Fallen Stars

Chapter 1

"Why do you both have to leave tomorrow?" I shouted at both my parents angrily. "Because, Sweetheart, It's your mom and I's duty to serve our country. If we both have to leave at the same time, so be it. I promise you Lex, we will be back before you know it," my dad said to me. I roll my eyes at my dad. It's not that I don't appreciate them fighting for what I have. I'm just not used to them both leaving at the same time. Normally my mom leaves and my dad stays with me, but not this time. "Now go pack, we leave at four," my dad said to me while my mom and him are packing for the long trip ahead of us.
Why do my parents both have to leave at the same time? I'm not used to both of my parents leaving, and to top it all off, I have to stay with my grandpa that I haven't seen in years. My grandpa is Samuel Smith. The proud owner of Smith Ranch. Smith Ranch is 700 acres, he owns 950 head of cows, give or take a few. 36 horses, and a barn that can hold 40. That barn also has a huge loft that I used to play in. My horse, Whiskey, has been there since I was 12. I'm now 16. My grandpa has raised Whiskey since day one. Whiskey is my horse and only my horse. I used to get so mad if someone other than me rode him. My grandpa also has two Australian Shepherds, Bailey and Molly. Before we moved to North Dakota, my grandma passed away. I was seven when she passed. Ever since then everything has been different.
My grandma would sing at rodeos. That ladies and gentlemen is how my grandma and grandpa met. My grandma made 4 records. She was almost famous. Until she was killed in a car accident nine years ago. My grandpa still plays her songs every now and then. I used to sing along, but it's been four years since i've been there.
"Wake up Lex!" I hear my mom say while shaking me. "Five more minutes," I mumble to my mom while hitting her with my pillow. I heard her laughed before I feel a rush of ice cold water being poured down my back. I suddenly jump out of my bed and shout "Cold! Cold! Cold! Cold!" My mother laughed hard. When I say hard I mean "pee your pants" kind of hard. I look over to my mom and start laughing to. My laugh slowly fades as I see my mom in her army outfit and combat boots. Seeing my mother in that outfit makes me cry everytime. The fear of never seeing my parents again taunts me every waking hour of every second they are gone. While they are gone it's pure torture, seconds feel like minutes, minutes feel like hours, hours feel like days, days feel like months, and months feel like years. My brain is constantly telling me to fear the day that my parents are killed in battle. I hope that day never comes.
I grab my phone, wallet, headphones, and my tablet. I go to the bathroom brush my teeth and pull my fiery red hair into a high ponytail. I decide to stay in my pajamas so I can sleep on the way to my grandpa's.

14 Hours Later
I woke up hours later to find that we are just pulling into the ranch. It's beautiful! Just as I remember it. The barn, the house, the fields, the mountains, the everything. I loved it here. I don't have a clue why we left in the first place.
We stopped at the front of the house. "Grandpa!" I shouted and ran towards him to give him a hug. "I've missed you to Sweetheart," My grandpa says while wrapping his arms around me. I let go and msmiled up at him, "Where's Whiskey?" I asked. When we came the first thing I would say is "Where's my horse?" My grandpa laughs every time. "he's in the paddock, go on and tack himup. I'm sure he's missed you. He hasn't been rode for a few days, so go easy." I nod. My parents aren't leaving till after dinner. I have time to ride before they leave. Besides they wouldn't leave without telling me goodbye.
Nearing the paddock, I whistle. Whiskey always came to me when I whistle. After sitting for only a few minutes, I see my beautiful Blue Roan running towards me. He's gotten so big. "I've missed you!" He curls his lip backward and thrusts his head to the sky. I laugh and connect the leadrope to his halter, and lead him into the barn. I tie him to the tack post in the barn and walk over to grab my tack and a brush. As I walk over to the tack room I stumble over a bucket lying on the floor. I look down and see a blue bucket with Whiskey's name on it. I smile and remember making that when I was five. I smile at it once more and set it down on the grain bin. After grabbing my saddle blanket, saddle, bridle, I tack Whiskey up. Onto the mountain we go.