Country Girls Do It Better... Book 1 Of The Healing Through Horses Trilogy

Chapter 17

Kate's p.o.v.

Walking into the lunchroom at 12:25 was the usual excitement. You know, the smell of four day-old salad and who knows what else. Best part of the day.

        Chase voiced my thoughts. "Great smell, isn't it? Ooh! Moldy pizza! My favorite!" he leaned over the counter and inhaled loudly, his black hair falling in his eyes.

        I giggled at his antics and put two pieces of the 'moldy pizza' on my plate.

        "I seriously don't know how you can eat this." he commented as he looked at the food.
        "Yeah, me neither. But you need to eat something."
        "Eating's overrated." Chase looked down and fiddled with the multiple bracelets on his arm.
         "Well too bad." I reached out and put an extra piece of pizza on my plate, since he obviously wasn't going to himself. I paid and started speed-walking to our table.
         He jogged to catch up. "You don't have to. Really."
         "I already did. Deal with it." I replied, plopping down in a seat.
         Hunter was already there.
         "Hey!" he smiled at me.
         "Hey." I said as Chase reached across to my plate and grabbed the piece on the top. He bit into it and made a disgusted face at me, no doubt trying to make me feel guilty for forcing him to eat it.

        I rolled my eyes at him. "By the way, your aunt hasn't talked to me about our next riding lesson yet. I don't know when it is to plan."

        Chase groaned. "I just got done telling you that I couldn't feel my legs, and you're already thinking about getting me back up there? Seriously? You have got to sort out your priorities." 

        "My priorities are sorted. Your aunt is a client, therefore she is a priority, making you a priority. Don't argue, just do it." I had only finished my first piece of pizza when Chase reached over and grabbed the last one off of my plate.  My plate. I tried slapping his hand away, but he was too quick. He took a big bite out of and started chewing with his mouth open, loudly, and right in my face. 

        "Not as bad as I thought." He admitted.

       "You suck. Now about that lesson..." My voice trailed off, waiting for him to answer.

       "Right, well, I was going to talk to you about that, but I never got around to it. My aunt and I are leaving town for a few weeks so I won't be able to have another lesson until I get back." He looked down and started fiddling with his bracelets again. He really had a lot on there, and they were almost all black.

      Hunter, who had been silent this whole time, started coughing. 

      I turned my head to look at him. His face wasn't red yet, so he probably wasn't choking. Most likely wasn't even life threatening. "Hey, Hunter. You good? Are you dying?" I asked. 

      He lifted a hand and waved my away, as his fit started to die down, "I'm...fine." he choked out. 

       I turned my head back to Chase. "How long? If I don't give you another lesson you will forget everything!" 

        "Well, you'll just reteach it. You're a good teacher." He reached across the table, going to tap me on the nose. Before he could though, I grabbed his finger and started bending it backwards. 

        "Want to try that again?" I asked him, with a smirk. 

        "Nope. I'm good." He grimaced. I let go and he clutched it to his chest as if it would fall off. "You're crazy, you know that?" 

        "Yup." I admitted, popping the 'p'. "So. When are you leaving?" 

       "Tomorrow." He finished his pizza and wiped his mouth on the hem of his shirt. The girls at the table next to us all sighed, most likely watching him lift his shirt up. He glanced toward them and winked. They all giggled and started whispering to each other.