Because When I look at you; I'm Home

Abandoment

I just stood there with my mouth slightly hanging open in shock. “What in the hell are you two doing here?! I thought I made it vastly clear that after you two ABONDED me I never wanted to see you again!!” I yell at them giving them each a slap in the face and then walking off into the barn and grabbing my bow and arrows before getting on Bella, one of my grey mares; and galloping off onto the dirt road in front of our house to god knows where.

After around 10 minutes of galloping in different directions, I ended up at an old river I used to play in when I was little. I let Bella drink from the river as I wiped the tears from my eyes that I didn’t even notice falling until now. “Why are they here?” I whisper to myself. I then heard a twig snap behind me. I pull one of my arrows out of its sheath and pulled it back on my bow aiming at whatever had followed me.

“WOW! Okay, I know your not exactly happy to see me and Zay right now, but aren’t the arrow’s a bit much?”  Lucas said putting his hands up while riding my black stallion Sage.  I just glared at him turned back to the flowing river. “Why are you so mad at us? I left because none of the other schools would let me in. After all, they knew what happened. Zay left because he wanted to be with his best friend.”

I just glared at him  pulled my arrow back again and released it, sending it straight past his head. “Next time you talk to me or touch one of my horses that arrow will be through your skull.” I said walking Bella over to the tree that my arrow landed in. I then kicked Bella up to a gallop and went somewhere else into the forest. After a while, I brought Bella down to a canter and rode her through a meadow with lavender and other wild flowers in it.

I ended up staying their for a few hours getting off of Bella and sitting down holding her lead rope letting her graze while I thought about Lucas and Zay, a couple tears falling in the process. I eventually looked up at the sky and it was about noon. I got back on Bella and kicked her up to gallop once again and headed home. Around 20 minues later I got home and a few of the people I didn’t know were still outside, specifically teenagers my age.

“Y/n, look we di-” Zay started but I cut him off with an arrow past his head and into the tree behind him. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Lucas. If you even think about talking  to me again or touch my horses, that arrow will be in your skull, Got it?” I said, walking over to the tree the arrow landed in and pulling it out. “What the hell is your problem they didn’t do anything wrong!” a blonde girl yelled at me.

I stopped Bella in front of her and just stared at her while I spoke. “My best friends abandend me and you expect to just forgive them, for leaving me, not a single text, phone call, or even a letter like they promised? You expect me to forgive them for breaking me?” I said, bringing Bella back up to a walk and walking towards the barn. “When your best friends leave you and come back a year later acting as if nothing happened, that is when I’ll forgive them.”

I said before hanging up my bow and arrows going up into the loft. I then grabbed my watercolors, sketchbook, and pencil before sitting on the couch. I then pictured Sundancer in my mind sketching his proportions out before grabbing my watercolors and adding detail to the drawing. After I was done with my watercolors I heard voices from the main part of the barn.

‘Great dad’s introducing them to the horses.’ I thought to myself, grabbing my now dry painting and walking down the stairs. “Hey kiddo, These-” “I don’t care.” I said walking over to the corkboard and taking a thumbtack from it. I then walked into Sundancer’s stall and hung the painting up on the wall. Sundancer walked out of his stall and trotted into the arena.

I grabbed his admiral blue halter and lead, jogging in after him only to see him cantering towards a nine-foot-tall six-foot-wide jump, overjumping it by about two feet. “Dad!” I call out to my father. “Yea?” he replied. “Who picked Sundancer out for me?” I ask walking over to him, making sure to keep an eye on Sundancer as he was still jumping.

“I did?” “What was he trained in?” I ask walking a few steps closer to him and the group of people he was leading around the property. “Barrels, poles, team roping, and bareback riding, why?” He responded. “Well, obviously they trained him in the wrong thing. Come look at this.” I said waving him over while walking back over into the arena. “It’s like he set a course in his head, he just keeps jumping and jumping.” I say leaning my side onto the door to the arena.

After a few minutes of watching him jump, I walked away and into the tack room, coming back out with my saddle, half-back pad, an admiral blue saddle pad, matching jumping boots, and helmet, along with a few different bridles to see which would fit him best. “What are you doing?” I heard a small high pitched voice as I walked back into the arena. “Oh, don’t talk to her Auggie, she’s not very happy to see us.” a tall Burnette said, assuming to be his older sister.

“No, I’m just not happy to see Zay and Lucas, and you guys. He did nothing wrong, so therefore I’m not mad at him. And I’m going to teach the horse that's jumping right now how to jump with a rider on him.” I said, aiming the last part at the small boy. “Can I help?” he asked, running over to me, grabbing my hand after I put my tack pieces down.

“Sorry, bud. I don’t know this horse well enough yet and I don’t want you to get hurt.”  I tell him walking him back to his mom. “Do you realize we’re here for the year?” an older-looking boy with a black beanie, black t-shirt, and black jeans with a chain hanging off of his jeans said looking at me dead in the eyes. I rolled my eyes and ignored him.

I then grabbed one of the bridles I thought would fit Sundancer and walked in front of a smaller jump, crossing my arms over my chest and hoping he wouldn’t charge at me. That hope faded very quickly when he did start charging at me, but I held my ground, I’m in charge, not him. “Y/N WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?” Lucas shouted at me, starting to run over to me until Sundancer pulled a reining stop right in front of me after he realized I wasn’t backing down.

I ignored Lucas and put the bridle on Sundancer, it fit him perfectly. I then walked straight past Lucas not even giving him a glance. I walked him over to the side of the arena where I put my tack and grooming supplies, tying him up so I could tack him up without him running off or hurting someone. I started to groom him and after about 10 minutes I finished grooming and tacking up.

I quickly grabbed my helmet and put it on, untying Sundancer’s reins and flipping them over his head, making sure that the reins weren't twisted before putting my left foot into the stirrup and mounting him. I collected my reins and fixed my posture and leg position before kicking him up to a march. (A FAST-PACED WALK) I went around the arena two laps each way before picking up a trot.

“I’m gonna go inside and start on dinner, you know the drill? ” My dad asked me, his inner coach kicked in. “Yes sir. Canter him over a couple of cross-bars to get a feel for him and warm up. Then go over some small verticals at a trot, then canter them and then dismount and set the jump up one hole higher each time and canter it three times each way before setting the jump up again. I know the drill.”

I say popping over some crossbar bounces. “Good boy.” I whisper to Sundancer. “I was thinking you could have Lucas and Zay help with setting up the jumps, if their okay with it of course.” My dad replied. I looked at through the corner of my eye, sighing. “Fine.” I told him as Lucas and Zay were already walking into the middle of the arena to help me with the jumps.

After I jump the cross bars 3 times each way the boys as they raise the crossbars to 18” verticals. I could tell they wanted to say something to me several times, but didn’t. After a few hourse of jumping, adjusting jumps, and the only sound being Sundancers hoof beats and my encorgenments, we found that he could jump eight-foot-tall, five-foot-wide oxers.