Off the Circuit

Chapter Six: Uh...Hi Everyone

I watched as my Dad's truck faded from view.
I stood there for what seemed like ever, thinking about how different it was going to be here than at home.

Finally, I headed back to Orchard Hall.

The suite I was in was a huge three bedroom that I shared with two other girls that I hadn't met yet.

Apparently I'd gotten this dorm because the third girl that used to live there got expelled! And now they had to fill the extra room.
Talk about scary!

I didn't want to somehow get kicked out of Canterwood, but at the same time I did so that I could go back home.

I opened my door to find two girls standing there as if they were waiting for me.

Awkward!

"Umm...Hi! You guys must be my roommates" I stuttered.

I was so nervous! What if they were mean and hated me? And then I'd be stuck living with them for at least a whole year!

Stop it Amber! You could do this! Besides, what were the chances that they were mean? ....Right? That only happened in movies.

"Yep, that's us" the blonde girl said in what sounded like a false happy tone, "I'm Heather, and this is Allison"

"Hi!" Allison said.

"I'm Amber. Umm... what room's mine?"

They were acting pretty nice, but I felt like something was off, almost like they were just pretending.

"Middle room is yours" the blonde, I think heather, replied.

I picked up a few of my moving boxes as I shuffled away.

Wow... that girl had an intense stare.
I walked into my new room. I couldn't process that this was now my home. I wasn't going back to my friends and family. This was it. This was my home.

I moved all of my stuff into the room.

I started unpacking my clothes and hanging them up in the closet, but about half way through my nerves of a new school started to make me nauseous.

I opened up the box labeled boots and grabbed my favorite Ariat riding boots and spurs... the only thing that would make me feel better was a ride.

I left Orchard hall and went left towards where I thought the stable was.

I couldn't stop thinking about my friends! They were all at home starting the school year together, and I was here all alone. And so far, it didn't look like I was gonna have many friends here.

I pulled my iPhone 5 out of my back pocket and updated my twitter

@AmberJ: well, dad left an hr ago. And I'm a loner 😪 going for a ride... only thing that makes me happy. #lonely #stuckhere #hotrodorlefty #nervous #rideitaway

I'd already started feeling better just thinking about riding. Horses really were therapy!
I zigzagged down the stable aisles with my head down.

Squeezing my way into the tack room, I went to my saddle, the one saddle My Dad brought in from my trailer. I wanted to look kind of fancy on my first day, so I was happy it was my show reining tack.

"Hiya honeys!" I called as both my geldings heads popped over the stall doors.

I grabbed a halter and lead and brought Lefty out into the aisle and walked towards the nearest set of cross ties.

I grabbed a dandy brush out of my tack box and quickly went over Lefty before I hoof picked his feet.

Making sure my blue saddle pad was perfectly placed on Lefty's back, I lifted my too heavy of a saddle onto Lefty's back.