Little Shy Ariel (ft. Harry Styles)

Chapter 23 - Ella

Chapter 23 - Ella

Working on Light Up, this new song I wrote, with Mare is so fun, so much better than a cover. I play the guitar and she dances around, singing with me. I help her to hit the right notes and to control her breathing better when she’s moving. It actually sounds good in her voice but it’s her performance what makes the song better than I could’ve ever imagined. She makes me dance with her and we end up laughing because I’m a really bad dancer. This song has given us the glee we had lost before.

“You look happy again,” Timmy says when I go to the crops to pick the delivery for today. “With your dad we were worried, you seemed sad.”

“I had lost the right perspective, but we’re okay now,” I tell him and Timmy smiles widely.

“I’m glad. You look better when you smile,” he adds and my own smile widens at his words.

After that he wishes me good luck and I drive to drop the delivery at the centre humming to Light Up and remembering last night. I don’t think I ever laughed that much. I really love having Mare around, it’s like having one of my sisters. A new sister.

Carl is waiting for me when I arrive and he’s with Mare so I greet them both. I help Carl to carry the delivery inside and we keep a short and nice conversation. Mare even helps us and I notice the way she and Carl look at each other. I’ll ask her tonight about that, maybe she fancies him.

“What are you gonna do now, Ari?” Mare asks me when I finish with my business with Carl.

“Oh, I dunno… I was thinking of taking a turn around the gardens before going home, or even going to see the horses,” I reply and she smiles.

“Wait a sec,” Mare tells me and then runs inside the building. Confused, I wait until she comes back with some carrots. “Go to the stables and if you run into someone, maybe Mark —he takes care of the horses—, try to talk to that person. Someone you’ve never seen before, okay?”

I take a deep breath, knowing I have homework. No matter how nervous and anxious that makes me, I always follow her instructions. I’ve accomplished so much thanks to that. She may not have a degree, but she’s good.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. If it’s at the stables you’ll have horses to talk about. It’s easier for you to talk about something you’re familiar with, something you know of.” I’m surprised she has noticed that, probably because I always tell her how my conversations goes and she’s made me analyse the differences in my encounters with different people. She’s also been present for some, like when I talk to Carl.

“O-okay, I’ll do my best,” I promise and she gives me a quick hug.

“That’s the spirit! Go and make me proud,” she jokes and I laugh, taking the carrots and walking towards the stables.

I’ve never seen Mark, maybe because I don’t go as often to the stables. I’ve only met Niall there. Maybe I’ll see him there today. But if not, I hope Mark is a nice person and he’ll have patience. I know I’ll stutter a lot and probably I’ll only say five words, if I get to say a word at all, but I’ll try. So far I haven’t had to deal with someone being rude to me.

When I finally arrive to the stables and walk inside, I don’t find a man inside. Not Niall or Mark. I find a girl stroking the black main of Ares, that horse Niall really loves. She is pressing her face to the forehead of the horse. I can only see her back and her blond curls falling up to her mid-back.

“I’ve missed you so much, Ares,” she says, her voice soft, a mere whisper. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner.”

I stand there, watching, wondering who this girl is, someone who clearly knows this horse, someone who’s been here before.