Bloodless Day

Your present is a happy chapter

"Neither did we, where I came from." The reply came before I could think about it, and already I was relaxing into conversation.

"Where are you from?"

Something told me not to tell her. That didn't make sense- it was perfectly harmless information, that she could find at any old time. "California," I finally replied.

"Neat-o." Did her voice sound calculating, or was it just my paranoia? "Were we near your old home in Santa Anita?"

"Close enough," I admitted, hardening my voice just enough for Wes to get the hint.

Though she made no perceptible movement, Spain suddenly stopped and spun, back towards BD, who stopped and flattened his ears. He'd been doing that a lot lately. I frowned down at his mane. "Where are we going? Is there a good cantering strip? Spain wants to stretch out a bit, and maybe a bit of speed will wake up your horse."

"Um," I recollected the field I'd first run Granite in. "There's a field up ahead that's safe to gallop in. It's pretty large."

"Great! Let's go!" Again, I didn't see the motion in her hands, seat or legs, but Spain spun again, mouth cracked open as he strained against the bit, and Wes urged him into a trot.

BD refused to quicken his pace, and I was left feeling like I did ten years ago, just a kid on a lazy lesson pony at summer camp. Nothing like a Thoroughbred about to run in the Derby.
When we reached the field, Wes was already cantering Spain in circles, an exercise I well understood. If pointed in a straight line, any wind loving Thoroughbred would have grabbed the bit and bolted. So Spain's head was bent nearly to her foot as he fought to straighten, but Wes remained unmovable in the saddle.

I waited for BD to get excited at the sight of a faster horse. To want to run faster, and show that horse who was truly the king of the wind. He did no such thing- his head lowered to brush lips against grass, and I let the reins slip through my fingers to give him his head, sighing.

It didn't look like his spirit was making a comeback anytime soon.

*****
Lilac was brushing Goodie when I found her, his dark coat already gleaming from the suggestion of reflection. The colt nickered as I stepped towards his stall, then half closed his eyes and wriggled his lip in contentment as his jockey's brush hit the spot.

"Lilac! You'll never guess-"

"How was your ride?"

I froze.

Lilac's voice manhandled the seemingly innocent question into a landmine. I would have to tread very carefully.

"It was alright," I managed. "BD isn't cured or anything, but he's-"

"And Wes?"

She wasn't looking at me, instead closely inspecting a spot on Goodie that refused to start shining. She and I both could tell that the cause was rain rot, but her gaze narrowed and I knew it wasn't the tiny spot of fungus that was so interesting to her.

"She's... Lilac, she's actually nice. I'm not going to befriend her or anything, but-"

Lilac inturrupted me. "Anna, I can't tell you who you can and cannot be friends with. It's not right."

Irritation growled through my throat, making Lilac look at me. I locked gazes with her and kept it, so she couldn't glance away. "It's also not right that I befriend the girl who is dedicating her life to antagonizing you. One trail ride doesn't mean anything."

"Anna..." Lilac swept the brush over Goodie's shining shoulder one more time before setting it down and coming over to where I stood. "I'm not jealous, but I am worried. Half of her meanness stemmed from your being friends with me, but the other half- it's because your horse was a threat to hers. Now that BD is out of the picture-"

"Not yet," I said firmly, defiantly. "We have some time to fix him."

"Not yet," Lilac agreed, though her shrug indicated otherwise. "But she also knows that her getting close to you will tick me off, which is why she's doing it. Go ahead and do what you want, but be careful, alright?"

"Okay," I said softly, surprised by the turn in the conversation. Goodie stepped closer to Lilac and gave her a nudge, then popped his face over the stall door to demand affection from me as well, which I readily gave. He really was a sweet horse.

Lilac's icy gaze melted a bit as she said, just as softly, "some people forget that this is just a game. Just don't get hurt, okay?"

*****

"Have a nice ride?"

Jack was sitting on the couch in the lounge, his bad leg lifted onto the coffee table. He flipped idly through a magazine, dark eyes peering over the top. My stomach twisted, not unpleasantly.

"Fine, yes," I managed. "BD isn't better, but I guess it was good conditioning..."

"And Wes?"

My stomach twisted again. Guilt. "She's not so bad when she isn't around Lilac. I'm not trusting her or anything, but I don't see the harm in riding with-"

The magazine fell to reveal a grin. "Anna. No need to get defensive. I was just asking. Did you hear what his barn name is?"

"Spain! I was almost insulted!" With a returning grin, I tossed myself onto the couch next to Jack, digging out a package of M&Ms I'd stolen from Lilac's snack supply up in her house.

"What for? You're not Spanish."

"Non-believer. I'm half. Mom's from northern Spain, closeish to France, where she met Dad." I popped a chocolate into my mouth and offered the bag to Jack. He took it and began to carefully pick out the red ones.

He gave me a sideways glance. "I didn't know that. But I guess I can see it, just a bit. Have I met your mom?"

It struck me that he hadn't. "Or my dad. That's weird, I never really thought about you guys meeting my parents. Lilac did, and a few school friends."

"Huh. Maybe I'll meet them next week."

I snuggled deep into the couch, taking back my M&Ms. "You missed one of the reds. What's next week?"

"Prom."

"Prom!"

"Yes, prom, you socially inept nerd. Will you go to prom with me?"

*****

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT