Summer '09 [Niall Horan fanfiction]

Chapter Two

Hello! Here's Chapter Two, obviously. Please feel free to ask any question, I'll answer them as best I can. Thanks and Merry Christmas! :)

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CHAPTER TWO

And then, finally, a few days into camp, my chance came. We exited the chapel we went to every morning and headed towards the stables, all decked out in our jeans and riding boots. Niall was wearing the straw hat again, laughing at something another boy was saying to him as they entered the barn ahead of us girls. My eyes followed him as I entered as well, even though I kept talking to my friend Jenna. I was skilled that way.

We had had a riding lesson the previous day and had been promised a long ride today, and so there was a general air of excitement in the barn. We hadn’t been able to get out much on the paths yet, which was loads more fun than just learning in the pasture and corrals. Our counselors gave us a talk on safety and handling horses, which most of us, as veterans, ignored, and then told us to line up for horse distribution.

There was the usual hubbub as we fought for places, and I found myself sandwiched between Michelle and Niall, who gave me a wide smile. “Hey, Catherine,” he said, his Irish accent making my name ten times better. “How’ve you been?”

“Good.” I smiled back at him, wishing I wasn’t so awkward with boys. “How about you?” I winced; we sounded like we hadn’t seen each other in two years, not five minutes. Then again, it wasn’t like he had noticed me – but he had remembered my name. That was a plus.

“I’m fine.” There was a dreadful lull, and then he turned to talk to Cole, who was standing in front of us with a smirk. They began one of those conversations that didn’t make any sense to the female race but made them laugh like hyenas, and I looked despondently over at Michelle, who was rolling her eyes. It was easy for her; she had a boyfriend at home.

I was trying not to check him out, but I couldn’t help it. He was wearing dark jeans tucked into his cowboy boots, a blue t-shirt with something written on it that I didn’t understand, and of course, the straw hat. He kept raising a hand as if to run it through his hair before remembering he had the hat on his head and couldn’t. I thought the hat was adorable, the way it was tilted at a rakish angle so that his eyes were still obvious and his blonde hair curled out underneath it…

“And Niall!” Kirsty was choosing horses for us, her Scottish accent mingling with the chatter in the barn as she yelled orders. She never did anything quietly. “Who should we choose for you?” Tapping a finger against her mouth, she scanned the stalls. “Do you have a preference from the ones you’ve tried the past few days?”

“I like Dandy Man.” Niall stepped up to the stall of a large white and brown spotted horse, patting him on the nose. “He’s just dandy.”

“Very funny.” Kirsty rolled her eyes. “All right, you can take Dandy, but be careful with him – he’s one of my favorites.” She gestured for him to open the stall door and lead the horse out of the barn, where José and Erin were waiting to help us suit up if needed. A boy named Carl grabbed a saddle blanket and bit and followed Niall out.

“Catherine!” A large grin. “What can I get for you today?”

“I’m thinking Rip,” I answered with a smile, giving her a high-five. “Can I?”

“Sure thing!”

Everything with an exclamation point; that was Kirsty. Smiling, I headed to Rip’s stall, patting his damp nose before unlatching the door and grabbing his reins. He was beautiful: a deep chestnut brown with a white face and forehead, and I had ridden him for a couple years now. I led him out of the stalls, glancing around for a counselor to hold my horse while I grabbed my saddle.