Our World

Chapter:1

I lived half a mile away from his uncle's horse ranch. He would be over there anytime he could. The school bus would drop him off there. Sometimes when my parents allowed it, I would get off the bus with him. We would enjoy our afternoons together and ride the horses.

His uncle's trail horses. Not the high dollar cutting, roping barrel horses his uncle had. When I told my parents I wanted a horse they were skeptical about it. When I told them that I could ride it to the ranch and back they were more at ease with the idea as long as I earned the money to take care of it.

So when I told him about it he thought it was a good idea. If I did barn chores in exchange for feed and hay, then he would let me groom and bathe the horse while it was there. Then when my family went somewhere with me, I could leave it there for him to feed and water.

I would have to do extra chores after school and on the weekends if that happened. So, here I am four years after getting the horse. He and I dated for two years until his parents moved to Texas with him. Two days beforehand we had gotten into an argument and decided to break things off.

I did date this one guy for a year before I wanted to end things. I had to get a restraining order against him. I miss the guy that would get off the bus with me at my house and ride my horse to his uncle's ranch. I miss the guy that would tease me, laugh with me, help me when I needed it!

I want to see him again so badly that I would travel to where he is just to see him. Even if he's moved on and has a girlfriend. I called him a week after he left asking if we could still be friends. It was a stupid argument. If a long distance relationship would have worked.

At first we both wanted to try it then as we got closer to the date, we realized that we had to go our own ways and if our paths crossed again we would see if there was still a spark there. I see pictures of him from his uncle all the time. He's put on some muscle. I saw his latest picture when his uncle came out to the stables this afternoon as I got started.

It was a new profile picture. No one was tagged in it. It was him and a guy touching foreheads. If he's into that, I don't care. They looked cute together. I continued to muck out stalls as his uncle went on and on about it. I've heard the story from his uncle about how he tried to date a girl and it ended horribly.

If he's into guys now, it's none of my business unless he wants me to know personally and wants my opinion. As I finished the first row a truck pulled up. I continued on like nothing was happening. My boss and his uncle came down the isle with a guy probably four maybe six years older than me.

As I started on the next row of stalls, I led the horses out by four. They both went into a clean stall as I went by. These box stalls are possibly fifteen by twenty feet if they are honestly measured. I put the horses out in their designated pastures before going back for more.

When they were all out, I opened up the windows in the stalls to let some fresh air in. It's mid fall, December is next week. It felt like it was only the second week of October though. As I finished, the guy left. My boss came over. "Well it appears your getting new neighbors." He said.

"Is he buying the Sholling place?" I asked. "He did. He's moving his stock here first and a few hands. Then himself and his brother." He said. I nodded. "I might keep an eye on that back fence. It was falling to pieces last I saw." I said. "When your done here, go ahead and do that." He said. "I'll mark the weak spots and try to strengthen them." I said.

As soon as I was done I went and got my horse and put his hackamore on. I then rode the half mile to my house and went to the very back near the property line. I sat atop Akita looking at the fence before dismounting. I fixed up the weak spots and spotted the cattle too. They'll stay up there until they figure out this fence is back here.