I'd already forgotten what a New England winter felt like, apparently. Let me summarize it:
It's cold.
"Did you remember your gloves?"
"Yes, mom."
"And a scarf?"
"Yes, mom."
"And hand warmers?"
"Yes, mom."
My mother reaches out to pat my face and smiles. "I think that tropical paradise spoiled you. You're cold already."
I sigh. Maybe it did. I open the door and trek out into the snow. My old stable is across the street, but said street hasn't been plowed yet, so it might take some time.
"Good morning, Kyle!" shouts my neighbor from his mailbox. "Long time no see!"
I grin and wave. "Good morning, Mr. Lavin!"
I all but run into the warm, well-heated main barn. I give myself a minute to thaw, then set out down the aisle for the lesson horse row.
Because Prim and Sol are only staying for a couple of weeks, there wasn't enough room in the boarders' section for them. Doesn't matter to me where they are, as long as they're comfortable.
"Alright, Sol, you're next," I call, turning into the row. I stop short when I see an empty stall.
"Erin?" I reach out and stop the stablehand pushing a wheelbarrow out of the next stall over. Erin was new when I left for school, so I don't know her well. "Was Sol moved this morning?"
She shakes her head. "No, he was just in his stall. I can't imagine where he is."
My eyes widen. Frantically, I open my tack trunk. My bridle is where it usually is, but my saddle is gone. "Shit," I swear under my breath.
The stalls on either side blur as I sprint through the aisle. I skid around the corner and slide to a stop in front of the entrance to the indoor arena. I peer over the gate.
A horse that looks just like Sol prances nervously in the middle of the arena, rider on his back.
I see red. I slip under the gate as fast as I can, but not before Sol throws a few huge bucks and bolts across the dirt. His rider hauls in on the reins and digs her spurs into his sides. He throws up his head and stops, eyes rolling.
I march toward the pair, seething. Sol spots me and drags his rider to me.
I grab his reins. "Get. Off," I growl.
She looks down at me, a smirk on her face. "Oh, Kyle, is he yours?"
"Cameron."
She slides down and Sol skitters sideways, away from her.
"Explain."
"Well," Cameron grins. "I was only doing my job."
I'm breathing fire. Sol shoves his head into my shoulder and I gently rub his face.
"Dana asked me to exercise the lesson horses during my winter break, and in case you hadn't noticed, your horses are stabled in the lesson block. I simply assumed he was a new horse."
"You mean to say, you saw a horse you'd never seen before. And your first reaction, before asking Dana or Peter or Will about it, was to ride it?" I spit.
"I was only following directions," she says, crossing her arms.
Sol nudges me again and I notice the line of red foam at his mouth. I open his mouth and look inside. "You used what bit?!" I gently ease the bridle off and throw it at Cameron's feet.
"Your horse wasn't listening when I tacked him up. It was obvious he'd need some encouragement."
I wipe the blood away from Sol's poor mouth. "You're messed up." I unbuckle the girth and slide my saddle off him, carrying it to the gate and leaving it there.
"What are you doing?" she asks, following me back to Sol.
"Waiting for you to leave the ring so I can end this workout on a good note and then take this up with Dana." I tap Sol's knee and he kneels so I can climb on.
"I don't see why you're riding him tackless, Kyle," she complains, sliding under the gate. "That horse is crazy."
Sol relaxes his body and I guide him gently through the beginning of my warmup. By the time we're done, he's moving like a dream again.
"Dumb luck," she mutters. "Let me remind you, if I hadn't had a show with Kingsman on the day you rode Hershey, I would have been the one to ride in front of that scout, not you."
I send her a glare and point Sol toward the combination in the middle of the arena. He stops beside it and I dismount. Not breaking eye contact with Cameron, I raise the jumps from three feet to six.
I vault back onto Sol and canter away from the jump.
"Kyle," she sighs, "don't make a fool out of yourself just to prove to me your horse isn't batshit crazy."
I ignore her and approach the combo. Sol perks his ears up and gathers himself up before the first jump. With nothing separating my legs and his back, we fly. We don't jump, we leap. We don't land, we float. I don't smirk, I smile.
