Disguised In Lavender

Part 31

Cold from their ice cream and the slightly drafty window made both girls lay side by side under the blanket. Ann's arm was behind Lauren's head and her fingers massaging her scalp, the rider had a hand on her thigh. The later it got, the more the factor what they'd done settled in with all of its consequences in tangles. "You don't think he knows where my dorm is, do you? I mean, Dalla doesn't so I guess it's fine." Lauren worried as she tossed her cup into the trash can across from her, sighing anxiously. "I'll stay here in case he does. I can't go back to my dorm anyway, I'll die of embarrassment." Ann shrugged and threw her cup away too, leaning her head on Lauren's shoulder and closing her eyes.

Butterflies rose in the older girl's stomach, heart pounding in her chest at the promise in Ann's words. Even in a million years Lauren had never thought she would feel like this, or felt she was allowed to. Sure, Dalla and her father were an obstacle and they were a horrible awakening but she had Ann now. The song of crickets on campus slowly lulled her from her thoughts, shutting her eyes and drifting her off.

Sunlight broke through the sleepy haze hanging over the dorm, Ann wasn't beside Lauren anymore. The sound of rushing water from the shower showed she hadn't left though which was a relief. Thursday morning was a more normal schedule from every student at Winchester, synched throughout. Lauren sat up and stretched out her arms, yawning and trying to flatten the mane of curls on her head. She grabbed her phone and stood, taking a moment for everything to come into focus before she opened it.

The group chat between her, Tanner, and JK had blown up overnight but it really couldn't be very important. Still, as Lauren picked out an outfit, a short white skirt and purple cardigan, she scrolled through it. Complaints about homework and JK's parents, she sighed and set it aside, the usual. Ann stepped out of the bathroom with her hair still slightly damp and a sweater tucked into her jeans. "Have you seen snap?" She asked, opening her phone and flipping open SnapChat, handing it to Lauren as she plugged in her hair dryer. A picture from Dalla caught Lauren's attention and she opened it right away, walking across the dorm to the vanity.

Dalla- So what're you doing tonight?

Ann- *sent a picture* sleeping with my girlfriend, leave me alone

Dalla- *sent a picture* but I'm alone

Ann- Notice how I didn't even open it? Fuck off

Dalla- Meet me at the cafe after lunch. I can show you irl

Ann- I'm gonna pass, thanks.

Ann- TBH, I'm not interested anyway

Lauren made a face and closed the phone, setting it against the mirror and running a comb through her hair. "She sent that to the whole school, this is getting on my nerves now and I'm so done." Ann grumbled, picking up her phone with a groan and earning a laugh from Lauren who couldn't help feeling proud. She turned in her chair and put her hands on Ann's waist, pulling her closer and blinking up at her adoringly. "We'll beat her at the show this weekend, don't even worry about it. Trust me, you, me, and Ducky won't let her win." Maybe it was too much faith that the rider put in her gelding but she was confident in their choice.

"It's a cute picture though, we're too hot for this." Ann mumbled, her voice muffled by the toothbrush between her teeth, Lauren couldn't help laughing. She patted on her foundation, a feel of comfortable silence following their concentration on getting ready. "Dalla's gonna have it out for us today. I'm pretty sure Madge is her friend so I can think of a few ways things can go wrong." Ann sighed at the thought and pulled her hair back into a low ponytail, pulling her bag over his shoulder. Lauren couldn't answer, there was nothing she could do to console either of them so she quietly slipped on her jacket.

Keeping their relationship a secret was probably the hardest thing either had ever done, and that included going to a mostly conservative school. Ann turned her bucket hat lowered over her eyes and stretched the familiar black mask across her face. Lauren picked up her bottled water and patted her pockets for her wallet, applying a final layer of lip gloss. "Let's see how much of Ducky we can figure out now." The trainer mumbled, hooking her mask below her chin as she puckered her lips, leaning her weight to one side impatiently.

Lauren smiled, nodding in agreement but ignoring her girlfriend's request as she opened the door. "Are you coming?" She asked with a sly tilt of her head, holding the door open and pretending to check her watch. "Don't get cocky." Ann waved a finger at Lauren as she passed her, spinning around when the door clicked closed and pushing her against it. "Now kiss me, horse girl." The sudden impact threw the breath from the rider but she complied, relaxing under Ann's touch.

Life would have been so bland if Lauren hadn't met her, she let out a longing sigh at the thought as Ann pulled off. The trainer pulled her mask back up and as if by magic her eyes became much more piercing in their blue depths. Even if Lauren felt safe enough to go public with her, no one would believe that someone like Ann was with her. Maybe the thought was a bit premature since that was what was happening but there's what she thought. Ducky's huffing whiny broke Lauren's thoughts and she peeled away from Ann's side to her gelding.

"How're you doing, buddy? Meet, Ann, don't get on her nerves because then you'll have to deal with me, yes you will." Lauren cooed softly, side eyeing the trainer who glanced over but hadn't seemed to hear through the clatter of the other horses. "Yeah, she's pretty great." She swooned, turning back towards Ducky and letting herself into his stall, a hand on his neck. "Lauren." Ann's anxious call of her name made the rider turn, kicking the stall door closed as she stepped outside. "Yes?" The reply had barely left her lips when Ann pressed a flyer in dark green print into her face urgently. Lauen backed up with a stumble, grabbing the paper from the trainer and scanning it briefly, her eyes going wide.

There, right in bolded letters, read 'Scout's early arrival, Sunday 10:00 AM', Lauren's heart sank to her stomach. They weren't ready, her eyes lifted to Ann's who bit her lip, mask obviously forgotten somewhere in the tackroom. Ducky was still an issue that neither rider nor trainer had tackled and then there was Dalla of course. This wasn't possible, Lauren blinked harshly and looked back at the paper, reading the subscript, hoping for an April Fools in December. It only got worse though, on Sunday December first, scouts would arrive for the official showing of Winchester Manor.

What had once been scheduled for early January had been thrown almost a month forward with sickening force. "That's in two days, we have two fucking days." Ann's voice was hollow, the light behind her eyes darkening in disgust as she began to pace nervously. Lauren stuffed the paper into her pocket and grabbed Ann's wrist to stop her, instantly inches from her face. "I've got it under control." The rider promised, her short hair falling out from behind her ears and tickling her girlfriend's cheeks. "You're in over your head, Laur. We're talking about a horse that's blind in one eye and we have no idea how he's going to get through the first course." Ann's voice was stern, a flash of aggression in her movements as she pulled away and swallowed her bitterness.