Flightless Bird

Chapter 10

I shot Lexi a grin as Jacob pulled me up and began to urge me from the room.

"C'mon Kerri, I want to show you something," he said excitedly, dodging ahead of me through the crowds filling the hallways.

"Jacob!" I called out as I lost sight of him. I craned my neck to try and find him in the mass of people, but suddenly he was next to me and taking my hand in his.

"Wouldn't want to lose you again," he said softly as I looked at our joined hands. He grinned at me, then began to pull me with him, weaving through the crowd. Finally we stumbled out of the main door onto the gravel drive, and I breathed in the cold air deeply.

"I love this time of year," I said, my breath making a cloud in the air. It was early september, but it was a cold day. The light was stark and the fresh day was crisp.

"Me too," Jacob whispered in my ear, his hot breath blowing across my cheek.

"What did you want to show me?" I asked, my voice lowering so that it barely blew over the breeze. Jacob didn't say anything, he just began leading me around the side of the house. We were only walking on a thin path through the gardens, walking between bushes, flowers and trees. The path was meant for one person, but somehow Jacob managed to walk next to me the whole way. And he never let go of my hand.

"Are you cold?" he asked me as we began to near a small building. It was the furthest from the main house, situated at the bottom of a sloping field. Jacob was taking me to the stables.

"No," I replied, "are you?"

"Toasty warm," he said, smiling at me. His lips were faintly purple. I reached a hand up to touch them; they were ice cold.

"Liar," I whispered.

"Only a little," he said, his lips moving beneath my fingers, "but so are you. Your fingers are freezing." He put his other hand on my free one, squeezing them. Now we were standing face on to one another, hands interlocked. Our own private circle. Neither of us moved, but after a moment Jacob let go of one of my hands, and began to lead me towards the stable.

"Hurry," he said softly, pulling me faster until we were running down the hill.

We soon reached the stable, where Jacob carefully unlatched the door and led me inside. It was warm in here, the heat from the animals mixing with the straw to creat a heady scent. It was cosy in here.

"I want you to meet someone," Jacob told me, leading me down the stalls until we got to one a few from the end. Inside stood a tall grey horse, speckled white with matching socks.

"This is July," he told me, opening her door and taking me in. He still had hold of my hand.

"She's beautiful," I said in awe, reaching out to stroke her neck. She moved towards me so that I could reach her more easily.

"Isn't she? She's always been my favourite. I come out and ride her every Saturday," Jacob told me, resting his free hand on her back. I could picture him so clearly; out in the fields on that horse.

"It sounds amazing," I said.

"I'd like you to come. You could ride her sister, June," he said. I turned to him, smiling widely.

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Thank you, I'd love that," I accepted, stroking July.

"Come and see June," Jacob said, saying goodbye to July and leading me out of her stall and into the next one. An almost identical horse was in this one, although instantly this one came over to me and shoved her nose under my hand.

"I think she likes you!" Jacob exclaimed, stepping back as the horse whinnied excitedly.

"I like you very much, June," I cooed, stroking the horse. Jacob let me spend a few more minutes with June before he told me we should go and eat. I said goodbye, and waited while he quickly said bye to July again. Then we started back to the house the way we had come.

By the time we got back inside, my cheeks were flushed and my hair was messily blown back. Jacob looked equally weathered. When we walked into the lunch room, four pairs of eyes turned to us. Lunch was a lot freer than breakfast and dinner, so anyone could sit anywhere and you didn't have to eat at a certain time. Jacob and I joined Lexi, Jayson, Adam and Clark. As we sat down, I realised he was still holding my hand. I squeezed his, and he returned it, but made no move to let go. I grinned, and I could tell at least four girls around us were glaring at me.

But this time I didn't care.