Strides || Truth or Lie

|15|

Noah glanced at me, confused.

"I actually have to go now." I lied, looking at my watch. "I gotta call my parents."

I pulled on Summer's left rein and squeezed her into a gallop. She sped forwards and came face to face with a log wall.

"Veronica!" Noah called after me.

I ignored him and kicked Summer. With my encouragement, she jumped over the creek in front of us, which had a log wall right behind it.

We galloped across the field, the wind howling in my ears. Something hit my back, cold dripping off. I looked back to see that Noah had thrown a snowball at me. I wiped the snow away, then shook my head at him. Summer picked up a gallop again, and we cleared the field and came up to the barn.

"Dean!" I called out.

"Yes?" She popped out from the tack room.

"Can you put Summer away?" I asked, glancing behind myself. Noah would be here soon.

"Of course!" Dean said happily. I handed her Summer's reins, then sprinted out the back exit of the barn.

"Nikolette!" I yelled when I saw her.

She pulled over on the golf cart. "Can you give me a ride to the dorm?"

"Sure! Hop on." I sat in the cart. "What's wrong?"

"Noah asked me to go on a date with him to see me compete over Christmas break." I said breathlessly.

"Oh..." She let out a sigh. "Perhaps you should tell him. He likes you for who you are".

"I can't." I shook my head and hopped out when she pulled up.

I sprinted to the fourth floor and ran into my room.

Well. I tried to. Brooke stopped me. "What. Are. You. Doing?"

"Running away," I replied, trying to go past her.

"No, really."

I decided there wasn't a point in hiding it. "Noah wants to take me on a date to Liverpool over Christmas break, but that's when I am competing. And he wants to see Veronica Ross compete. I'm so screwed." I sighed, twirling my hair.

Brooke let out a long breath. "Just tell him. And tell Grace and Ava."

"Tell us what?" Grace asked, coming into the dorm. Ava walked next to her.

I glanced at Brooke. She nodded.

I turned back to Grace and Ava.

"I wanted to tell you guys that-" I was interrupted by Grace.

"Do I need to finish my homework?" Grace asked. "Thanks Vonnie! I forgot!" She danced into her room.

"What was it?" Ava asked.

"I'm not Veronica Taylor," I admitted.

"Then who are you?"

"Veronica Ross." I

She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. She showed it to me.

It was a picture of my olympic competition last summer. I was jumping Arrow over the huge water jump, the last one of the course. Arrow's face completely matched mine. We were free and happy. Although my face was blurry, if you squinted, you could see the resemblance.

"That's me." My voice cracked.

"I know." Ava said, her eyes shiny.

My lip quivered. "I'm so sorry."