Free Rein P.H

*17*

*unedited*
Pin was brushing the floor of Firefly's stall when I snuck up behind him and wrapped my arms around his slim waist. He stopped his movements and straightened up suddenly. As he turned to face me my arms dropped to my side and his gaze immediately dropped to my leg.
"Phoebe." He seemed startled.
"Hi." I giggled quietly, smiling up at him. In response his own lips stretched into a small 'Pin' smile.
"Are you sure your leg is okay now?" He asked concernedly, placing a large hand on my shoulder. I nodded and he quickly wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to his chest, dropping the broom in the process.
"I thought you'd been avoiding me." He said and I shook my head hurriedly as I pulled away.
"I wanted to surprise everyone."
"You could've at least told me." He grumbled, grabbing the broom again. I tried to take it from him but he lifted it into the air above him. I just rolled my eyes.
However, before I could remark, a strange sight caught my eye.
"Is that... Rosie?!"
The young girl was striding past wearing bright, fashionable purple jodhpurs. I blinked once or twice in surprise before confirming that I wasn't dreaming.
"I bet you Frank turned off the WiFi again." I chuckled as I turned back to Pin. I sighed as I watched him continuing to toil as he mucked out Firefly's stable.
"Look I know you told me a while ago and I understand why you're doing this but can't something be done. You're working for nothing practically. At least let me help."  I offered.
Pin nodded thoughtfully.
"Fine. Take these hay bales to the other stalls for me?" He pointed to a stack of bales in the corner.
"Of course." I smiled, reaching up on tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. I noticed a faint tings of colour creeping into his face before he turned away hurriedly.
I smirked as I lifted up a few of the bales and walked past him out of Firefly's stall.

*.         *.          *. 

On my second trip from Firefly's stall I was walking down the corridor when Marcus walked out of one of the stalls. He hasn't heard me by for some reason he stopped in the middle of the hallway. I groaned as I shifted the hay bale in my arms to a more comfortable position and appeared beside the tall, dark haired boy.
"What's up?" I asked, following his concerned gaze to the end of the hallway where through the exit I could see Zoe and Pin talking.
"Marcus..." I sighed. "They're just friends, okay. You're with Zoe and I'm with Pin. Nothing's going to change that."
He nodded unsurely and I watched him walk away with a small frown on his face. I turned back to the end of the hallway and Pin was gone, Zoe still standing there with her head bowed. I marched over to her and linked arms with her, admiring her yellow and blue jacket.
"Hey there." She smiled.
"You on your way to see Raven?" I asked and she nodded.
"Have you ridden Joey yet?" She asked and I shook my head.
"Not yet, but I'm hoping to by the end of the day."
However, she quickly unlinked our arms and raced towards the metal gate, unlatching it and running into the pen, calling out to the strange man petting Raven.
"Hey, that's my horse!"
I followed after her, falling slightly behind as my strides failed to match her angry ones.
"I apologise I must've missed the name tag." He said calmly.
"Raven is not safe. And he doesn't like strangers." She pushes the Mann's hand away from her horse as I came to stand beside her.
"Let me guess, he's trouble and you're the only one who gets him."
"Yeah. Actually." She agreed with a shrug.
"You must be Zoe." He sighed.
The two of us looked at one another in shock before turning back to the man stood in front of us.
"How do you know who she is?" I demanded, stepping in front of my best friend slightly.
"Mia told me all about you. I'm assuming you're also Phoebe. She said you two were practically joined at the hip."
"Who are you?" Zoe questioned but before he could answer someone called for Zoe. It sounded like her mom. As Zoe pulled Raven away from the man with her I backed away from him, watching him still until I left the pen.

*. *. *.

While Zoe went to talk to her mom, I headed over to see Becky and Jade.
We were talking together as I watched Jade and Becky scooping up horse poop.
"Picking up poop. Living the dream." Becky said sarcastically.
Jade chuckled and then looked over her shoulder at me.
"Are you going to help?"
"I'm supervising." I nodded with a cheeky grin. I kicked my legs as I balanced in the fence and brought up the topic of the Junior nationals. Mia had contacted me whilst I was in hospital threatening that if I wasn't ready to ride again by the time they came around she would personally murder me.
"I feel sorry for whoever Mia picks for the open junior nationals spot." Jade said, reminding me that Marcus would in fact not be riding with us. "I mean who wants that kind of pressure. Sorry, Phoebe." Jade laughed with a shrug.
"Not us! I mean, I'd have to teach Bob to jump. Bob doesn't jump, he limbos."
I sighed fondly at the blonde before my jaw dropped open at the sight behind her. The girls craned their necks to see the spectacular sight behind them.
"Are my eyes deceiving me?" I asked as I hopped off the fence, wincing slightly as the weight jolted my leg.
"Rosie caught the pony bug." Ben explained as he led Zoe's younger sister into the pen with Bob. She was wearing a purple riding helmet that matched her jodhpurs and had a brilliant beam on her face.
"Rosie that's horsesome!" Becky cried. "The best thing about ponies is, everything!"
"What happens when you get on the horse?" Rosie asked, a tinge if worry lacing her tone.
"Let's get you on first." Ben corrected.
Rosie breathed deeply as she mentally prepared herself for her first time on a horse. I smiled at her dramatic tendencies.
"Okay," Ben instructed. "Foot in the stirrup, one, two, three."
Bob snorted just as Rosie prepped herself to get on and she quickly backed away
"Oh, too much horse. No, no. Way too much horse. Gotta sanitise." She blurted our as she rushed towards the yard.
I chased after her, waving to Becky, Jade and Ben as my boots clattered on the pebbled floor.

*.        *.          *. 

As I strode towards the room where Rosie was I almost bumped into a small, brunette girl with bright eyes and her hair tied around her head in a plait.
She was wearing cleaning attire and I paused.
"Can I help you?" I asked politely and she started suddenly.
"Oh no, sorry I got lost but I'll be on my way now."
"Oh, right. Well if you - "
But she had already clambered onto her bike and ridden away down the path.