31 Days of Amelia

Day 5: The Other Romance

Day 5:      That takes place on a farm.

Milldrige Farm is the whole reason why I call Mills “farm boy” every other minute (well, more like what happened there).

Well, last time I did, he smacked me upside the head, but it’s worth it to see my perpetually calm and level headed brother get angry. I mean, honestly, it’s only been a year since we went there, and he’s acting like I murdered his cat (He doesn’t have one, actually. I should say something different. Ah. Like I murdered his girlfriend).

Last summer, when we went to Milldrige, like we do almost every summer, in Baths, Mills was as jumpy as a rabbit during the drive in the cab. I looked at him weird.

“What is it with you?” His left knee, which had been bouncing up and down, stilled.

“Nothing,” he muttered. I raised a brow, but let him be.

The first few days at Milldrige were always (and always will be) about getting settled and visiting the staff, which are extended family. During that time, Mills was jumpy like he had been in the cab. For some reason, our parents didn’t notice, like I thought they would.

“Hey, ‘Melia?”

“What?” We were in the stables, mucking out the horses’ stalls, and my hair kept getting in my face. And it was hot. So, so hot.

“Can you finish up? I’ve got to go.” And then Mills just left, leaving me to finish up.

The next day, he did the same thing, this time as we were feeding the barn cats (these cats, I swear, have some sort of vendetta against me).

And, naturally, being the nosy fifteen year old sister that I was, I just had to follow.

Mills walked down the smaller, winding dirt road that led to the lake, which we were told never to go down unless we had permission.  The farm “next door” had a pair of Houdini like pit bulls that liked to run up the same trail when they got loose, both of which had bitten one of the workers. Luckily, Mills didn’t go down the whole path, but veered off to the left, where the meadows were. He kept walking for a few minutes, and stopped when he reached the trees and small creek.

“Hey, farm boy!” I heard someone call out as I climbed one of the trees. Mills was walking over to a girl leaning against one of the other trees. She had brown hair, pin straight, and was about a few inches shorter than my seventeen year old brother.

“Hey, city girl!” Mills called back. They kissed as a greeting, and I listened as they talked for what seemed like forever (well, it was more like two hours). At one point they started kissing, and I felt my cheeks grow hot as I turned my head away.

Shortly after their… display… the girl got up and left, leaving my brother to walk back to the house. I jumped down from the tree as Mills passed underneath it. He jumped the second I landed behind him.

“Amelia, what the hell are you doing here?” I glared at him.

“First of all, thanks for leaving me with those evil, plotting animals.” Mills sighed, and rocked backwards on his heels.

“Look, ‘Melia-“

“Hey! I’m not done!” I spat at him, before grinning. “So… tell me her name.” Mills shook his head, trying to conceal a smile as he started to walk away. “Hey! Tell me!”

“Well, come on then!” I ran to catch up to Mills, and grabbed his hand.

“So?” Mills sighed again.

“Her name’s Lena, and she’s from Essex-“

“Oh, Essex. I’ve always wanted to go there.”

“-and she’s a few months younger than me.”

“How did you guys meet?” Mills stopped and turned to face me, serious.

“You promise you won’t tell?”

“Yeah, but-“

“No, I mean about me meeting her, all of it.” I scrutinized my brother for a second. His expression was dead serious, and I could understand. He could get into a lot of trouble for sneaking off and neglecting his chores. I nodded.

“I promise.”

“Okay. So. You know those dogs? The pit bulls?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, they we chasing this cat, and it’s tag had the address of the place next to us; the same place where the dogs are from. So I grabbed the cat, and ran over there. Lena was standing there, calling for the cat, and was happy that I found him.”

“Wow, she must have thought you were so brave.” Mills laughed.

“The dogs are her family’s so, she isn’t really scared of them.” I snickered. We were nearing the barn, and I squinted. A few of the cats were sitting outside, and one of them started yowling as soon as he saw me. I swore under my breath.

“See!” I shot at Mills. “They hate me! It’s like they have Kill-Amelia Radar!” Mills rolled his eyes.

“I’ll finish feeding them, and I’ll do it every time after. Deal?” I nodded.

“Deal.”

Now, Mills is eighteen, and I’m sixteen, and (I assume) Lena is eighteen too. I poke him in the shoulder as we ride in the cab, grinning.

“Farm boy.”

“Amelia.”