Reining For My Horse's Life

Chapter 10

The stars twinkled above the wide field, and no moon apeared as Alex loped in large circles. Everything was just right, he wore my cowboy boots and my dad's cowboy hat while I wore my older cowboy boots and my Bailey hat. I heard a Barn Owl russel in the nearby trees. 

"Wow, I can't believe you'd sneak out, and it's Sunday you know. I'm gonna have to ditch school." I said. 

"I know, I'd kinda rather be here, you know. It's real nice out, the sky has all it's stars, it's cool, I can hang with a person I actually can talk to." He said, stoping, so Zoro was next to me. He laid his hands on the saddle horn. 

"It's almost like all that matters is that I save the horses. My grades are low in math because I am training for a huge rodeo where the losers are taken to be slaughtered. The whole camp is training very hard. Almost everyone is able to qualify for the rodeo and the huge english riding show which I'm in for eventing and dressage with Amanda." I told him. 

"Don't worry, it'll be okay." He said rubbing my back, I laid my head in his shoulders. We both looked up and saw a shooting star. 

"I wish I could save every horse from slaughter, starting with all the horses in our town." I whispered. 

"Cath, you can. I promise you, you can." Alex told me. "Remember your old horse, Bitsy? She was just like Amberello, a perfect chestnut quarter horse. Except she has no white on her hooves, and she had a disconnected star and stripe." He said.

"You remembered my second grade show and tell, when I made my dad trailer her to school?" I asked. 

"Yep, it's a shame she died." He said, I could feel his breathing. He was like my best friend in elementry school. Now we wern't that close. 

Dawn was approaching, we watched the sun rise. I felt like I had the best night of my life, even with a broken wrist, I could still ride. It felt very numb at times, but in a few weeks I get the cast off and go to the rodeo with everyone. Alex did well on spins and rollbacks. Zorro I couldn't believe could do those still. He has the energy now of a sugar high monkey. I think he missed Alex. They had a connection, Alex used to come over in first grade and sleep over and sleep in his stall, and they always were a team, like Amberello and I. Bitsy was my Amberello long ago, now she covers my inside of lockers, binders, and notebooks like Amberello. I am a very good artist and Bitsy and Amberello were best friends, I chalk pasteled a picture of them and now it's framed over my bed. 

"Thanks for everything." He thanked me. 

"Try faking the stomach bug, just make your self vomit." I told him. I also told him my cell number. 

"I'lll pass on the puking, actually I can barely keep my eyes open, I'll do that." He laughed. 

"Well, I better go, feed the horses, act sick, go do my homework, study for the propeganda test in social studies, and get sleep." I laughed. 

"You want help feeding the horses?" He asked. I said sure. He gave me his number and we talked for a while in the barn. It was nice to have a guy friend who actually cared about me. One that didn't use me or liked me. After feeding the horses he went home. All day we texted, I acted like I had a fever, he said he had a bad cough, like whooping and wouldn't stop coughing. His parents left for work and we were on the phone talking. My dad was at work, he was a horse vet and horse trainer. I had a really good day, even acting sick. I finally had a real guy, that could help Zorro feel better instead of his old depressed atitude, and could save him.