Southern Hospitality
1
New York Volunteer
It was as he unrolled the bales of hay that she pulled up.
The city girl here for New York's Volunteer week.
Derek Souza wiped the sweat from his brow as she got out of the car, carrying, surprisingly, only one suitcase and a black backpack.
She was dressed ready, wearing worn jeans, working boots and an old t-shirt pinned up to her waist with a hair tie. She was tiny, though; she barely reached his chest. She reminded him a porcelain doll, with her wavy blonde-red hair, streaked with red, big blue eyes that looked around nervously, and porcelain skin splashed with freckles. Her hair was held back in a ponytail and her hat, dingy, read AR Gurney Arts. A gleam of red on her chest caught his attention; she wore a red pendant on a gold chain.
Wiping off his sweaty hands, he headed over to her as the car sped away, kicking up gravel.
"Bye!" she called to the man driving, who waved back before his arm disappeared into the vehicle.
She looked like she wouldn't last five minutes without breaking something, Derek mused as he walked up behind her. When she turned around, she let out a little yelp and her face went beautifully red.
"H-Hello," she squeaked. Even her voice was dainty.
"I-I'm C-Chloe." She promptly stuck out her hand, which he ignored and gestured to the grease on his fingers.
"Derek."
She was watching him as he turned and whistled shrilly.
The door slammed open and Kit came out, wiping his hands on his dishtowel. "What?" Kit hollered as he shielded his eyes. His silver-streaked hair hung around his face loosely, reminding Derek that he needed to buy more hair ties for his old man to use while he cooked.
"Oh, hello!" Kit said once he caught sight of Chloe.
Kit was walking towards them when another car pulled up.
Derek reached out and grabbed Chloe's arm, yanking her out of the way as the bubblegum pink Jeep zoomed by, spitting gravel and dust. The hubcaps vibrated with the sheer volume of the driver's music.
Chloe made a noise of disgust as she wrinkled her nose at the car.
Cute, Derek thought.
"O-Oh, th-thank—"
"Hey, Chloe." A tall, dark-skinned girl with plenty of curves stepped out of the car, wearing gladiator sandals and a tank top that clung to her like a second skin. She was pretty, if you were into lots of makeup and sultry eyes. Her coppery hair was braided down her back in cornrows and her tawny-colored eyes were surrounded with mascara and black eye shadow.
Derek shook his head and hunched his shoulders as Kit introduced himself to the girls.
"Ch-Chloe." When the red-streaked wonder said this, the dark-skinned girl snickered softly.
He shot her a glower.
"I'm Rae," she said sweetly as she stuck her hand out.
Her smile faltered when he didn't shake her hand but she quickly masked it and turned to Chloe, who looked like she'd seen a ghost. Hm. Maybe they knew each other?
"Derek, why don't you show them to their rooms?" Kit suggested, brushing his hair out of his weathered but kind face.
"Can't," Derek muttered, "I have to go feed the horses and brush them down."
"I'll show them, Dad," Simon called as he swung out of the house, wiping the grease from Tori's bike off his hands and onto his jeans, leaving black streaks.
Rae smiled but it was a fake, sugary one.
"Oh, u-um, D-Derek?"
He turned, his eyes meeting Chloe's wide ones. She looked so nervous and scared, he felt kind of bad for her. She fidgeted, like she was antsy. "T-Th-Thank you, for um, you know. S-saving me, I guess." She flashed him a quick, real smile before Simon walked up.
"I owe you one," she continued quietly.
He nodded to let her know he heard and headed back to the horses' stalls.
He was soaked with sweat as he sprayed down the floor, pushing away the dirt and the feces that wouldn't brush away with the scrub-brush. His shirt clung to his chest and his hair stuck to his jaw, his neck, and his forehead. Sweat streamed into his eyes, making him pause every few minutes to wipe it away with his forearm.
"D-Derek?"
He turned and found Chloe standing there, holding a pitcher of water and a glass. "I-I th-thought you'd like some." She lifted the glass as if to say see? and smiled softly. She looked too fragile to be outside.
He paused and turned off the hose. "Thanks," he mumbled as he took the pitcher from her and tilted it to his lips. It was cool and it slid down his throat, quenching the thirst. Several long minutes passed.
"Your wel-welcome," she said. She craned her neck around him and he saw someone come out of the house, talking loudly.
"Would you l-li-like some help?"
He shook his head as he passed her the empty pitcher and ignored the awed look on her face.
"You drank all of that by yourself?" she squeaked.
He felt his lips twitch. He offered a shrug as he turned away. "I'm almost done."
"Kit said dinner's…oh." Rae's voice made him tense up. He didn't acknowledge her as she walked in, the click of her shoes echoing around the three of them.
"H-Hi, R-R—"
"Why do you talk like that?"
He clenched his jaw as he adjusted the nozzle to the hose and suddenly, Rae was screaming, Chloe was laughing, and Derek was soaked to the bone.
The nozzle had popped off-a common occurrence since Derek hated to buy new things and would rather fix than drive the fifteen minute drive into the city to buy a new one-and the force of the water had back-lashed a frigid spray.
Chloe was giggling and laughing, her damp t-shirt clinging to her tiny figure, damp hair sticking to her neck as Rae freaked out.
"At least you aren't hot anymore," Chloe said with a smile.
Derek's mouth tilted slightly back as Rae shot Chloe a dirty look and stomped away.
"My shoes cost two hundred dollars!" she shrieked as the screen door slammed shut behind her.
The sound of Tori and Simon's laughter floated up into the darkening sky as Derek walked Chloe back to the house, feeling a bit…softer towards the kind girl.
Maybe it won't be so bad.
