Two Puzzle Pieces

Chapter Two

The next morning I woke up and got ready for school, I didn't bother with my make-up and I just threw up my long blonde hair. I wasn't a natural blonde and you could tell because of my dark brown roots. I walk across the yard to the Trading Post, a gas station that I lived not even five minutes away from.

I sat on the bench on the outside, for Claude the owner wasn't up yet. I waited on the bus. I seen it come into few and it stopped with a hiss. I boarded and my long day of hell began.

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After school, I was tired and headed home. Riley wasn't at school and it made my day even worse. My mom was of course past out on the couch.

Thank God it's Friday, I thought. I could stay out of the house until I wanted to come inside.

I made me some homemade French fries and some chicken nuggets, considering that was all we had in this house, because my mom was to busy selling food stamps for drugs.

I ate my food and started on the dishes when Riley came bursting through the door.

"Come on you have to see this!" She burst her face bright with happiness.

"What is it?" I asked, rinsing the last plate.

"It's a surprise!" She said grabbing my arm and pulling me out the door.

"Wait my shoes!" I laugh, and she lets go of my arm, as I put on my shoes. She stands barely still by her beautiful palomino gelding Banner. Who is my buddy, but he is to small for me, as Riley says it. But in reality I know, I'm to fat for him. Riley really hates it when I do that to myself so I try to not discarnate myself in front of her.

We walk down the yard to the Trading Post, across the street to three huge pastures slit in half by a dirt road.

"What am I looking at." I asked, annoyed and tired from that walk.

She didn't have time to answer because Banner let out a loud whinny, and another horse answered.

It was Leo, her other horse, who for some reason won't keep weight on himself. He stood grazing happily.

"Oh, it's Leo." I said, happy for her.

"Frank said I could board him for free, isn't that awesome?" She said awe written all over her tanned face.

"Yes." I said, looking at all the room the horse had, I was just about to ask if there were more horses with him, but another more distant whinny stopped me. I look to my right, and my heart dropped to my feet.

A huge pure black gelding, galloping up the hill. His long mane and tail like black smoke blown fiercely in the wind. His hooves made the ground shake with each step, it made my own heart skip a few beats. His muscles rippled beneath his coat. He tossed his head, and looked to me. I was completely breathless.

"Oh yeah, and he had three other horses to keep him company." Riley said, pulling me from the spell this horse had clearly cast on me.

"His beautiful." I said, as the big gelding walked right up to us, only with two mares. One a black like him, wearing a red halter, and a chestnut mare wearing a green halter. He wore a grey halter. It fit him.

His eyes sparkled with so much wisdom.

I don't know how long I stood there patting the gelding, until soon it became time to make dinner, and so Riley and I walked across the road and through the yard to the house.

On our way over we ran into her dad, and she asked if she could spend the night, like always the answer was yes.

"I'll be back, I got to put Banner up." She said, and then mounted quickly and galloped off. Oh how I wish I could just hop onto a horse and gallop away. Away from my parents, the drugs, and all the name calling. How I wish to ride a horse again.

I sigh, and went inside to start dinner. I was half way done when Riley came back, my mom was no where to be seen.

"Where's your mom?" She asked sitting her stuff down. I shrug my shoulders as I put the chicken in the skillet.

"Buying drugs with food stamps again, more than likely." I said, dryly. Riley looked at me with worried eyes.

"Are you OK?" She asked, when her eyes met mine I tried not to falter, "Yeah, why do you ask?" I lied, my voice so convening it scared me. She put her hands on her hips, and looked at me, clearly not believing me. She could always see right through me.

I sigh, "Dante is drunk, and is rabbling around threating to beat the crap put of Tyler, and mom's over at Pat's shooting up." My voice creaked but I put the chicken in to cover the sound.

Riley started on the macaroni and cheese as I finished up the chicken.

"Will you go get, Daniel?" I ask, as I am making my little brother's plate. Riley nods, after licking off cheese from her finger and then bounces off to find the little butthead.

She came back a moment later with him in her arms. She sat him in his high chair and I sat down his plate. Riley and I dug in. After the third plate of macaroni and cheese I glanced worriedly at Riley.

"Are your parents feeding you?" I ask.

"Huh? Yeah why?" She replies, a mouthful of macaroni. I smile at her, "Your such a pig." I said, putting my plate in the sink.

"I want down." Daniel said, I got him down and he instantly ran outside.

"You want to go see Leo?" Riley asked, putting her plate in the sink also. I thought about it a moment. I really didn't want to walk, but the magnetic pull of that black gelding became to great.

"OK, fine, but let me smoke first." I said, and I could practically see the disappointment flash into her eyes, but as soon as it was there, it was gone. I told her countless times I was going to stop but never did. I just don't see how she ever forgave me, I don't deserver that kind of loyalty. She doesn't deserve that kind of treatment. She has never judged me, never tried to change me. She only tried to protect me and I let her down. I'm such a screw up.

So I went to the bathroom and smoked my cancer stick, feeling like a jerk the entire time.