Stacey

CHAPTER 1

Stacey P.O.V.

One day I walked into my school, Tannerville High after taking one of the nastier beatings -thankfully that’s all- from my stepfather without my mother stopping him. I looked  around at the girls, mostly all desperately vying for the guys’ attention, they had on short shorts and faces caked full of makeup. Not attractive at all if you ask me, but then again no one ever did. I realised this isn’t where I wanted to be, so I turned around and walked back out of the school doors. It’s not like I had any friends to worry about me and the people I was meant to call parents obviously wouldn’t care if I disappeared.                    
So, I left, and I haven’t looked back since.

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Now here I am. Two months down the road. Behind the chutes at the Tallanterra rodeo getting ready to get on my first bull in three years -since my dad died- it is a good thing I stayed fit.
He was a mean looking one, the sought that would kill you without a second thought. He was black with white legs and speckles on his shoulders. I looked out over the people watching, getting more nervous, there were a lot of different types of people there, there were always the people that only came to get out of the house, the rodeo fans and the wannabes.
I knew that as soon as I got in that chute with him the nerves would turn to adrenaline and excitement like it usually did. ‘If only dad were here,’ I thought to myself as I slipped in. The bull tapped its outside horn on the chute as one of the guys -that was actually nice enough- pulled my rope. Most of the guys were muttering unhappily about me riding, not that I was riding necessarily, more that I was riding this bull. He was huge and I am not going to be one of those girls who says things like ‘if a guy can ride him than I can too.’ I was aware how much smaller and weaker I was than these guys standing around me. Dad taught me to not be one of those people who think they are capable of anything and some might say it is a bad thing. But just because I don’t talk myself up and do stupid things thinking I’m invincible doesn’t mean I don’t have confidence in myself, I just keep my mouth shut and have that quiet confidence as well as staying out of other people’s business. That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to do my best at everything I did or do.
I looked up at the guys around me and smiled, “Your all right. I probably shouldn’t be riding this bull. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to give it one hell of a try.”
With that I looked back down, got my hand and rope right and nodded my head for them to open the gate.
The bull bucked, spun and jumped. I did everything dad taught me to the best of my ability, I just kept thinking I only have to hold on a second longer and I did. Until seven seconds and he turned back into my hand. I came off. But I wasn’t upset, just the opposite. I got up smiling and walked back to my ute after collecting my gear and taking the chaps off as well as the vest.
I got to and in my ute without anyone trying to talk to me, no surprise there. It took a couple goes of turning my old grey Hilux over before it sputtered and then roared to life, I put in a mental note to check out the motor at the next Caltex. Then I was on my way to the next rodeo.

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My next stop was Wongattar, the next rodeo. This town was bigger than Tallanterra, not by much but bigger none the less, that also meant more people at the rodeo. Usually, sure that would be a good thing but if Carly or Dylan, my mother and stepfather, were here and if they are looking for me, I would be a reasonably easy target considering there really aren’t, many female riders, especially my age. They were to worried about breaking a nail.
If Dylan were going to try and find me, he would probably come alone anyway, that would mean he wouldn’t stick out as much. That meant I had to be smart and use my common sense. Stick around crowds, keep my head down and don’t stay still for to long. I tried to make myself look as much like a guy as possible, I wore a dull sought of dirty blue work shirt and an Akubra with my hair down the back of my shirt. I wore men’s Wrangler jeans; they were my usual anyway because they were more comfortable than women’s. I put on big dark sunglasses with a bit of dirt and barbeque sort of grease on my face, so it looked like I had a bit of stubble. I couldn’t even care if the guys looked at me weird, at least I was a little safer, but I also wasn’t naive enough to believe I was safe at the small rodeos either. I would have to be careful.  For the first time in my life, I cursed even having the small amount of curves I do, men do not have those curves, especially the fit ones here. I put my vest and blue and tan chaps on before I left the ute, they may help to cover something. I walked like a guy anyway, so that wouldn’t be a problem. Even my voice was reasonably deep. I grabbed my bag and chucked it over my shoulder before walking to get some food.

