Wild Horses

Leaving the Ranch

Past lives: Everyone talks about them. There have been cultural debates for centuries about whether or not they exist. I’m not going to tell you I know that they exist, but I can tell you that if we are just the single chain-link in a long line of reincarnations, then in my past life, I wouldn’t have existed as I do today, as a human. No, I walked this Earth as a mustang. Watching out my window, I see all of the herds galloping off to their next destination. They’re free. My entire life, all of ever wanted is that freedom, to be able to run off wherever I please without anyone to pull back on my preverbal reins.

I know that it may seem like I’m babbling, but to answer your question as to why I should be admitted into your school I want to tell you that along with that craving for freedom, I’m just as determined to do right, just as strongly as any good horse. I’m a hard worker and get everything done as it should be. I’m not much for failing, so I get it done right the first time. I’m stubborn, hard-headed, and tough, but I know how to pick my battles, and follow rules (even without a lead). I don’t do anything halfway, and I would make a great addition to a listless amount of amazing students to the alumni.

“That’s a wonderful answer, baby,” Miranda’s mom told her as she read over her boarding school application. This was the first time she’d let her mom see it, for fear she wouldn’t be accepted. Randi wasn’t exactly beaming that she’d be going to boarding school, but her parents wanted it for her, and she didn’t want to disappoint them. Now that she was about to board the bus that would take her away for the next year, she figured she might as well let them see it, they’d been begging since she sealed up the envelope.

“Thanks mom,” she said hugging her before stepping on to the bus for her 10 hour trip to school. Once she found a seat, she settled in and put in her headphones. It was already sunset. Randi couldn’t help but look out the window it was almost magical how the view looked on the open pasture in front of her with the sun sitting right on the horizon. She saw a group of maybe twenty or thirty horses gallop across the scene, headed up by a beautiful, silky, jet-black stallion. She recognized the herd as one of her father’s. He and the ranch hands had just let them out for their last few months of freedom before the winter.

“Pretty, huh?” she heard a deep, southern accent say behind her. She laughed at him.

“Understatement of the year,” she told him, turning to see a cute boy, her age, in a plaid button down shirt, Wrangler jeans, and dirty cowboy boots, with gorgeous, puppy-dog, brown eyes, and mussed, blonde hair, smirking. “It’s like scene from a movie,” she beamed.

“I have to agree with you on that one,” he said, sitting in the seat right across from her, “thought I might try to play it cool though, didn’t work out too well I guess,” he laughed. She shook her head. “I’m Charlie,” he told her, holding out a hand.

“I’m Miranda, but everybody calls me Randi,” she said, shaking his worker-tough hand. “You work on a ranch,” she stated, more than asked.

“How’d you guess?” he asked.

“Your hands,” she told him, “I grew up on a ranch, I can tell,” she laughed.

“Grew up on one, huh?” She nodded. “You ever seen a herd as amazing as that one?” She nodded again.

“That is one of my family’s herds actually,” she told him.

“You sure about that?”

“See that black horse?” she gestured to the stallion up front. He nodded. “That’s Malibu. He’s the first horse I ever got on, and he’s the first I ever got thrown from. You don’t forget that sorta thing.” He nodded in agreement. “Besides, that’s my father’s property. Our house is just down the road,” she laughed.

“I’m a little farther out than that,” he told her, “but my parents wanted me to get some ‘higher education’ so I could go to college. My mom doesn’t exactly want me to continue with the family business…”

“Funny, that’s why I’m here too,” she told him. “I’m going to a boarding school…”

“You ain’t going to Taft, are you?” She nods. “Wow, two ranch-babies at one school. Hope they have a bomb shelter for all the other kids,” he laughed. Randi laughed back, and then yawned. Charlie looked down at his watch. “Damn, it’s getting pretty late, maybe we should catch some shut eye before we get to the school.” Randi nodded, and stretched her legs out on the seat next to her. She noticed that he didn’t lie down or anything, but she shrugged it off and tried to go to sleep.

Charlie just sorta watched as she tossed and turned on the bench like seat, waiting for her to realize that sleeping like that probably wouldn’t work. Soon enough, she sat back up, “these seats are just so dang uncomfortable,” she twanged in her sweet Texas accent. He couldn’t help but smile and nod. “I know this might be kinda weird, seein’ as we just met and all,” she babbled sleepily, “but can I use you as a pillow?”

Charlie nodded, trying not to grin like a dopy idiot. He patted the spot right next to him, and she jumped over, laying her head on his shoulder. She couldn’t help but smile when he put one of his strong arms around her. A couple minutes later, Randi’s breathing evened out, and he could tell she was asleep.

“Morning sunshine,” Randi was greeted as she woke up, still laying on Charlie.

“Good morning,” she yawned, stretching the sleep away. She looked at her phone to see that they were about five minutes away from their stop. The butterflies welled up in her stomach as it sunk in.

“How’d you sleep?” he asked, still waking up himself.

“Alright, all things considered,” she laughed, resting her feet on the empty seat in front of her. “Where are we?” She asked Charlie, starting to really wake up. He tells her that they just got into Watertown a few minutes ago. They would be at the train station in just a few minutes, just as she’d thought earlier. Randi stretched again and decided she might try to get all of her things together.

“Any interesting dreams?” Charlie asked her curiously. Randi just shrugged and told him it was possible. He knew well enough that that was all he’d get out of her, so he dropped the subject, assuming she’d tell him when she was ready.

Little does he know, Randi’s a vault. She doesn’t let anyone know what runs through her mind. It would make her too vulnerable. She wasn’t about to let some sweet-talking cowboy break her heart…

She stretched one more time and gathered her things in a semi-neat pile so she wouldn’t have to worry about it when they stopped. He did the same next to her. “Well, I know I had some pretty interesting dreams,” he taunted her.

"So I guess this is the part where I'm supposed to ask what those dreams were about?" She asked him with a sassy grin. He mocked her shrug from earlier and just smiled and said it was up to her. "...Then you'll tell me that I have to tell you my dream first, and we'll be stuck right there," she said, laying out their hypothetical conversation.

"So you probably just aren't gonna ask at all then, huh?" He asked. She shook her head to silently tell him what he already knew. He wasn't gonna get to figure her out, not just yet anyways.  

A/N soooo this is that awkward moment where I realize this is probably the most popular of all my stories, and that it's also the one that I've updated the least...maybe this means that y'all should comment and rate and what-not??? I think yes (:

Feedback would be much appretiated (: and rewarded. The more votes and comments and stuff I get, the more often I'll update it (:

Also, if you like this story, then I suggest reading my other story "You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like That" the titles a little misleading I guess, cause it sounds a little risque, but it's not! I promise! It's an autobiographical story, and if you like the country girl stories and what-not, then you'll like it, so please please please at least give it a chance???

-Hearts & Horseshoes, Tori ♥