I boarded the bus happily, I had been riding a high since my visit to Jc's.
"Hey!" Elise called from a seat in the back. "You look good." she smiled
"I hung out with Jc last night!" I blurted.
"Is that why you didn't want me to talk to him?! You know you could have just told me you liked him!"
"I know, I know." I sighed, "I didn't think I did want him though... things changed." I explained.
"Oh." she replied quietly and turned away to state out the window.
"Wait... is that why you have him more than just the talk!?" I felt stupid that I hadn't figured it out already.
"No..." she lowered her head.
"Oh my god, Elise!" I stomped on her toe and huffed to a different seat.
Bitch.
**
I wept into my pillow, "look, I can't!"
"What? Why?" Jc shook his head "It just started!"
"Jc..." I groaned, snuggling into his shoulder.
"Okay fine!" Jc picked up the remote and turned off the tv. "it's not even that sad." he huffed.
"Have you even read the book?" I questioned.
"No."
"That's why then. The Fault In Our Stars, is sad."
"Well what do we do then?" He groaned.
"I KNOW!" I gasped his wrist and pulled him to the window overlooking my backyard.
**
Jc's POV
She pointed excited at a paint horse grazing in the corner of the pasture.
"I can teach you to ride!" She yelped.
"What?! I have never even--"
"Come on!" She coaxed me.
"Horses are HUGE! What if I fall..." I mumbled, obviously embarrassed.
"No, nothing will happen! I promise."
She led me down the stairs and out into her backyard.
"I'll be next to you the entire time, now watch this." she winked and placed two fingers in her mouth.
"Turtle!" She called and whistled loudly. Hoof beats thundered towards us. A horse barreled towards us, with no intent of stopping. I hopped behind Sophie fearfully.
"Good girl." Sophie cooed, rubbing a gigantic paints neck softly. Giggling at my insolence, she replied "did that scare you?"
"Oh! A bridle!" Sophie dashed back into the house, returning with a leather contraption covered in Rhine stones.
She carefully coaxed it onto the horse's face, petting her nose lightly.
"What's her name?" I asked thoughtfully.
"Turtle."
"Um... nice?"
She giggled, "I know. So I'll go first and warm her up for you." She lept onto Turtles back with agility. It made my mouth drop. That horse had to be at least six feet tall.
I gulped... I was up next.
Sophie and turtles galloped circles around three bales of hay lined up. after several minutes she halted in front of them.
"Jc! Watch this!" She smirked and clucked, violently kicked at turtles sides.
The horse lept over the bales and spun a circle quickly as Sophie yelled something obviously linked to the adrenaline. I mean she was bareback.
Jumping.
Three.
Feet.
I clapped slowly. Sophie was more of an athlete than I had expected.
"Sophie, I didn't know you could do that!"
"Not many people do." She smiled with pride.
"I won't be doing that.... Right?" I loosened the collar of My shirt nervously as I spoke.
"No way! Well just walk. I'll be right next to you the whole time." she winked, walked her horse over to a stool and motioned for me to hop aboard..
Sophie's POV
I rode over to a stool and patted the "seat" behind me. He took a slow careful step onto the stool. He reached out with a shaky hand and pet turtle before leaping onto her back.
"Ready?" I looked back at him.
"No!" He buried his head in my neck and clung tightly around my waist.
"Squeeze with your legs.... lightly." I ordered. "it will help you to stay on."
Turtle perked up and started jogging, sending us jostling around her back.
"LIGHTLY JC!" I yelled over the wind.
"No I'll fall!" He added. but as she ran a large oak loomed above us and turtle had no signs of stopping whatsoever.
"She won't stop until you stop!" I yanked back on the reins but I had no control. "Jc we are gonna get scraped off unless you stop!" That was my only justification before I grappled onto his shirt and pulled him off with me. one arm caught my fall, the other dragging Jc behind me.
I hopped up to find my missing stead but when I aced back at Jc, he hadn't gotten up yet. He was sprawled out in the grass, his limbs at awkward angles.
Oh no.
"Ow" he grumbled, trying to prop himself up.
I knelt beside him, "No don't move." I laid his head onto my lap. "Don't move." Fear nagged at my insides but I can't make Jc panic, not in his state.
"My leg." He mumbled, slowly lifting his pant leg to reveal a perfectly good leg. Until you got to his ankle, a white bulge stuck out, still in his skin, which was stretched to its limit.
"Oh my fucki--" I fumbled for my cell phone and dialed 911 as fast as I could.
"Hello?" I panted heavily into the receiver. "We were riding horses and he fell and his leg-- there's something wrong. Very wrong." I looked down at Jc who had drifted into sleep.
"Ma'am, just tell me where you're located." The woman answered.
"210 Manhire Dr."
"We will be there in ten to fifteen minutes. Keep the patient awake and alert, but calm."
"Jc." I tapped his cheek as I set my phone down.
"wake up!"
"Jc please."
"Wake up." I whispered next to his ear, listening for breath.
