Deception

nineteen*

// fun is good //

Random cars pass by as I stand with my two feet planted on the ground. The sun is shining directly onto my face, making me soaking it all in. A really hot sun is rare so when it happens, I make sure to appreciate it.

I hold my phone in one hand, while the other is empty. Crossing my arms, I stand there awkwardly beside the street. The place is not deserted, but it is still quiet and only a few people walk by.

"Hey!" I hear the voice that has become familiar to me over the course of only a few days. I turn into the direction that Brian is coming from and smile. "Come on!" Without any greeting, his fingers intertwine with mine and he pulls me towards the barn.

The smell of hay and animal poop fill my nostrils, making me cringe slightly. Brian laughs but doesn't comment, bringing me to one of the stables that holds a brown horse. The horse looks calm and its mane looks like it is brushed to perfection. I get slightly closer, curious as to how it will react.

My hand reaches to touch its fur, I'm happy to find out that it doesn't retaliate or anything like that. "Get on it," encourages Brian. "Are you sure?" I eye him weirdly. I've ridden horses a few times before when I was younger, but always with my parents' supervision of course. He rolls his eyes and nods. "I know the owner well, he trusts me."

I raise an eyebrow but agree to do it anyways. My emotions are torn between asking permission from the horse owner first, and also the fact that I have not been on a horse for a very long time and I would be really disappointed if they say no.

He hands me all the gear needed and I carefully put it on the lovely horse. It is gentle for the most part but I want to still make sure that I do not hurt it in any way. I softly pat her, at least I think it's a her, beautiful chocolate fur, with a smile etched onto my face.

We lead the horses out of the stables.

Brian helps me get up despite the horse not being that much taller than me. He swings his legs over a slightly bigger black horse, guiding it to my side like an expert. "I'm telling you though, I haven't ridden one in years," I warn as we trudge slowly into the opening of a large field. With a knowing smirk on his face, he gallops away.

I gape in shock. It takes me a while to register the fact that he just left me all alone here. Did he really just leave me to fend for myself in a place I've never been before?

Unconfident about my own abilities, I ride slowly. Manny, the horse that I recently decided to name, doesn't look like it minds the stroll too much, so I let its heels click elegantly on the green grass. Soon, I hear the sound of fast galloping behind me.

I turn around, expecting to see Brian and his black beauty along with him, but found a stranger with a pure white horse instead. He arrives by my side, flashing his pearly whites at me. "Hi."

I observe him for a second or more before replying. "Hi." We look at each other and laugh for no apparent reason. It just seems appropriate, we must have been quite the sight. Two strangers laughing on horses for no reason.

"I'm Marcus." His golden brown locks fall right above his dark brown eyes. I notice he has a tiny tattoo on his neck, just peeking above the t-shirt he is wearing.

"Cassidy, nice to meet you," I answer politely. The guy looks like he's in his twenties, even though the way he acts makes me feel like he's my age.

"Likewise."

We smile at each other in silence, the air around us calm and peaceful. "You ride a lot around here?" I ask, in an effort to start a normal conversation. "Rarely, actually," he answers and I feel myself raising an eyebrow at him.