"I could have done that," she murmurs, eyes glued to my horse.
"No, Cameron, you couldn't have," rings a voice from behind her.
"Dana!" I call out, a grin on my face.
She smiles back. "Erin told me what happen at Sol's stall. I figured out what happened as soon as I saw Cam's bridle missing from the rack."
Cameron cast her eyes down, not daring to look up at the stable's owner.
Dana turns an icy glare to Cameron. "I apologize for her stupidity, Kyle. She'll apologize, too, won't you Cam?"
"I- I'm sorry, Kyle," Cam stutters, glaring at me the whole while. I raise an eyebrow.
"That said, Cameron, we have a long talk ahead of us, don't we?" Dana says cooly. "Meet me in my office." Cam all but runs.
"I really am sorry, Kyle," Dana apologizes. "I forgot how bitter that girl is around you. I should have seen something like this coming."
"But she didn't know Sol was mine," I say.
"Bullshit," she answers. "That girl, and everyone else in the horse world, follows the Kingston Equestrian blog religiously."
"Oh." I slide off Sol and lead him out of the arena. "I keep forgetting Kiera made that. She never told us, you know. I just found out last week."
"Kiera Benjamin?" Dana asks, in awe. She shakes her head. "You're already better connected than I ever will be, and you're only 18."
I grin. "Perks of the job."
"And you're going to tell me all about it," she grins. Her gaze darkens. "After I sort out the more immediate problem. If you'll excuse me, Kyle, I have a punishment to concoct. I wish I could kick her out, but her parents donate too much to the stable. Talk to you later?"
I nod and smile. I look to Sol and sigh at the cuts on his mouth and bruises on his side. "Let's get you feeling better, boy."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And that's how I almost strangled someone," I tell Opal, leaning back onto my pillows and staring into my laptop.
She winces. "Ugh. And you've had to deal with this girl for the past five years?"
I nod. "But all evil enemies aside, how are you? How was Christmas?"
She brightens. "It was wonderful! My parents and I hung out for most of the day in the kitchen with hot chocolate and cookies, then went for a ride on a few of the retired eventers. We had a blast! How was yours?"
"Busy," I laugh. "There was Mom and Dad, all five siblings, two fiancees, one set of grandparents, and my aunt and uncle crammed in one house."
She giggles. "I can only imagine. I only met your family a few times, but they seemed... lively."
I roll my eyes. "Too much so."
"Hey, compared to my family, I bet yours is a party," she says. "Mine is too serious."
"At least I got some good stuff," I smirk. "Sol is gonna outshine Whisper by a landslide at our next group practice. Elaine made me some very sparkly red white and blue ribbons in art class, and Sarah picked out matching glitter hoof polish."
"Oh, consider me warned," Opal grins. "I'll have to up my pretty game. And speaking of games, my parents bought me special clippers for clipart. We're gonna have a little competition, the four of us, when we get back."
I groan. "You know I suck at art, Opal."
She smirks. "That's why I insist."
"Thanks, what a friend you are," I say, wrinkling my nose. "You know this means I get to challenge you to a snowball fight behind the ice rink."
"There's an ice rink?" she asks.
I nod. "Oh yeah. Kiera told me there's one on the other side of the island for recreational use."
"Yet another example of just how much free time I have," she says, rolling her eyes. A voice calls from her side, muffled by the connection. "I have to go, Kyle. See you soon?"
"See you soon," I smile, breaking the connection and shutting the laptop.
I smile. I can't actually believe I'm thinking this, but for once in my life, I can't wait to go back to school.
Hey guys!
This chapter was wicked hard to write... Ugh. Writer's block.
Anyways, this is not the last you'll see of Cam, so worry not. Next chapter, we'll be back at Kingston, and if I'm feeling generous, I might include some of that snowball fight scene. Maybe.
So, I have the rest of this book planned out: 11 more chapters! Anyways, I have the basic plan for book two! It's called Kingston Preparatory for the Trustworthy, and its from... *drumroll*... Opal's perspective! It will be centered around sophomore year, and this is my cover design:
Enjoy!
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