New Lands | (Fantasy)

Chapter 5: Will's POV

I wait for EJ outside the school. I was beyond happy when Mr. Johnson assigned her and I to be partners. Like, I was really excited. I mean she's the smartest girl in the class and I'm able to annoy her. It seems like a win-win to me. I see her walking out the main doors with Jessie-May and they walk over to me. "Hello ladies," I say with a smirk. EJ rolls her eyes.

"I'm not in the mood Willy," EJ says.

"You clearly are since you're calling me Willy," I say.

"Okay the bus is here," Jessie-May says. "You two can resume fighting when you get to Emma's house." On that note, we board the bus. We head to the back and Jessie-May and EJ sit next to each other. I sit in the single seat. It's weird taking the bus home. I usually carpool with Kyle since he lives next door to me...anyway the bus stops at a big house out basically in the middle of nowhere. There is one right across the street from it. Jessie-May and EJ get up and I follow them and we exit the bus. It drives away. "See you later Em!" Jessie-May walks across the street to, apparently, her house. I turn and see EJ's giant house, not to mention the giant barn in the back probably with the finest horses one could lay eyes on. Her house is white and about three stories high. It has a balcony at the top in the front which swings around to the back. There is a lake in the back and a dock where a boat is. I can't see how big the lake is because there are trees blocking it but from what I can tell, it's probably pretty big. Back to the front of her house, it has two giant pillars on each side of the big and elaborate black front door. On the porch there are two chairs and a potted plant. EJ walks with me up to the front door.

"EJ your house is huge," I say.

"Is that a compliment?" EJ asks as she unlocks the door but it opens by itself. "What the - that's not right."

"Did someone break in?" I ask. She puts her finger to her mouth to motion for me to be quiet. I follow her in, we keep our backpacks on and she looks around. Suddenly there are footsteps down the stairs and a boy, older than EJ is facing us.

"Oh it's just James," EJ says. "James why are you home so early?"

"I got out early," he says. "Who's this?" James gestures to me.

"This is Willy," EJ says, stifling a laugh. "Willy this is my older brother James." James raises his eyebrows when she introduces me as Willy.

"My name is Will. EJ just calls me Willy," I say.

"Don't call me that!" EJ says, annoyed as she sets her backpack down on the counter. James laughs.

"I think I'll start calling you EJ now Emma," James says.

"Don't you dare," EJ says.

"Well I have to go visit mom at her work. She needs some help with a few things. Are you two going to be okay here? Do I need to set up a nanny cam so nothing fishy happens?" James asks. EJ glares at him.

"No you do not," EJ says. "We're only here working on a chem project."

"Sure you are," James says sarcastically. I laugh. "I'll see you later sis." He kisses EJ on the forehead and walks to the door. "It was nice meeting you Will."

"Yeah. You too James," I say. James closes the door and I turn to EJ. "So when are we starting?"

"Well first I have to go brush my horse then we can okay?" EJ asks. I nod. She grabs her backpack again, which I think is a little strange. I just keep mine on.

"Hey anything is good to not do schoolwork," I say. EJ chuckles and rolls her gorgeous blue eyes. I guess I was staring because she gives me a funny look. "Uh so what's your horse's name?"

"Artemis," EJ says as we walk to the barn. "My brother's horse is named Apollo."

"That's clever," I say. "What made you think of those names?" Before EJ opens the barn, she looks at me.

"My dad picked them out when he bought them for my brother and I," EJ says. She opens the barn. "I was only two at the time so I couldn't ride them. My brother couldn't either but they were kind of a goodbye present." She pulls out a saddle.

"Is he in the military?" I ask. I don't even know why I'm asking that. I already know how these kinds of stories go.

"No," EJ says as she puts the saddle on Artemis. "He died." I almost ask how but I don't want to be rude. She seems to read my mind. "He died of cancer." She then turns and looks at me. "But the strange thing is that he never had problems with cancer in the past and he would always go in to get checked since both of his parents had cancer. It didn't add up."

"You think it's a lie?" I ask. She shrugs. "Well you are a smart girl. Perhaps you're right."

"The only other explanation would be that he was killed," EJ says as she pulls another saddle down, "but that's a long shot." I chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"Well you said he could've been killed but that was a long shot. Someone can be killed by getting shot," I say. She thinks for a couple seconds and then laughs.

"Unintentional pun I guess," she says as she puts the other saddle on Apollo. "Alright. Do you know how to get on a horse?"

"Excuse me?" I ask. I suddenly realize. "Oh heck no! I am not getting on a horse!" She grabs my arm and she pulls me towards Apollo.

"It's okay. I won't let you get hurt," EJ says. "It's easy. Put your left foot in the stirrup." I lift my left foot but almost lose my balance. EJ grabs my hand to help as I put my foot in the stirrup. "Now swing your right leg over the horse and you're on him."

"Easy for you to say!" I exclaim.

"Come on Willy," EJ says. "It's going to be fun." I take a deep breath and swing my leg over. EJ lets go of my hand. "See. Easy." She goes and gets a helmet and hands it to me and I put it on. "It's my brother's old one. Still in good shape." She puts on one and gets onto Artemis. "Shall we go?"

"Where are we going? Neverland?" I ask jokingly.

"Hey you said it, I didn't," EJ says as she rides out of the barn. Apollo automatically follows.