Red Oak Academy Book One: Mount Up

~Chapter Fifteen~

I woke up Friday morning and stretched my sore arms. I had been mucking stalls all week as punishment for what happened at our lesson Saturday. Regina was supposed to be helping but most of the time she sat on her phone texting her friends. Since today was the prep day for the show, Mr Jones told us we didn't have to muck stalls.

I rolled over and saw it was five o'clock. I pulled on some grey breeches and a soft purple hoodie. After I pulled on my boots, I made my way to the stable in the brisk October air. I tacked up Dandy and headed to the largest outdoor ring where our lesson was this morning.

The lights were on because it was still dark. I glanced over to the ring next to where I was riding and saw a young girl riding. She was working without stirrups but you could hardly tell. Her equitation was flawless.

I focused back on myself as I finished warming up. When I was done I had Dandy walk in big circles in the center of the ring while the rest of the team warmed up on the outside. Everyone but Cody was there. He finally ducked in right before Mr Jones walked over.

I glanced at Cody, surprised. He was usually one of the first ones to arrive. His one breeches leg wasn't tucked completely into his boot and his collar on his polo wasn't straight.

Mr Jones had us do a series of flatwork exercises that weren't too difficult because of the show the next day. At the end of practice, he had us come to the middle.

"I've noticed some tensions and loss of focus from some of you," he said. "Some of you may not be friends, but in this ring you are teammates. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," we nodded.

"Good. Trailers leave tomorrow at four so be here and ready at three. It takes three and a half hours to get there and it starts at nine. You have the day off from school, I would suggest bathing and braiding. That's all you are dismissed."

"Yes!" We all cheered. We walked around to cool down and I made my way over to Cody. "Where were you this morning?"

"None of your business. I was busy." His phone dinged and he pulled it out. He opened up the text message and I got a glance of his screen.

Paisley: hey babe u done w/ lesson? ♡

"What?! Who is Paisley?" I yelled.

"Don't read my messages!" he exclaimed pulling away his phone so I couldn't see it.

"Well, who is she?" I asked a bit calmer this time.

"She is a girl I met the other day when you turned me down. She's on the eighth grade advanced team."

"So she's older than you?" I wrinkled my nose.

"No," he replied.

"Well you just said she was on the eighth grade advanced team," I said, confused.

"Yeah she's super smart and takes eighth grade classes even though she should be in seventh grade. She's a cheerleader."

I walked away. Why did it bother me so much that he was happy with another girl? Ugh, guys are so hard to understand!

I put Dandy in his stall and put his tack away. I went back to his stall and put his old halter on. I led him to the wash stall and tied him up to the bar. I started washing him, thinking of the last time I had given him a bath here before my team tryouts.

Cody had been bathing Kit Kat too and I had accidentally sprayed him with the hose.

*

I sprayed Dandy's stomach and heard a yelp. I looked beneath him and saw Cody. He was standing with a surprised look on his face, dripping wet.