One Stride Away

Chapter 7: Impressions

In the morning I wake up way before my alarm. My very first thought is Olympia, how is she settling in? I scramble out of bed as quietly and quickly as possible, before opening our dorm room door and tip toeing to the bathroom. Unsurprisingly, no one else is awake yet, making the hallways silent and almost eerie.

I go through a quick morning routine, pull on a pair of black yoga pants and a white nike t-shirt, slip my hair into a ponytail and then head out of the building. The faint sunlight peeks through the trees and showers my face in warmth.

My feet lead me towards the barn. It's not even ten past six yet and no one is there, not even the grooms. I bet they won't arrive till six thirty or seven to give the horses their feed. Some of the horses are still sleeping, only one or two stick their majestic heads out into the aisle, snorting at the sound of my silent footsteps. I make a mental note to tell the grooms that I want Olympia on full care to myself. She's my horse after all, and I should be the one doing the work. 

"Good morning my superstar." I whisper. Olympia perks up at my voice and nuzzles my hand. I smile.

"I'm going to go on a run, ok? I'll see you later." I give her a kiss and her ears flick with understanding.

"Bye."

I break into a jog outside the barn as I navigate the paths toward a forest. My ponytail bounces around behind me, swaying from side to side as I increase my pace.

My hands match the movement of my legs and I start to control my breathing. I can already feel my muscles relax and I take a large gulp of the outside air. I enter a narrow trail, leading into the woods and increase the pace yet again. A breeze blows into my face. It's crisp and feels fresh against my skin.

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Half an hour later I am back at the dorm, sweaty but relaxed and more than ready for the day. I hop in the shower and then hurry back to my room. Leah is up. Finally.

"Where were you? I was kind of worried." She remarks as I search for a polo shirt from my closet.

"Just went for a run," I reply pulling out a maroon polo and fawn coloured breeches. I use the closet door to cover myself as I switch into the clothes. My hair is still a bit tangled from the shower but I ignore this, pulling it into a low ponytail anyway. It's not like we're here here on a fashion show.

At breakfast I take that thought back. Sienna walks into the room wearing a coat of mascara and lipgloss. Are you kidding me? Who's going to wear makeup to horse riding? I can't help but roll my eyes as Hannah follows in with her expensive ariat boots, beige breeches and grey t-shirt. Some of us must think this is a fashion show after all.

Sienna glances in my direction, her eyes skimming over my table. It's easy to see that her gaze is nothing but judgemental. I ignore her, turning my full attention to the people around me. Five girls sit around our table, Cilia, Rosie, Leah, Julie and I. I notice Cilia roll her eyes at Sienna and I catch her eye for a minute. We give each other knowing smiles and keep listening to Julie as she chatters on about her annoying little brother.

"And then he took my nail polish collection and dropped it on the floor. It was like a sad rainbow of wasted money, lying on the new white carpet!"

Rosie, Julie's dorm mate laughs her head off. So much so that Leah can't help but join in, clutching her stomach. Julie fake puts her lips, while clearly holding back a giggle. I keep eating my toast, pondering why anyone would want to have a nail polish collection.

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Our first lesson starts at nine. Am I nervous? Heck yeah I am. I take my time getting Olympia ready. Her maroon saddle pad matches my shirt. I buckle the helmet underneath my chin and adjust the straps. I triple check the tack and brush a couple pieces of saw dust away from my beeches.