Broken Prodigy | COMPLETED ✓

Chapter 7

Georgia climbs one of the rails of the round yard and I do the same, still having no idea why I've been hurried out here. Maya is inside, and a flaxen chestnut horse, no bigger than maybe fifteen hands, is tied up on the rail.

"Why, exactly, am I here?" I ask them both.

"I saw you look after Aladdin yesterday. And we both saw you with Ebony and Royal, too," Maya explains. "I want to try something."

"And what is that?"

"This," Georgia says, pointing to the chestnut horse. "Is Bess. She's the only horse I'm not allowed to ride. Almost every time someone does ride her, she shies at everything and rushes."

"We want you to take a look at her," Maya adds. "And maybe ride her."

"You want me to ride her?" I ask incredulously. They nod.

Ride her.

I haven't ridden a horse since- no, I don't want to think about that. Even so, I don't know how my leg will handle it, and the last thing I want is everyone to know. Doug would probably fire me, saying how he can't have a handicapped kid as a stablehand. Of course he can't.

"So," Maya says, opening the gate and walking out. "Can you do it?"

"I won't know until I get a look at her," I answer. Bad leg or not, I can't have anyone know about what happened to me. Nor can I let this horse go without trying anything to help her.

"Well, take a look at her then." I turn to see Gus walking up towards us.

I do. It's the first time I've actually focused on the mare only. She's quite fine, a much thinner build compared to the stocky quarter horses I'm used to riding. Her ears flick in all directions nonstop, and I immediately know what Maya and Georgia mean. The emotion in her eyes in unidentifiable; something between fear and curiosity. She's alert to everything.

I jump off the railing. "Okay," I decide. "I'll see what I can do. But I have two conditions."

Maya and Georgia nod. "Anything," Maya says.

I look at the horse. "One: You've gotta let me do this my way." Then I look back at Maya and I grin. "Two: I'm gonna need my 'cowboy' hat." I do quotation marks in the air at 'cowboy'.

Gus smirks his crooked smile. "Cowgirl here we come!"

* * *

I wash my face in the bathroom and close my eyes, trying to rid my mind of the memories that only remind me of what I've lost. I can't let them consume me with grief all over again.

"Ollie?" Georgia's voice echoes through the bathroom. I see her through the mirror just as she spots me, and she hurries over. "What's wrong?"

"What?" I ask, then I shake my head. "Nothing. Just needed some air."

"Are you sure? You look like you're on the verge of having a panic attack." If only she knew how close to being right she is.

"No, no, I'm fine."

"Okay, well, let me know when you want to get the stuff from your house." she tells me. I nod my confirmation and she leaves, shooting me one last unsure glance.

* * *

The rope swings through the air, as if it was in slow motion. It loops itself around the back of the chair. Twelve year old Ollie tugs at it and the chair tips over.

"And what a great round by Olive Bennetts!" Ollie feigns an announcers voice as if she were competing at the rodeo, instead of watching it. "That puts her up the top with some of our best competitors. Cowgirl here we come!"