Chapter Two
Stale beer and popcorn, or at least that would be the smells you would expect to be coming from the farm grounds of a rodeo. Stopping at the first stand they saw, the duo grabbed a cup of beer, and of course Riley being Riley grabbed a bag of popcorn. "So, who exactly is it that's supposed to be riding tonight anyway?" Maya asked as they headed down the stairs of the bleachers. "Really, I don't know. I mean Elizabeth said he was cute, that's, enough, isn't it?" Riley asked grinning over at her best friend. Shaking her head, Maya couldn't help the laugh that escaped from her lips, "Whatever you say Sweetheart." Maya mumbled as the two of them came to their seats, the girls from the sorority already sat, and screaming with the crowd as a clown ran away from a bucking bull.
Sinking down into the cold steal of the bleachers, Maya glanced up at her friend who had already started cheering at the top of her lungs with the crowd. She never understood how Riley could get so excited over something so little, but then again it was why she loved her, and why she was her best friend. As the announcer came over the intercom, Maya stood to her feet. "Good afternoon ladies and gentle cowboys!" the announcer yelled into the microphone, the crowd roaring in a loud field of screams in return. Glancing around the crowd, the young blonde pointed across the stadium as a young man the same age as them was carefully lowered down onto a bull, "That must be who's riding!" Maya yelled over the screaming of the crowd.
Why did that guy look so familiar? She just couldn't put it together, how in the hell would she ever know a professional bull rider anyway? Suddenly it clicked, no it couldn't be. He would never be that stupid, would he? Glancing over at Riley, she nudged her softly in the side, "Riles." She called out, "Is that who I think it is?" but as Riley turned her head looking over at the familiar stranger, her face dropped. Suddenly it wasn't just Maya that recognized the rider, but so did Riley. Taking a deep breath, Maya let out a soft gasp of realization. "Alright folks, it's time for the main event. Tonight, riding Bertha, we have ourselves a very special treat. 3-time world Broncho champion…. LUCAS FRIAR." And as the name echoed overhead the two girls just stared at their friend as the gates busted open, and out came flying the bull with Lucas hanging on for dear life.
It shouldn't have been humanly possible to hang onto a bull, especially when its sole purpose was to buck you off and practically stomp your face in with its hooves. The longer that he held on, the more panicked Maya felt herself becoming, "I'll be back." She said quickly, before she took off running down the steps of the bleachers. Coming to a stop at the railing, Maya grabbed ahold of the bars and she was sure at that moment, she was holding onto that bar harder than Lucas was holding onto the reign of the bull, well ok maybe not that hard. It was just then, Lucas lost his grasp and went flying off the back of the bull and, flying hitting the ground with a soft thud. His hat skidding across the dirt floor over to her feet, Maya scooped it up quickly as the cowboy quickly moved out of the way of the charging bull. Throwing his hands into the air, Lucas yelled at the crowd as he glanced over at the timer, 8 seconds. How could it only have been 8 seconds? To Maya that 8 seconds felt like an entire life time. Just as he turned around heading back to the gate, she moved quick. Jumping up on the gate she held out his hat, "Hey Ranger Rick, you forgot something!" she called out making him stop in his place. Turning around slowly, it was the first time in 5 years his and Maya's eyes locked. The smile pulling at his lips, made the same grin pull at hers, "It's alright, keep it." He said softly before he headed back toward the gate.
Falling back on the heels of her feet, Maya let out a soft laugh placing the hat on the top of her head, it falling over her eyes, quickly adjusting it. Hearing footsteps coming up behind her, she turned around noticing Riley staring over at her, "What?" she asked softly. Shaking her head, Riley let out a soft laugh, "What just happened?" the brunette asked glancing over as Lucas walked through the gate of the hold, "It's just Huckleberry being a Huckleberry." She said smiling to herself. Grabbing Riley softly by the arm, she pulled her softly back up the steps, "You do know the girls are going to ask you a million questions, right?" Riley asked softly following her best friend closely behind, "Which is exactly why we aren't going back to our seats." Maya said quickly running past the group of girls that had already started to gawk in her direction, "Then where are we going?" Riley asked trying to keep up with her, "Too see Huckleberry, he has some explaining to do."