Canterwood Crest Academy: The Rescues

Chapter 7: Spotted

By the time Wednesday rolled around, I had settled into a routine at Canterwood.

Go to class

Ride after school with Caitlyn or alone

Homework until lights out

Slowly but surely I was becoming more comfortable around campus and hadn't seen much of Missy or her friends. I hadn't seen Mason around either, which gave me a feeling of sadness in the pit of my stomach.

I dragged my heavy book bag into our room after school, surprised when I didn't see Caitlyn there. usually we met up, changed and then left for the barn. As I flopped down onto my bed, I noticed a note taped to my pillow.

Ash,

Got assigned a group project in Geography class, had to go to the library to meet my partners and discuss our outline. Could you ride Promise for me tonight?

Caitlyn <3

I couldn't help but smile, happy that Caitlyn trusted me enough to have me ride her horse. We hadn't even known each other for a week, yet it felt like we've been friends for years. It made the transition to Canterwood lifestyle a lot easier.

I glanced at the clock hanging off the wall just above our tv.

3:30

If I knocked out some of my homework now I could have more time at the barn to exercise Cobalt and Promise, giving Gracie a break from the flat work and dressage I had put her through Monday and Tuesday.

I had watched Caitlyn jump Promise over a few show jumps during our ride on Tuesday and the mare looked like a smooth ride and jump. She arched herself nicely and didn't try anything dirty before or after the jump.

I sat down at my desk, pulling my math textbook out from my bag along with my English paper I had been writing earlier during lunch.

I managed to knock the rough draft of the paper out of the way so it would be ready for another student to review tomorrow before I wrote a good copy and finished half of the math questions that were assigned. I had some trouble with the remaining questions and decided to leave them and ask my teacher about them tomorrow.

Lastly I started looking up subjects for my science paper. I was required to write about the evolution of a chosen species and, obvi, I choose horses.

Before leaving for the barn I placed my History textbook on my desk, marking the pages that had to be read tonight and the questions that had to be done for tomorrow. There were only three questions so I could start and finish them after I came back from the barn.

I left Orchard, changed out of my faded blue jeans, t-shirt, sandals and jacket and into navy breeches, a plain grey t-shirt and my ankle boots with their half-chaps. My helmet and gloves were hanging with my tack in the barn, just so I could never forget it in my room and then have to run all the way back to Orchard to get it.

I passed by our common room and suddenly stopped.

Missy was in there, with her friends, but she didn't look to be in a social mood. Her mascara was smeared and she had several tissues balled up in her hands. 

She was crying?

I had learned a few things from other students gossiping in my classes about Missy and Mason. Apparently their mother was a world champion eventer and their father was a successful businessman who had created his own line of tack. I didn't know if that was all true, but if it was, it seemed to me like Missy didn't have much she should be crying about.

I hurried down the hall before I could be spotted, taking the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. I breathed in the fresh air of the campus as I made my way to the barn. The warm summer air was starting to have a bit of a chill to it, and the leaves, once green and wholesome, were tinging with different shades of brown, orange, yellow and red, signalling that fall was on its way, meaning that fall break was only a few weeks away. As excited as I was to go home, I was sad about having to leave Gracie and Cobalt here for a whole week, but I trusted that the stable hands, Mike and Doug, would take good care of them along with all the other Canterwood horses, either school owned or not.

I paused just before entering the barn, something catching my eye. I made my way around the barn to one of the outdoor arenas, where some seniors students were practising.

A girl on a tall chestnut gelding cantered around a set of very tall jumps. The horses canter looked powerful and his white socks and blaze shined in the sunlight. The horse and rider took the tall jumps like they were crossrails, totally in sync to one another.

As soon as the pair were finished the set, another girl on a darker chestnut powered through the jumps, almost a good as the first girl did. The form was perfect and the horse and rider looked like they were connected together, not separated by the saddle.

I looked at the other end of the arena, where two girls were trotting their horses, one a dark grey and the other pure black, in circles. The riders cues were invisible and the circles they rode were perfect in size and shape, something I hoped to achieve with Gracie one day.

The girl on the darker chestnut must've spotted me because the next thing I knew, she was riding over to me before I had a chance to go back to the barn.

" Have you been spying on us? " The girls asked, a perfectly plucked eyebrow raised.

I found myself unable to speak. Was it against the rules to watch seniors ride? Was this supposed to be a closed practise? I didn't see anyone else around so I assumed it was.

" Oh be nice Heather! "

The girl on the lighter chestnut with the stark white blaze and socks trotted her horse over. " There's no law against watching others practise "

The girl, Heather, rolled her eyes. " Whatever you say Silver. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not have people copying my riding technique.. " she pushed her horse into a canter from a halt and made a sweeping circle around the arena.

I bit my lip nervously as the other girl dismounted, lengthening her stirrups, probably switching from jumping to riding dressage.

" Thank you... " I spoke once I was sure Heather was out of earshot.

The girl smiled. " No problem, Heathers...unique... " she giggled. " She's a fierce competitor, even to us, her Y.E.N.T teammates "

My jaw almost dropped. " You're on the Y.E.N.T? It's my dream to be placed on that team! "

The girl laughed, making me feel a bit embarrassed, but her laugh was genuine, not mean.

" I said the same thing when I first came to Canterwood. Of course I didn't make the best impression. This big guy, Charm, decided to spook and bolt the first day we got here... "

Her horse, Charm, snorted and bobbed his head, like he understood everything that the girl was saying. It made me giggle.

The girl stretched out a gloved hand more me to shake. " I'm Sasha Silver. I'll be graduating this year... " she had a sad tone to her voice when she spoke about leaving Canterwood.

I shook her hand, smiling back at her. " I'm Ashley Darbus. This is my first year, I'm a freshmen... "

Sasha smiled. " Can I give you some advice? "

She sounded sincere so I nodded, letting her continue.

" Don't get caught up in all the drama that goes on in and out of the saddle. Just focus on school and riding...and friends of course "

We both laughed.

" I'll try my best " I replied. " Thank you "

" Silver! Lets go! We have a show to prep for! " Heather called to Sasha from across the arena. She had switched places with the other two girls, who were now jumping the set of jumps on the other side of the arena.

Sasha rolled her eyes as she remounted. " It was nice meeting you Ashley. Good luck at tryouts " she spoke before she turned and trotted Charm to where Heather was impatiently waiting.

I smiled and had to hold myself back from skipping into the barn.

If a senior Y.E.N.T rider like Sasha had the same experience as me when she first arrived at Canterwood, maybe I could become a great rider and Y.E.N.T member like her one day.

One Day...