"Where ya from?"

"Clockton."

"Oh hey, I live a town over from ya." Izzy said, redder than Dolli Mae's favorite shirt as she played with her dress's hem.

Okay, so maaaayyyyybe she'd lied about being lost so she could ride the tractor tram back with Ben to Dollface. And then take a quick walk, stalling for more time to talk to him. He was so cute though, who could blame her?

"I didn't think I'd be meetin' th'chicken girl today." Ben said. Was it a flirt, or just stating the obvious to be nice? The State Fair did announce the winners of every category, so it wasn't wrong to assume so.

"Well, I didn't think I would be meetin' a champion cow groomer!" She responded with an unabashed smile as she was forced to step off the tram and begin the short walk back to the Pork Place.

Man, so soon?

Dollface was outside the Pork Place waiting, grinning with a victor's glee, ketchup smeared across her face. She waved, bouncing in place.

"There ya are! I had t'give up our seats!" Dollface bounced as she handed Izzy the hotdog. Ben calmly trailed behind Izzy, "Managed t'snag this when I got tossed out. Do ya mind if I go t'th'Beef Place? I lost m'burger."

Izzy could see Missy, still watching like a hook-nosed hawk, ready to swoop in with a signature move and ruin Izzy's already slim chances while Dollface babbled on. She snickered, seeing that Missy and her friends were covered in ketchup while Izzy was spotless.

Maybe it's good to be a coward.

Cowards get clean clothes and a cute guy who owned cattle.

"Hey, haven't seen y'all 'round 'ere b'fore."

"I come every year." Ben said, not really noticing enough to care. "'Sides, Missy, yer parents do our taxes so it's not like I'm a stranger."

"So other than goin' t'state fairs, what else do ya do?" Missy blinked, saccharine smile trying not to falter. Her best buds crowded around Ben, the new man of the hour, and asked questions. Missy pulled at her dress, what was left of Dollface's burger clearly ground into it. She narrowed her eyes at Dollface from over Ben's shoulder.

Dollface gave her a Norman Bates grin, licking the ketchup smear off the corner of her mouth.

Missy recoiled, clearly disgusted, but asked again, "So, whatcha doin' here?"

"Grooming cattle." Izzy sputtered out.

"What?" Missy asked, attention once again on Izzy. Realizing that she just couldn't sway Ben to her whims, she grinned widely, "Oh yeah! Makes sense! Crazy cow kid and her groomer!"

Ben's hand shot out and grabbed the back of Missy's ill-fitting dress. She squeaked, not used to more than an annoyed glance or in some cases mild interest.

"You shouldn't have done that." He narrowed his blue eyes, then roughly pushed her away like he would livestock.

Not used to a physical reaction, she scampered back to her little swarm of friends, then shouted, "He grabbed me!"

"Only cause y'all're bein' a brat!" Ben retorted.

"Yeah Missy, he barely touched ya." Izzy said.

"'Sides ya kinda deserve it. Yer rude." Dollface finished. "Maybe you'd have actual friends if ya didn't pull this shit. Or gossip behind their backs all th'damn time."

Missy hissed and recoiled. Seeing she'd lost the battle and been dethroned amongst her friends again, she sauntered away without a word, ever-present posse not grouping around her as tightly as they usually would.

"Anywho, I'm gonna go back t'Bossy. Show starts soon." Ben turned in his barn boots to leave.

"Bye Ben!" Izzy said, feeling a little like she was being too loud again. He looked over his shoulder and waved a teeny bit, and smiled. Izzy mirrored it and waved back. The smile didn't leave until long afterwards.

In fact, she fell asleep after a long shower with it playing as genuinely as a diamond on her lips thinking, 'he smells like cows.'

She even ate her entire hotdog for lunch that day, feeling like her heart had melted into her shoes just a teeny, tiny bit.