tell me. Brian finally got around to asking you out?"

"Yeah, and then he won me a Teddy Bear," Rose said. "He swished the basketball twice."

"No way," Carl said.

"You'll win me a bear, won't you, Doug?" Rachel asked. She batted her eyelashes at Doug in a great imitation of Whitney. I wondered where Whitney, Sam, and Liz were.

"Sure. If Brian can swish a basket the hoops must be a mile wide." We got on the ride and Rose grabbed my hand as we reached the top of the arc the first time and headed down. She was screaming in my ear when we went over the top upside down. She didn't let go of my hand when we got off the ride. She was so cute! And talk about gravity-defying boobs! The six of us walked around and I got to thinking how great my life had become after Carl and Doug stepped in to keep Drew from beating me and the girls adopted me. And if it worked once...

"Hey, Carl. What grade is your little brother in?"

"Going into seventh."

"Is he as big as you and Bill?"

"Gonna be bigger. Bill's been treating him real nice so he doesn't get wrestled to the ground."

"Carl, tell me. Is he a good guy?"

"Yeah. He doesn't have everything together, but who did in seventh grade. Except Brenda," he laughed.

"Brenda had it all together in fifth grade."

"You guys better stop talking about my boobs," Brenda huffed. "Why the interest in Rich?"

"I've got this little friend who's going into seventh grade. She keeps getting teased and picked on by the others."

"She needs a table of friends," Brenda said, understanding me immediately.

"That's just what I was thinking. And if one of the friends was a big bruiser like Carl, maybe things would be a little easier. But Carl, I don't think she's ready for a boyfriend. It would have to just be friends."

"Point her out if you see her. I'll clue Rich in."

"Samantha's got a sister going into seventh," Rachel said. "We can convince her crowd to participate."

"I can't believe you guys can just tell your sibs to hang out with someone and they will. But thank you."

"How do you think we all started hanging out with you?" Carl asked. "We knew you were a smart little wimp, but we didn't know you were a great guy and a hero."

"Well, I know Bill kind of convinced you and Doug. And believe me, I'm glad of it. I might not even still be alive."

"Joanne made it pretty clear that life would be better for all of us if we hung out with you," Brenda said. "And it has been. But really, it was letting ourselves get to know you that changed things."

"Except for Whitney and me," Rachel said. "We were crushing on you since second grade. And then you brought these two hunks to the table with you. That kind of sealed the deal." Wait! Joanne convinced them to be my friends? I couldn't have heard that right.

"Speaking of Whitney, I haven't seen her all summer, even when we all got together."

"She's at basketball camp."

"What?"

"She's six feet tall now and decided the only way she could not be a freak was to play basketball. This is Indiana, after all."

"Will they let her play basketball?"

"There's some title of law or something that says they have to offer an equal sports opportunity to girls as to boys. It's going to be an interesting year. Coach Hancock says she'll practice with the JV this year. That doesn't mean she'll ever get to play in an actual game, but they have to let her be on the team."

"Man! I wish they had that for boys. They wouldn't let me take Home Ec this year. I have to take drafting."

"I'd trade you," Rachel said. "I want to design some buildings. Maybe be an architect."

"And you should taste Brian's bread!" Rose jumped in. "Hey! We should go check out the exhibits and see if the judging is finished."

"You baked bread?" Rachel almost swooned. "Doug, we're breaking up. Move over, Rose."

"Hey!" Doug yelped. "So much for protecting the shrimp!"

Man! We had a great time! I had to laugh when neither Doug nor Carl could make a single free throw. When we finally made it to the Foods Pavilion, there was a big blue ribbon hanging next to my loaf of bread. I'd won a first prize. Of course, right above my little loaf was a beautiful big round loaf of bread with the purple grand champion award. Just looking at that loaf made my mouth water. "Claudia Leoni," I read on the entry card. "Italian Country Bread."

"I don't know who Claudia Leoni is," I said, "but I think I'm going to marry her. Look at that bread."

"Hmm. Don't say that too loud," Rose said. "I know Claudia and she might take you up on that."

"You know her?"

"Yeah. She's going to be a senior. I'll introduce you, but you need to keep your emotions under control, little boy."

"Hey, look who's talking, Short-stuff."

"Oh yeah. You're big compared to me, but compared to Claudia, you're a little boy. The best part for you is that her boobs are as big as mine. Unfortunately, the rest of her would make two or three of me. And she's about the same height!"

"You know I don't care about that stuff. I want to learn to bake this kind of bread."

"You don't care that you always sit at a table of hot girls?" Brenda asked. "Or that your former girlfriends also qualify as being hot? Or that your guardian angel is some kind of supermodel?"

"Do I come off as unappreciative?" I asked. Crap! They didn't even know about Jennifer and Courtney! But maybe I'd been taking all of them too much for granted. I guess you do that with friends. Rose squeezed my hand and I realized I'd been holding it all afternoon. I turned to her. "Rose..." she lifted her lips to me. I only hesitated a moment before I dipped to kiss them. We didn't make a big display or anything. It was just a sweet kiss right in the Exhibit Building.

"Mmm. Now I feel appreciated," she said and cuddled close to me as she reached across and grabbed my arm with her other hand to hug tighter.

"Yeah. Me, too," I sighed.

Brenda, Rachel, Carl, and Doug had to take off early and I took Rose on another tour of the food stands. We had corndogs and Rose dripped a little mustard on her left boob above her halter. We were beside the booth in the shade and she just pushed her breasts toward me.

"Brian, I got mustard on me. Clean it off," she whined. Wow, what an invitation. I dipped my head and licked the top of her boob then sucked it a little to make sure I'd gotten it clean. "Oh! Oh, god! I thought you'd use your finger. You licked me!"