Kinswood Academy: Dressage Queen

Chapter 13:

I let my red converse sneakers scrape against the floor as I walked down the school hallways the next day. I felt horrible, almost falling asleep in my first class or almost bursting into tears in my second.

I trudged by the lunchroom, feeling too sick to eat or socialize. Instead I walked straight into the bathroom and locked myself in a stall, sitting on the toilet and pulling my knees to my chest. i bit my lip to keep myself from crying whenever my mind drifted to Big Stride.

I hadn't spoken to my parents this morning and had ignored all attempts of communication from both Stacy and Dubois. All I could think about was Big Stride.

I held my breath as I heard a group of giggling girls enter the bathroom.

" Did you see Isla Summer today? Who rained on her parade? " I heard one of the girls speak.

I narrowed my eyes and slowly peeked through the crack in the stall door when the next girl spoke in a head-endusing familiar voice.

" She's just upset that her precious moose of a horse will soon be mine... " I watched as Tracy reapplied her dark purple lipstick. " My dad offered her parents twice what he offered Dubois. They'd be insane not to sell "

Two girls stood on either side of her, one texting and the other fixing her leopard print miniskirt. 

" Don't you have to wait for the owners to decide who to sell the thing to? " The texting girl asked.

Tracy flipped her glossy hair over her shoulder. " That doesn't matter. It's going to end the same way. With me having a new horse " she giggled as she turned back to the mirror.

The girl in the miniskirt started fixing her hair in the same mirror. " Why do you even want him? Didn't you say he was a nag? "

" Oh, he's still a nag, but I can...work that out of him... "

I shuddered at what Tracy meant by that. 

The girls giggled as they left the bathroom and I hadn't even realized I started crying until i exited the stall and saw my reflection in the mirror. My mascara was running and my eyes were red and blotchy and my face pale. 

I started to wash my face in the sink before pressing my phone to my ear and calling Henry to come pick me up. I couldn't stand to stay here at the moment and had to leave.

As I walked back to my locker, I saw Stacy standing there. She smiled slightly when she saw me, but I ignored her and quickly opened my locker, having to try the combo on the lock twice. I felt like I couldn't think straight.

" Where are you going? "

I slammed my locker shut and slung my pink Nike bag over my shoulder. " Home... "

Stacy didn't ask why I was leaving school so early, I had a feeling she already knew.

She followed me to the front entrance to the school, where I spotted Henry pulling up to the curve through the window.

Stacy grabbed my wrist before I could push open the doors. " Isla, please listen. I'm sorry if I made it sound like I was siding with Tracy. I'm only thinking logically. i'm trying to help you not be embarrassed at Kinswood! "

I pulled my hand back. " So you think Big Stride will embarrass me now!? After our lesson this weekend? Or are you just saying I'm not good enough to go to Kinswood? "

Stacy faltered. " That is not what I meant! I'm just saying- "

" You made your choice! You sided with Tracy! Now I'm going to be the only one to save Big Stride from being worked into his grave! " I pushed the door open and left Stacy in the dust.

I threw my bag to the side as I hopped in the car.

Henry, unlike some people, knew better than to test me when I felt like this. He only put on my favourite radio station and uttered one word.

" ...Home? "

I stared out the window at the sky, which was almost blocked by the tall New York buildings. My mind again drifted to Big Stride and I could swear I saw him galloping across the clouds.

Without tearing my gaze away from the sky, I replied to Henry.

" ...Actually...to the stable...please... "

I leaned back and popped in my earbuds for the rest of the ride.

I wasn't going down without a fight, but if Big Stride and my future together was on the rocks, I was going to spend every single minute I could with him.