Run

Chapter 10

I was busy in the stable, a bucket of water and detergent by my feet as I tried to get all the muck from the sheets I had dirtied less than 12 hours ago. I sat on a small stool, hunched over as I scrubbed and rubbed. I couldn't help but remember a  similar situation.

I was around ten or eleven, my mother wasn't doing so well. By this time my mother's new husband had run us into the ground economically. We could barely afford the uniform for my private school, let alone one for every day of the week. I washed it and pressed it every morning but it had gotten out that my parents were struggling financially. The friends I did have had slowly stopped coming over to my house and then talking to me altogether. I was alone. I guess that's why I made such an easy target.

I let out a huff before wiping sweat off my brow with the back of my hand.

"How're you doing?"

I glance over to see Steve shyly approaching.

"Fine," I grin broadly.

He gives me a strange look.

"What?" I ask mindlessly as i continue rubbing the sheets together.

"I don't think I've seen you smile since you've been here until now and you're literally washing crap out of cloth." He says incredulously.

I shrug, "This isn't exactly new to me."

He's quiet for moment so I continue.

"When I was in 6th grade these girls grabbed my clothes out of my locker while we were in gym and smeared dog poop all over them. I didn't want to tell my mom so I just cleaned it myself."

"Oh," was all Steve could say.

I shrug casually, "I know it sounds a little messed up but at this point I'm used to this kind of stuff more than I'm used to generosity."

Suddenly the horses started whinnying and going crazy. I looked around and saw them looking very panicked.

"What's wrong with them?" I begin to ask.

"Maybe we should head inside," Steve quickly suggests.

I look at him with confusion.

"There might be a coyote or fox around and they sense it or something," He implies with little conviction.

"What about them?" I jut a thumb out toward the horses.

"We should go inside and let Wyatt and Kieth deal with it."

I look back toward the open stable door but don't see any movement. Next thing I know Steve is pulling the sheets from my hand and pulling me up.

"Come on."

I reluctantly follow him inside and go to tell Micah his sheets won't be clean tonight while Steve goes to let Kieth and Wyatt know about the horses.

I knock quietly as I peer my head into the room. Frank is at his desk While Ben and Micah are on their beds. I immediately notice Micah has new sheets.

"Done with the sheets?" Micah asks smugly.

I narrow my eyes, "yeah..."

"Good, " He smirks, "You can go ahead and chuck in them in the garbage then. I won't be needing them."

"You were planning on throwing them away from the very beginning," I accuse.

Micah hops up with that pompous look he always wore. I'm about to scream at him when I notice he's heading for his chair.

"Losing's bitter isn't it?" He snidely comments.

"You tell me," I cross my arms as he drops his weight on his chair.

The chair immediately collapses under him. Screws go flying and he's sprawled out on the floor.

"Wow," I remark with apathy, "I think you might need a screwdriver. There's a really nice one in the workshop, work's real well."

With that I turn on my heels and head straight for my room room. The door is gone from my floor but there's still no new one on my hinges. A small note from Kieth lets me know that I won't be getting a new one until I become ungrounded.

I sigh but I get it. I've never been one to complain about punishment. I might have authority problems but I know when I go too far. Albeit after the fact, but I recognize I'm not infallible.

The next day I wake up early. It's Saturday but I need to catch up on some work. I grab my backpack and head out to find a good place to work. My room is too open now and I can't help my paranoia. I walk downstairs to find Kieth making himself breakfast.

"Ah ah. What's in the bag?" He immediately asks when he sees my backpack.

I sigh in annoyance, "Books. I have to do homework." I still open my backpack to show him.

He eyes me suspiciously, "Checks out. What's wrong with your room?"

"No door. Can't focus."

He nods in understanding and returns to scooping his bacon onto his plate. I walk past him toward the back door.

"Stay on the ranch." He calls out after me.

I give him a quick salute as I bump the back door open. It's cool out. Smells like fresh dew. I'm walking toward the stable to make sure the horses are alright when Wyatt calls out to me.

"H-hey! Where are you going?" He gestures toward my backpack.

"Homework." I shrug.

"You're going to do homework in the stable?" He asks slowly.

"I was just gonna check on the horses."

"Oh, they're fine." He quickly shakes his head.

He looks really suspicious.

"We took care of the fox that was bothering them last night."

I walk toward him and his pick up truck. "What's that?" I ask a black garbage back comes into view. It looked lumpy like something was in it.

"Oh, just the, uh, fox." He closes the tailgate of his truck before I can get closer.

I furrow my brows with suspicion. He looks nervous but I can't tell why.

"Kit!"

We both turn to look toward the house. Wyatt let's out a deep sigh of disappointment.

"I didn't do anything this time. I swear." I defensively state.

"Kit!" Dalton comes around the corner of the house. "Your boyfriend is here."

I look at him with confusion until I see the familiar red head trailing behind him. He offers a shy wave as he approaches. Dalton returns to the front of the house and Wyatt and I wait patiently for Cedric to reach us.

"Hey, Ced. What are you doing here?" I ask, gripping the straps of my backpack.

"Oh, well, you weren't in school yesterday so I came to drop off some assignments." He began to dig around in his backpack for them.

"I told you I didn't do anything." I chide Wyatt.

I look back at Cedric and notice he's staring at something under Wyatt's truck. Before I can ask him what it is Wyatt interjects.

"Hey Cedric! Why don't you join us for lunch!"

Cedric looks up with an almost stoic look. I don't think I've ever seen him look anything but happy or nervous. He quickly snaps back and offers a calm smile.

"I'd love to."

Oh. For some reason I thought he was going to decline.