Just a Little Bit of Love, Barrels, and Horses

Chapter 21

The whole ride to the rodeo in motley was complete silence. Jake kept on looking at me in the mirror but I averted my gaze each time. Once we got there I unloaded my horses and I quickly saddles magic up. I put his stain glass colored boots on and my black bell boots. I slip his bridle on. I put on my black cowboy hat and jump on.

"McKenna wait," jake says. I sigh.

"What?" I ask.

"Are you okay? I mean what happened back there was pretty intense," jake said cautious.

"Trust me I have experienced way worse Jake," I sigh.

"McKenna you have to talk about these things. You can't just keep them bottled up inside. It will drive you insane," Jake says.

"Maybe that's just the way I deal with things Jake! You wouldn't understand! I have no family left anymore! Sometimes I wish that I would've died that day! When my dad was about to kill me! Maybe.." I said exasperated. Then I felt myself feeling tugged off of my horse.

"Don't ever say that ever! You understand? You were meant to survive! You survived that for a reason! You were meant to stay on this Earth to do something. You are so capable of doing so many great things! You have Alec and I. We will take care of you. My mom died too. In a car accident. The only reason we aren't in foster care is my grandpa and grandma live right across the street. We will take care of you. I promise," jake says years brimming his eyes. I hug him. I keep on telling myself I won't cry. I pull away.

"I better go sign in and warm magic up and find Ellie," I say wiping a tear away.

"Alec already went and yeah you better do that," jake whispers.

"Hey," I say getting on magic.

"What?" He asks.

"I'm gonna kick your ass in team roping," I say with a smile.

"As if O'Brien," jake says chuckling. I just laugh and trot magic to the warm up arena. Then I see Ellie.

"Hey! I have been looking for you everywhere! I signed us up. Should we warm up?" She asks.

"Yeah. Let's do this," I say. We trot circles for 5 minutes and then we rope the cow. After we make it 5 times we hear our names called. Rodeo time!

"Excited? Ellie asks.

"Hell ya" I say.

"Gonna kick some ass?" Ellie says.

"Hell ya!" We yell together.

"Up next is Alec and Jake hall!" The announcer says. "On deck and completing our team roping event is 3 time state champion McKenna O'Brien and Ellie Reierson!" The announcer says. The crowd cheers our names and I'm pumped. Watching Alec and jakes run I notice jakes let's go of the rope to early and misses the head.

"Damn it," I mutter. It's okay. I gotta stay focused. I mentally scold myself.

"Up now McKenna O'Brien and Ellie Reierson!" The announcer says clearly excited. We get into the gates and magic is crow hopping and ready to go. Aphrodite is ready too. The buzzer sounds and the calf is released. Magic and Aphrodite go. And I mean book it. Ellie wastes no time roping the horns and hooks it. It's up to me now and I know it. I throw the rope and it connects and magic immediately pull back. The time stops and I look up. 4.2 seconds! An arena record! We're going to worlds! We walk out of the arena and pat magic good boy. I get off of magic and I run up and hug Ellie.

"We're going to frickin worlds!" Ellie exclaims.

"I know! Good job Ellie I could never do this without you!" I say clearly excited.

"Thanks for being the best roping partner I could ever ask for!" Ellie says. "I gotta go I'm going to talk to Abby," Ellie says.

"Okay," I say still happy. I walk over to the trailer and I see short shorts, a crop top, and boots with a heel. Then I see wranglers and actual boots. I scowl. I see jake is back to his old ways. Frickin buckle bunnies. I go over to the other side and nearly faint at what I see. Alec.