Disguised In Lavender

Part 13

Somewhere along the line they hadn't let go of each other's hands, clasped in the grass limply but so strongly intertwined. A shiver ran through Ann, a breeze making the water on her clothes clamp against her in a freezing shock. Lauren glanced over, noticing her chattering teeth and instantly rolled onto her knees, offering her hand. "We should get back anyway." Though the smell of flowers and night grass was intoxicating, the moon was beginning to reach its high point in the sky. Ann nodded, grabbing Lauren's other hand and pulling herself up so quickly that when she stopped they were inches apart.

In a moment of unstoppable instinct, the trainer's eyes fell to Lauren's lips and her quivering irises tried to look away. "Come on." Pretending she hadn't noticed, Lauren pulled Ann the rest of the way to her feet and dropped her hands reluctantly. She turned swiftly and rubbed the back of her neck so that the other girl couldn't see how disappointed she looked. "We can leave the tack and everything here, Tanner comes to collect it in the morning. It's easier to just throw him in his stall than worry about being caught untacking this late." Lauren explained as she loosened the girth with experienced fingers and slid the heavy leather along her arm, setting it gently into the lavender flowers so it was near invisible.

"Smart for a night rider. Um, how're we getting back though?" Ann tentatively ran her hand along the now bareback of the gelding and tightening the strap to her helmet. "Trust me?" Her hand was an offering of more than just getting onto the gelding, to her at least, pleading seeping like honey in her russet gaze. Ann glanced from her palm to her eyes, biting her lip and sliding her hand into Lauren's, begging the rider couldn't hear her heart hammering.

With a boost of effort, Lauren swung up beside Ann, feeling the squeeze around her waist as the trainer held onto her for dear life. Tangling her fingers in the reins as a twinge of pain crawled up her sides, she gently clicked the gelding forward. "Good?" Lauren asked, glancing back as she felt the grasp around her loosen and Ann's chin fall on her shoulder. "Take me out here all the time?" A slip of tiredness fell into the trainer's slurred speech, looking back to see her long eyelashes fluttering. Masking a smile, Lauren kicked the gelding into a rolling canter, letting one hand off the reins to hold Ann tight against her.

As they got further and further away from the field, the platinum blond's mind skittering back to her realization. She couldn't possibly love Ann, her true feelings of bond disguised in lavender, after all, she'd never had a best friend. An easy mistake to make, Lauren scolded herself, slowing as they turned into the gate of the school. Both ducking their heads down as the gelding instinctively trotted into the barn, Lauren leaping down before he'd even fully stopped. It was much warmer in the heated barn, reaching up to catch Ann as she jumped, Lauren swept her hair back.

Still slightly wet, not even the towel Lauren had been ringing through her short locks was enough to dry them. Her clothes were fine enough, drying in the wind back to the barn and Ann's shared warmth but the trainer was still dripping. The downpour of water from the faucet brought Lauren's mind back from the field, glancing at the bathroom door. Ann hadn't asked to go back on staying for the night but Zack didn't seem too happy, at their own dorm for the first time in months. "She's not sleeping with me." He grouched, kicking the door shut behind him with his arms full of chip bags and the string holding cans of soda together clenched between his teeth.

"Well neither am I, creep." Lauren snapped back, not meaning to be so defensive of Ann since Zack had brought snacks without needing too. "Sorry." She lowered her voice slightly as the water in the bathroom sputtered out, warm steam seeping into the main room. "I got to talking with Tae." Zack wiggled his eyebrows and cracked open a can of soda, Lauren grabbed a throw pillow from her bedside and smacked him over the head. "He's insane, a hopeless romantic, you know how he met JK?"

The rider rolled her eyes but a slight smile broke her facade as she remembered the story, Tanner dropping his books, JK helping him, love. Zack stuck out his tongue in disgust, covering his mouth with a burp which was met with a glare from his roommate. "No wonder you don't have a partner." She muttered under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear and scowl at as Ann stepped out, nodding to Zack.

The sweater and yoga pants Lauren had leant her fit Ann just right, her hair tied back and slightly curled from the water but mostly dry. "Heads up." Zack called as he tossed a bag of Fritos towards the stranger, shooting a thumbs up when she caught it. "Thanks." Ann let a nervous laugh back up her gratefulness, settling down crisscross beside Lauren. Tearing the bag open and setting it between them wordlessly, Ann let her gaze wander around the dorm. If she'd only been there once she seemed extraordinarily comfortable beside Lauren, crunching contentedly on the chips.

"Who'd you take out?" Zack tried to make small conversation which only got a scoffing snort from Lauren who pointed the empty bag at him. "You don't know a girth from a throat latch and you think I can name a horse and you'd know?" She accused, rolling her eyes but not letting her focus off her roommate as he clutched his chest in offense. "He's a psych major, not doing well but-" Lauren was cut off with a burst of laughter from all three as Zack kicked another bag of chips from the ground against her chin. Ann clapped in excitement and her eyes formed crescents the color of the textbooks in old classrooms.

A royal burgundy with gold trimming and secrets incoherent inside of them, Lauren found herself staring. Ann glanced over at her and she ducked her head away instantly, biting the inside of her cheek and forcing laughter. "Ugh, soda before bed, I'm feeling the boarding school life." Zack glared at the can of soda as he took another chug, not paying any attention to his roommate. "We won't be asleep for hours." Lauren agreed, glancing at her calendar with its red markings scribbled incoherently everywhere in the week.