Red Oak Academy Book One: Mount Up

~Chapter Twenty Five~

I took a deep breath in and smiled. I always loved the smell of Maple Ridge. It definitely wasn't ROA, but in a sense, I almost liked it more. The aisles were swept clean and the stalls smelled like fresh pine shavings but the fence was in need of a good coat of paint and the outdoor ring had clumps of grass growing.

Rachel and I headed toward Becca's office. Becca Wood owned and ran Maple Ridge with the help of her really hot nephew, Matthew. She was in her early thirties and she absolutely adored riding. She was the one who had taught me everything I knew about horses up until I went to ROA.

We pulled open the door to her office and stepped inside. Becca was sitting at her desk, looking at something on her old laptop, talking with someone on the phone, and rubbing her temples in small circles. She had bags under her eyes and she looked like she had lost a lot of weight.

"I'm sorry, I really am. Can you give me like two more weeks? I promise I can have it in by then." She paused listening for a few seconds. "Yes, yes." She nodded rapidly. "Yes sir, I understand sir. Thank you!" She hung up and sighed.

She jumped as she looked up, "Girls! How are you? I didn't see you come in! Rilee! How are you doing? Come here and let me get a good look at you!"

She stood up and walked around her desk and I moved to stand in front of her. She turned me in a slow circle and nodded in approval. "You look good! Bet the boys at Red Oak think so too, hmm?"

I blushed, "Becca!"

She swatted my arm playfully, trying to smile through her evident stress, "Come on, you know it's true. You're a pretty girl!"

"Okay, I have a boyfriend named James. He's super sweet and I like him a lot."

"Good for you! Now I have two of the horses signed out for you two. They are Seagrass and Ribbons," she said consulting her faithful clipboard. "They are in stalls four and nine. Tack is in the tackroom, just put it back where you found it. If you need anything, I'll be here." The phone rang again and she hurried to pick it up. "Hello?"

Rachel and I looked at each other and hurried out the door. What was going on that made Becca look so bad and the phone ring so much?  The phone never  used to ring before I had left.

I looked at Rachel and she looked worried. "Do you know what's going on?" I asked her.

She shook her head, "Not really, I had heard rumors that she had almost no money and she couldn't pay her taxes but I thought it was just a rumor. Maybe it isn't."

We made our way down to Seagrass and Ribbons' stalls. "Which one do you want?" Rachel asked me.

"Umm, Seagrass. Is that okay?"

She nodded, "Uh huh, I was hoping you would want him. I love Ribbons."

I smiled and slipped Seagrass' grey halter over his head and led him out into a set of crossties. I brushed him down quickly and started towards the tackroom to get his tack.

I hurried around the corner and ran into someone. I stepped back, "I'm so sorry! I alwa-" My eyes met a tall, sun tanned boy with bright blue eyes.

"Matthew!?" I hated my voice, coming out in a high pitch.

"Rilee." He said looking down at me. "You look nice. How is ROA treating you?"

"Pretty good. How about you? How's Kalie?" Kalie was his on- again-off-again girlfriend since fifth grade. She looked like she was from California with her aqua eyes, long tan legs, and bleach blonde hair.

He shook his head. "Pretty bad breakup?" I asked.

He nodded, "I think we're done for good Ri," he whispered, looking at the ground.

"Aw, Matt I'm sorry. She wasn't worth it. Who was it this time?"

"Tristan."

At the mention of Matt's best friend, I shook my head. Every time Matt and Kalie broke up it was because she was cheating on him with another guy.

"Hey, what's up with your aunt?" I said, trying to change the subject.

"Aunt Becca? She's having a hard time with money right now. She can't pay her taxes and the government is thinking about taking the farm away."

I felt the color drain from my face. Maple Ridge couldn't get shut down! It had been my favorite place since I was five and I started riding. "It'll be okay, right?" I asked.

He shrugged, "I don't know Rilee. She's having a hard time with it all."

"Bu-"

"No," he said cutting me off. "Just let it be, she'll figure it out. Oh, and by the way happy early birthday. I probably won't see you before it so..." he trailed off.

Our birthdays were on the same day- January 10th. We would both be turning sixteen. We had always been good friends since I had started riding at the barn. On my first day at Maple Ridge, he had hated that my sworn enemy from school (who decided to start the same day I did) who got to ride his pony in lessons, we had made an evil plan to get even with her.

She had been known to have a crush on Matt (I mean come on! We were five years old for goodness sake!) but she was obsessed with him. We planned that he would help her wash down his pony, making sure to get a nice big mud puddle built up under it. Afterwards, I took the pony into its stall while Matt's 5 year old self 'flirted' with Shay. She believed he was going to kiss her so she leaned in a and closed her eyes and he pushed her into the mud puddle.

She stood up crying and went running off to find Becca. In the end nothing but her white breeches and pride were ruined. To this day, she still hates us so much, but she does still have a crush on Matt. Before I had left, we had been so competitive, each trying to do better than the other.

"Aw, thanks!" I replied to Matt, coming out of my daydream.

"Yeah, we get to drive! Oh, I have a present, but I left it at home sorry." He scratched the back of his head embarrassed. "It was nothing just-"

"Stop," I held up my hand. "I don't want to know. Bring it to my house tomorrow, I'll open it then. I feel bad I didn't get you anything." I frowned.

"That's okay, I don't need anything," he said. "Seeing my best friend was good enough."

I smiled and hugged him, "I missed you so much!"

"Me too. Shay has been absolutely unbearable without you here. Every day she tries to find me by myself then she flirts with me. It. Is. Horrible!"

I laughed, "Aww, you know you like it!" I tease him.

He looked at someone behind me, "Speak of the devil."

I turned around to find Shay standing with her hip cocked and her arms crossed across her chest. Her eyebrow was raised and she gave me a dirty look. "Oh isn't this cute." She spat out. "Miss Perfect herself and Golden Boy."

I rolled my eyes. "Get over yourself, Shay. Jealousy isn't a good look for you."

Shay turned ten shades of red trying to control herself. "As if, now I'm the best and no one is even close to being as good as me." She bragged.

I shrugged, "Whatever. It's just because I'm not here."

I grabbed Seagrass' tack and Matt followed me out of the tack room. He helped me tack him up then Rachel joined me in heading to the small indoor arena.

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Here you go!! It isn't the best but the information is important for later! ;) ;)

Thank you for being patient with me, state tests and finals are here for school and I'm stressing!!!

What do you think of Matt and Shay? I personally LOVE Matt but hate Shay!! ♥♥

See you soon!

-Abbi ♥♥