Broken Prodigy | COMPLETED ✓

Chapter 24

Okay, so I forgot to add this in an earlier chapter (I have now), but Polly, Kayla's horse, is a very fast little pony that has the stride of a small hack. This'll make sense later in the chapter, I promise.

There's gonna be some action in this one! And character development! I hope you're excited, I am.

I'm not sure if it's a bit far fetched, though. Maybe I've been watching too much Heartland, where horse chases are everyday life. Let me know if it's too much. I kinda had to make a reason up (for what, you'll find out).

Woah, only 4 more chapters left after this one! I'm scared...

*

"Olivia, I think you should start riding again," Gus' voice from behind causes me to jump, almost dropping Polly's saddle as I hang it on the rack. I've just supervised Kayla riding, and now Elliot's taken her for a bareback ride around.

I don't need to think twice about my answer. "No."

"No? Why not? We understand why you hadn't ridden before, and of course you wouldn't ride Mars. You could start with Aladdin. Or even Caspi-"

"I'm not ready, Gus."

He huffs. "When are you ever gonna be ready? Summer's almost over, and-" he looks at me and sighs. "And I wasn't supposed to say this, but Maya and Doug want you to become a trainer here, and run clinics, if you can get Bess to the point where she can go to a show and compete. But only if you prove you can ride. They can't have a trainer who doesn't ride."

I freeze. Me? A trainer? Running clinics? Woah. "How'd you find out about this?"

"Eavesdropped on 'em the other day."

"You're getting quite experienced at that, aren't you?" I ask, referring to when he eavesdropped on Imogen and I.

"That doesn't matter. I know you can ride, you said so yourself. But Maya and Duggie don't."

"I'll... I'll think about it, alright?" I say.

Gus nods, content with my answer. We head over to our lot of stables to do the last job of the day- mucking out.

I'm dodging Gus' attempt at throwing sawdust at me just as Georgia runs up to us. She stops to catch her breath before talking.

"Ebony's demanding to ride Bess!"

"What?" Bess isn't ready for someone like Ebony to ride her. Ebony can ride, but she doesn't have the patience Bess needs right now. 

If anyone should ride her, it'd be Georgia. Georgia's been watching my training with her, and knows what I'm doing and how I'm approaching all Bessy's problems. Ebony, on the other hand, doesn't.

In other terms, Ebony is more likely to do things her way. The wrong way.

I lean my shovel against the wall of the stall and follow Georgia outside to the round yard. Bess is there, but now she's got tack on her. Ebony's fastening her helmet.

"Ebony, Bess isn't ready to be ridden yet!" I cry. 

"This horse is fine. You're just saying that so that it looks like you're actually doing something. My mother agrees, she just won't admit it. You've been working on this horse for a month, for god's sake. The only problem is that this horse is just plain naughty, and Georgia and Maya can't help but come up with excuses for her stupid behaviour. Bess just needs a kick in the gut so she knows who's boss," Ebony replies.

"No! Ebony, you don't understand, you can't just hop on her. You have to build up for that."

"Too bad," she says, and climbs onto Bess. "Open the gate," she tells Elliot, who's standing there with Kayla, who's holding Polly from the ground. He hesitates, then uncertainly opens the gate.