Magpie Shiny: Chapter 11

By Jamie DeBree 2022/11/11 Excerpts, Fiction Friday, Serial Stories

This story is posted weekly in draft form. Need to catch up? Here are links to the previous chapters:
Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | Ch 8 | Ch 9 | Ch. 10

Chapter 11

An hour later, Beth was pretty well caught up on the last ten years of Lauren‘s life in pictures, minus the more recent parts she’d intentionally left out. Maddie was getting restless, and the Star-Spangled Banner was playing faintly in the background.

“Mom, is dad riding yet? We said we’d watch him ride in the rodeo.” Dust swirled around them as the wind picked up, and Maddie leaned on the table, her chin melting off the slender hand just barely holding it up. Preteen speak for I’m going to die of boredom any second now.

Beth looked from Maddie to Lauren and raised an eyebrow. “Does he know yet?”

Lauren nodded. “I told him right before Vinnie found us. I told him we’d come watch him ride this afternoon.” She started gathering her things, and Maggie jumped out of her seat, clearly more than ready to do something different.

“I bet that was a fun conversation.” Beth looked at Maddie again and shook her head with a grin. “You really do look just like your father.”

Maddie nodded and rolled her eyes. “I know. Everyone says that.” She moved tugged at Lauren’s sleeve. “Come on mom!”

Vinnie laughed, collecting the paper plates and cups from the table. “Wow! This really is your first rodeo isn’t it, kiddo?” She deposited the tableware in a large garbage bin a few feet away from the table and replaced the lid.

Maddie nodded her head vigorously. “Yes, it is! I don’t want to miss it!”

“Okay, okay.” Lauren looked at her two best friends, and was hit with a wave of mixed feelings. She normally prided herself on not being sentimental, but being together with these two again made her feel happy and sad all at the same time. She wished that her younger self would’ve valued her friendships more. Maybe things would’ve been easier. Or maybe she’d have done things differently.

“We need to get together again soon”, she said. “I didn’t realize how much I missed this.”

Vinnie and Beth both pulled her in for a hug and they all laughed, trying not to cry. “I’m glad you had your adventure,” Vinnie said. “But I really hope you stick around this time. Or at least keep in touch if you don’t.”

“I second that,” Beth said. “Things aren’t the same without you around here. You should come out to the caverns soon, and bring Maddie. I’ll give you guys the special behind-the-scenes tour.“

Lauren nodded. “Absolutely – that sounds great.”

“Mo-om!” Maddie grabbed her arm, hopping from one foot to the other, clearly at the very end of her patience. “Can we please go now?”

“Okay – let’s go.” She laughed, taking Maddie’s hand and allowing the girl to pull her out of Vinnie’s booth. “See you later,” she called, an odd sensation in her gut of having called out the same thing to these same friends in almost the exact same spot the night she’d skipped town. “I promise,” she added, seeing a flash of the same recognition on their faces too.

Maddie started to pull her back through the midway, and Lauren dug in her heels, earning a dirty look. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, but were going the wrong way.” She laughed as Maddie immediately switched directions and pulled her back past a chuckling Vinnie and Beth, and towards the arena at the end of the midway.

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Tagged on: lauren tate, maddie tate, magpie shiny, serial novels