Never Look Twice

-5-

I walkedthrough the stable, taking my time to observe the many horses in their stalls. ,,Areyou Sophie?", a tall black haired girl asked me. 

,,Yeah, you must be Jennathen", I responded. ,,Correct, I'll show you around and if you want you canhead out riding afterwards, okay?", she said and I happily nodded in agreement.The stables were huge, like everything else at this school, and I was amused byall the opportunities the facilities offered. 

Suddenly Jenna stopped in frontof a horse. But not just any horse, a large, black, beautiful horse. ,,This isAthena, her last rider left our school to study abroad, so she's been waitingfor a new one. And that's where you come in, if you'd like?", Jenna asked,looking at me, then the Athena, and then back to me.

 It didn't even take me asecond to decide and I quickly replied: ,,Yes, of course!" ,,Then that's settled,I'll be in the office up front if you need any help, but I have the feelingyou'll be just fine", Jenna said smiling, and then walked towards the front ofthe stables. 

For a moment I just stood there, staring at the beauty of thehorse stood before me. I felt like I was six again. I had been riding for awhile, but only on the horses of my brothers or of my mother. My entire familyhad ridden horses since the beginning of time, and I was so eager to have ahorse of my own, I would have given up my room for it. 

So on the day of mysixth birthday, I finally got my own horse. I spent everyday with him, andespecially after my mother's death, Ace was the constant that I so desperatelyneeded. The death of him last year hit me harder than I could have ever imagined. 

I had not ridden since, which made the feeling I felt standing in front ofAthena even more indescribable. Once I snapped out of my daze, I went back tomy locker, where I found riding equipment, which I quickly grabbed and walkedback to Athena. 

I was a bit rusty, but I quickly remembered the way my brothershad taught me to saddle a horse. ,,So we're going to do this, right?", I askedAthena, as if she would understand me. I led her out in front of the stables,and took a few tries to mount her neatly saddled back, but once I had managedto get in to the right position, so many happy memories of Ace and I cameflooding back to me. 

With a brief kick to the side, Athena started gallopingtowards the woods. Once we were on the trail I had chosen, I quickly got boredof the perfect pathway and decided to turn in to the woods that were lining thetrail. The forest air brushed over my pulled back hair and I wore a smile thatseemed contagious. After a while we were met with a stream, and I was debatingwhether to jump or ride along the side. 

I hadn't been jumping for such a longtime, so I decided to take the risk and directed Athena to take a few stepsback. Within a few seconds we made the jump over the river and Athena continuedto gallop through the woods. This was the happiest I had been in months, andI'm sure my brothers and father would be happy to see me in my element.

I wasstartled my phone, which buzzed in my back pocket. A text from Oliver flashedup on the screen saying:,, Pick you up in ten, yeah?" I crammed my phone backin to the pocket of my riding pants and signaled Athena to turn around.Together we rode back to the stables. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as wemade the jump over the river I had debated doing earlier. 

Soon I saw the outlineof the path that had bored me before and I headed towards it. Shortly afterfinding the trail I was back in front of the stables. After dismounting Athena,I groomed her and put my equipment back. As I walked back from my locker, Iwondered how well I could still ride bareback, meaning without a saddle. 

Something about doing so seemed so natural, I couldn't give up my perfectchance. I quickly mounted her and we made our way over to the gated jump area.The first jump wasn't my best, which motivated me more to do the next one. Bythe third barricade, I was so deep in my element, I didn't even notice Oliverstanding at the fence.