Champions Until the End

Chapter Five

Ferni on the top.

       First was Rachel on Dawn, then Jocelyn and Blackjack, Isabelle and Lonru, Paige and Daisy, Parker and Feather, then me and Ferni. The course was in a big loop, so you started and finished in the same field, just in different spots. Dawn was obviously a great jumper, and it turned out that Blackjack was fast. The cross-country course had fifteen jumps, and covered about two and a half miles. It would take an average of five minutes to complete, and so far no one had managed to get under five minutes. Parker was just staring his run, and so far the times were:

Rachel: 5:06

Jocelyn: 5:02

Isabelle: 5:13

Paige: 5:11

        A few minutes later, Parker finished with a time of five minutes exactly. I lined Ferni up at the starting line, bracing myself for the break. Mike started counting me off. "Three, two, one, GO!" he said, and Ferni launched forward, galloping hard. We approached the first jump, a trakehner, and leaped it in style. This was going to be amazing.

        Ferni took the next thirteen fences the same way. Hedges, water jumps, log jumps, hayfeeders, you name it. As we approached the last jump, a ditch, I started to get flashbacks. Lady, tripping and going down, falling on me. Fernidad must have sensed my hesitation, for his stride slowed. I couldn't do this. I pulled Ferni off of the path to the ditch, slowing to a halt. I knew that Mike was watching somewhere, but right now I didn't care. I was shaking so hard I thought I might fall off. There was no way I could do this, I just wasn't ready.

        The other students came onto the course, and Mike. Mike knew all about my accident, so obviously he realized why I had pulled up. Parker, too, probably. Everyone else probably thought I was an idiot, yanking my horse off when I had a great round going. I couldn't help it, though. I just... couldn't jump that ditch. No way. Not with flashbacks of what happened with Lady, and with my dad, too.

        "Everything all right?" Mike's voice jolted me out of my memories, and I hurriedly tried to respond with something that didn't sound dumb.

        "Yeah-I'm fine" I said. Not exactly a lie. I was physically fine, but I was shaken internally.

        Mike raised an eyebrow. "Okay, well you can't let Fernidad end on that note. Go jump it."

        Wait, what?!?!?!?!?! Noooooo way. I could tell my panic showed in my face, because Mike said, "It'll be fine." Um, he did NOT know that. Okay, it probably would be fine, but... Nope. Nope nope nope nooooo way. In response, I just turned Ferni and kicked him into a gallop, but heading away from the ditch.

        I didn't know exactly where I was going, for all I knew was that I was not jumping that ditch. I realized that I probably should take Ferni back, but I decided I could do that later. Right now I just wanted to gallop, feeling the wind in my face as I rode.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~T I M E S K I P~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

         After bringing Ferni back, I led Faith out so she could graze while I sat in a tree with Whistle sniffing around below. I was like that for a while, sitting in the tree gazing at the sky, thinking. I imagined what Lady was doing right now, and my best guess was probably training with her new owner. I was so lost in my thoughts, that I actually fell out of the tree when I heard "There you are!" from below. I yelped upon the impact of the ground, looking up at a grinning Parker. "I thought I told you not to sneak up on me like that!" I chided him in mock anger. "My most sincere apologies." he answered, saying it jokingly. I stood up, brushing grass off of my riding pants, then walked back to the tree and climbed back to my branch.

        "You sure you want to be up there?" Parker asked with a teasing glint in his eye.

        "I'm sure." I responded, matching his tone. "Besides, now I'm taller than you."

        "You sure about that?" Before I knew it, Parker was sitting on the branch to my left and slightly above the one I was on. "Hmph." I said. "Fine, you win."

       "Anyways, I just wanted to see if you were still here. I'm sorry about what happened during cross-country."

        "It's fine. I just wasn't going to jump that. I normally have no problems with ditches anymore, but I guess that it's my accident combined with my dad..." I trailed off, not sure where I was going with that sentence. I checked my watch, remembering that my mom had wanted me home earlier tonight. 6:15. I was late. "Sorry, I have to go," I apologized. "My mom wanted me home by six."

        "No worries," Parker said. "I'll see you tomorrow." Parker disappeared out of the pasture, and I hopped out of the tree, calling Whistle before running home with her.

Sorry this chapter was slightly shorter. I couldn't really think of that much.... but I'll have something good soon! I still have multiple ideas of where to go with this story, so I'm working it all out as I go. But I promise, I have something planned for the next chapter! It might have to happen in the seventh chapter, but we'll get there.