Disguised In Lavender

Part 28

Ann chewed thoughtfully on her biscuit and caught Lauren's eyes before she could speak. "You think she was bluffing?" Maybe it was a stupid thing to hope but that couldn't stop teh older girl from feeling a weight lift from her chest. Swallowing pitifully, Ann set her hand palm up on the table, waiting until Lauren took it to speak again. "I think we're going to have to face the reality that he's here. You aren't doing this alone but you're going to have to do it." A hint of apology made the rider cringe, she knew she was being too uptight and it killed her.

Still, the thought of seeing her father after years and fresh memories seemed horrifying. "Can we go for a ride? Not out, just," Lauren didn't have to finish her request before Ann was nodding and quickly wrapping her food into a napkin. This was her person, she knew right away as she copied her rushed movements and leapt from the cushioned seat. Neither said a word but Lauren let Ann pay for both of their food and they walked out, hands brushing occasionally. "Man up and hold my hand, would you?" The trainer broke the silence and grabbed Lauren's hand tightly in her own, she didn't bother to look at her, just kept walking.

Blush coated the older girl's cheeks as she felt the other students crane their necks to follow the couple. No doubt some of them were whispering terrible things and believed every word from Dalla, but not everyone. "You're so loud." Lauren sighed as they entered the barn but didn't let Ann's hand go even as they neared Ducky's stall. "Don't you hate me?" Shaking her head lightly, their hands dropped and the rider unlocked the gelding's stall. Instantly, the big buckskin whipped his head around and blinked peacefully at the girls.

A strip of green tinged hay hung from his velvety muzzle but was ignored as he plodded to Lauren. "Horse whisperer." Ann teased, backing away in tense fear as Ducky bumped his head to where she'd been standing. "I like to think I'm just pretty." Lauren slipped a halter over his head and clicked the lead rope to the bottom, smiling at Ann who rolled her eyes. She tacked in silence with Ann shadowing her without a clue how to help and not sure she wanted to. Ducky stayed calmly still, even lifting one hoof and nearly dozing off to the combing of his tail.

With the mock show only a week away, Lauren wasn't sure how often she'd be able to use Ducky in the ring. Scouts would be coming in and out to inspect it and setting up jumps before the first day, closing it after. "How about an easy walk to canter, buddy?" Lauren muttered to Ducky only, lowering her hand to pat his muscular neck and lifted the reins confidently. Walk was easy, they made a smooth 20 meter circle with Ann in the center, watching coolly. She'd put her mask back over her face which just made her eyes twice as gorgeous, Lauren caught herself staring.

A quick nudge in the ribs and Ducky bunched forward into a choppy trot, instantly slowing back to a walk. "If he starts that in the ring just make sure you ask in a corner, the judges will just call it sore footing." Ann called out expertly, pinching the bridge of her mask and propping her hand on her elbow. She looked so professional it almost made Lauren burst into laughter but she could only nod along. Trying the command again, this time Ducky lengthened into a hiccuping canter with his legs tangling inches apart. "I got it!" The rider cried out as she stopped Ducky in front of Ann after a jolting circle. Her eyes were wide with excitement and the trainer tilted her head with a shrug.

The gelding waited patiently as Lauren asked Ann to set up raised bars, setting each a stride apart and set diagonally. "I don't get it." The blonde blinked in confusion and tugged on the strap to her mask, staring blankly at the poles. "Watch this." Lauren was almost giddy with excitement, she positioned Ducky and clicked him forward into a canter. With the bars spaced to the side of his head, the gelding took them with ease, even folding his neck. Ann's jaw nearly dropped to the floor and she bounded over the poles to Lauren with her hands in the air.

She paused for a moment, opening a shaking palm to Ducky who gently touched his muzzle to it. "I don't know if this is a great discovery but it sure explains something." It did, Lauren knew now why it felt like her gelding was trying to jigsaw his hooves every time he cantered. "He's in the left lead eye, he can't canter because he can't see the track on that side." Ann nodded, crouching down and running her hand down Ducky's left hoove, he shivered before lifting it. Blind, Lauren had chosen a blind gelding to try and win a competition with and now the stacks lifted with everything Dalla was doing. Ann set his hoof down and set her hands on her hips with pursed lips, looking up at the rider cluelessly.

There was no such thing as 'unleasing' a horse so in all legal terms they were stuck with Ducky until the final show. "Let's make the best of this. If Dalla finds out we're through." Ann clenched her jaw nervously, obviously the breakthrough upset her more than Lauren. "I'm sure we can work around it, he's fine over the poles." The rider followed her trainer and slipped off of Ducky as she paused and turned around, sliding her mask down. "What if he falls? What if he kicks you off? What if he can't see the jump? What if you get expelled?" Lauren shook her head and tied the reins around Ducky's neck, holding him in place as she comforted Ann.

"None of that is going to happen. Maybe this is too much to get through today, let's go back to my dorm and just relax." It sounded fine enough but the trainer straightened, glaring pointedly at Lauren with glittering eyes. "So we just give up?" The sting of her voice made even Ducky bob his head impatient, pawing at the ground with a sharp hoof. Lauren took a breath and patted his neck clamingly, turning her shoulder to Ann who crossed her arms. "This isn't a conversation we should be having right now. I'm not trying to start a fight so let's not do this." Ann ran her tongue over her teeth and let out the breath she'd been holding, slouching slightly. She nodded and turned away, leaving the ring first with, rubbing her temples in distress.

A twinge of hurt crossed Lauren as she watched Ann vanish into the stable and forced herself to turn to Ducky. Pounding sounds of boots made her turn back and a smile broke her tensed features. Ann ran into her arms and closed her eyes as she set her chin on the older girl's shoulder silently. "I'm just worried." Stressing over a show was normal, it's what led to Lauren and Mr. Terence distancing themselves before one. "I know, I'll put him over straight poles tomorrow and see how he does. Come on." Lauren siped her hand into Ann's, untangling Ducky's reins and leading him back to the barn.

The trainer didn't stay mad for very long but the bursts of tension would get exhausting, Lauren thought. Undoing the girth as Ann leaned against the tack box, the rider felt an unusual sense of ease. She turned towards the younger girl with the saddle over the crook in her arm and examined her features. "What?" Ann asked with a laugh, touching her face self consciously and straightening up to face Lauren. "I watched you just standing for almost a year, I'm such a coward." She sighed, moving to the tack room to put away the saddle and walked back to Ann who rolled her eyes. "No, you've just got dumb gay bitch disease. You're fatally ill and a bottom." Lauren scoffed and turned her back, fighting back a retort since she knew it was all too true.