The Rodeo Boy

The rodeo boy has been playing with a toothpick
For the better part of an hour

He's sitting on the corner
Outside the gas station
Waiting for somebody to show up

Nat shows up, with her hair pulled back
Just interested in picking up some chips
For a Saturday night in
But when she sees the rodeo boy
She walks around the store a couple of times
Before finally going outside
To sit down next to the boy she's known of since second grade
But hasn't talked to, not even once

We couldn't hear what they were talking about
But we saw them nod and move closer together
And rodeo boy even smiled when Nat put her hand on his shoulder

Then the two of them got into Nat's car
And whoever rodeo boy was waiting for
Just got stood up

. . . . .

I should tell you I was only eighteen
But yes, I took him to my aunt's house
Because she goes to bed early
And we sat in her driveway
And we, yeah, we drank
We drank quite a bit
It was my brother's car
And he always had beer in the trunk

My phone was going off like crazy
Because I was only supposed to go for a chip run
And instead I was gone three hours
But I texted my brother to say he was okay
And he texted back saying 'Screw you, my car better be okay'
That's my brother for you

That's why I couldn't bring Sam
Back to my house
My brother would have taken one look at him
And then he would have started throwing punches
Just for the hell of it
Because a boy was in a car
With his little sister

We didn't do anything bad
Aside from drinking when we were both too young
But we did listen to some music
And we did hold hands
And yeah, maybe I snuck a kiss from him
Or maybe a few kisses
This was awhile ago
This was...

I guess it wasn't that long ago

But right after this
When I dropped him back off
At the gas station where I picked him up
The rodeo boy went home
And somebody was waiting for him

Somebody he owed money to, I guess
I don't know, I never could read about it too much

I just know that was it

As far as...regrets

I wish I had asked him more questions
Or sat with him longer
Or kissed him a few more times

I wish it hadn't taken all those years
Just for me to get up the guts
To say hi to him

The next morning
All I had were my regrets
And my heartache
And I owed my brother
For the beer we drank

I wish I had more story for you
But that's it

That's all I got