The yard was busy that morning, the weather was good, and the sun was making the temperature rise slowly. Harper and Zoe had already completed their morning chores and Zoe had already gone to train on her own. As it had been a week and a half since Robin had jumped and James wanted to see what they could do.
Harper had just finished tacking Robin up with a new ice blue saddle pad that she had purchased recently. She was just ready to lead him out into the arena when Mia decided that she would make another speech that she had become fond of doing.
She walked out into the world and leant against Robin's stable door after she locked it. Mia looked absolutely furious.
"As of this moment, no one, absolutely no one, is to be caught cavorting with anyone from Holloway." Mia crossed her arms harshly, and then looked over to a very shocked Harper, "that does apply to a certain traitor, whose name I can't even bare to speak."
Becky spoke up in a monotone voice, "she means Pin."
Harper and Ted exchanged glances, Ted was a kind man and Harper knew that he gave Pin his blessing to go to Holloway. It was possible that Mia might start to be crueller to Ted due to this fact.
Mia went to turn away, but Susie stopped her, "uh Mia? Where does this leave me and Callum?"
Harper went to stand next to Susie, mostly for moral support as it was rare for Susie to stand up against Mia. Also, because she was in the exact same situation.
"You know I'd never tell you what to do Susie," Mia said which made Susie look relieved, but she carried on, "but you have to choose, it's Brightfields or Callum."
Susie started to stumble over her words, so Harper cut in for her, "Mia that's completely unfair!"
Mia scoffed, "well then, you two are just going to have to call it quits with your Holloway flings." She then turned on her heel and stalked away from them.
"She can't make us do that!" Harper groaned.
"Harper, I don't think we have a choice." Susie spoke reluctantly.
She sighed and ran her hand through her hair, Harper had chosen to leave it down today and it rested on the middle of her back. "Do what you want, I'm going to train and head to Holloway."
Susie said goodbye quickly and ran after Mia.
Harper grabbed her hat, tied her hair back with a scrunchie and led Robin towards the arena. James was already waiting inside the arena with some jumps set up. Harper jumped onto Robin's back quickly and started to warm up.
"You have a very beautiful horse." James commented as he walked around the arena with them, "Let me guess. American quarter horse? Obviously with a black undercoat and he's quite tall for a quarter horse."
Harper pushed him up into a trot, "I found out about his breeding when his old owner showed up. He's a pure quarter horse from a racing line and he was bred to be quite tall, selective breeding and all that."
James whistled under his breath, "any idea of who his sire is, or dam?"
"His sire was Champion Elysian." Harper said before she cantered around the arena on both reins.
They had a conversation about how long it had been since they had jumped, and James set the heights to warm up heights. Robin popped over them with ease as Harper worked him in a consistent rhythm. Slowly, they worked into more complex courses with turning on corners and jumping at angles.
"Your training is high; Robin's is even higher. You didn't learn to ride here or train him, here did you?"
Harper let Robin walk around the arena as they spoke, "No, I learned at the Watford Academy on the mainland."
James's eyebrows rose involuntarily, "that's impressive, people from there usually go to the British Eventing team."
Harper laughed, "not at my level, we've won junior nationals though."
"Good session today, you and Robin are a very good pair." James patted Robin on the shoulder.
Harper thanked him with a smile and headed toward the gate, still mounted on Robin's back. She headed into the fields that led towards Holloway, she walked him most of the way and enjoyed the scenery of the island. It was beautiful in the summer and it would likely be just as beautiful in the winter with a blanket of snow. Robin loved to roll around in the snow, as they got a fair amount in the winter where they used to live.
After around twenty minutes, the first sign for Holloway appeared. She walked Robin over to where she had tied him up last time, she left her hat and scrunchie on the fence post as she probably wouldn't be gone long.
Harper walked under the arch way that led into the very, very fancy yard. There were a few people walking around with what seemed to be their grooms. She looked around for a moment before she spotted Gabby and Pin walking out of what was most likely the tack room.
"Hey Pin," Harper called when she caught Pin's eye, "can I grab you for a while?"
Pin smiled and walked towards her, "I'm free for the rest of the afternoon, I'm all yours."
"Grab your hat, I've got Robin."
Pin nodded and went to grab his hat, which left Harper with Gabby.
Gabby turned towards her, she was a few inches shorter than Harper, "So you're the Harper that Pin never shuts up about, it's nice to properly meet you this time. I'm Gabby." Harper shook her outstretched hand.
