The grandfather clock in the clubhouse's family room strikes seven o'clock. After dinner, the boys had tackled their way to where they sleep which is not actually in the clubhouse but in an old tack room that has been re-done into a large room with four different sleeping areas.
Alex had slinked up to his room and Sarah, Lily, Katy, Ella and I are now sprawled out on couches in the family room, watching old movies. The four girls and I had just unpacked my suitcase and decorated my part of I's and Lily's room in between laughs and stories.
"I can't believe I'm tired and It's not even eight," groans Ella, playing with the tassels on a decorative pillow.
"You're weak, Ella," Lily says. "I mean it's summer. Most people are out partying or on a beach somewhere."
"Sorry Maddie has a thousand things to carry," Katy laughs.
I sit upright. "What?! I didn't pack that much stuff and I thought you liked hanging up my pictures."
Katy sighs and slips off the couch onto Lily. "Sadly I did."
"Do you mind?" demands Lily, pushing Katy off her.
Sarah laughs from her spot on the couch next to me. "No, no she doesn't."
Sarah has become more open with me as the night goes on but is still quite shy. She did braid my hair so it matched hers which was nice. I hardly do anything with my hair since I don't know how to braid-a fact that shocked Sarah.
Lily laughs and gets up from her spot on the ground. She grabs her glass of water with Aliens playing on the huge tv behind her.
"Ok, ok whatever. We just hope Maddie that you have fun competing with us and suffer with us as you start your online school journey," Lily smiles, holding up her glass.
The girls cheers me and a warm sensation fills me. I haven't felt this much love in a while. I might finally have a true family.
"Wait, is online school hard?" I ask, putting my own cup down.
Ella puts a hand on my shoulder while everyone else laughs. "It isn't for you, you're only in Year Nine!"
"Oh, I apologize you are in Year Eleven," I joke.
A pillow flies into my face coming straight from Lily. "You don't know how lucky you are."
I find myself in another round of laughs with these new girls. Lily sits down next to me and turns the tv's volume up. I have this strange feeling about Lily, that she will be my protector here. Suddenly something vibrates in my pocket and I pull out my phone. It's Dad. I forgot to call him!
"Hey, Lily," I whisper to her, "is there a place where I can take a private phone call."
Lily stops twirling her long hair between her fingers. "Sure, just go-
"Just take it here," Katy tells me.
I open my mouth a fraction to argue but Lily interrupts.
"Katy, somethings should just stay private," she snaps. "Go into Alex's room. It's the first on the left upstairs."
Yep, no way. Ten thousand alarm bells are going off in my head.
"Oh, me and Alex aren't on great terms," I try and explain.
"Go!" Lily demands, pushing me off the couch.
I can't argue with her so I swiftly stand and exit the living room. As quickly as I can, I rush up the stairs to the second floor of the house which from what Lily tells me is strictly a Bruno family area. I go to the door on the left-all white with a silver door handle. My hand goes to knock but I notice the door is already cracked open. I edge closer and put my eye to the crack to examine Alex's room, my phone still ringing in my hand.
I take a deep breath and open the door. No Alex thankfully and I answer Dad's call.
"Hey, Dad," I whisper into the phone.
"My Maddie! You finally picked up," Dad's familiar voice replies.
"Sorry, with friends," I say, my voice becoming smaller and smaller. "I made the team!"
"Wonderful! I'm so happy for you, I can't describe it."
"Thanks, Dad. Virgo pulled through and Antonio said we worked well together."
"Look at my little girl, becoming a professional rider, Margo would have been so happy," he says.
I close my eyes shut and squeeze my phone. "I know."
"Well let me get Mum. She would want to hear the great news."
My mind shifts suddenly from the memory of Margo. "No!"
There is silence on the other end of the phone.
"It's getting late Dad and you can tell her yourself," I manage to get out.
"Honey... I know you and Mum aren't on great speaking terms but I'm sure she would want to hear-"
"No, no she won't want to hear," I cry.
I want to say, It's because she hates me. She is so bitter at me for Margo's death. She blames me and wishes it was me dead and not Margo. She makes fun of my weight, my height, my passions. Even saying if I'm not good enough for her then I won't be good enough for SEC. But I can't. Dad doesn't like hearing about our breaking relationship. The one he tries to hold together with sweet words and two sides of every story.
I can hear the tired sigh of Dad back in Cooma through the phone. "Whatever you want Maddie. But guess what Nan told me today-"
I love Dad but his stories bore me. I'm in Alex's room, might as well look around.
The walls are painted black with matching carpet and doona. He has a few chests of draws in his room and in the far corner is a pile of Nerf guns. I plunk myself down on his bed and look over to his bedside table. There is just the usual lamp and glass of water but my eyes are caught by a couple of photos. The first one is of Alex sitting on a gorgeous chestnut gelding wearing a champions rug. Antonio is standing next to Alex and his horse, grinning proudly. The next photo is of Alex, Tom, Jack and Will, walking together with their arms draped around each other. They are dressed in show gear from head to toe.
I pick up the last picture with my free hand and smile. It's a photo of Antonio leading his now retired competition horse Hello Class while his wife, Gina, is riding the mare wearing a flowing white dress. A very cute toddler-Alex is perched in her arms. It warms my heart.
"What do you think you're doing?"
I jolt up from the bed almost dropping everything. A furious Alex is standing in the doorway.
"Dad, I-I've got to go," I squeak into the phone before hanging up.
I try and stand up straight under Alex's stare. He waits for me to answer. I open my mouth but no words come out.
"And don't touch my stuff!" he yells, snatching the photo of his mum from me. "No one is allowed in my room."
"I needed to take a phone call. I'm sorry!"
Alex looks like he could kill me, but instead of snapping my neck he rolls his eyes and walks past me. "Get out."
"I'm sorry, Alex," I murmur striding out of the room.
I fling myself down the staircase so quickly I nearly fall over. My body is on fire and my fingers are shaking. What did I do? I burst into the living room and thank god only Lily is there, sitting quietly scrolling through social media.
"The others went to make popcorn," she says, hardly looking up. "Go good?"
I collapse on the couch. "Fantastic."
"Great, then we-"
"Until Alex walked in on me and lost it," I interject.
Lily puts her phone down and inhales sharply. I cover my face with a pillow. "He hates me and I don't know why! He nearly bit my head off bringing me up to the clubhouse."
"Don't worry about him, Maddie. He's always like that, even with Will and the others," Lily says trying to comfort me. "He should just get over himself."
"Guess what?" calls Ella's voice from the kitchen.
Sarah, Katy and Ella come in with arms full of popcorn and marshmallows.
"You thought to make snacks," Lily says, snagging popcorn as they walk by.
"No, after the meeting tomorrow the Junior team has their first lesson together. So Maddie will get to see how things work."
I smile but my stomach fills with jitters. Of course, I'm excited to start training but I will be the worst and have to work my way up to the top. With this caliber of riders that will be hard.
"Don't worry," Katy says, "Sarah will look after you."
Sarah sits next to me. "Of course I will."