𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 • 𝙅𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙧 𝘿𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙨 • 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚

04. Ready, Let The Games Begin

Shoveling horse shit, making endless stacks of fresh hay, leveling out the track, and looking a some gnarly looking gums of horses was not what I had in mind when Pablo asked me to because a trainer at Raintree, yet, this is what the past three hours have been like for me. The worst part so far had to be when Pablo made me spit in my own hand to add lubricate so I could shove a thermometer up a horse's ass.

It was finally lunchtime as I was sitting on one end of the tractor with some of the other farm help laughing away when a squeal of tires in the dirt caught my attention. And of course, the same Porshe from yesterday was now parked out in front of the Ritter house.

He gave me a soft smile with a wink as he started walking into the house and I flipped him off, smiling back at him as that same feeling in my stomach not that long ago came up again. Great, the last thing I need is to fall in love with my boss's son's best friend.

"Shoveling manure. That's what I do all day, Breakaway." Rubbing the snout of my horse I found the other day's nose, earning a neigh in delight. I thought Breakaway was a good name for the horse since that was the first thing that came to mind when I first saw her. Something about it just felt right, like calling her anything else was treason or something.

"And you know what they told me. People pay a lot of money for it." I rest my head on the stall, "Like, to grow vegetables in it." I had begged Pablo If I could see Breakaway since everything went okay with the surgery for my lunch break. I wanted to eat with the other for lunch but I felt like an outsider and just decided to hang out with them and get to know them first.

I couldn't help but laugh at what I just said as I continued to pet Breakaway, "Seriously! Who even came up with that idea anyways!"

"I think it's what they mean when they say "organic" at the health food store." I continue to laugh as I open the stall door, taking a small seat on a stack of hay that was in the corner.

"If you ask me. I think there's a big joke being played on a lot of people." I broke the sandwich I brought in half and took a bite, "I don't really know how I feel about Raintree yet, to be honest. But it's nice there, you know?"

"I mean," I pause in thought, "It's a lot different than my life used to be. Working at the diner every day with no break and sleeping in my car." My thoughts started to flow around in my head and the thought of my mom came up.

Why was I thinking about her? I bet she isn't thinking about me? So why should I waste my time on her? I couldn't shake the thought of her away so I caved in and dug into my pocket for my phone, dialing the inmate prison phone line.

I accepted the charges that were told to me on the other line as I waited for her to pick up the phone, but she only led me to voicemail, "Hey, Mom. It's Spencer,"

"You remember Pablo?" My teeth started to chew the inside of my cheek as I grew more nervous, "He got me a job working on this farm called Raintree."

"I work as part of the crew that takes care of the horses there, but I also get to learn more from Pablo how to train race horses." I cross my legs over one another, "And there are these two guys, best friends to be exact. But I think they both like me, especially this one guy named Junior."

Butterflies filled my stomach when I said his name again, "I also saved a horse, Mom. Her name is Breakaway. I'm actually sitting in the stall with her now."

Breakaway gives me a neigh and I laugh, "Did you hear her, Mom?" I paused for a moment to hear her response until I realized that I was talking to her voicemail, not her.

My lips press into a fine line as I look down at my shoes in disappointment, "I hope you still know that I'm still mad at you. For what you did..., to me."