ɢᴏʟᴅᴇɴ ɢɪʀʟ (sʜᴏʀᴛ sᴛᴏʀʏ)

5- Too Slow

Jade

I immediately ran back into the stables and flung open the gate to my horse, Yenifer. I didn't have any equipment to put on her or to get on, but she seemed to understand as she kneeled slightly for me.

Mila and Spot were getting further and I couldn't waste another second. I quickly grabbed some rope and held on to her mane for dear life as I jumped on and slapped her behind, taking off out of the stables.

Yenifer was a fawn when I first got her, she was a present for my 9th birthday since I had loved the horses and wanted my own. I practically grew up with her and became inseparable, I didn't go one day without riding her or at least hanging out with her. One time I even fell asleep with her in the stables when she ended up injured by another horse. She's never let me down, and hopefully right now won't change that.

"¡Vamos niña! ¡Apurarse!" (c'mon girl! hurry!)

I took off on her bareback, suppressing the pain as we raced towards them. She jumped the fence with ease and seemed to know where we were going, chasing after Spot and Mila. Luckily, they hadn't gone too far as we started to close the distance between us. I leant up and began knotting the rope and making a lasso, holding to Yenifer's mane again and pinpointing where I needed to throw.

As we got closer to them, they got closer to the forest, and I could see Mila desperately trying to stop him but only frightening him more. I gripped the rope tight and began to spin the lasso, aiming for Spot.

"Mila! Inclinar— Lean down!"

She looked back at me and relief flashed across her eyes for a second before tucking herself into Spot's back. I spun the lasso a few times and flung it across to him, only hoping that I put enough power into it.

The lasso just barely reached around him before adjusting and tightening around his neck. I pushed my body down on Yenifer's back, making her ground her hooves and forcing herself to slow down.

The sudden stopping also made him come to a halt, shaking his head in an attempt to get the lasso off.

"Shit. Are... are you okay?"

We had just barely stopped before the large fences that surrounded the outside forest, no doubt he would've jumped that too.

"Yeah just... yeah."

Yenifer seemed to lecture the younger horse, aggressively neighing at him before huffing.

I hopped off of her before going over to them and taking his halter in my hands, making sure there was nothing wrong with him.

"What... what was that?"

"What? Him running?"

"Yeah. Why did he do that?"

I deadpanned at her for a second before rubbing my temples, I never knew someone could be so... what was the word? Dense.

I shook my head and used the stirrup to hop onto him, getting in front of Mila as she protested.

"Uh, I can handle him."

"Yeah, totally."

"You still didn't answer my question."

"It's... uh, damn I forgot the word. Never mind, you should know."

I snapped the reins slightly hard, making him go into a canter as I turned him back around towards the stables. I whistled at Yenifer to follow, making her trail behind us.

"What do you mean you forgot the word?"

"I forgot how to say it in English."

"Really? Is that why you hesitate so much?"

"Does money replace brain cells or something?"

She laughed sarcastically and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest before sighing dramatically.

"Why are we going so slow?"

I smirked slyly before snapping the reins hard, making Spot push to a gallop and race back to the stables, Yenifer following not far behind us. She screamed and immediately wrapped her hands around my waist, almost making me puke up my stomach.

"What's wrong with you?!"

"You said too slow...?"

✵

I walked into the house trying to tune out all of the questions she's had since the stables, like how I did the lasso, where I learned, bla bla bla. I walked past the twins playing with their toys before going to the stairs, only to be stopped by my father.

"¿Dónde estabas? Te he estado buscando por todas partes y ni siquiera tus hermanos pueden encontrarte." (Where were you? I've been looking for you everywhere and not even your siblings can find you.)

Even though what happened earlier only lasted an hour or two, I still felt really tired and wanted to chill out. So I really didn't want to sit through this again.

"Estaba mostrándole los caballos a... a la chica nueva." (I was showing the horses to... to the new girl.)

I brushed off the comment and tried to go past him up the stairs, but he grabbed my arm before I could go. Mila seemed awkward and looked toward my dad, kinda forgot that she doesn't speak much Spanish.

He looked toward her and put on one of his fake smiles, trying to make things seem like they were all peachy and fine.

"Oh sorry Mila, you can go to Jade's room. She'll be there in just a second." 

Mila looked at him for a moment before shifting her eyes to me, a mix of curiosity and confusion. I nodded at her slightly and she seemed to get it, heading up the stairs to my room.

"¿Podemos no hablar de esto? ¿Por favor?" (Can we not talk about this? Please?")

"Lo intento, pero lo estás haciendo más difícil." (I try, but you are making it harder.)

I scrunched my eyebrows at him before scoffing, looking down at the wood tiles on the ground in an attempt to calm myself down.

"¡¿Yo, poniéndolo más difícil?!" (Me, making it harder?!)

"No me levantes la voz a mi." (Do not raise your voice at me.)

"No lo soy, simplemente... ¡no quiero hablar de eso aquí!" (I'm not, I just... I don't want to talk about it here!)

"Entonces deja de evitarme y tal vez no tendríamos esta conversación." (Then stop avoiding me and maybe we wouldn't have this conversation.)

I couldn't even look at him anymore as tears started to sting in my eyes, but I didn't want to cry in front of him. I heard noises beside me, the twins eavesdropping on our conversation as usual. But, I didn't want to deal with anyone right now.

"¡¿Qué estás mirando?! ¡Ve a jugar con tus estúpidos juguetes!" (What are you looking at?! Go play with your stupid toys!)

"¡Jade!"

I snatched my arm away from him and stormed up the stairs, ignoring everything and just wanting to get to my own space. Away from everyone.

Except her.

  ✵