Free Rein P.H

* 9 *

"Hey Zoe." I said as I picked up the phone.
"Phoebe Wright."
"What...?" I asked cautiously.
"I need you to do something for me."
"Zoe I'm not allowed to go to the stables. You know that."
"No. No stables involved, I promise." I sighed.
"What's up?"
She explained about Pin knowing Raven as a foal.
"I'll be in so much trouble Zo." I sighed.
"Just ask for once. All he does is ground you because you sneak out. And you've still got your phone. Please Phoebe. Pin will talk to you."
I sighed deeply, staring at myself in the mirror on the opposite wall as I sat cross legged on the bed.
"Only if you come with me." I compromised.

*          *           *

I walked slowly down the stairs.
"Dad, Zoe's coming over, can we go for a walk. I promise you I won't go back... There."
I breathed out nervously. My dad scrutinized me carefully.
"How do I know I can trust you."
"Believe me, I've learnt my lesson." I said, looking down at the floor.
"Fine. Put some makeup on though. You want to look nice don't you?"
He said with a smile and I nodded quickly before escaping upstairs, finally feeling as though I could breathe properly once more.

*           *          *

I shrugged my thin coat on over the long sleeved maroon top I was wearing with my black jeans and boots. The doorbell rang and I opened it to see Zoe standing there, all smiles. I couldn't help but smile too.
"Bye, Dad!" I called as we walked down the path. As I turned to close the gate once I got to the end of the path I saw him still standing in the doorway, watching carefully with narrowed eyes. I felt a weight lift off my shoulder once we turned the corner and the house was out of view.
"How's things at the stables?" I asked Zoe as I put my hands in my pockets.
"Raven's got issues." She sighed. I nodded understandingly.
"Many horses do, Zoe."
"And Pin and Ted know more than they're letting on."
"What's your plan then?" I asked as we walked down the gravel path.
"If we stop treating Pin like an outsider, he'll stop acting like one."
"I don't treat him like an outsider. Zoe, Pin's my friend. He's the only person I can actually go and visit seeing as my Dad won't let me go to the Stables."
"You talk to him a lot, don't you." Zoe questioned and I nodded n response.
"Well, I was talking with Becky and Jade earlier and we think that you should ask Pin to the dance. "
I stopped abruptly, causing a little cloud of dust to swirl around my feet.
"You what?!" I asked, eyes wide.
"You should go with Pin to the dance. I feel sorry for him, stuck out there on the moors with his dad. And anyways, you like him don't you?"
I stuttered and blushed deep red.
"W-What do you mean?"
"You two are good friends, right?" Zoe clarified and I sighed, nodding.
"R-Right. Yeah."
"So..." I sighed, looking at her pleading face.
"The things I do for you, Zoe." I laughed, shaking my head.
*          *           *
When we got to Pin's house we walked round to the crate and saw Pin kneeling in the hay, petting the pony who lay on its side. I knocked on the side and Pin looked up to see Zoe and I watching him. He smiled slightly at us.
"I didn't hear any horses." Pin frowned.
"We walked." Zoe explained.
"For obvious reasons." I added with a bitter laugh. Pin nodded apologetically.
"How's he doing?" Zoe asked.
"He's off his food. I'm really worried about him." Pin sighed. I knelt next to him.
"I'm sorry. I meant to come earlier but I've been grounded. Has the medicine been working?"
Pin shook his head, looking sadly down at the pony.
Zoe came and sat opposite me.
"Pin... Where is Raven from?" Zoe asked quietly.
"No idea." He shrugged, still looking at the pony.
"I know you owned him when he was a foal." Zoe said, retrieving the picture, from her pocket, of Pin's father, Ted, and a young Raven.
"So?"
"So why didn't you tell us?" Zoe asked.
"Are you accusing me of something? Again?" Pin looked between the two of us.
"No, we're really not." I answered.
"We don't understand why you're keeping things from us. I thought we were friends." Zoe continued.
"Well why would you think that? When I'm clearly up to no good." He replied, glaring at me. I looked down to the floor guiltily.
"I didn't say that." Zoe shook her head.
"You didn't need to." Was Pin's reply.
"Just go." He said, looking away.
"Pin..." I began but he turned away from me. I sighed and stood up, following Zoe, only to bump into her back as she stopped suddenly.
"I think we need to have a little chat." Ted told us.
*          *          *
"We'd had storms for weeks. So on the first calm day I went down to the beach. This crate... Was washd up near where I found him."
"We think he came to the island inside it." Pin added.
All of us were sitting down, Zoe and I across from Ted and Pin.
"No wonder he's afraid of water. Imagine being stuck in here, in the sea."
"It's amazing he has the courage to do anything at all." Pin shrugged.
"I never planned on selling him." Ted continued, "But Elliot made me an offer I couldn't refuse." he said sadly.
"It was a hard time for Peter and me. The money helped... So now you know."
With that he got up and walked away, leaving the three of us.
"You lied for your dad."
"I didn't want to cause any trouble for him. Didn't want to hurt him." Pin explained. I sat watching the two carefully and quietly.
"You wouldn't understand."
"But I do." Zoe protested.
"I - I guess you don't always know what people have been through..."
I gasped and stood up quickly. Pin and Zoe looked at me oddly. Zoe with a raised eyebrow and Pin with a frown.
"Sorry I-I... Saw a spider." I shrugged, laughing lightly before taking a shaky breath and sitting back down.
*          *          *
"Why aren't you riding?" Pin asked Zoe.
"Umm, I am. I just - I didn't want Phoebe's dad to see me on a horse."
I snorted.
"Yeah right."
"Are you scared?" Pin asked.
"Maybe." Zoe admitted. "But knowing who Raven is will really help. He's been through so much and if he can be brave... I can too. Anyway, I'll see you later. Peter." She added. "That's your name right?"
"Only my dad calls me that."
"Oh, so Pin's a nickname?" She asked, putting her hands in her pockets. I noticed Pin began looking upset as she chattered on. I hit her arm subtly.
"Zoe..." I hissed, warning her to stop.
"It's not a nickname. It's my name." Zoe looked at me motioned for her to stop.
"Pin it is."
*          *          *
I smiled as I lay on my bed. Zoe was talking to me about how she'd managed to improve greatly at horse riding.
"We managed to clear the jump every songle time!"
"Well done, Zoe!"
"We still haven't cleared the water jump yet." She admitted sadly.
"All in good time, Zo. All in good time."
I then hung up the phone only to have it buzz as I put it down.
I looked at it to see a message from Pin.
Are you coming to the service?