"Thank you for looking out for Pin here, makes me happy that he has a friend."
"It's no problem, he's pretty cool." Gabby shifted her weight on her feet, "I just worry that he might forget about what he did before he came here."
Harper's smile iced over slightly, "What do you mean?"
"I don't mean it harshly, just I returned some of his Brightfields stuff earlier." Gabby commented as she looked behind her, "just hope he doesn't try and forget you."
Before Harper could form a reply, Pin walked back over to the two girls and laced his fingers with Harpers. She stood there silently for a few moments as Pin said goodbye to Gabby and led Harper away from the yard.
She was shaken from her thoughts when Pin squeezed her hand gently, Harper had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realised that Pin had said something to her. There weren't nice images that were being created in her head.
Pin rolled her eyes, "I was just asking what you and Gabby were talking about. You didn't look very happy when I came over."
"Oh." Harper said before she hopped onto Robin's back, after she put her hat on, using the wall that Robin was tied next to. "She really wasn't the nicest to me."
Pin's arms wrapped around her waist after he hopped onto Robin's back, he had left his jacket at Holloway and was just wearing one of his undershirts, "what did she say?"
Harper encouraged Robin into a walk and set them down the path, "she said that you were going to forget all about me and Brightfields. It's a bit stupid but..."
He squeezed her a little tighter, "I just gave back a couple of old feed logs and vet books, she's just trying to get into your head."
Pin rested his head on her shoulder and gave her cheek a quick peck, "I'll talk to her, and you know that I will never, ever forget you."
Harper hummed contently and allowed Robin to mostly walk to wherever he would like. They took a trail down the woods and were heading in the general direction of the stables when Harper felt her phone go off against her skin.
She brought Robin into a halt and pulled her phone out of the waistband of her leggings, "that's odd, Susie hardly ever calls me."
Harper brought the phone to her ear under her helmet, "hey Susie, what's up?"
"Would you happen to be with Pin right now?" Susie skipped the greeting and headed straight to the point.
"Uh, yeah I'm with him." Harper glanced back at a confused Pin, "why?"
Susie sounded exited through the grainy phone, "Mia's letting us have a beach party and I'm inviting Holloway."
"Mia is letting them come?"
"Oh no!" Susie laughed, "she has no idea, and she can't say much as they're already on their way! We're down by Bracker's Cove, think you two can get here soon."
Harper thought it over, she would need to put Robin back into his stable and likely grab a warmer jacket, and Pin would have to change from Holloway uniform, "okay, we'll be there in around a half hour? I'll just need to sort Robin."
"Okay." Susie chirped happily, "don't bother bringing everything, we don't need anything more."
Harper agreed and put her phone back into her waistband and started walking Robin back towards the stables.
"What was all that about?" Pin questioned as the stables came into view, "what did you sign us up for now?"
Harper laughed and threatened to push Pin off of Elvis, "Susie organised a beach party for both Brightfields and Holloway. We'll have to be quick."
"I'm going to just see Mia's face; oh, I can't wait."
The couple quickly sorted Robin out and rugged him before they made their way to Harper's house. Pin slept over often enough that he had a change of clothes in one of Harper's draws just for one of these occasions.
Pin went to change in the bathroom while Harper pulled on a loose dress shirt with black and white flowers upon it. She left it undone and had a tight black shirt underneath that showed off her collarbones and her white bra was visible across her collar bones and wrapped around her neck. As she was coming through her hair, Pin came out of the bathroom and placed his uniform onto the small stool by Harper's bed.
He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, "you look nice, think you'll be warm enough?"
"I'll take an extra jacket just in case, but I've got a little radiator in the form of you." Harper giggled as Pin tickled her sides in punishment for her comment.
Pin twisted her around and leant down to press their lips gently together, Harper wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to tame her smile down. The hands on her waist provided warmth even through her layers of clothing, they got too into it before Harper pushed him away with a slight huff.
Pin pouted slightly, Harper laughed at him, "If we don't stop here, we'll never make it on time. Come on, lover boy."
The two of them walked down the lane to the beach hand in hand and they, surprisingly, arrived not too long after Holloway did. Mia started to kick up even more of a fuss when they turned the corner together. Susie and Callum somehow managed to calm her down and convince her that it was a good idea.
