Songbird

Chapter 4

I woke up the next day to Flynn shaking me. I jumped.
"What are you doing in my bedroom?" I asked. He rolled his eyes and grabbed my jockey uniform. I frowned and yawned. "Oh, right," I muttered. He slipped out of the room while I put on the clothes. Kona joined us as we ran downstairs. It was still dark out and Aunt Lily tossed us a bunch of paper bags. We bolted outside and into the barn. Flynn's friend Ricky, Bruno, and Brady were waiting for us in the barn. Flynn and I handed out the paper bags. We each got an apple, granola bars, yogurt, toast, and a breakfast burrito with bacon, eggs, rice, and beans. We wolfed the food down. Songbird, Hoodwinked, Cloud Dancer, Romeo, Dublin, Airborne, Dreamer, Believer, and Kona's horse Dream Catcher were ready to go.
"Delaney Belle Monroe, right?" Ricky asked.
"Yessir, but I mostly go by Leela," I replied and shook his hand.
"I'll stick with Delaney. Alright, let's start with three laps, not at top speed. All of you. You all are going to have to go twice," Ricky ordered. I led out Romeo, Songbird, and Hoodwinked, while Flynn led out his horse. Kona, Bruno, and Brady did the same with their horses. We put the horses in a small pasture, but they were tacked up and tied to a post. Once we finished exercising them, I hopped on Songbird and Flynn got on Cloud Dancer. Kona led me to the dirt walking ring and Brady led Flynn. We walked around it twice and were led to the starting gate. The gates flew open and Songbird and Cloud Dancer flew out. Songbird started to gain speed. We were right on Flynn and Cloud Dancer's tail. I steered my horse to the right, but Flynn knew my moves. He blocked me effortlessly. I though of the song that always appeared in my mind when I was racing. I started to hum it quietly. Songbird's ears pricked up. She pushed forward, past Flynn, and we kept going at top speed. Songbird's speed kept gaining as I hummed. We crossed the finish line together first. Ricky started to clap. I was still in shock.
"Leela, are you giving that horse pills or something?" Flynn asked, dead serious.
"No, god, Flynn!" I replied angrily.
"How did you get her to push forward?" Flynn questioned me.
"I-I sang to her," I murmured couldn't believing the answer. Ricky nodded in approval, as if it didn't surprise him at all.
"Delaney, let's work on your form," Ricky suggested. I nodded and handed Arielle Songbird and got Hoodwinked. Bruno opened a gate and closed it after Hoodwinked and me. I started her out with a half gallop. "Stay right behind her neck and keep only your head slightly above Hoodwink's to see!" Ricky hollered. I did exactly what Ricky said and Hoodwinked picked up speed. "Turn your feet forward and don't sit down!" Ricky shouted. I wasn't sitting down at all, but I did turn my feet forward. Again, Hoodwinked gained some speed. Hoodwinked, unlike, Songbird, was a distance horse. She wasn't nearly as fast as Songbird and she wasn't a purebred thoroughbred. She was half Latvian. She was perfect for working on my form because she was fast, a thoroughbred, and could go long distances. Ricky decided that was enough and wanted to share some facts about the three races. I put Hoodwinked in the stall. Aunt Lily brought us club sandwiches for lunch. Ricky went over the facts while the rest of us ate. "The Kentucky Derby is one lap race that is one and one forth miles. It's held on the first Saturday of May. The purse is two million and there are five winners. They always play 'My Old Kentucky Home' before the race. A filly has to be three-years-old and one hundred twenty one pounds. If you win you get 554 roses dropped on you in a blanket form. The race track is left-handed and dirt. It's located in Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky. It's about an hour from here. We're in January. That means we need to train every single day from February, Match, and April. So we don't have much time. Just for practice and to raise money to pay to compete in the races, you are going to do some small races as well. I want to to get at the most, two minutes and ten seconds. If you reach that, we're going to try get Songbird's time down. Also, I want you all to know the rules of the Kentucky Derby," Ricky ordered. I was going to get those roses even if it took me my entire life. Those roses were going to be mine. I got on Songbird and we entered the starting gates. Ricky had his timer. On our track, one and a half miles was three laps. The gates flew open and Songbird bolted out. She kept picking up speed and the song came to my head. I started to hum it. Songbird pushed forward and went all out. We crossed the finish line faster than I expected. Ricky's face was grim. He showed me the timer. Two minutes and twenty-six seconds. I wanted to scream and throw a tantrum, but I didn't dare waste a minute of practice.
"How are we going to get her speed down?" I asked.
"We run her three times everyday even if she's already done a race," Ricky replied. I nodded. I got out a lighter saddle so she wouldn't have as much weight and fed her an energy mash. She was three and would turn four in December. Flynn, Ricky, Kona, and I drove to town. We entered a horse tack shop. I found bandages, lighter blankets, goggles, lighter horseshoes, and other equipment. We bought the tack and sped back home. My next race was this Saturday. Two days from today. I put the bandages on Songbird's legs and we worked on my form some more. Ricky stayed for dinner which was fried chicken. After dinner we took Songbird out again and we got in the starting gate. Once it opened Songbird bolted. She was going all out for all three laps it seemed. On the second I started to hum and she pushed harder. Every time my humming went louder she galloped faster. We crossed the finish line with me almost belting out the song.
"Leela, why don't you try to sing the song, not humming it," Flynn suggested. I nodded and Kona helped me take care of Songbird. I locked her in her stall and locked the barn doors afterward. Ian was leaning on the side of barn. Flynn, Kona, and I hadn't even noticed him. Ricky was staying in the barn.
"So, Kaelyn, Delaney Belle, Flynn, what were you doing all this time out here. Training for a huge race?" Ian asked suspiciously. Flynn, Kona, and I jumped and then Kona and I winced.
"What?! Ian, are you crazy? We were just training and running for fun!" I laughed.
"With Ricky Comrads. Flynn, you have any words," Ian turned to Flynn.
"He was in town and wanted to participate, that's all," Flynn replied coldly. Ian eyed us as we walked back to my house. I sighed in relief when we closed the door behind us. My room had posters of famous horses everywhere and Songbird. My bed was the color of my jockey uniform. The walls were a lighter shade of blue. I had a greyish white carpet. I had lightly horse plushies in the of my bed and my pillows had running horses all over it. That went for my blanket also.

QOTC
What's your favorite food?

This might take a while: Chicken Gumbo(my mother only makes that kind. I've never tasted the seafood type), shrimp Po-boys, Red Beans and Rice, Pat Thai, Chow Mien, Sushi, Beignets, steak, buttered popcorn, Wedge Salad, Caesar salad, In n Out burgers (hallelujah), bacon, and seafood.

A/N
THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH GUYS FOR ALL THE READS!!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS TO DEATH!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!