Madison v.s The Travelling Exchange Students

Chapter Twelve: Are You Going To Help Me, Or Not?

Sacha and his delicate mare, Crépuscule-I can't pronounce it either-soar over the final jump. If Sacha is just a sample of the rider talent from France then I wish I could see more. For only being seventeen, he is a fantastic rider.

He canters the bay mare through the timers before bringing her back to a walk. Jack and I cheer as Sacha and his mare leave the arena.

"Isn't he cool?" Jack smiles.

"He's French, of course, he is," I reply.

Sacha halts Crépuscule in front of us, giving her neck a scratch.

"I totally messed up the strides for the double," he sighs, dismounting.

"Doesn't matter!" I beam.

I look down at my phone again to make sure I've got it correct, then look back up at Sacha. "You won."

Sacha grins, pushing his glasses up his nose. Jack jumps onto his shoulders like an excited puppy.

"Told you, you would do good!" he shouts.

Sacha laughs. 

While Jack and Sacha talk excitedly about preparing for Jack's class together, I smile at my phone. Sacha had won the meter-thirty class pushing Alex into second but more importantly making Elias go down to third. Seeing his name in third place and the fact Alex had beaten him makes me smile.

"Will you come with us, Madison?" Sacha asks.

"What? Oh, um I better go check on Virgo," I reply, still holding my fourth place ribbon in my hand.

Virgo and I had ridden earlier in the day. A cheeky knocked pole made us place forth but I couldn't be happier.

"Fine, but you better be there to watch me ride," Jack laughs over his shoulder.

I smile, watching Jack and Sacha walk away, their shoulders bumping together.

I bite the inside of my lip and my hand traces my neck. It feels weird bare. I have worn Margo's necklace every day since the day she died. Now it is gone.

I've lost it.

This morning when I was getting reading for the show it wasn't in my suitcase where I put it last night while I had a shower. I turned the motel room upside down trying to look for it. Every draw was looked through, every bed was looked under. 

I searched through every piece of clothing I had. Twice!

Margo's necklace never turned up.

"We will find it after the show," Lily had said, trying to comfort me.

"No! We have to find it now," I shouted back, trying to hold my tears back.

For the rest of the morning, until we had to leave for the show, Mia and Lily helped me look, but we never found it. I had lost the most special thing in my life. Today we leave Brisbane and if I don't find it by the end of the day, Margo's necklace will be lost forever.

With my hand still on my neck, I start marching towards the SEC stalls. In times of distress, the only one I want to be around is Virgo.

As I make my way around the show's canteen my phone vibrates. I've got a text. I reach for my phone and the notification reads NEW MESSAGE: Falling Off Freak.

I open the text from Sarah, my mouth now starting to taste like iron as I keep biting my cheek.

Who is the cute guy next to Will?!

What is she talking about?

I call Sarah. Obviously, I need some clarification. She picks up.

"What the frick are you talking about?" I ask into the phone.