Madison v.s The Horse Thief

Chapter Twenty: Race Time

I shuffle my way down to the kitchen. Light is creeping in through the windows and illuminates the whole room. Chatter hits my ears of the whole gang together, drinking coffee or eating. I lean against the doorway for a moment and just smile.

They had all gotten up to do something for my birthday. For me.

I notice Alex standing next to Will who's back is to me. We lock eyes for a moment and it feels like forever that we just stare. Finally, Alex elbows Will in the guts. He turns and sees me with the same charismatic grin he always wears.

"Hey! The birthday girl is here."

A mess of "Happy Birthday"s hit me, causing red to creep up my neck. Sarah comes up to me in a big hug and I can smell her lavender shampoo. 

"Hey let me hug her!" cries a voice sounding like Bishop. "She has finally joined the fifteen-year-old club."

Sarah is pushed off me and suddenly Bishop has lifted me into the air and spins me. I let out a loud laugh as he places me back down.

"Happy birthday, Mad-dog."

"Why are you here so early?!"

"To come to hang out with my best friend. Duh." Bishop flashes me a smile with his new red braces.

Will walks up to me and takes my hand to drag me over to the kitchen bench. "I have a plan for your birthday, Maddie."

"You didn't have to," I sigh.

"He kinda did," Jack laughs. "Antonio assigned him the role of coming up with everyone's birthday celebrations for this year."

"Still, he didn't have to make Maddie's birthday way better than everyone else's," jokes Katy.

Will smirks. "I'll keep that in mind for your seventeenth Katy. No drinks."

Katy gasps and we all laugh along. 

A piece of paper is sprawled out on the counter with shocking handwriting scribbled everywhere. A map is drawn on the middle.  

"Okay!" Will claps his hands together. "As we know it is Joint Week-the week where the Senior and Junior Competition teams ride together in lessons. So as it is the start of this week and Maddie's birthday I thought we could all ride together and have fun."

"Dangerous fun," grumbles Ella.

Will rolls his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. I have a race planned."

A race. Now that seems fun. I'm in.

"I've divided the two teams evenly and around the cross country course, we will have a race. No jumps of course," Will explains.

My heart starts beating. I can surely win this. 

"The two teams will race at the same time, like a relay, the first two starting at the first roll-top,"-Will points down on his map-"then the last pair will race from the clump of gumtrees to the pine trees that run along the fence line."

I let out a chuckle. "Let's get going then."

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"Let's go chocolate head," I murmur to Virgo as we make our way up the hill towards the cross country course. 

Virgo's coat is fluffy from the Winter temperatures and even I've had to pull on a riding coat for the early morning temperatures.

I'm the last to arrive out of the group as everyone is mounted and ready to race at the top of the hill. Next to Lily, I see a girl that I know is called Cassie, who is also on the Senior team. To my distaste, Sophie and Georgia have joined us too.