Moonlit Mayhem [COMPLETED]

Chapter 1: Emie

Ring! Ring! Ring!

The home phone in the tack room rang, repeatedly. At the first few rings, Emie just ignored it and continued walking another younger student through cleaning an English saddle. After the seventeenth ring, she got up from the bench, quickly heading over to where the phone was, out of the corner of their eye noticing Becky was also headed to the phone. Becky had that determined expression that she always had, which meant that there was only one way this would end: in an argument.

"I am getting the phone, leave," Becky said, narrowing her blue-green eyes, trying to look threatening. If Emie was honest, she failed miserably.

"I don't see why I can't pick up the phone for once," Emie argued. "You always do it." Emie knew that she sounded like a brat, but what did they care? Becky was just a spoiled little rich girl anyway.

"Get it next time," Becky said carelessly, practically running to the phone. Emie quickly followed her, tripping over saddle soap that was laying hazardously on the ground. They quickly grabbed onto the saddle that she and their student had been cleaning to get back up. Thankfully, the saddle rack held, and Emie scrambled to her feet. Right before Becky could pick the phone off the wall they body rammed her, sending Becky back a few steps. Becky's foot upturned a bucket of warm water, spilling it all over her brand new Ariats. Emie picked up the phone answering breathlessly.

"Hello?" She tried her hardest to seem calm and professional. Kayleigh had always been telling them that she sounded nervous over the phone.

"Are you from Moonlit Pastures?" the person on the other side of the phone asked, sounding very robotic. Almost uptight if Emie didn't know any better.

"Yes?" They answered, wondering why she was being called from an unknown number that seemed to know her location.

"Do you have any connection with Kayleigh Cooper?" The person asked.

Emie took several steps away from Becky, who was now on her tiptoes, trying to hear the entire conversation. Emie continued to walk backward until she felt a sharp throbbing on her head, they spun around quickly to find that the door frame had hit them in the back of the head. Spinning around had an amusing effect on the phone cord. It shot back like a spring, right into Becky's hands.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Becky asked in a sugary sweet voice.

She sounded like the perfect southern lady, though Emie knew that she was far from it. Emie walked back over to her and listened in on the conversation. Due to their height, Beky wasn't able to do anything to stop her.

"Do you have any connection with Kayleigh Cooper?" The person on the phone asked, starting to sound annoyed.

"Well, I do know her quite well," she said politely.

"She is asking for Becky and Emie, from Moonlit Pastures, while she is in the hospital and currently asking for you."

"I'm sorry, why is she in the hospital?" Becky asked, sounding just the slightest bit panicked, at the thought of her trainer possibly injured.

"If she's in the hospital, we should get over there and not stay chatting around!" Emie hissed, yanking the phone out of Becky's hands.

"I'm sorry for my friend's idiocy. I will be there shortly," Emie said swiftly, hanging up the phone.

"And you call me an idiot!" Becky said indignantly. "You forgot to ask where Kayleigh was!" Quickly, she snatched the phone from Emie's hands and redialled the number.

"Willow Side hospital, how can we help you?" The person on the phone asked dryly.

"There, got it!" Becky proclaimed proudly slamming the phone back into the cradle to end the call.

"Whose car are we taking?" Emie asked.

"You take your car, I take mine!" Becky snapped, hedging towards the parking lot.

"Doing that we are releasing twice as many emissions into the air," Emie said flatly.

"Okay climate change nerd," Becky scoffed. "But we are taking my car and if you even breathe in the direction of my radio, I am pulling over and kicking you out of my car." Becky threatened.

She opened the driver's side door of her brand new red BMW. After a moment of hesitation, Emie realized that if they did not get in quickly, Becky would leave without her. She climbed in the passenger side and marveled at the tan leather interior, embossed with lights and wood paneling. While wood in cars always seemed weird to Emie, it seemed to suit this particular car. As Becky pulled out of the dusty dirt parking lot, Emie felt the wind rip deliciously through her golden-brown hair. They had never been in a convertible before, and now kind of understand why everyone loved them so much. It was freeing, almost. Wind in your hair, smells floating through the breeze.

The first ten minutes of the car ride were silent, Emie grimacing every time a pop song came on. After another Olivia Rodrigo song came on, in the span of ten minutes, Emie had enough. They reached over and switched the station to country, smiling contently as Luke Combs came blasting through the brand new speakers. Becky quickly scowled, switching the radio back to her precious Olivia Rodrigo. Emie scowled, turning the dial back to where they guessed the country station was, only to get to static. Becky shoved her hand away, pressing the third preset button, which immediately started playing some god-awful rap.

A sharp turn neared quickly, and Becky placed both hands back on the steering wheel. Emie used this as their chance to turn it back to country. Out of the corner of their eye, Emie could see Becky, adjusting her hands on the steering wheel. Becky swerved, going onto the other side of the road trying to rid Emie's hand from the radio. Car lights neared them quickly, and Emie screamed. At the last minute, Becky swerved back over onto her side of the road.

"And let that be a lesson to you!" Becky snapped. "Never touch my radio again! Just feel lucky that I haven't kicked you out!"

The last five minutes of the drive was spent by Becky blaring and singing to the awful pop and rap music, while Emie tried to catch her breath from their newest near-death experience. Once the car parked, the two of them got out of the car, Becky having a crazy smirk, while Emie kicked a pebble all the way to the front door trying to avoid even thinking what could have happened if Becky hadn't swerved over in time. They went up to the front desk, and Becky's smirk vanished. It was instantly replaced with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Good afternoon," she said politely. "We are looking for Kayleigh Cooper,"

"Room three-hundred five," The receptionist said after typing on their keyboard for a moment.

"Thank you," Emie said softly, heading to the stairs with Becky close on her tail.

After three flights of stairs, Emie reached the level that held all the three-hundreds. Slightly panting, they looked behind themself, to find the staircase empty. Shrugging, Emie headed to room three-hundred five. Emie swiftly pushed open the door to find Kayleigh cheerfully chatting with Becky, who was sitting on a hospital chair.

"What took you so long? The elevator was literally three feet away from the stairs," Becky said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, you could have been a nice person and informed me of that!" Emie said, still out of breath.

"You two, need to sort out your differences, you can't hate each other forever," Kayleigh said from her hospital bed. His left leg is being held up from something hanging from the ceiling. "Anyway, I got someone to call you because I need to ask you two a huge favor." There was a moment of silence while Kayleigh gathered her thoughts. "While I clearly can't look after the horses and students possibly for the entire summer, can you look after them for me?"

Welcome to the first chapter of Moonlit Mayhem! This is a story that I wrote along with Imagining_My_Life and I must say that I really enjoyed the process of working with such a passionate writer. Maybe I'll do this again! I hope that you guys are enjoying this so far, even if we're only one chapter in. Most chapters will have headings such as this one to show you all of our characters and horsey friends. Thank you to all who are reading this, and I would highly recommend that you follow Imagining_My_Life if you like this style of story. 

~Alley