Cowgirl Boots: a Cinderella Story

Chapter 2

"Where are we going?"  I asked, slightly nervous, as I slammed the door beside me.

"To my stable."  Alicia snapped, "now be silent."  

A flicker of irritation rose inside me.  I commanded myself to let it go and turned my gaze out the window.  My mind raced on the way to the stable.  Why did Father marry this woman?  Listen, maybe she's just having a bad day.  But she acts like a completely different person when Father is around.  Just let it go, Iris.  God has a plan.  Alicia suddenly slowed the truck as she began rattling off instructions to Selina and turning down a long driveway.  We finally arrived in a huge, dirt parking lot.  There was a long black stable straight in front of us and an small office-like building had been built to the left.  Storage sheds, a jump course and a round pen were located to the right and padlocks and a pasture spread out behind the stable.  I took a deep breath and jumped out of the truck.  

"Wow.  This place is impressive."  I complemented Alicia.  

"I'm glad you know that."  Alicia snapped, "but it won't stay like that if all you do is stand here.  Georgie, show her around then get to work."  

My eyebrows furrowed as Alicia stalked toward the office-like building and Selina quickly entered one side of the stable.  

"Come with me."  Georgie told me, gesturing for me to follow her as she walked toward the opposite side of the stable from where Selina had entered.  

I followed her up the driveway and into the stable.  Horses stood in the many stalls along each side of the building, with a tack room and changing room on the far side.  Each stall was numbered.  There were square bales stacked immediately to my left and bins of grain to our right.  

"Hold this."  Georgie instructed, handing me a bucket filled with oats.  

I glanced at the bucket.  Georgie slid a bale off the stack and walked to the nearest horse stall.  she opened the bale with a grunt and put half of it in the horse's feed troff.  The tall, strong horse immediately began eating it's hay.  Georgie took the bucket I had been holding and poured it's contents into a bin which had been attached to the gate.   

"Do all of the horses get the same amount of feed?"  I asked, gesturing to the others.

Georgie nodded.  I relaxed a bit as I took the other half of the bale and spread it out in the next horse's feeding troff.  Georgie came up behind me with more oats.  

When we had finished, I smiled at Georgie. She returned it wearily. 

"Now we start exercising them."  Georgie announced, straightening and dusting off her pants, "lets grab helmets, then I'll show you the routine."  

"Ok."  I agreed, following her into the tack room.  

I found a helmet my size and shoved it onto my head.  I caught sight of the English saddles and let out a sigh.  I would have to ride English.  I'm not sure I know how, but I guessed it couldn't be that different from western, right?   Georgie lifted one of the saddles from one of the saw horses.  Selina suddenly burst into the room, glaring at both of us.  Georgie ignored her.  

"Saddle number fourteen."  Selina instructed.  

So that's what the numbers on each stall were for.  Georgie nodded, setting her saddle back down and picking up one that had the number fourteen written on it.  I took the blanket and bridle, both numbered fourteen, and followed Georgie.  Selina sat on one of the benches, watching me as we left.  We quickly saddled the tall horse and Selina took him as soon as we had finished.  

"Do you sell the horses?"  I asked Georgie after Selina had left.  

"Mother does.  I take care of them and Selina trains them."  Georgie explained, refusing to meet my gaze.  

I decided to let it go and focus on our next task.  Georgie turned back toward the far end of the stable.  I counted the stalls as we walked back to the tack room.  There were fifty on each side, with the one of the stalls on the end empty.  

"Mother will buy another horse to train within the next few days."  Georgie explained, noticing my stare at the empty stall.  

I nodded.  We spent the the rest of the day exercising all ninety-nine horses, cleaning out their stalls and saddening horses for Selina.  I wondered if this was what Georgie did everyday, by herself.  I was exhausted and ready to flop into my bed.  English saddles were really annoying.  But, I knew that I would have to help Benjamin with the evening chores and make supper.  Thunder would have to go for a day without training.  

At six pm, Alicia drove us back to the house.  I was to tired to pay attention to what Alicia was saying, until she addressed me.  

"Iris.  Pay attention.  You are now going to work with Georgie everyday in my stable.  Is that understood?"  Alicia demanded.  

"Yes, ma'm."  I replied, seeing there was no way to get around it.  

All we had eaten for lunch was a granola bar, because we are apparently overweight.  I know for a fact that we aren't, but who am I to argue?  I took a deep breath and forced a smile.  

"What is your favourite thing to eat?"  I asked Georgie.  

Her eyes widened as she glanced to the front, where Alicia was again rattling off complaints to Selina.  

"Hamburgers."  She whispered.  

"I like those too."  I replied quietly.  

"Shut up, both of you!"  Alicia snapped.  

I pressed my lips together, irritation flaring inside of me again.  I pushed it down, commanding myself to remain calm.  I turned my gaze to the window and watched the scenery fly by.  Finally, we arrived home.  I quickly jumped out of the truck and walked swiftly to our small stable.  

"Iris!  Where are you going?"  Alicia shouted, stepping out of the old truck.  

"To take care of my animals."  I shouted back, not bothering to even glance over my shoulder.  

I ignored Alicia's demands to make supper as I walked into the stable.  It was much more barn-like then Alicia's stable, but it was my favourite place in the world.  I found Thunder and the other four horses in their stalls already.  Benjamin must have brought them in for me.  They were eating their hay and their stalls were clean.  I checked on the cattle, which had been brought in.  All the water troughs were full.  I guessed that Benjamin had done it and silently reminded myself to get him a nice birthday present this year.  I took a deep breath and hesitantly turned to the house.  My day wasn't over yet, I still had to make supper.  

I found Georgie doodling on a drawing pad at the kitchen table and smiled at her in greeting.  She smiled back and I took some burger out of the freezer, putting it in steaming hot water to make it thaw quickly.  As that was thawing, I made hamburger buns as quickly as I could, breaking my record of an hour and forty five minutes and making it an hour and thirty minutes.  As soon as I had the buns in the oven, I prepared the burger, which had thawed, and made it into burger patties.  I fried mushrooms and onions, took lettus out of the fridge and sliced the tomatoes. Everything was ready to eat by eight pm.  I called everyone for supper as I set the table.  As Alicia and Selina sat down, my other best friend, Grace, burst through the screen door and into the kitchen.  

"Iris!  It's your father!  He's dying!"  She explained, leaning against the door frame to catch her breath.  

"What do you mean?"  I asked fearfully, gripping the plate of hamburger patties tightly.  

Georgie sat frozen in her seat as Selina and Alicia both stared at Grace as if she were a ghost. I hurriedly set the plate down on the table and ran toward the door, shoving my boots on and running toward Grace's family vehicle, where her brother sat in the driver's seat.  Grace, Georgie, Selina and Alicia all hurried after me.    

THINGS ARE GOING TO GET A LITTLE MORE INTERESTING NOW, WHO'S READY FOR THE RIDE?  THANK YOU FOR READING!  IF YOU ENJOYED, PLEASE BE SURE TO VOTE AND COMMENT!:)