A Change for Good

Chapter 7- Finally Free

Cock-a-doodle-doooooo!!!!!

I groan, turning over in bed. Since when were there roosters in New York City?

Wait a second...

I slowly open my eyes, squinting at the sun rising from out the window. Then it hits me- I'm in Washington, living with my stranger sister. And today is my first day working on the farm.

"Rise and shine, Anna, the animals don't wait!" I hear Logan shout from the bottom of the stairs.

I groan before rolling out of bed. Pulling my hair into a messy bun and changing into some skinny jeans and a shimmery white top, I'm as ready as I'll ever be.

Entering the kitchen, I see Logan flipping pancakes in a grey V-neck t-shirt and shorts. He looks over his shoulder, grinning. "Good morning, sleepyhead, would you like some pancakes?"

I sit down on a stool and put my head on the counter. "Sure, thanks," I croak out in an unattractive manner.

Logan raises one eyebrow while reaching for some plates in a cabinet. "Looks like someone's not a morning person," he observes. "You'll have to get used to it, we will wake up this early to tend to the livestock before school every day."

And with this, my head shoots up. "WHAT?!?!" I exclaim. First of all, I thought this waking-up-early thing was a one-time deal, to have extra time to show me around. And second of all, I hadn't thought of having to go to school.

"Yup, you and I are both going to a school about 20 minutes away," he explains.

Great. Today just wasn't my day. First waking up early, to work on a FARM at that, and second, finding out I have to start school halfway through fall. I poke at the pancakes, sausage, and eggs set in front of me while Logan pulls up a stool to sit across from me.

After breakfast, Logan shows me the way to the barn. I am immediately hit with the stench of horse poop. "This is where we keep the horses at night, but mainly it is used for storage," he gestures to the empty horse stalls and hay bales stacked all the way up to the ceiling.

I nod grumpily, wrinkling my nose. I sooo don't want to be here right now.

Logan laughs and shakes his head. "You'll get used to the smell, and after you do, it will begin to smell nice...better than any air freshener around." He takes a big whiff and sighs happily, leaving me staring at him like a purple alien who just fell from the sky.

Great, so what he's saying is that if I stick around long enough, I'll turn into a crazy madwoman who sniffs horse dung for fun.

I catch up to Logan as he exits the barn and gestures to a big, fenced-in field. "My favorite, the goats."

Right as he says that, a small goat about as tall as my hip trots up to us and bangs its horns against the fence separating us. I jump back in instinct while Logan looks at me with an amused expression on his face. "He won't hurt you, he just wants to play." He sticks his hand in the fence and rubs the goat behind its horns. "Isn't that right, Barli?" He asks the goat.

I shake my head. I hope I don't reach that point of insanity in the year I'm here.

Logan gestures me to follow him as we depart the goat pen and come around the other side of the barn, where I see a flock of chickens laying under a tree... doing what? They were fluffing up their feathers and rolling their heads in the dirt.

"Uhhh.... what in the WORLD are these..things...doing?" I ask Logan.

"They"re taking dirt baths, it helps them prevent mites and other pests," he explains.