Beauty & The Bull Rider

Chapter 9 Keep'in It Real

For the next week, I stayed away from Amy and Fisher. For that matter, everyone except for Lacey and Ash. I shadowed Fallon when she taught the senior riders and I got to run BabyFlo through a pattern or two. I had some fun with Ash for the most part. I took her on a trail every day before lunch and I committed myself to focus on my pattern, my game, and my speed. I pushed all thoughts of Fisher away and kept Amy's words in my mind.

  After Flag and trick team class on the following Monday, Adam asked me to exercise one of the green barrel filly, Phoebe, that he was working with. I was in awe of the filly's metallic copper coat. Her mane was an off cream shade and she had one hind stocking and a single half-star. She acted beautifully as I tacked her up.  I led her out to the arena and ground tied her as I sat up the barrels.

I held her head as I vaulted onto her back. It was all going well, until 20 minutes later when I asked her to lope down home. She suddenly, burst into a bucking, crow hopping fit. All I could do was hang on to the saddle horn and hope that she would stop sooner or later. She stopped for a split second with a fours, on the ground, I relaxed, but within a millisecond or me relaxing, she gave a triumphant crow hop that sent me flying over her head.

She shook her whole body and trotted over to the out-gate where Fisher was laughing. I rolled my eyes and tried to get up. My legs suddenly gave out as I stood up and I was in the sand again. Fisher let himself in and jogged over to me. He offer me a hand up and pulled me to my feet. We were both laughing. My ankle felt as big as a basketball and my wrist burned. I started to limp to Phoebe, but my ankle couldn't take any weight. 

"Don't try to put weight on it," Fisher said quickly as he slipped under my arm to balance me. "Just lean on me." He said. We got over to Phoebe. "You can't ride in your condition, so I'll get on her," He said. "No, I have to get back on," I objected. He shook his head. "No, you don't,"  "Yes I do,"  He chuckled. "You're more stubborn than my Mom,"  "No, I'm not," I joked. Before I could say anymore, he mounted Phoebe and pushed her into a lope.

She started another bucking spree, but Fisher spurred her as she bucked. She stopped bucking, and he stopped spurring. She was soon loping around the barrels as well as any seasoned barrel horse. He jumped off of her after 30 minutes and led her and helped me back to the barn. I sat on my tack trunk as he untacked her. "So, you've been ignoring me a lot," He casually said as he slipped Phoebe's teal halter over her nose. I paused, looking for the right words. 

"Oh, ya know, been busy," I stuttered. He nodded. "That's not it, is it?" He questioned. "Nope," I said. He placed my saddle beside me and sat down. "Why?" His face was inches from mine and I felt heat in my cheeks. "I've really liked you since the day I saw you and I thought you did too," He said. I stared at my boots. "Now you've completely shut me out," He continued.

I felt anger build up in my deep soul. I scooted away from him. "You and Amy are an item," I mumbled coldly. "Yea sure," He said. "Her mom and my mom are like best friends and she automatically thinks I'm her's," He said. I stared at him. "Listen, all I really want to for you to like me back, so I'm going right now, to tell Amy to back off of me," I nodded. "You don't have to do that," I squeaked. He took a finger and brushed back a strand of my golden hair. "I want to," He got up and walked out of the barn to tell Amy to buck off, I guessed.