Caught in the Moonlight

Chapter Six

  "Wait here- I'll be right back," I whispered, hopping out of the truck. We were at the end of Mimaw's driveway and I ran down to the stables, trying my best to be quiet. They were, of course, locked. I remembered that Mimaw hid the key in a small cactus plant's pot just around the corner of the barn. I unlocked the door and walked to the back, entering the back right stall. It was completely dark and it took me a few minutes to get Terrence to stop whinnying before I could get Moonlight. When I finally did actually enter the stall, I spotted the filly immediately. She was curled up with her leg sticking out at an awkward angle, and her fur practically glowing in the beams the moon cast down onto her, the reason I named her what I did. I couldn't help getting this foolish grin as I looked down at the foal. I walked forward and scooped her up. She neighed a little but a little bit of neck rubbing soothed her. I carried her out of the barn, lying her back down on the ground before turning to lock the stable back. 

  Terrence went insane when I closed the door, neighing and bucking and screaming. I snatched up Moonlight and took off, but when I got back to the car, Josh stood in front of it. I was instantly pissed off at him, not only for coming out here, but also because he was out here in nothing but his boxers. I gently set Moonlight in the trunk and she fell asleep soon. "What are you doing out here?" I demanding, turning to Josh now that Moonlight was taken care of. We were both fully aware that the windows were down on the truck. "I could ask you the same thing, Ronnie-Ann," Josh replied, cocking his head and taking a step towards me. "I'm here to get my horse. Mimaw knows about this and that's what matters. I have somewhere to put her, thanks to Alex here," I took a step forward as well, gesturing to Alex. "Wait- Alex as in Andy's friend?" Alex jerked his head up and I slowly nodded after a second. "Yeah, he's friends with Andy," I told Josh, trying to pretend like it was trivial, obvious information. 

  "Dammit! You just want to take everything from me, don't you?" Josh asked, cocky as ever, taking a few more steps towards me. Alex jumped out of the truck, running around it and stepping between us. "YOU'RE the Josh Ronnie-Ann told me about?" Alex exclaimed, facing Josh angrily. "Yes, I'm 'the Josh' she told you about," Josh snarled, equally angry as he turned towards Alex. "You're the one that made out with Beth? The one that seemed like a good friend way back when Andy first met you?" At this point I spoke up. "That was you, Alex? The little boy that lived next to Andy?" I asked, hoping it wasn't true. That Alex had been shrunken in, sitting against a tree and refusing to talk to me. Andy teased me about him liking me but I had told him it couldn't be true, that Alex couldn't see me like that! We'd been four- and now here we were, eleven years later, still in the same situation. Either history repeats itself, or some things never changed. "Oh, I get it now, Alex! You've been waiting for this day! You're who she meant!" Josh explained, looking like and acting about as mature as a first grader. He held a finger up to the corner of his mouth and acted dumb and sarcastic as he said, "Hm, well teacher, I think I get it now. Ronnie, minus Josh, equals Alex plus Andy! Josh, minus Ronnie, Alex and Andy, equals Friendless Josh! This was all set up! Thanks so much for ruining my life, Ronnie-Ann!" I narrowed my eyes as rage flared up. 

   "Well, hold on, let me see if I have the right answer," I spoke quietly, putting on the same innocent little sarcastic act as he did. "Ronnie minus Josh equals heartbreak plus Alex equals friendship plus Andy equals childhood minus josh. Everything would've always been better without you. I'm sick of you always making everything about you, and not caring about anyone else! If you're upset, everyone else should be to! You weren't always like this, Josh- but at this point, if I'd never met you in the first place, I wouldn't have to worry about what you were like fifteen years ago when we were babies! I wouldn't be so heartbroken and mistrustful of everyone if not for you! If you hadn't decided to kiss Beth in the first place it wouldn't matter now!" I shouted, tears of anger pooling up. Then he shouted two words that changed everything: "Beth's pregnant!"