Disguised In Lavender

Part Eight

Never once had Dalla cared what Lauren did except for beating her, now she seemed so caught up with Ann. Even better, why was she supposed to care? If Dalla wanted to go out with Ann then it would be none of her business. Because it could draw away from their training, that has to be it, Lauren passed outside the dappled Mare's stall from the night before. A horse could be a bad omen, she unlocked the gate with tingling fingers, letting it swing closed behind her.

The thought crossed her mind to ask Ann out to spite Dalla but she knew she never could, her fingers wrapped in the mare's mane. Yet the memory of her trainer's laugh as they'd sat do close together, the stinging scent of lavender in the locker. It all made her heart burn, this had nothing to do with her rival, she was genuinely excited when Ann came to see her. She had genuinely known her mind was swimming when Ann spoke so sweetly about their project.

The sweater, as old as it was, had brought a light of happiness to Ann's eyes when Lauren handed it to her. "I guess this is what being a good friend feels like, huh? I don't want Dalla to have her." Lauren whispered as she leaned against the mare, running her fingers along her forelock, giggling as she bobbed her spotted head.

The jingle of the gate swinging open made Lauren look up, stepping away from the mare with a smile. "Glad this was the first place I checked for you." Ann kept her naval against the stalk wall and offered a nervous laugh in place of her sweating palms. Lauren's smile slowly faded as she thought back to Dalla, the throat over her and Ann. She couldn't tell her, not in a million years could the trainer know what Lauren was doing to keep her around. It sounded too desperate, too much like she was sincerely looking out for Ann at every turn.

Shoving the thought aside, Lauren let her eyes fall over the shorter girl, swallowing with clenched teeth as she stare at the mare. Fear shone in her eyes, and the hand holding the locker door was trembling and turning white at the knuckles. "Oh, right, sorry. I forgot you didn't like horses, let's get a drink at the cafe or something." Lauren gave the mare a pat kn the withers and took a step towards Ann who turned her wide eyes to the rider.

"No, I'm alright, what's her name?" Her feet took halting steps toward Lauren, holding out a hand to steady her. Cute, the warmth in her palm made her own clammy but she squeezed it tightly and gently laid it over the Mare's forelock. "Gravity, her name's Jupiter's Gravity. She has the smoothest canter where she sort of jumps like this." Lauren did a small hiccuping leap and landed awkwardly, pulling Ann closer to her with a surprised yelp.

They tumbled into a stack of hay at the side of the stall, the short girl's blonde hair falling into her face. Blowing it aside, she burst into laughter when she saw the straw scattered across Lauren's hair. "I'm so sorry." She giggled, brushing the hay aside, her fingers soft and gentle as they moved along the edges of her lips.

Grabbing her wrist and leading it away from her face, Lauren felt her throat tighten and slipped aside from under her. Ann fell quiet as she rolled over and let her gaze follow Lauren as she stood, brushing off her jeans. Apology glowed und the anxious dimples that appeared on the Trainer's cheeks when she bit her lip. For a moment looming at Ann took the edge off the blurry feeling in Lauren's head. "Coffee?" She asked in a small voice, lifting her hand for help and bouncing to her feet as Lauren pulled her up, letting her hand stray.

"I'd love to, as long as you're paying." Ann shouted in protest as Lauren took off down the hallway, spinning and jogging backwards to stick her tongue out. "Upperclassmen." The blonde huffed when she caught up Lauren, sweeeping her ruffled hair back and side using her playfully. She couldn't lose this, not in her entire lifetime had Lauren had a friend who felt this good to be around.

Someone who made her laugh when he mind was spinning from Dalla and make her worry when she left. "I like your dimples, they're adorable on you." She complimented absently, struggling to dislodge a splinter from the pad of her palm. "Hold still." Ann ignored her statement and took her hand, passing in the center of the barn. Lauren smiled beside herself and glanced down into the sunlit quad, trying to hide the blush on her neck. Her eyes landed on Dalla and her heart stopped, the smile gown from her face, their eyes locked in bitter vengeance.

Ann expertly wriggled the Thron free, glancing up at Mauren triumphantly then followed her gaze outside. Standing in tiptoe to see, when Dalla noticed, she slunk away with her hands in her pockets. This was already far too out of hand, Lauren gritted her teeth and started off again, laying as arm around Ann's shoulders. "Who is she?" Ann asked, pulling away and forcing Lauren to answer her as she swung back.

Silence fell into tension as the rider examined her, the stubborn way her brows furrowed and her arms crossed. "One of the riders at this stable who doesn't mean anything. Please don't worry about it, just steer clear of her, please, Ann." Her tone turned serious as she clasped her hands and took a step closer to her, noticing her anger melt away. "Why can't you tell me who she is if she isn't important? I might as well ask her myself." Lauren's mouth gaped open at the hurt in her answer, she hadn't meant it like that.

"Just don't, I can't have a fight before a big show." The lie was transparent, one of the worst Lauren could have used but the fear was genuine, so was losing Ann. "She's so important that she can throw the glorious Lauren Laine off her wave before a show happening months away? I only want to know why suddenly you're stone cold when we were having a fine time. Why can't this just be fine, why suddenly does some bitch get to make you so uptight?" Should've kept it in her head, Ann knew it the moment she said it, when Lauren's arms went limp and her eyes darkened.