Laurel Heights Equestrian Academy~ The A Team *NEW*

Chapter 3

Half an hour later, Mom was gone.

I was alone in my dorm room pulling myself together.

I flopped onto the bed I had claimed for myself and wondered where my roommate was. 

Slipping my keys into my pocket, I stood and walked to the opposite side of the room. A set of double doors swung open to reveal a walk in closet. I moved to the wall to my right and swung open the other door, revealing a small bathroom with matching decor. I blew out a long breath.

It took me half a second to make up my mind. I turned and left the room, shutting and locking the door behind me with all my unpacked suitcases inside. As I made my way down the hall, I pulled my auburn hair up into a ponytail. Surprisingly, the dorm halls were practically deserted. Everyone was probably out in the parking lot saying goodbye to their parents and family.

I trotted down the front steps of the huge building and jogged along the sidewalk towards the stable. It was easy enough to follow the path back the way I'd come, and it felt good to know exactly where I was going.

The sky had darkened since we'd arrived-there was no way it wouldn't rain. The wind had picked up as well. It would definitely rain this evening. I almost turned back for my umbrella, but my impatience won out.

It was no more than a five minute walk back to the barn. The doors were still wide open stragglers bringing their horses in. There had been a set time frame for students to bring their horses in, making it easier for the staff, but there were still a few latecomers bringing horses. I waited for a leggy Thoroughbred mare to pass by before I headed into the stable.

It was almost more impressive on the inside.

From what I could see, the barn was shaped like a T- a long main aisle lined with stalls, branching out at the end to two more aisles. I made my way down the aisle, staying out of the way of the horses coming in. My snakers thumped against the concrete floor. For a moment, I could almost forget that I was completely alone at a prestigious new boarding school. As long as I could be with the horses, I would be fine. I felt calmer already. If only I could be mucking stalls right now. Sweat, solitude, and the gentle whickering of horses helped clear my mind. I missed home.

The friendly muzzles poking out of the stall windows pushed at my patience-I was dying to go riding! But I had plenty of experience in working around horses-mostly without riding them, unfortunately. That was about to change.

When I reached the end of the aisle, I peeked down in each direction. To the left, there was a large entrance to an indoor arena. That was new to me; I'd only ever ridden in outdoor arenas. To the right, I could spot a metal handle at the far end of the wall-the wall slid back. I guessed it was an exit to the extensive back paddocks that I'd seen earlier. Turning left, I walked down to check out the arena.

I passed by a freshly stained wooden ladder and glanced up to see a hayloft above me. Then there were two bathroom doors.

The next door had a brass label that briefly attracted my interest-Assistant Riding Director. The door was slightly ajar. I eased it inward a bit. The office was deserted. I moved on.

The next label was Director of Riding. This office was not empty, nor was the door left open. It was securely shut, but the wood didn't stop the voices from drifting out and reaching me.

"I still don't understand why you're insisting on being so stubborn! This isn't fair!" It was a girl's voice, annoyed.

I froze, fixed to the spot.

"Devony, I'm director here now. Do you know what that means?" A man. He sounded almost like he was addressing a very small child. There was silence from the other person-Devony, I suppose.

"It means that I decide who is on which team. It also means that my decisions are final!" He spoke firmly.

"And as director of riding" -Devony's voice was brimming with sarcasm- "you shouldn't be displaying favoritism between your students!"

A sigh. "You're simply jealous because Luke is on the Advanced riding team and you are not."

"Jealous? Jealous?" Devony sputtered. "How dare you! I should've been on the Advanced team a long time ago, and you very well know it! I'm not being full of myself, and I am not exaggerating. It's the truth. I am just as good as Luke is. So why are you making stupid excuses for picking him over me?"

"Get. Out. Now. Before I lose my temper. I've had enough of this, Devony."

There was a loud slam, then the sound of footsteps approaching the door. Too late, I realized that I should've run.