The Eventers Club

Chapter 7:

Evelyn's POV:

Kelly was a good rider.

Watching the way she controlled a huge horse like Don was almost magical. Not only did she have a lot of strength for a girl who looked like she'd rather hit a beach than a gym, but she shaped the black stallion so that he moved with grace, like a ballerina. He didn't thunder across the arena unless Kelly told him to and when they landed after a jump, there was barely a sound.

As I watched them, my eyes wandered to the other side of the arena, where Ashleigh, Blair, and Tina were. Tina was standing in front of Ashleigh and Beauty while Blair trotted her horse Apollo over a few low jumps. Tina looked to be critiquing Ashleigh, even though I had seen her jumping around with Beauty looking almost perfect together, Tina looked as if she was criticizing everything Ashleigh had done, from her head to her heels. I felt bad for her because I thought she didn't need any critique, but apparently, Tina did.

" -I can't believe we get to train and show together! "

I snapped my head away from Ashleigh's direction to see that Kelly had halted Don beside Hugo and me.

I smiled at her, a fake smile but I don't think she knew the difference.

Kelly rubbed Don's neck. " And I cant believe I get to ride one of your horses. I always told my dad that we should buy all our horses from your barn, but he insisted the ones we had imported from Europe were just as good " she shrugged. " I mean, it's not the same as breeding your own line of winning horses, but Europe bred and trained arent too bad either " she giggled.

It almost felt like she was bragging to me, but I couldn't be sure. Kelly was...strange, in that way. She could be a total suck up to me one minute and then be bragging as if her life was better than mine the next.

But she was the only one who had started talking to me so I didn't really want to mess up the chance of having a real friend for once.

Kelly angled Don closer to Hugo, who snorted in annoyance and flicked his ears back.

" What's up with your horse? " Kelly asked.

It took a lot of strength not to roll my eyes. Instead, I shrugged. " He probably just needs to work more "

Kelly nodded in agreement. " I totally get that, those jumps were child's play " she waved her hand off to the small course of meter high jumps. " Don felt like he was stepping over them "

" But you did have a knock at the rail on the first jump " I reminded her.

Kelly's face turned a light shade of pink. " It wasn't my fault! " she suddenly snapped.

I was taken aback by her outburst, suddenly feeling embarrassed for calling her out. Maybe she hadn't brushed that rail and my eyes were just playing tricks on me.

Kelly cleared her throat. " I mean if Ashleigh and that out of shape horse hadn't cut us off we would've had a clean takeoff " she spoke loudly enough so that Ashleigh was able to hear her.

Her face turned a bit red as she looked at us and then down at Beauty.

Kelly was lying. I knew it for a fact. She had cut Beauty and Ashleigh off, not the other way around. I wanted to speak up about it, but then Tina suddenly made her way over to us.

" You cut Ash and Beauty off Kelly, quit being a liar! "

Kelly scoffed. " Puh-lease Tina! What are you? Ashleigh's publicist? Can't she fight her own battles? "

I noticed Blair had stopped in the middle of a circle, watching as Kelly and Tina went at it.

" Ashleigh could probably beat you any day at a jump-off and so could Beauty! Your stallions got nothing on that gelding! "