Disguised In Lavender

Part Four

Six, Lauren slammed her brush into the bucket, lightly slapping her cheeks to make sure she wasn't dreaming. That may have been the lowest score she'd ever received and it had come from a girl hiding half her face. A girl who looked maybe two years younger than her, yet she's flipped that card and embedded the number into Lauren's brain. "You know what." She crossed her arms and lenses her shoulder against the gelding's, crossing one boot over the other. "Maybe she hates me." The conclusion seemed somewhat reasonable, Lauren nodded, drawing her hand over the horse's withers as they shivered. "I wouldn't put it past her." A cackle rang through the barn stalls, one Lauren knew well even if she was facing her back to the door.

Lanky and brunette, the devil herself skilled around the other side of the gelding, Lauren straightened up defensively. "Oh shut up, I'd like to see anyone with a good impression of you. Imagine that, honestly, Dalla, the name that practically created the Black Plague." She snapped back, swinging her hips to face her gelding instead, rolling her eyes and gently teasing a knot from his mane. "You'll regret that when I steal your pretty trainer friend. Not like you can learn anything from her anyway, she's a dunce." Dalla huffed, kicking the brush juckest sideways as the combs clattered across the floor, echoed by her scoff of amusement. Lauren didn't answer, her teeth frogged as she yanked the hair free, not daring to turn until she was sure Dalla had left.

Setting the box in its place, Lauren pulled at the gelding's s gate for a final time, checking its lock. She leaned against the wall, letting her legs buckle over a saddle box, the gold embroidering digging into her tail bone. The sweet taste of water trickling down her throat made the stabbing annoyance fade for a moment. Sighing in exhaustion with the six still burning in her mind, Lauren closed her eyes and massaged her thigh gingerly. Even after riding for years it was a wonder her muscles still cramped when she stumbled out of the ring.

Ann couldn't be that pretty, she thought instantly to herself, Dalla's angry outburst clouding the distasteful memory. Somehow, that left a worse taste in her mouth than the score, she took another sip of water. Besides, knowing who her rival had dated in the past, Lauren doubted Ann as all that great in any aspect. She shook her head and stood, brushing the crusted mud from her riding boots, it wasn't even worth bothering herself over.

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Feet hit the ground at an astonishing pace, not clicking like ominous heels of secretaries or teaches, the echoing slap of running shoes on vinyl. A chorus of shouts and bodies hitting lockers to get out of the way edged closer and closer until Ann turned. Lauren whipped past her, light hair flying in wild curls that ha since been ironed straight. She spun for a moment, their eyes locking, and Ann felt herself pulled forward, only a second after realizing her feet were sprinting too.

The tight grip on her wrist faded in slowly with the shock and she let her books crumble from her arms. Lauren shoved her back, pressing her against the inside of a locker and slamming the door behind her. She pressed her arms on either side of Ann, glancing ice her shoulder as her pursuers blasted past them. Lauren let out a cocky breath and glanced back at Ann, raising an eyebrow as if she wasn't at fault at all. The air was thin, Ann felt her chest tighten and her lips go dry, she pursed them tightly.

A strong wave of lavender washed between them, something that had been unknown or masked at the barns. Her face was inches from Lauren's, breath tickling her cheeks and coming in rasping huffs. Gorgeous though, her hair curling around her low cheekbones and the light falling in shafts over her russets eyes. They were so close, Ann wasn't claustrophobic but in that moment she could have been, her eyes glued to an imaginary spot in space. "Look at me would you? Or at least thank me." Lauren whispered harshly, forcing Ann's chin up with her ring and middle finger, taking a sharp inhale as time seemed to slow.

Her eyes fell to the rider's lips, painted a dull shade of matte rose, thin but perked slightly at the edges were they met her cheeks, rosy from running. "I just save both of us, seems near uncomfortable if you give me a six again." Ann looked up into her eyes as her voice barely broke over the confused chatter outside. She said nothing, swallowing her nerves and furrowing her brow in an attempt to look menacing. "No, get me out of here and don't pull a stunt like this ever again." The shiver that ran up her spine cut between her words as Lauren slowly lifted her hand from behind her head to her neck." Mm, but you are far prettier when you aren't masked." A mischievous giggle from the taller girl made Ann's heart drop to her stomach as it flipped.

Shafts of light melted together as the door was pulled open, Lauren turned away and stepped off of Ann. Her legs turned to jelly, her lungs seemed to have collapsed, she wished that had, giving her an exit from the curious glances. Lauren was popular, scarily popular, Ann ducked her head and pulled on the ponytail pinned to her back. If Ann were a student standing by she wouldn't let her imagination hold her back, she'd been to a party or two to know that much. Her cheeks blushed and a sheen of nervous sweat across her forehead, it didn't look good at all.

Lauren glanced around at the whispering crowns and then her trainer, sighing at the complete panic in her starry blue eyes. "My dorm after final period, then?" She asked, loud enough that most of the students took her hint and scurried off. Ann held her breath, glancing down the hall at the perm haired boy gathering her books and shifting impatiently behind everyone else. "I'm sorry?" She threw her attention back to Lauren, blinking in surprise and pinching the bridge of her nose out of habit, dropping her hand when it didn't trace the familiar fabric.