Mounting up

Chapter 5

*Blossomwell dormhall entrance above.*

I watched happily as the familiar scent of horses arrived and the tall pine trees came into view. Tears glistened my happy eyes and my heart soared with happiness as I saw the black wrought iron gates open with the crest of the school and our motto on the front of the gates. Gravel crunched under our car's tires as we pulled into the parking lot.

Mom parked the SUV and smiled back at me. "Welcome back." I grinned and jumped out of the car. "Can I go get Elle and lead her to her stall?" I asked. "Sure, go ahead. Meet me by the blossomwell dorm entrance after." I went around to the trailer and unloaded Elle.

She blinked twice and sniffed the air. She pranced around as I lead her to the stable. I found row E and my heart stopped when I saw her stall. Her stall was the exact same stall she had last time. I put her in and took off her halter and gave her a horse treat. I walked back outside and walked to the blossomwell dorm hall entrance which was located near the stable.

Mom opened the door and I took a duffel bag and walked inside. My breath caught as I gazed around. Dark cherry coloured hardwood floors sparkled in the sunlight. A sweeping marble staircase with a dark wood banister stretched upstairs. There were three doors on my left. One lead to the common room, another lead to the kitchen and a third lead to the dorm moniters bedroom.

A lady with brown hair and grey eyes stuck her head out of the dorm moniters office. "Hi! I'm Lauren Towers, Blossomwell dorm hall monitor!" She wheeled out so she could see us better. She was in a pink wheelchair. "I'm paralyzed from the waist down, I had a horrible riding accident when I was 10 years old." She explained. "I'm sorry." I apologized. "No need. It happened a long time ago. Here's your key! Rose got here a couple days ago." She replied, smiling. I took the key and thanked her. We proceeded up the stairs and took the 2 floor elevator up to the fourth floor.

I unlocked my room and went inside. Rose had certainly done some stuff. The floor was covered with a blue chevron area rug. There was yellow mini fridge plus yellow mini microwave on the counter. She had decorated the dorm and I could see she had bought a flatscreen TV.

A girl with frizzy red hair that was plaited peered out of the doorway of the bathroom. "I'm Rose! Your roommate!" "I'm Eleanor. Are you a rider?" I asked, smiling knowingly at her breeches. "How'd you know?" She laughs. "The breeches." I laugh too. She helps Mom and I unpack my stuff.

Mom turns around. "It's time for me to leave." She says softly, tearing up. "I love you mom. I love you and Finley both so much. Take care of him for me." I murmur as I hug her. "It's going to be so lonely. Take your dreams and live them, I regret taking you out of here. I love you. Goodbye." She responds quietly.

She exits, and Rose smiles knowingly "Did your Dad die?" She asked sympathetically. "Yes. He died in December of lung cancer." I say, getting on my breeches. "I'm sorry. My dad was murdered in December as well." "Oh my. That must be so hard to go through that. I'm sorry." I replied kindly. "It's ok." She says. Together we head down to the stables. "Come meet my horse!" She said as she petted Elle softly.

"Ok." I agreed. Rose turns a corner walks into the H section. She stops at the most beautiful black stallion. "He's a black thoroughbred stallion from a race horse farm in Kentucky. His parents were race horses but he wasn't cut out for it so my parents bought him for our farm and slowly, we became best friends. His name is Hot Streak or Streak for short." She stated proudly.

"He's certainly a stud." I murmur as I pet him. His nostrils flared and backed away from me. "He's hot tempered." Rose warned lightly, "He only lets people touch him if he knows them. Once he gets used to you and this place, he'll let you touch him." "Ok." I said, uncomfortably, backing away a little bit. "Tomorrow is testing." Rose says. "Oh wait, testing is tomorrow? I thought it was on Sunday." I said. "It was but for all incoming riders, the test for the varsity teams are soon, so they have to do it sooner." She replied, while latching the stall open. She went inside and mounted Streak bareback.

My heart soared at the thought of being on the senior varsity team again, getting to see Paige again. Hopefully, I could get on the team before nationals. "When is the testing for the varsitys team?" I ask mechanically, watching her hug Streak. "2 weeks." She shrugged. "I'm not nervous. I know I'm a great rider." She stated in a very full of herself manner. I didn't reply. Rose was ok but she was full of herself.

"I'm going back to Elle." I announce. "Whatever." Rose replies "I'll text you when we're ready for dinner." "Who's we?" I responded tartly, suprised at her "whatever" "My boyfriend Conner. He's on Windsor's international riding team. His family are billionaires." She bragged. "I don't want your boyfriend there. I was planning on getting to know my roommate." I said icily. "We're just roommates besides why would I befriend a person who can't even a proper sense of fashion. Say, would like one?" She offers a cigarette, lighting one. "Uh no thanks." I run out of the stable.

I sit down outisde. My phone beeps and I glance at the reminder. "Dad's birthday today!" It flashed on the screen. My eyes begin to water, and my heart drops. I begin to softly cry. Soon, it's full on sobbing. Sobs rack my body until a hand touches my shoulders.

"Hello?" An unfamiliar voice says.