Moonlit Mayhem [COMPLETED]

Chapter 11: Becky

Becky was sore. Actually, sore wasn't the right word. More like in agony. Yes, agony. Every muscle in her body ached, especially her head, which had finally stopped bleeding after a couple of stitches. Her head hurt elsewhere too, but that was mainly because she was concussed. Nothing like having to wear stupid-looking sunglasses at all times of the day!

Jennifer held in her boiling anger until she pulled the car into the driveway. As soon as Becky stepped out of the car, she was surrounded by Jennifer and her papa.

"Horses are dangerous," Jennifer stated without apparent love in her tone. "You're going to get killed by them, or paralyzed or something much worse!" she sounded more accusing rather than understanding or worried.

"You act like you actually care," Becky snapped.

"Sweetheart, horses are big animals, what happened today was just a prime example of what could happen," Papa said. "I'm worried about you. I don't want you getting hurt."

"I haven't gotten seriously injured," Becky argued.

"Yet." was the clipped response that left no room for negotiation. "You will quit the job, are we understood?" Becky had never heard her papa sound so sure about anything in his life. "I don't want you to get hurt and you clearly are a danger to yourself when you're at that barn. This ends now, are we clear?"

"I can't," Becky said quietly.

"What do you mean you can't?" Jennifer practically shouted.

"I won't quit," she said more forcefully this time.

"Your father has told you to do something and you will do as he says!" Jennifer shrieked.

"No, I won't!"

"Why are you fighting?" Charlotte asked quietly, pulling on Becky's shirt. "It's really loud."

"Charlotte, go to your room!" Jennifer ordered. "This doesn't concern you!"

"You said Beck had to quit," she pouted. "I like it at the barn. I don't want Beck to quit."

"Go upstairs!" Jennifer's voice echoed off the walls.

Charlotte, terrified, ran up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door. If it hadn't been for Jennifer's current hatred for Becky, Charlotte would have been in deep trouble. Unfortunately for Becky, Jennifer wasn't quite finished yet.

"Your father told you to do something so you do it!" Jennifer yelled again, picking up right where she had left off. "No refusals allowed. I won't stand for it!"

"Then sit your ass down!" Becky yelled back, feeling hot tears in her eyes. "I don't need to put up with this!"

With that, she stormed up the stairs just as Charlotte had done and slammed her door, making sure to push her white sofa in front of it so that no one could get inside. No one besides Charlotte, but that was because of the small tunnel that had been built in between their rooms back when Charlotte was only three. They used it sparingly now, simply because Jennifer had never been told about the existence of the tunnel and they weren't keen to have her find it anytime soon.

Already knowing what to do, Charlotte had heard as soon as Beck had entered her room and locked the door because she knocked on the door of the tunnel, hidden behind Becky's bedside table. Becky pushed the table aside and helped Charlotte climb to her feet. Unfortunately for Charlotte, there was no way to block her door, so they often chose Becky's room as their meeting place when they were in trouble with Jennifer.

"I don't want you to quit the barn," Charlotte said when she got to her feet. "I like it there."

"I do too," Becky said, surprising herself by how much she meant the words. "Don't worry; we'll think of something."

"You could get lottery tickets and buy yourself your own barn!" Charlotte suggested excitedly.

Becky ruffled her hair. "That's not how it works Char, but thanks."

"What about if you became the best rider ever?" Charlotte seemed even more set on this idea. "Like, even better than you already are now?"

"That...might actually work," Becky admitted. "But how would papa and Jenn see that?"

"The big end-of-season show!" Charlotte declared. "You win first place! That'll convince them for sure!"

"But they don't even want me going back right now Char," Becky said, suddenly feeling defeated. "How could I even practice for it without a barn?"

"You make a com-pro-mise," Charlotte said, breaking the word into syllables. "We learned about it at camp. It's when you both agree on something! You tell them that you'll stop working at the barn if you lose, but if you win you get to stay!"

"Char you're a genius!" Becky declared, hugging the girl tightly and spinning her around.

She set the girl on the ground as she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Without having to be told, Charlotte opened the small door to the tunnel and crawled back to her room, shutting the small door on her side when she was through. Satisfied that the girl was safe, Becky closed her side of the tunnel and pushed the table back into place just as someone rattled the handle of her door and pounded on it when they couldn't get inside. Only Jennifer would pound her door like that; papa would just ask to be let in.

"One second!" Becky called, her anger subsiding and being replaced with determination. She shoved the sofa out of the way and opened the door, face to face with a still red-faced Jennifer. "I have a proposition," Becky announced, not waiting for Jennifer to speak.

"What?" Jennifer snapped, shoving her way into the room.

"I'll compete at the end-of-season show. If I get first place, I can continue working and riding at the barn and if I don't, I quit" Becky bargained.

"Since you're a horrible rider, that isn't fair for you, but I'll allow it," Jennifer said grinning, probably positive that Becky was going to lose because of the shown riding skills earlier that day.

"Deal."