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Not too many people said anything and when I got food she had actually said ‘sir’, I almost laughed but kept my face carefully schooled and when I smiled, I just smirked instead or tipped up the right side of my mouth like usual. Although it had been a long time since I had laughed or even really smiled. I was still polite and smiled or waved at the people that said hi to me, but mostly I kept my head down.
When I got to the chutes and told them my name, not my real one of course but Sophie Violet Chambers, my alias. The man didn’t believe me until I took my sunglasses off and made it look like I was changing into my helmet, I left my hair in my hat, so I still had some sought of disguise. Some of the guys looked at me weird but no one said anything.
I got there two rides before myself and stretched and warmed up. A couple of the guys either laughed at me a bit behind their hands like schoolgirls or they debated talking to me either way they got the same reception, a glare and they decided to stop.
I rode the eight on a red bull and for the first time in my life I wasn’t happy about it. Something felt wrong. Winning just meant I had to stay in one place for longer than necessary. Actually, it meant to staying the night seen as the awards were at night. I hated what I was about to do, but it’s not like I have much choice. I heard my fathers voice in my ear, ‘You always have a choice Stacey, just make sure you think about it and choose the best one possible.’ He was right and my choices were either ask some guys if I could set up my swag near them, set up my swag alone and away from people or keep going and maybe miss out on the money I so badly need to keep going.
Choices two and three were things I really didn’t want to do so I chose to suck it up and go with the first. I walked over to a group of guys that had rode that day and cleared my throat. They all turned to me at once and I cringed, ‘just get it over with’.
“Are you guys staying tonight?” When a couple of the guys nodded, I continued, “You can say no and I won’t take offence or anything, but uhm, would you guys mind if I set up my swag near you guys. You don’t have to talk to me I don’t care just….”
I realised I was rambling and shut my mouth. The guy who seemed to be the leader stared at me for a while before he spoke. He was tall, like really tall at least 6’3, he was good looking with reasonably long and thick dirty blonde hair along with piercing blue eyes.
“Surely it’s just as dangerous to camp around a bunch of possibly drunk young blokes as to camping alone. Why would you want to camp with us?” His eyes narrowed.
I shook my head and turned around, not particularly wanting to answer that question.
“Don’t worry, I’ll find somewhere.”
“I didn’t say no. It was just a question.” He said behind me.
“Fine, at least I’ll be around people. Is that good enough?”
“Not true, but it will do. I would have said yes either way and the boys won’t do anything.”
“Thank you, guys. So much.”
I shook his hand, “Stacey”. He shook my hand looking at me strange and only then did I realise what I had said. My eyes widened, I had said Stacey not Sophie, the name I had been using as my alias. I recovered quickly though, “It’s actually Sophie, but Mum always used to call me Stacey.”
He still had a wary look in his eye but continued anyway, “Jack Lanely”, he then pointed to the group behind him, “Hardy and Jaidyn Smith,” they both gave me a half wave and the same crooked smile, “John Green, Alex Sharp and Isaac Courter.” Once he finished, he started to walk away, “You coming?”
I nodded and started walking to where they were camping so that I would know where to set up. 
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That night we had the ceremony of sorts to hand out the prizes, I hadn’t seen Dylan yet which was good but that didn’t mean he hadn’t seen me. When Alex went in to get his prize for saddle bronc Jack leaned down and whispered, “You can camp with us any time, you know.”
“Thanks, means a lot.” ‘Literally because it could mean the difference between life and death.’ I thought but kept to myself.
Jack ended up coming first and I came second, I was expecting to maybe come third-fifth. Second was really good. I kept my head down as I walked into the arena and only put my head up when I had to. There was Dylan standing right at the edge of the arena, I stiffened and put my head back down, there was no way he hadn’t seen me, ‘I am so rooted.’ I thought. I stuck around with Jack and his group all night and he must have been able to sense something wrong because he didn’t try and ditch me and none of the guys drank, I was hoping that was just how they were and didn’t drink because drunk people honestly scare me.
I saw Dylan standing watching me from afar a few times, but I woke up the next morning an didn’t seem to hurt in any way -apart from my back and hips from the swag- and that’s what scared me the most.