Waiting for Superman

Horse Shows vs. Rugby

"Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life. What is it you would let go of today?"

-Mary Manin Morrissey

Chapter 15

Three and a half weeks later, Nick and I were still together, despite all the people who thought we would have been over by now. But with my final horse show of the season closing in this weekend and Nick's major rugby game being the same weekend, stress was at an all time high and neither one of us seemed to be able to say anything to the other without the other jumping down their throats or a fight erupting. We were at our wits end and the weekend hadn't even started yet.

I jump off of Jad and lead him into his stall. "How'd the schooling go?" Kensey asks walking by my stall.

"He tried to dump me twice at the fences. Oh and even better, out of, what? Four rings, Matt chooses the one I'm schooling in to school whatever horse he was riding, he didn't even jump, just flatted, and when I left he left and went to the other ring to jump. And the entire time he kept looking at me and opening his mouth, then shutting it, and he saw me almost fall off, twice. So yeah, not the best schooling." I say walking out of Jad's stall with the bridle and saddle in hand.

"Aww, I'm sorry girly, well maybe Nick texted you something sweet or something," she offers with a sympathetic smile as she walks her horse Rolex up to the wash stalls.

Shrugging my shoulders, I put my saddle and bridle up, I grab Jad's halter and I follow Kensey up to the wash stalls.

"So, I saw that you and Matt were in the same schooling ring," Kensey starts cautiously, as if even mentioning the topic would send me into tears. Quickly, I look around to make sure there are no other listening ears, after finding out about the hunter/jumper gossip page on twitter, I wasn't going to take any chances of me ending up on there.

"Yeah, out of all the rings, he just had to choose mine. And get this," I instantly lower my voice as I massage soap into Jad's tail, Kensey rushes over and leans on the divider that separates our wash stalls, "Irene, she was eerily nice to me, like smiling and saying 'please' and 'thank you', it was creepy."

Kensey scoffs, "I didn't think Irene had a nice bone in her body."

"Neither did I, that's why I think it simply reinforces the idea that she had something to do with the break up."

Our conversation ceases when we see another rider lead her horse up to the wash stalls. Kensey shoots me a look saying 'this talk isn't over'. I nod my head and finish hosing Jad off.

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"Come on, Em, it will be fun!" Kensey tries to encourage me.

"No thanks. We show tomorrow and I need the rest." I say sullenly.

Lowering her voice, Kensey leans over the table, "Is it Nick?"

Barely meeting her eyes, I nod.

Nick had been nothing but a jerk to me since after I had finished hosing Jad off. He was barely talking to me, for only God knows what reason. And when he did talk to me he was being super short. Boys. They are infuriating.

"I'm just going to head back to the hotel with your mom," I reply silently.

The ride back to the hotel with Kensey's mom was ridden in complete silence. Which was a shock, seeing as Kensey's mom always had something to say. But I was grateful for the silence.