Everyone settled into a circle around the bonfire, Pin went to grab them both a drink while Harper went to sit next to Becky and Jade. Harper was directly between the two teams so that her and Pin were separated but also together. A tall cup with a pink drink inside was placed into Harper's hand from Pin's, she smiled as he pulled her between her legs.
The warmth from Pin's front kept Harper warm as she sipped the drink, there was a low amount in alcohol that would take a while to give a kick. There was a low amount of chatter around the bonfire before someone from Holloway spoke up, "we should play a party game."
A few suggestions were tossed out before the party settled on never have I ever, Gabby took it upon herself to set out the rules, "no kiddy questions, everyone here is at least sixteen-ish and some are eighteen. Juicy stuff questions, take a drink each time."
"Say something you haven't done, if you've done it take a drink. I'll start, never have I ever... flashed someone."
People watched on in amusement as people around the circle took a drink, mostly people from Holloway but a few from Brightfields.
"Me next!" A girl from Holloway piped up, "never have I ever snuck into a club."
A majority of Holloway took a drink and a fair amount of Brightfield's people too, along with Zoe and Harper.
Pin leaned over her shoulder and whispered to her, "you snuck into a club?"
"Yeah, it was my friend, Daniel's, birthday and he wanted to go clubbing but we were just a few months too young for where he wanted to go." Harper explained before she turned her attention back to the game.
"Never have I ever tried skinny dipping."
"Never have I ever table danced."
"Never have I ever been kicked out of a bar."
"Never have I ever stuck gum under a desk."
There were some weak ones thrown between the really raunchy ones, Harper and Pin had fuller drinks than some of the other kids. Pin's arm was a comforting weight around her waist.
Jade stumbled slightly to think of one, "never have I ever bought myself a happy meal."
There were some strange looks thrown at her, but Zoe promptly glared at anyone that would dare to make any comment about it. Everybody took a drink apart from Alex.
Slowly, everybody ran out of ideas and the game shifted into truth or dare. There were some mischievous giggles around the circle as everyone started to think of questions in advance, Harper had a few fairly weak ones up her sleeve; she would leave the insane ones to the Holloway kids.
"Pin, truth or dare?" Callum asked Pin a few rounds into the game, he had just been dared to have a shot of saltwater.
"Truth." Pin answered shortly before he took another sip of his drink, there was a low thrum of the alcohol in his system now.
Callum smirked, clearly with something to ask, "have you and Harper even past first base yet?"
"Yeah." Pin stated bluntly and tightened his grip around a slightly flushed Harper.
"With the look on her face, I don't believe it." Callum scoffed with an irritating smile across his face that Harper would love to just slap off of him one day.
There was a rise in the noise as everybody moved to look at Harper, who simply retreated further into Pin's embrace. He nuzzled into her slightly as comfort, if it wasn't for riding, Harper hated being the upmost centre of attention.
"Prove it then," Callum started again, "unless you're too much for a wimp?"
Harper moved back into a more comfortable persona, "do you just want to see us make out to add it to your wank bank? Is someone struggling to get off?"
The crowd laughed and snorted as Callum floundered for a comeback that would be strong enough. Served him right.
Pin asked Becky, who answered that her biggest fear was ghost pony. Everyone glanced around the circle with odd looks on their face but stopped when they saw the daggers everyone from Brightfields was sending out.
The game circled around before it made its way back to Harper. The girl from the jousting competition, Eliza, was the one to ask her, "Harper, truth or dare?"
Harper thought for a moment, "go on, I'll do a dare then."
Eliza smirked and immediately spoke her dare, "put an ice cube from your mouth into Pin's." She moved to go and grab the ice cooler.
Pin leant over to her, "you okay with this?"
"Yeah, you?" Harper asked.
"Yeah, surprised the Callum didn't dare this honestly." Pin was about to say more but Eliza came back with the ice.
Eliza placed it in front of them and let Harper take out an ice cube, Harper held it in her hand and turned to Callum, "try not to picture this when you next wank."
Someone snorted and told them to stop stalling for time.
Harper put the ice cube into her mouth and let it melt on her tongue for a moment before she turned and pressed her lips to Pin's. She rested them there for a moment before she coaxed Pin's mouth open and their tongues met, Harper tilted her head slightly before she let the ice cube fall into Pin's mouth. Pin's thumbs were rubbing comforting circles into Harper's hip bones as he could tell that she was quickly becoming very uncomfortable.
