Halo's - Taking Chances

H-TC Chapter two

Chapter two

"Time to get up, pet" said Jules, shaking me gently. She then walked over to the window and yanked open the curtains. The sun streamed into the room and I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled the duvet over my head, not ready for the sudden light. "What time is it?" I groaned. "Six o'clock exactly." "Are you fuckin' mental, woman?" Jules' voice became stern. "I won't have you using that foul language while you’re in my house Phoebe. Your breakfast's going cold downstairs and you have jobs to do. I expect to see you downstairs in ten minutes." Like mother like daughter, I thought. I kicked the duvet off and got to my feet. I pulled on yesterday’s jeans and found a clean t-shirt in my bag. I dragged a comb through my mess of cherry red curls before cleaning my teeth in the built-in sink. I looked into the mirror at my pale face. I didn't know how I was going to cope without make-up for two weeks. I met Sam on the landing and he smiled at me, showing his bright white teeth. "Sleep well Phoebs?" he asked. He pronounced my name like 'feebz'. "Not really. Ruby kept me up most of the night with her chainsaw impression." He roared with laughing. "Me and Jake stayed up until like two 'cause we were playin' on his Xbox". "This is a punishment not a holiday camp" I said mimicking P.C Kennedy's warning. He snorted. "Yeah well that old tosser ain't here is he?" When we went into the kitchen there were two plates full of a proper English breakfast on the table. My mouth began to water just looking at it. I picked up my fork before I had even sat down and began shoveling food into my mouth. Sam sniffed appreciatively next to me before digging in himself. We were both eating like we hadn't seen food for weeks. "It's nice to see you enjoy your food" said Jules from the doorway, all trace of her rant earlier gone. "Good food" said Sam, bits of sausage and bacon spraying out of his mouth. Jules smiled at him. "It's nice to start the day with a full stomach." Ruby appeared by the back door and nodded her head towards me. "You’re supposed to help me with the horses now." I'd noticed that at the end of each sentence her voice went higher, so everything sounded like it was a question. I stood up and she handed me a pair of green wellies. When she saw my face she smirked and said "Oh they're all the rage in Milan, you know." I glowered at her as I hopped around the kitchen trying to yank them on, before following her across the yard towards the stables. She had her head held high, with her hair tied up in a bun on her head, a few curls hang loose down her face.

When we walked into the stables the strong smell of horse manure hit me like a fist. I refused to show weakness in front of Ruby so I didn't hide my nose, even though every part of me was protesting. Ruby told me to take the horse out of the stable and tie it up outside the stall while she went and got me some equipment. This sounded easy until I actually got inside the stall and saw the giant creature stood staring at me. "Hello Cleopatra" I said shakily. Her name had been etched onto a plank of wood outside of the stall. She was a light golden colour with an almost white mane, a Palomino, Ruby had said. She snorted through her nose at me and I was reminded of a bull before it charged at its victim. I reached out slowly and stroked the side of her long head. She began to nuzzle my hand and she licked it, making me giggle. I led her out of the stall and tied her up. "She'll have her foal any day now" said Ruby materialising beside me with a wheelbarrow full of tools. She explained what I had to do before disappearing to get her own equipment. I began to shovel the manure, used bedding and wood shavings into the wheelbarrow. It smelt disgusting! I tried to bury my nose down my t-shirt but I couldn't concentrate on the shoveling. I used a pitchfork for the straw and manure and then a shaving shovel to get rid of any stray wood shavings. Then I used a washing scrub to scrub down the stall making sure there wasn't any lingering waste. It was at this time that I started to get an itchy nose. I tried wrinkling it up and trying to move it around, probably looking like a right tit. I sighed and rubbed it with the back of my hand, smearing god-knows-what onto it. Lastly, I swept the stall before adding fresh food and bedding. I brought Cleopatra back into her stall and she snorted through her nose at me again, hopefully appreciatively. I stepped back to admire my work and then looked to the other side of the stable and saw that Ruby was already on her third stable. I huffed before starting on my next stall.

By eight o 'clock I had cleaned out four stables and I was knackered. When I had got to my fourth stable, Ruby had disappeared back out onto the yard. When she came back she had two glasses of lemonade. "You’re a life saver!" I said, grabbing a glass. "Not used to hard work, hey?" she asked. I shook my head, glugging my cool drink. "I was the same when I first came here". "Wha-?" "Jules and Mike are my foster parents. Jake's like me as well. He came here about the same time I did but it's not my place to tell you his story. I thought you knew about us anyway?" I shook my head again, sucking at the dregs at the bottom of the glass. "My Dad died four years ago. Heart attack. Never knew my mum" she explained. I cleared my throat, didn't know what to say. "Don't say you’re sorry" she said harshly. "I wasn't going to. My mum died when I was eight. Drug overdose. My dad cleared off before I was born." There was an awkward silence where we calculated each other. It felt like we had a new found understanding. "Come on then, we've gotta go collect some eggs" Ruby said, usual harshness back. I understood. I didn't need anyone to feel sorry for me. I'd moved on, grew up. Didn't need to live in the past. I followed her into the yard and towards the chicken coop.

By two o'clock I was sweaty and tired. I had milked two cows that wouldn't co-operate with the milking machine (a freaky experience), fed a baby calf called Jac (so cute!!) and attempted to feed some pigs but ended up on my arse in a pile of shit. So far so good, hey? Ruby and I were on our way back to the house for lunch and I couldn't wait because I was starving! Ruby and I had talked as little as possible throughout the morning but I sometimes caught her staring at me, which was very weird. The second time I caught her I told her I glared and then we worked in complete silence. "Wellies off!" shrieked Jules, as I stepped inside the house. I kicked them off by the back door. "I'm starving" I moaned. "Go wash your hands then and come into the kitchen" said Jules. When I got to the kitchen Sam and Jacob were there already stuffing their faces. "Save some for me" I joked. Sam smiled at me and attempted to put his arm over me in a hug. "You’re all muddy!" I protested, peeling his arm away. "You’re no hot chick yourself right now either Phoebs. What did you do? Roll in some shit?" he guffawed. I rolled my eyes and grabbed a hot dog.

When bed time rolled around I gladly crawled into my bed, even though it was only nine o'clock. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. I woke up hours later to hushed voices in my room. "I don't see why we can't go ahead with it, Jake. We always knew there was a chance that more people would be involved. I told you not to get attached and I don't see the point anyway because they've only been here two days" hissed Ruby. I stayed completely still and kept my breath slow and even. "What have Sam and Phoebe ever done to us, though?" argued Jake. Yes, what have Sam and Phoebe ever done to you? "I can't believe it! You’re not getting cold feet are you? Wait until Major Dee hears about this." "You don't have to tell him anything! I was just getting a bit nervous that’s all! Last minute nerves and that" he laughed shakily. Ruby's voice became soft. "I know. It’s perfectly normal. I was the same at my first time as well". There was a sigh followed by kissing sounds. My brain struggled to comprehend what I was hearing. All I was thinking was Ruby and Jake? Really? I pushed past that and thought about what they had said. It sounded like they were planning something and it didn't sound good. I had a gut feeling that it I wasn't going to like it and I had to try and find out what it was. It felt like hours passed before Jake left the room and Ruby got back into bed. I stayed still, listening to Ruby's breathing to make sure she was asleep before relaxing and falling back to sleep.