Starlight

Chapter Four

He leads me to a spot, where there's a hole in the roof that looks like it could fit Peyton. You can see the grass around the top and even a few flowers. Without a warning, Peyton lifts me up, making me scream. "Peyton! Put me down!" I say, struggling to get out of his grasp. "No, there's something else I want to show you. Get out of the cave so I can please." He says, carrying me over to the hole. "Okay, so I get out. What about you?" He just laughs. "I have my ways." He pushes me higher so that my head is above the cave. I put my hands on the soft Texas grass and push, with the help of Peyton, myself out of the hole.

I move out of the way so Peyton can get up too. His hands and halo of dark brown appears a few seconds later, then the rest of him follows. "How'd you get up?" I ask as he sits down by me. "I jumped and grabbed a hold of the sides. I do it all the time, Maylee." He says like it's no big deal.

I look around, and it appears that we're in someone's backyard. "Um, Peyton." I say, informing him of where we are. "I think we're trespassing....we're in someone's back yard." I say, pointing to the back of a house. Peyton just busts up laughing.

"I know you just moved here, but I didn't think you would be that slow. We're in MY backyard, not some creepy strangers." Then it hits me. "When you said you just kinda stumbled upon it...." "I literally stumbled upon it. I was about ten when I found it. I've been coming here ever since. It's my safe place that I go when I need time to myself. You're welcome to go in any time you'd like." He says sincerely.

We sit in silence for a moment, then I hear a horse in the background. Peyton hears it to and he asks, "Do you want to go horseback riding?" He stands up and holds out his hand to help me. I take it and say, "Sure!" We run to his barn and go in the stables. Each door has a name on it. There's Banjo, Buttercup, Elvis, Dolly, Daisy, and Chico.

Peyton walks over to Banjo, the chestnut brown horse with a white stripe on his nose. "Who's my good boy banjo? That's right, you are. You wanna go ridin boy? I thought you did!" He laughs. I laugh too...I've never seen anyone say that to a horse. "Maylee, why don't you go around and see which horse you want to ride." He says, grabbing a brush and begins to brush Banjo.

Doing what he says, I go around and pet each horse. Daisy catches my eye. She's beautiful. Perfectly white with black spots decorating her like sprinkles on a cupcake. When I pet her, she closes her eyes and pushes her nose in my hand like a dog would. I laugh. "Do you want to go for a ride?" I ask the horse. She understands what I ask, and nods her head.

"Wow, I've never seen Daisy do that before, not even with Carter...she's Carter's horse." Peyton says, coming up behind me and handing me a brush. I take it and start brushing Daisy while he grabs the blanket and saddle. "Really?" I ask, surprised that Daisy likes me immediately. "Yeah. Usually she doesn't like anyone. At least anyone she just barely met." He throws the blanket on Daisy and ties on the saddle.

"You ever been riding before?" He asks. "Yeah, but only once with my dad at a fair when I was 6." I say. He smiles. "Well I'll ride with you at first, to show you how to ride, but then I'll ride Banjo and you can follow me up to the place I want to show you." He says, putting some reins on the horse. When he's done, he takes Daisy out of the barn and motions for me to follow.

He stops and look at me. "You ready?" "Yes." I say. I take a hold of the saddle, and try to hoist myself up, but I slip and fall on my butt. "Oof!" I say, standing up again and brushing the dirt off my behind. Peyton laughs. "Let me help you." He picks me up by my waist and sets me on the horse, facing him. I turn so I'm straddling Daisy, and scoot backwards to make room for Peyton. A moment later, he joins me, and takes the reins. "Okay, I'll show you how to steer, stop and go, control speed, and to turn." "Okay." I say, listening to his sweet voice. He laughs.