For Enerald? Yeah, I'll see you there.

I shrugged on my jacket and pocketed my phone, putting on my wellies before leaving the house. My dad was going to be out all evening and Zoe and Rosie had invited me to Emerald's funeral. I had bought a flower wreath earlier on in the day and I walked up the hill with it. The sun was setting and the blue sky had a golden tint to it.
"It's beautiful." I breathed.
"Isn't it?" I looked to my left to see Pin standing there.
"Hey." I sighed, closing my eyes and feelin the warmth of the sun against my lids.
"They're coming!"
I hurried over to stand next to Zoe, who was clutching a bouquet, as Rosie marched up the hill, Maggie in tow.
"This is it." Frank, Zoe's Grandpa, said, pointing to the tree.
"This is where Ted buried him."
"This is where Emerald is?" She asked.
"Mom, Emerald is your horse." Rosie said.
"He was."
"But now he's a ghost pony. He's still out there roaming the moors, seeking revenge." Zoe and I both frowned, looking at each other before shrugging and letting Rosie continue.
"If you don't say goodbye to your horse properly, then... Then you'll never set his spirit free. And we'll all be doomed."
Looking round the group, all of our expressions were slightly confused but we all accepted Rosie's speech.
"It's time to let Emerald go Mom
" Zoe said, handing her the flowers. Maggie took them and placed them by the tree.
"Ted. This place is... Is perect." She said, standing up.
"You should see it in the spring. It's all yellow with buttercups."
"Emerald loved buttercups... I knw I hurt you." She walked forward and linked arms with him.
"You did. But maybe it's better for of us if we just let that go." Maggie nodded and hugged his arm.
"Okay people. That's enough." Rosie protested, dragging Maggie away.
"Rosie, what are you doig?" She asked as she was dragged away down the hill and their voices became distant. I watched all four of them leave before placing the wreath by the tree. I stood up and turned to Pin and Ted.
"Bye." I smiled before heading away down the hill by myself.
"Phoebe!" I heard Pin call.
I turned around expectantly.
"Can I talk to you?"
I nodded.
"When I was younger... I couldn't say Peter. So my Mum called me Pin. She left when I was five, but by then I wouldn't answer to anything else. My name's kind of all I have left of her. Dad said he always knew that she'd run away but... Still broke his heart."
"Is that why you stay away?" I asked quietly. "My Mom hasn't spoken to me in three years. So I'm not going to say I know how it feels. But I can begin to understand. I'm here for you, Pin."
I smiled, nudging him lightly. He smiled back and we both stared at the sunset quietly.
"Come to the barn dance tomorrow night." I said, breakig the silence. Pin sighed.
"I know, I know. It's 'not your thing'. Well it's not really mine either."
"But what about your dad?"
"He'll live." I shrugged, ignoring the twisting feeling in my stomach. After a pause I heard Pin say,
"Yeah, all right."
*          *          *
"Phoebe!"
I held the phone away from my ear and winced.
"Zoe?"
"The photographer was a fake."
"A fake... What do you mean?" I asked.
"I don't know. But something's going on. And we're going to find out what."