The Eventer's Club 2: Junior Year

Chapter 12:

Ashleigh's pov

I sat at the houses bay window for what seemed like hours. It was killing me that I couldn't go outside and ride the horses. Maybe if I'm quiet, I'll be able to sneak out and pop my head in to see them. Chèrry is in full protective mum mode right now and refuses to let me leave the house.

Now here I was, in my room and watching Andrea ride Bella on a livestream. The mare was perfectly behaved under Andrea's instruction. I could see in the way she rode, that Andrea's confidence boosted Bella's boldness. Bella was light on her feet and perfected her lead changes. She came into frame rather well, and didn't show an ounce of laziness.

Bella originally went by Belle, but with her show name as Bella's Choice, we changed it. I snap out of my thoughts as Bella completes another lead change on camera. I had come to really like the mare, so I knew it would be hard for me to let her go. But it took me less then two minutes of watching Andrea ride to know my decision.

It was time for Bella to shine, and Andrea would be the perfect match.

After watching them finish their ride I turn my phone off. I still wasn't feeling well enough to walk to the barn. If I tried I'll probably throw up. Trusting my bad luck, I happened to be the one to get sick out of all people. At the most inconvenient times, I have to hurl in the toilet. No one can even start to imagine my frustration at these circumstances.

While I had been contemplating ways to handle my work load, I had also spoken to Sabrina. She kept urging me to join EFA, but I knew with my grades I had no chance in being accepted. Let alone pay the school fees and keep up with the school work. Tiredly, I call up Eve and inform her on my decision. Assigning Andrea as Bella's rider was the best choice, both horse and rider will benefit from each other.

...

It has been 2 days since Andrea visited and today the Locke family were picking up Bella. Andrea was beaming when she met me and I immediately liked her. Her positivity and knowledge of horses was reassuring. Sure, she's a younger dressage rider and doesn't have much seniority. However, I had a gut feeling that the two will work wonders and be in the competition ring very soon.

"Again, thank you so much, she'll be in good hands with us" Latisha says as she opens the horse trailer for Andrea and Bella.

"We have no doubt. And remember to send us those weekly progress reports on her performance. We would like to know when you think she is ready for competing" I confirm.

And as quickly as the Locke family came, they were off again. The barn was eerily quiet today. Eve and the AMPS crew were off this afternoon at a horse sale. I genuinely felt guilty about not going but someone had to be back at the barn for when Bella was picked up. It was now Wednesday, and somehow I had managed to catch up on my school work. I had a mini break through with my biology yesterday, some of the stuff started to make sense to me. The stress I had in the previous days had gone down majorly. I think that definitely helped with my recovery, but I still felt queasy at times.

I take advantage of the quiet day and go check in on Venus. After looking at her, I decide to take Beauty for a ride. There's no way I would be allowed to ride until the weekend. Chèrry was still in full protective mode and Franklin just did what Franklin does.

"We're going to take it easy today, okay buddy?" I breathe as I use more strength then usual to get in the saddle.

I was already breathless and slightly light headed from doing so. It didn't worry me much as I knew how to push through that faze. The only time issues that come about when I'm riding and sick, is when I need to throw up. So far, I have yet to gain that feeling.

I sit deep in the saddle and walk Beauty in lazy circles around the arena. Once I feel well enough, I start to trot and have Beauty engage his hindquarters. Beauty happily picks up his feet with motivation and glides across the arena. The gelding must've been happy to get all those days off of schooling.

I take many breaks throughout Beauty's workout so I don't get to flustered. Then by the time it's 5:30pm, I dismount and untack him. Everyone should be back in the next hour, maybe with some new horses.

Letting Beauty stay in his stall for tonight, I start to check in on the others. I notice the most random things were out of place. Rocky's halter had been left on the ground outside his stall. Venus has also been restless within the past few days. She is normally perfectly behaved, so her constant swaying in the stables caught me off guard. Something had to be bothering her, and it couldn't be the injury. She's had an injury like this before and didn't batter an eye. Shaking my thoughts away, I pick up Rocky's halter and put it back on his spot. As Rocky munched away on his hay, I start to make my way down a completely different isle to the front of the barn.

As I walk past Miora, I give her a pet on the neck. I almost have a heart attack when a door slams shut. 'That must've been the tack room', I think to myself. Slowly I walk towards the noise and use all my courage to swing open the door to the tack room. I almost knock myself over from my ungraceful movement.

Much to my surprise, it was empty. No one was in the tack room. Surely someone was here. But all the grooms which were working today are either out checking fences, bringing in the horses or preparing stalls. There's also not many riders here this late. It makes no sense what so ever.

As I start to think I'm hallucinating, I hear a door at the back of the barn slam shut. I clench my jaw in annoyance. Who ever is moving around and making a racket is going to get an earful from me any moment. I jog towards to back of the barn and as I round the corner I see the door wide open. The person didn't even bother to shut it properly.

I grumble under my breath and go to the door. Glancing out, I again see no one except a groom bringing in Solomon. I knew it wouldn't have been this groom since Solo's paddock was a few minutes away from the barn.

"Excuse me, did you see the person who just came out of the barn?" I call, not feeling bothered enough to approach the person.

"Uh not really, who ever it was isn't a regular at Holloway though" the girl answers as she walks past me and into the barn.

"Why do you say that?" I ask, casting a glance over my shoulder and following the groom.

"No one would dare slam a door when Mrs Holloway could be lurking around. Let alone show their face without their uniform or proper riding clothes. It's just plane weird" the girl responds as she puts Solo into his stall.

"Agreed-"

"-well I'll let you get back to work, thanks anyways" I said as I walk back and check on the horses again.

I find Rocky's halter on the ground again. The stallion was munching on hay innocently and didn't look like a culprit. How he moved that halter, I don't know. But these weird things are starting to make me get the creeps.

Last time I checked, there wasn't any paranormal activity at Holloway Stables.