Gypsy Girl and Horse Lovin' Boys Read Online Free Page A

favorite thing to write. My heart did a back flip when I discovered the text was from Noah.
    Noah: U in trouble?
    Me: A little
    Noah: Sorry
    Me: Not ur fault. Left Cesspot behind.
    Noah: Autocorrect?’
    Me: No. My phone doesn’t have that. Sister Cessie-Cesspool-Cesspot. All the same.
    Noah: Hahaha!
    I clutched my phone tight waiting for more texts. Usually if a boy was interested in me it was after they saw me perform. Then they flirted beyond reason mistaking gypsy for something less flattering. I had never texted a boy that was genuinely nice and interested in the real me before.
    Noah: Can you come at 8?
    I usually didn’t wake up that early on performance days. Fair nightlife always lasted so late that it was impossible to sleep before midnight and we usually slept in until ten. However, if I could spend some time with Noah without all his friends around, and if he could help me with my fear of horses, I would do it, and drag Cessie along if I had to. The honest truth was she’d probably be dragging me there instead.
    Me: Yes. But ur friends won’t be there right? 2 scared and embarrassed.
    I didn’t want to make it sound like I didn’t like them or that I secretly really wanted him to myself. Both points were true, though. I take that back. I liked Josh.
    Noah: No friends.
    Me: Thank u.
    Noah: Can’t wait.
    I stared at the last text a long time and kept it lit up on the screen until he sent his next one. He asked me questions about where I lived and wanted to know about my dad. There wasn’t much to tell. My parents spilt after Cessie was born and he took a job in Alaska so I rarely saw him. I learned Noah was the middle child of five boys. He was staying at the RV park near the fair, camping in a tent with Josh while the girls stayed in a camper with their club leader.
    Noah: What are you doing now?
    Me: On the roof watching the lights from the rides
    Noah: I would love to see that with you sometime
    I hugged my phone against my chest with my mind whirling with possibilities. What would it be like to have Noah leaning against the turret right next to me? I never had a chance to find out what riding next to him was like. I needed to tell him I was only going to be able to ride kiddie rides with Cessie the next night. I didn’t want to scare him off yet.
    Noah: Goodnight, Gypsy Girl
    Me: Goodnight, Cowboy
    I smiled as I squinted at the carnival rides to blur the lights from the giant Ferris wheel into swirling rainbows. The far away screams and the rock concert at the stadium on the other side of the fairgrounds filled my ears. Fried food wafted in the air. A mix of funnel cake, barbeque, and Pronto pups. It was just like any other week at the fair, except this time there was a boy who might possibly like me.

5
    Saturday
    The alarm on my phone went off and it took me a minute to figure out why I was waking up so early. I sat straight up when I remembered and shook Cessie’s shoulder.
    “Wake up. We get to go see Noah and Ezra this morning.”
    “Hmm? Who’s Ezra?”
    “His horse, stupid.”
    Cessie sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “Oh yeah.”
    “Don’t put on your gypsy stuff yet.”
    We threw on our jeans and t-shirts. I jammed my feet in my boots. I’d tie them later. I grabbed a couple of muffins and clomped as fast as I could with Cessie trying to catch-up over to the horse barn. I stopped once I could see other teens leading their horses out of the barn and some were bringing in hay. I handed Cessie my muffin wrapper so I could tie my boots as panic tightened my throat. My heart began to race. Even far away, the horses were so big and tall.
    “I’ve been waiting for you,” Noah said behind us.
    He startled me and I nearly fell over. He caught my arm before I did. A thrill jolted through my body when he touched me. When he helped me up, I drew in a long slow breath to stop my cheeks from burning. It was no use. I couldn’t put the fire out that way.
    “I didn’t mean to scare