Oak Valley Stables

Chapter one

Gale Robins gazed out of the passenger's seat window of her family's car. She smiled at the sight of Oak Valley school and stables' arching gates.
It was her first year at the boarding school. She would be joined by her best friend since childhood, Victoria Bluewood. Gale had moved from her old high school to Oak Valley after her second year there; Oak Valley was only open to students in years 9 - 11. Back when Gale was in primary school, she meet and became friends with Victoria. It wasn't until Victoria moved house that they went to different schools. She didn't move too far away, only about six or seven miles, but they didn't see each other as often then.
Gale and Victoria had gone to the same riding school since they were about seven, although Victoria had ridden horses before. But, Victoria had left when she moved house and she moved to a different stables as well. Gale had kept going to the original stables, though. She missed Victoria; Riding wasn't quite the same without her.
However, now that they were going to the same school, learning to ride together, Gale couldn't wait. Not only could they ride together but they'd learn at the school and live together as well.
Gale's father drove up the long driveway lined with cherry blossom trees. On either side of the trees were paddocks. In these fields were different horses, prancing about. Gale smiled at the sight of them. The car drove beneath an red archway with a clock tower on the top. They pulled up outside of the school, a huge building, decorated much like a manor house.
Gale opened the door of the car and stood out. Near the front of the school stood Victoria, wearing a checked shirt and jodhpurs. She had straight mousy blonde hair and greyish-coloured eyes. Gale waved to her friend and Victoria waved back.
"Here's your stuff..." Gale's father wheeled a suitcase over to her.
"Thanks-" Gale took the suitcase and her shoulder bag full of horse riding gear.
"Have fun and good luck," Her father told her as he closed the boot of the car. "And, be careful!" He called before going to drive off.
"I will!" Gale smiled. She headed over to Victoria in her black and purple jodhpurs and dark pink rugby shirt. "Hi, Toria!" She smiled as she made it over to her friend.
"Hey!" Victoria smiled back.
"Where do we go now?" Gale asked, looking down at the crowded school entrance.
"We get given our timetables and room numbers down there," Victoria replied. Gale nodded and they walked in through the school doors.

"Names?" Asked a man behind a table, at the front of the atrium. It was very loud; Everyone was trying to talk over one and other.
"Uh, Victoria Bluewood," Victoria told him.
"And, Gale Robins," Gale added. The man checked through a pile of paper before handing the girls two timetables with their names on them. He then started to look through a list in front of him. "Room B3, girls," He handed Gale and Victoria their own keys. They walked off, dragging their suitcases behind them.

"Do you know anyone here, other then me?" Gale asked as they followed the map on the back of their timetables.
"Yeah," Victoria smirked. Gale had seen that face before.
"Who, might I ask?" She questioned.
"You know Jake?" Victoria smiled. Gale, of course, did know Jake. His first and last name rhymed and Victoria was always on about him. He was hard to forget.
"Yeah, I know Jake Drake,"
"Well, he's coming here too!" Victoria exclaimed. Gale rolled her eyes, playfully. She had meet Jake before at Victoria's house. All she remembered was that Victoria and Jake couldn't keep their eyes off of each other.
"Do you know anybody?" Victoria asked.
"No, not other then you and Jake, I guess," Gale turned to look to her right. "Oh, no..." She groaned.
"What?" Victoria asked.
"See that girl over there..." Gale pointed at the girl walking into the dormitory block. She had long platinum blonde hair and green eyes.
"Yeah, what about her?"
"Her name's Amber Sterling. She started up at my stables, after you left. She's a total bitch," Gale sighed.
"She looks rich to me. I mean, who wears a Tiffany's necklace when you're gonna be riding horses!" Victoria laughed. The girls went inside of the dormitory block and up the stairs, to corridor B.
"She is. She even has her own horse; a pure bred Hackney called Belle," Gale unlocked room number 3's door with her key. "She has other horses too, though. All pedigree and all perfect..." Gale throw her bag over to the far side of the room, by one of the beds. Victoria closed the door and put her bags by the other bed.
"Hey, what are we supposed to be doing now, anyway?" Gale asked. Victoria check her timetable booklet.
"We've got about ten minutes until registration by the top paddock. We'll be given our new horses there," Victoria replied. Gale nodded. She wasn't going to let Amber ruin her day.