The couple pulled away and Pin let Harper shrink into his embrace, when the group demanded to see the ice cube Pin put the now smaller ice cube between his teeth. Harper was now sat sideways with her legs slung over one of Pin's, Pin was comforting her as the attention made her shrink into herself a little.
"Susie, truth or dare?" Harper asked from Pin's embrace, the group had almost forgotten about her and Pin now as someone in Holloway had nearly fought one of their teammates.
Susie hesitated for a long moment before she chose dare.
Harper struggled to think of a dare for a moment before she spoke out, "let Callum send a text to anyone in your contacts, except for himself." It was a lazy dare, but Harper couldn't think of anything else.
"I can say whatever I like?" Callum sounded almost too smug about this fact as he grabbed Susie's phone from her hand, "delete it after as well?"
"Sure," Harper smirked, "whatever you want." She watched on in amusement as Susie tried to lean over to see what he was typing and who he was sending it to.
The game carried on for another half hour before everyone got a little bored and split off into separate groups. Some couples went off down the beach to presumably have a snog, while others moved closer to the fire as the chill of the evening was starting to move in. Some slightly crazier people even went swimming, ignoring the coldness of the sea.
When Pin went to go and talk to some of the Holloway team, Harper's body got slightly cold from where they were no longer pressed together. The absence of warmth on her waist was particularly noticeable. Harper brushed it off and moved closer towards Becky and Jade. Becky was rambling on about the islands, pirate, smugglers and about how the tunnels were theoretically close by.
After a few minutes of talking, Becky eventually convinced Jade and Harper to go and look for the tunnels with her. To indulge her and get away from the, now, frankly, boring party; the two girls agreed, and the trio set off up the sand dunes. Harper left her drink dug into the sand slightly.
"We'd be famous if we sound the smugglers tunnels!" Becky exclaimed as the trio wove between the trees, "or the treasure, that'd be so great! It's said tha- "
Becky stopped in her tracks and Jade bumped into her. Harper moved to the side to avoid bumping into the pair and looked over their shoulders.
Jade regained her voice first with the scene in front of them, "Isn't that Callum? With Mia?" The three girls were shocked as they saw that Mia and Callum were kissing, Mia was Susie's best friend, surely, they wouldn't do that to her. Surely.
"Oh. My. God." Harper started to walk backwards as Jade and Becky followed closely behind her. Unbeknownst to them, as soon as they lost sight of Callum and Mia, Mia swiftly slapped him and screamed blue murder at him.
The three of them hurried back to where the rest of the group was assembled around the campfire, their fears were confirmed when they saw that Susie was sat alone without Mia or Callum. Becky started to move towards Susie, most likely to tell her all about what they saw.
Jade grabbed Becky's hand to stop her, "we weren't there, we didn't see a thing."
"Well we clearly did!" Becky exclaimed, "we have to tell Susie."
"Maybe it's part of the game?" Jade grasped at straws, "Susie is Mia's best friend, I'm sure she wouldn't do that to her."
Harper spoke up, "maybe she would? She did want for them to break up so maybe she's doing it herself? This is Mia we're talking about."
Becky started to get angry at Jade for trying to hide what they had seen, "why are you so desperate not to tell her? It's what's right!"
"Guys, calm down." Harper physically stepped between the two friends, "we have to tell Susie, but it's likely not best to tell her now, we'll tell her once she leaves Callum's side." Harper gestured over to where Susie was rested back under Callum's arm.
"No!" Jade raised her voice, "we can't tell her at all!"
"If being on the team means keeping Mia's dirty secrets, Jade, then I'm glad I didn't make the cut!" Becky grabbed Harper's wrist and stormed back over to where they were sat earlier, where Harper's drink was still dug into the sand.
After a moment of hesitation, Jade came over and sat a fair distance away from them. The air surrounding them was awkward, but they tried to focus on the game of truth or dare that somebody had restarted while they were gone.
"Becky." Zoe turned to them, "truth or dare?"
"Truth!" Becky answered truly, she was too afraid to do a dare.
"What's your biggest secret?"
Now, a few hours ago this would have been a completely different answer but now after what they had seen, the answer could cause a lot more trouble.
"Actually, I do have a secret." Becky started, she ignored Jade who was frantically trying to get her to stop, "It's about kissing actually, my biggest secret is that- "
Jade cut in frantically, "you've never kissed anyone! Right?"
