Maybe it's Time (a Horse Story)

Chapter 7 - Texts and Trains

I pulled the red V-neck over my head and straightened the orange and red tie underneath it. I shrugged on the blazer and was just doing up the button when my phone dinged. I picked it up and felt sick. I had 20 messages - all from Stephanie, Isabel, and worst of all - Rhiannon. With trembling fingers, I swiped Rhiannon's name. She had sent 5 messages. But they would hurt so much more that all Isabel and Stephanie's meaningless ones. Sure, they were mean, but not icy cold like Rhiannon's.

The first message from Rhiannon said:

You will be sorry Monica. What is wrong with you? I hate you.

Not too bad. Yeah, bad, but I'll live.

I heard what you told Tui. You should wish you were never born.

Okay, maybe that one was a little worse.

You were so stupid beating me at the competition. You can't ride and everyone knows it. Even Janelle agrees. So do your parents.

Okay, that one was stupid. Janelle wouldn't have said that, and certainly not my parents.

I wish you were dead.

Well that was a little OTT. I'm not gonna lie, it rocked me. That my best friend of seven years wished I was dead.

But the last message was the worst.

And when I'm finished, your horse will wish he was dead.

I gasped. Buzzy was my world, my life, sometimes the only thing that got me through. But Rhiannon was just joking, I told myself.

Cheerily I deleted Isabel, Stephanie and Rhiannon from my contacts, and a little less cheerily slipped my laptop into my bag. How could I face school without friends? How?

"Monica! Hurry up! You'll be late!" came Mum's voice. I ran downstairs, tying my long blonde hair into a high ponytail. I shoved toast in my face and drearily packed my bag. Mum dropped me off at the train station and gave me a hug.

"See you this afternoon. Good luck."

I smiled weakly and waved as I walked to my platform. Usually I would meet Stephanie here but she was on the other end of the platform, texting vigorously. I didn't dare look at her.

When the train came I took my place away from any other girls from my school. I was resigning myself to 26 minutes of loneliness and boredom when I heard a voice. Tui's voice.

"Hey! Monica! Come sit with us!" she called, hanging off a seat. She was wearing a lacy tank top and floral shorts. She had pretty white sandals on her feet and her hair was in a ponytail that was basically one big ringlet. She was with other friendly looking girls, including my cousin Alice. I squished myself in between Tui and Alice.

"I like your top and shorts," I told Tui.
"What, these things? They're just old things of my sister's. Hey, did I tell you my sister won the three-star Pony Grand Prix on the weekend..."

I smiled and lent back. I was more than happy to listen about Tui's sister who had won the Pony Grand Prix. 

A/N: Hey guys! So a new chapter is born, and so is a friendship with Tui and Monica! I'll post a new chapter soon :)