Rural

Chapter 3: I Did Not Miss This Evil Horse. Nope. Not At All.

Chapter 3: I Did Not Miss This Evil Horse. Nope. Not At All.

       As appreciative as I was that the Birch family was allowing me, Mom, and Dorothy to stay with them, it was very hard for me to sleep in. They were all early risers since they had work to do on the farm and even though Sawyer tried his best not to make much noise in the morning while he was getting ready for the day, it didn't take long for me to wake up because of all the noise outside.

       All I wanted in my life was to sleep in on weekends after having to wake up early every weekday for school.

       When I did wake up on Saturday because of everything going on outside, I laid on the mattress for a bit longer before getting up and walking to the window. I'd be lying if I said I didn't go to the window to check out Sawyer.

       And unfortunately, I couldn't. Right as I looked out the window, I saw him walk into the barn. So much for being happy the room had a clear view of the front yard.

       Even though my morning was officially ruined, I got changed before heading down the stairs to get something to eat. I could already smell bacon and eggs sizzling on the stove, causing my already hungry stomach to growl.

       Trey was the one cooking breakfast with the help of Mom while Dorothy sat at the table, waiting patiently for her meal. A few dirty dishes already piled in the sink so the rest of the Birch family probably already got their serving before heading outside to get started on work.

       "Good morning, Jamie," Trey said when he saw me. "Eggs and bacon?"

       "Yes, please," I said, sitting down at the table beside Dorothy.

       Trey got a plate ready for Dorothy before getting a plate ready for me, setting them down in front of us. I reached for the ketchup and squirted some on the scrambled eggs before I began eating the breakfast.

       Dorothy scrunched her nose up in disgust. "That's gross. Ketchup is gross."

       I shrugged as I continued eating. Dorothy could be a really pick eater at times so I never paid attention to the comments she made towards the food I chose to eat.

       "I've been meaning to ask you how school has been going, Jamie," Mom said.

       "It's okay," I said. "Same old, same old. Boring classes, interesting friends, someone looking like she wants to kill me every time she sees me..."

       Mom furrowed her eyebrows. "Wait... What?"

       "Nothing," I said. "There's just this girl who immediately decided she hates me. It's fine. More amusing than anything. I don't care what she thinks about me."

       "Well, what's her name?" Mom asked. "And why did she decide she hates you?"

       "Her name's Kitty," I said.

       Upon hearing the name of my rival, Trey dropped the wooden spatula onto the pan with the scrambled eggs on it. He quickly picked it up, mumbling his apology for his clumsiness. Sawyer and Kitty's break up must have been really bad for Trey to react like this.

       Mom didn't realize Trey's fumble was due to hearing Kitty's name but she still asked me, "Who's Kitty?"

       "Sawyer's ex-girlfriend," I said. "My friend, Lulu, told me the way Kitty dumped Sawyer was very cruel. She didn't tell me why because it's Sawyer's place to tell, not hers."

       "Cruel is putting it very lightly," Trey said. "We all loved her. Thought she was the sweetest girl ever. But then the way she dumped Sawyer nearly cost--" He cut himself off with a heavy sigh. "Needless to say, she's not welcome anywhere near the family." Trey looked over at me. "Kitty is a cruel individual. It's best to stay away from her otherwise she will try to ruin your life. Her parents aren't afraid to abuse their power to favour their daughter."