Becky's face fell as fast as rain from the clouds, some people around the circle started to laugh and Harper shot glares at people until they stopped. Becky chose then to stop playing and Harper moved closer to her on the rocks and directed her glare to Jade. That was completely uncalled for and was downright betrayal as Becky was sensitive on that subject.
"If Becky won't ask Pin a question, then I will." Mia spoke up from opposite the circle, "do you think you're a better rider than everyone at Brightfields?"
Harper's eyes moved unconsciously to Pin's, she felt Becky squeeze her hand in comfort. This would not go well. She had heard through the grape vine that Pin had become much more arrogant since he joined Holloway, but he hadn't shown that side to Harper and she was wondering if it was even true at all.
"Oooh! That's a very good question." Gabby sounded smug, almost as if she could predict the outcome that Harper dreaded to hear the most.
All gazes landed upon Pin, who was staring intently down to the floor, "I'm not answering that."
"So that's a yes." Mia stated bluntly, as if she was speaking what everyone around the circle was thinking.
Zoe joined in on the conversation, "Pin still hasn't answered the question."
"Just say it," Callum said with that annoying smirk plastered across his face, "we all know your answer anyway."
Pin's gaze travelled from the ground up to Harper's face, "yes. I do think I'm a better rider." A pang of hurt reverberated in Harper's chest and tugged at her heart and Harper forced herself to look away from Pin's piercing gaze. Pin was a truly good rider, but it was the way that he said it, as if it was absolute fact and nobody else's feelings mattered at all in this statement.
Harper's hair fell into her eyes as she looked down at the floor, she felt Becky squeeze her hand once again in comfort. Everyone around the circle was looking towards Harper who was slowly shrinking into herself. It was almost like whiplash, the way that the couple had changed from being joined at the hip and clingy to being separated across a circle and harsh words being directed at one from the other. The shift was drastic.
Eventually, Harper rose from behind her hair and zoned back into the conversation. She gripped her loose shirt tighter around herself, almost as if it was a shield against what was going on in the moment. Becky was holding her hand constantly now, neither of the girls were in a good mood anymore; they just wanted to go home.
"I challenge Holloway to a race!" Mia stood up, "well this is a game of truth or dare, isn't it?" Holloway predictably chose Pin and Brightfields all looked towards Harper but chose Zoe to race instead, just to see that she could beat Pin at nationals to keep Raven.
Zoe and Pin collected their horses and made their way back to the group. Everyone apart from Callum watched up from the rocks where they could get a good view of the whole racecourse that had been decided. After indication from Callum, the two of them pushed their horses into a gallop. The group watched as they ran around Racker's Cove and came back around the corner into the direct eye view of the group.
When Harper looked closer to Zoe, who was overtaking Pin on a random horse that was not Elvis, she saw that she had a stick and was using it to encourage Raven. It worked, as Zoe won the race, but the group watched as Raven veered harshly and Zoe landed in the sand.
"He's terrified of the whip, what is she thinking?" Harper muttered to herself as she took off in a run towards where Zoe had landed in the sand. Harper landed on her knees and saw that Zoe was attempting to get up.
"No, no, no. Stay lying down, catch your breath, you're winded. Does anything hurt?" Harper questioned as she pushed Zoe gently back into the sand.
Zoe fought out her answer through her lack of breath, "my ankle hurts a little but it's alright."
While Harper soothed Zoe, Raven was bolting down the beach away from the group. Zoe had done a real number on him; she had done something really stupid and Harper was still slightly angry at her.
Once Zoe caught her breath, Harper helped her to sit up and she checked if there was any pain in her ribs that was caused by her sitting up. Pin had already left with Gabby to get Raven back, with the horse that Harper had learned to be Jet.
"Anything else hurt?" Harper asked again, just to be safe, as she helped Zoe onto her feet.
"No, I'm fine." Zoe hesitated, "but Raven..."
Everyone retreated back to the now extinguished fire and packed everything up. The two stables went their separate ways as the sun set over the water, painting everything in a multitude of colours.
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[UNEDITED]
So! I decided to add basically what the show suggested with the pink drinks. It just adds a little more reality to it? Most of the characters are 15, 16, 17 and 18.
Added an extra 1000 words in edtiting wow, and here I was worried that I wouldn't have put enough words in as extra. If there are any mistakes I apologize as I'm only half paying attention at what I'm writing.
Anyways, Harper and Pin are having some problems ooohhh. I was thinking about the best way to cause a rift between them without the whole cheating story line. Which I'm really, really not fond of.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!
- Angelica