Derby Disaster

ChApTeR oNe

Tall, blond, seventeen-year-old Will Taggert stood flipping through numbers for the show, handing them out to Bailey, Alma, Sarah, Molly, Chloe and Zoe. He kept the last one for himself, and helped his friends write the numbers for their classes on the backs of them. Each of them was in a hunter under saddle class, hunter over fence class, equitation under saddle and over fence, and a few jumper classes. The Horseland riders were showing at heights ranging from 2' to 4'. Will looked up at his cousin, "Hey, do you know where I put the shoelaces for these? I can't find them anywhere."

"I thought I put them in the bin with all the vet wrap," Bailey's dark blue eyes clouded with confusion. He had done that, he was not making it up. But then...he was forgetful sometimes, wasn't he? He heard his mom's voice in his ear telling him he forgot to close the kitchen cabinet doors or that he forgot some other menial thing.

"It's okay," Molly reassured her friend when she noticed his crestfallen expression, "I'm sure I can find someone here who has extras."

"Okay," Will said with a big sigh of relief. The teen thanked the universe that Molly was going to do that. The big blonde was grateful for the help; he'd spent two weeks organizing everything for this competition. He assumed a lot of responsibility at Horseland of his own accord. His aunt Ava and uncle John were his legal guardians, and he felt he owed something to them since they took him in. He watched Molly's fluffy bun full of corkscrew curls bob away towards Dale Ridge's large indoor area that was now set up into rows of stalls for the visiting horses. 

Molly walked into the neat aisles, looking for someone who looked in charge. She looked around bewildered until a voice behind her spoke. 

"Hey, can I help you?" The voice gave her a start and she turned quickly to see its owner. He was of medium height, no more than five feet and eight inches, and of athletic build. His skin looked tan, but upon closer inspection Molly saw that it was hundreds of freckles polka dotting him like stars in a night sky. His auburn hair was extremely messy, sporting some hay wedged in its waves, and his hazel eyes looked bright. He was smiling amiably at her with overlapped front teeth, waiting for a response. 

"Yes, hi, do you ride here? I'm looking for something to tie numbers on with, we lost our shoelaces," Molly gave an awkward laugh, embarrassed for no reason she knew of. She wasn't used to talking to many boys outside of Will and Bailey, and here was this one. 

"Uh, yeah, I can find something," He grinned even more, splitting his face in two halves, "Where do you ride at?"

So, now he made small talk. Molly gulped a little, following him as he started walking in search of her request, "I ride at Horseland. Do you ride here? Oh! By the way, I'm Molly. It's nice to meet you, thank you for your help."

"Nice to meet you too. Yeah, I ride at Dale Ridge. I work here too but, I don't do the shows and stuff. I'm Rory," He turned into a small room in the barn that they had entered and reappeared holding loops of baling twine, "This good?"

"It's perfect, thanks so much!" Molly smiled like an idiot before taking it, giving a short wave, and rushing back to where the Horseland stalls were set up in the indoor arena. She ran up to Will, handing him the twine, "Here, does this work? This guy from here, Rory, helped me find it."

Will gently took the rough twine in his calloused hands, "Yeah, it'll do real well."

"Ugh, god, not Rory," Alma made a gagging face. The others turned to look at her with surprise; Alma was usually the person to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and assume the best. 

Sarah raised a nearly invisible, sun-bleached eyebrow, "Why not?"

Alma huffed out a breath of hot air with significant force from her nostrils, whisking her curly hair into a sloppy bun on the top of her head, "He goes to my school. He is goalie for our soccer team, and gets in trouble for fighting on the field and off."

Will rolled his eyes. He had hoped to avoid gossip at the show, but he did enjoy when Alma gossiped. She went to a catholic school and rarely discussed her classmates so when she did, Will tried to listen in. Sadly, he couldn't today. He sighed, wishing he could be drinking in the tea, as he walked back to the trailer to grab a tub full of emergency medical things for the horses. 

As the girls gossiped in the barn, Rory walked to the main barn where the Dale Ridge riders were hanging out. He gave them a quick smile, helping a girl called Ellie saddle her feisty mare to go hack around for a bit. The chestnut mare was being difficult, trying to nip her human. 

A woman stood in the doorway of the barn, watching the boy and the girl wrangle the whale-eyed mare. Her dark eyes were shaded with a large sunhat, and her dark chocolate hair cascaded over her shoulder in a loose braid. Her neck and hands betrayed the impression of youth with their scars and wrinkles. She folded her arms, watching Rory carefully. After the mare was fully tacked up, she caught his eye and beckoned him over. 

Rory approached the shaded lady, and followed her into a dark corner of the barn. She tilted her head to the side, asking something, and her large hat flopped slightly. The freckled boy in old Wrangler jeans and scuffed boots nodded, handing her a small sandwich bag full of black shoelaces. 

A/N

lol this is great, I'm gonna write fanfiction again as a way to destress from my lovely school shit. My school couldn't fuckin give me a fuckin spring break and i am so mad about this. 

Anyway, happy reading. Please vote and/or comment. It would make my day a lot better