Timber Creek Academy

~1~

I gulped as our Ford King Ranch pulled through the pristine iron gates of Timber Creek Academy, an elite boarding school in Virginia. I twisted the end of my golden colored ponytail, and I said a silent prayer that I wouldn't screw anything up.

"We're here!" Mom said excitedly as she turned around from the front seat and smiled at me. "I'm so proud of you honey."

All I could do was smile; I was too nervous to say anything.

Dad parked the car, and I rushed out of the car and took a deep breath of fresh air. After the long 3 hour car ride, it felt good to stand up and move around.

I went to the back of the car to our horse trailer, where my off-track thoroughbred Leo was stomping, impatient after being cooped up for so long.

"Hey buddy," I said as I untied his lead rope from the tie ring. He bobbed his bay head, his nostrils flared at his new home. "Good boy," I said as I led him down the ramp.

I held on to his teal, white, and black colored lead rope as I watched Mom and Dad hop out of the car.

"How is he?" Dad asked, and patted his shoulder.

"Good, I think. He's a little high strung from the car ride, but otherwise, he's fine," I replied.

"Let's go find his stall," Mom said, and I followed them towards the stable.

My head was spinning as I took in the gorgeous barn. Even though I had toured it last year, I was impressed all over again.

The wide aisle was well lit, and each stall looked massive. There was not a stalk of hay out of place, or a stray piece of sawdust anywhere. The cross ties looked brand new, and each name plate was buffed to a bright shine.

We walked down the main aisle, then took a right to a quieter, smaller aisle. There were about 5 stalls on this aisle, which connected to another main aisle. We found Leo's stall on the left, the one right in the middle.

"I like this spot," Mom said. "It's nice and quiet."

"Yeah," I said and smiled. It seemed low key, and I was glad that we weren't in one of the main aisles. I led Leo into his new stall, and he lowered his head and sniffed at the soft sawdust, the 2 red feed and water buckets, and then made his way to his matching red and black hay net, and nibbled a piece of hay from it. "Good boy," I said, then unclipped his lead rope and let him loose.

I exited his stall, and hung his lead line on the hook outside his stall door. Leo looked at me, then continued to munch out of his hay bag.

"He seems to have settled well," Dad chirped, and I smiled. "Let's go grab the rest of your stuff."

We made our way back to the car, and I grabbed my all purpose English Wintec saddle, Leo's bridle and girth, and draped a stack of saddle pads and half pads over my arm. Mom grabbed Leo's brush box, and Dad held an armload of blankets and wraps. We made our way back to Leo's stall, and as my parents started loading things in the new tack box outside his stall, I went around the corner to the main aisle and into the tack room.

The large tack room was as neat and tidy as the rest of the barn. It smelled of fresh cedar, and I found a row of empty saddle racks in the back. I headed there, and began to set down my saddle and bridle.

I finished setting everything down, and right as I turned to walk out of the room, a girl with dark brown eyes and black hair glared at me.

"Oh! Hi," I said, startled. "You scared me! Um, I'm Sabrina," I said and smiled.

"You're in my spot," she said coldly. I looked at her, confused. "Move your stuff. That's my wrack."

"Oh, um, sorry, but I already set all my stuff there. Do you mind using another wrack? There's plenty here," I said, but she narrowed her eyes at me and huffed.

"Actually, I do mind. Move your stuff now, or I'll do it for you," she spat, and crossed her arms.

"Uh, fine, I guess," I said, and quickly moved my stuff to a couple wracks down. I did not want to be right next to this girl!

She stared me down as I transferred my stuff, and her eyes trailed me as I scurried out of the tack room. I bit my lip; that did not go as good as it should have.

As I was turning around the corner to Leo's stall, I smacked right into another girl. Ugh, how many people was I going to make hate me by the end of the day?

"I'm so sorry!" I said, and the other girl laughed and smiled at me.

"You're fine! I should've been looking where I was going," she said cheerily at me. I noticed the girl's tan skin and bleach blonde hair. "I'm Carly," she said with a warm smile.

"Hey, I'm Sabrina," I grinned back.

"You're new, right?" she said.

"Yeah, did you come here for middle school?" I asked.

"Yep, you're gonna love it here," she said. "Let me know if you have any questions."

"I will, thanks," I said, then waved as I headed to Leo's stall.

Me and my parents continued to organize my tack box and make sure that Leo was settled in well. I gave him a final pat, then me and my parents left the stable and back to the car.

"It's time to go see your dorm room!" Mom said. She was an interior designer, so she was waaay more excited about getting me unpacked and settled in than she should be. I grinned, then grabbed an armload of boxes and we made our way down the winding sidewalks to the dorms.

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A/N: the first chapter is up!! im not sure when or if i'll post the next chapter....i just kind of want to see how you guys like the first chapter! please please please comment what you think, and vote, too!

~kate~