Laurey

"Laurey, come on!" Ado Annie waved, as Laurey ran to her friend's wagon.

"I'm here" she panted, hopping into the wagon. "I'm here, let's get goin'!"

Ado Annie beamed at her and clicked her tongue at her horse, Ginger, and they headed to Claremore.

"So, I'm thinkin' about what kinda dress I want. Want it real tight 'round the waist. And maybe blue; I look awful good in blue. Are you, uh, gonna wear your church dress?"

"Yeah, don't have much use for dresses."

"Can always borrow one of mine."

"Thank you. Your dresses are awful nice, but I reckon they'd be a bit too full in the bust." It wasn't the only reason, but it was more flattering to her friend than I'm too prideful to wear a dress I couldn't buy myself.

They passed the train station, and Laurey felt a pang, remembering how she used to take any excuse to go there just so she could read the schedule, imagine what life was like at every stop, asking every disembarking passenger what their trip was like. The very idea seemed strange to her now, the simple trip to Claremore had her rattled—she couldn't imagine ever wanting to go anywhere farther.

Brushing the thought aside, she turned to Ado Annie. "Who're you goin' to the social with? Will Parker gonna be back in time?"

"I dunno; I think so."

"Don't you wanna go with him?"

"I guess. But sometimes I like goin' to parties on my own more. You get to socialize that way, ain't stuck with one feller."

Laurey wasn't sure she agreed with her friend's attitude, but she couldn't deny its logic. "It is called a social, I guess."

"Yeah, and I can see Will any old time. You're takin' Jud, ain't you?"

Laurey smiled to herself—seemed like the first time she'd heard someone say his name without a trace of a sneer in their voice. "'Course."

"You let him kiss you yet?"

Laurey's smile broadened; she was heartened by her friend's excitement, and the fact that she finally got to share what happened between them.

"Uh-huh. The other day in the barn. I got sorta scared bein' out at night, but he comforted me, and then we started kissin'…"

"And? You gotta tell me about it!"

"I never felt like that before, it was…I dunno, he used his tongue a lot."

"In a nice way? Or like he was tryin' to suck off your face?"

"No, it was nicer'n anything"

"That's good. Ugh, wouldn't it be awful if someone rescued you like that, but they were old or ugly, or kissed badly or somethin'?"

"I guess" Laurey laughed "'f he kissed as badly as Jace Hutchins, I'd rather take my chances with the Indians" she laughed louder, a hysterical tinge to her voice. "First time I've joked about it."

"That's good. 'M glad you can do that."

"You like Jud, don't you? And not just 'cause he rescued me?"

"Don't know him that well, but" Laurey could tell her friend was choosing her words carefully, "I sure ain't gonna dislike a man for rescuin' my friend and bein' hardworkin' around the farm. I uh, I used to think he was sorta unfriendly, but now I reckon he's just shy. Some men are like that, just need a woman to teach 'em how to act. It's awful romantic, like he's a wild animal and you gotta tame him."

"'M glad. 'Cause I like him somethin' awful, but Curly and Aunt Eller—"

"Oh, please" Ado Annie scoffed. "Curly's just jealous, so what's he supposed to say? It'd be right insultin' if he just let Jud have you. And Aunt Eller acts like she's sweet on Curly herself. Probably reminds her of some feller she used to go with, wants you to have what she didn't."

"Yeah, yeah, that's probably it."

Ado Annie shrugged. "I like to think I'm good at readin' people. Oh, we're here!"

They rode into Claremore, and Laurey found herself instinctively moving closer toward her friend as they walked through the crowd—half a dozen people on their side of the street. A man glanced her way, and she immediately tensed up.

"You all right?"

"Yeah, just…a lot of strange men around. Ain't used to it."

"I know, ain't it thrillin'? Oh, no, right, sorry. Well, I'll be quick as I can, and you just stay by me. Won't let any men near you, okay?"

Laurey nodded, and Ado Annie guided her to the store she wanted. "Here's where they got the nicest things, so I'll probably find somethin'"

They stepped inside, and Laurey was overwhelmed by all the fabrics and buttons.

"Hi" Ado Annie drawled to the skinny, eager shopkeeper. "I'm lookin' for somethin' blue. It's for a dress I'm making'."

"For the box social?"

"Yeah, you goin' too?" She leaned over the counter.

"Wouldn't miss it."

"Probably see you there"

"I hope so" he pulled out a bolt of dark blue fabric. "Just got this in on Wednesday."

"Hmm, got anythin' lighter? Since it's at night, I kinda wanna stand out."

"Girl like you'd stand out no matter what."

She giggled as he fetched another fabric. Laurey tried to block out their words as she looked over the array of buttons. She wondered how Ado Annie could be so stupid, encouraging a man like that. He could corner her at the social, or even corner her right there in the shop. There was no telling what a strange man could do.

She turned her attention to the row of fabric, idly wondering what Jud would like. She'd never worried about her appearance with Curly, knew he liked her just fine in a pair of jeans. But Jud had been more places, seen more women, maybe had preferences when it came to things like that.

She took a deep breath, reminding herself that he had kissed her, had asked her to the social, so that probably meant he liked her. Still, she needed more reassurance.

The instant she and Ado Annie got back to the wagon, Laurey asked whether she thought Jud would mind if she just wore her church dress.

"'Course not."

"You don't think it's too plain? The fabrics in the store were all so pretty and it's just…there's gonna be lots of girls there, and—"

Ado Annie laughed. "Laurey, you do know he's in love with you, right? I've seen how he looks at you. It's like the rest of the world don't exist for him. So, no, he ain't gonna get distracted by someone else."

"I hope so. And I think he likes me too, but a person can't always trust their own judgment on somethin' like that."

"I know what I'm talkin' about. 'Specially when it comes to boys.

Laurey nodded. She wanted Ado Annie to be right, but knew that sometimes she could be a little optimistic when it came to boys' intentions.