Underage, A Dan Smith Love Story

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight: After Party.

When the show ended I congratulated the lads. Dan came and swept me off my feet, twirling me around in the air.
"You guys were wicked," I exclaimed.
"You sounded beautiful my love," Dan replied. He put me down. "After party at my flat?" Dan asked everyone. There were cheers and then the next thing I knew, Bastille's crew, friends, and the lads themselves, were all at Dan's flat drinking and dancing. Will was trashed after he had one scotch, Woody was gone after about three, Kyle was passed out on the bar after about six Jell-O shots. A few of the crew started to leave around 11 o'clock.

Dan was talking with Will about something, Dan had been drinking too much as well as everyone else, besides me, I didn't drink. I started to walk to the door. As I left I noticed it was a chilly night, but because I had to ride Arial to the show, I didn't wear a coat. I had my bag around my shoulders as I walked down the side walk. I pulled out my phone and sent Dan a text,
"I left. I'll see you later. Xx." It takes almost one hour to ride to Dan's, it takes almost two or three for me to walk. My skirt kept flying around in the breeze, along with my hair. As silly as it sounds, it made me feel like a supermodel. It was at this moment that I felt my mothers presence. I knew she was looking over me, watching me, protecting me.

"Halfway there," I thought to myself as I passed the equestrian park. I heard a whinny from inside the park. Wanting to figure out who would be riding their horse at this time of night, I walked past the picnic area, passed the water troughs, passed the jumping arena, and finally, I got to the small pond. There I saw a beaten down white mare. I whistled to her. She had a halter on her face and a lead rope attached to the halter. They looked old and worn down. It was almost as if someone had left this horse here, just left her here to die. I took my heels off and approached her. She was standing knee deep in the pond, drinking from the ice cold water. I grabbed her lead and started to pull her from the pond. When she finally stood on solid ground, I started petting her. She looked at me with these gorgeous brown eyes.
"I can't keep you," I said. She started nodding her head up and down. "No I can not! I already have a horse. I don't need another one," I shouted. Then I remembered Kat's mum rescues horses. "Fine, I'll take you somewhere where people will care for you," I said. I picked my heels off the ground and put them in my bag. I led the horse home.

When I got home I loaded the white horse into our horse trailer. I backed my dads truck to the trailer and hooked it up. Kat lived a ten minute drive from our home. I got in the drivers seat and called her. After a few rings, she answered.
"What?" she groaned.
"Kat, get your mum outside. I found a horse at the equestrian park," I said as I pulled onto the road. "Whatever," she replied. She hung up.

Ten minutes passed and I got to Kat's. She and her mum were out by their large barn with the lights on and the doors open. Kat was half asleep but her mum was ready to work. I parked and led them to the trailer. Kat's mum took the horse out and Kat punched my shoulder.
"What?" I asked.
"You sang at a Bastille concert! How did Dan know you were going to be there? How did he know your name? And how did he know it was you and your horse that got caught by security?" Kat asked. "Remember that radio broadcast we listened to in the park?" I asked. She nodded and then gasped. "You're Dan's girlfriend!" she screamed. I gave her a half assed smile. My phone beeped. I got a text from Dan,
"Where are you? It's 4 am and your dad said you aren't home yet?!?!"
"Did he just text you?" Kat asked me.
"Yeah, he and my dad are wondering where I am," I replied.
"Introduce me to him," she begged. My phone beeped again, it was Dan,
"Seriously Ari? What the hell? I'm going to come looking?!" I quickly text back Dan,
"I'm fine, at Kat's. Don't drive, you've been drinking dumb ass! I'll be home soon. Found an abandoned horse, had to help it. Xx."
"Arabella!" Kat shouted.
"Dan's freaking out, sorry," I said. Kat's mum came back.
"Safe and sound, thanks Arabella," she said shaking my hand.
"I have to go, I'll tell you everything later," I said to Kat as I got into my dad's truck and started the drive home.

I was about halfway home when it happened. I didn't know who it was, or where they were driving to. But as I was driving, Dan text me,
"Thank god you're okay. Come over in the morning?" I was texting him back,
"Yeah sure." When some drunk driver, swerved into my lane to avoid hitting something that wasn't there. All I was able to text Dan was,
"Yeah su-." Before my truck and trailer were thrown into the ditch. And my life spiraled out of control.