Country Love

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Ever since Christina has arrived, I am feeling lonelier and lonelier. I had wished for another girl to work with me in the stables, but if Chadley had let me have my pick, I would never have chosen someone like her. I'm very unique, but Christina comes very close to being like me. Her beautiful golden hair, her shining jade eyes. . .loathe as I am to admit it, she is almost as pretty as I am.

This morning, I am riding around the farm on Belle. She's half of my soul after all, and the only one who truly understands me. I do not dare to go out in the countryside, though it looks alluring in the orange glow of the rising sun. I am scared to leave Chadley and Bradley alone with Christina. I do not want them to get any closer to her than they already are.

I woke up early today, so I haven't had breakfast yet. As I'm dismounting Belle to lead her into her stall after my ride, I notice Christina brushing Cherry. Cherry is Chadwina's daughter and brother to Chadder, named for the reddish-brown colour of her coat.

Chad has never let me ride Cherry, because he says she is his mother's favourite horse, and his mother doesn't like anybody else riding her. But now I realise he was saving Cherry for someone else all along.

I hope to avoid Christina, because her musical voice always gives me an inferiority complex. I know I am perfect, but every time I see her, I remember how Chad and Brad gazed at her, and I feel inferior.

"Good morning!" she calls out sweetly, and I am forced to look up and put on a faux smile.

"Hi, Christina," I say. "You're up early."

She starts laughing. "I know, I know, I get up late. I probably should wake up earlier than eight, especially during my first week here but-" she looks at my expression and stops. "Oh, you're not being sarcastic. I thought it was a joke. I mean, it's already ten, Brianna."

I don't like how she says my name, as if it's something sour that she spits out just so that it's no longer on her tongue. Who is she to say that to me? She's the new girl, not me. I know more about the Sloanes and the time when their household wakes up than she does- and ever could.

I laugh, a little false laugh. All my happiness is forced around her. "Oh no, I was joking, of course. I just played my part so well that you didn't even realise."

Christina smiles too, "Of course," she says, and goes back to brushing Cherry. But I'm not going to let her have the last word. "Do you know if Chad is up yet?" I ask, knowing full well she can't have the answer to that. She looks like she's been in the stables for a while, and nobody gets up earlier than the ungodly hour of eight in the morning.

"Chaddy? Oh yes, he's up. I told him that he should wake up at seven o'clock everyday and go for a ride to keep himself healthy."

How dare she? I have never seen anybody fitter than Chad. "Chad woke up at seven? Nobody can make him get up earlier than ten."

I know because his mother had told me last week. I have also seen the array of alarm clocks in his room, which his father had bought for him, but they tried and failed to make him wake up.

Christina is still smiling, and I want to wipe that grin off her face. "I went to his room to wake him up personally," she tells me. "And if you don't mind, I need to be done brushing this horse before Chad gets back, so that we can have breakfast together."

"This horse?" I blurt. "That's Cherry, the most prized horse in this stable. I can't believe-"

"That Chad let me ride her?"

I choke on a gasp, "You rode her?" Chad didn't even let me stroke her gorgeous mane, let alone ride her.

She shrugs. "I can ride whichever horse I want."