The Flare

Chapter 11

Estelle's POV:
When we pulled into the barn's driveway, I pushed open the door of Kammie's white Ford truck and sprinted to Chasing Blue's stall. After twisting past the other stalls, I slammed in to the door and hugged the brown and white spotted neck waiting for me.
"I missed you!" I whispered, nuzzling my head into the soft mane.
"Wow, hug the animal first. Thanks!" Said a familiar voice.
"Hi Crystal," I said turning around and hugging her.
Crystal is short all around. Her hair is short, she's short, but her voice is far from it. She's the loudest out of all of the people we hang around.
"Kammie, can you tack up Tamere? He's the one I want Jonathan to ride." I asked.
"Yeah!" She replied.
I pulled Blue out of his stall and led him to tack him up. I was compleatly done in a few minutes, except for the stupid girth. I was only at three holes when I needed to be a five.
"Hey Kammie," I yelled sweetly over to her.
"I'm comin'," she said laughing.
I could never tighten that stupid thing. She was done in ten minutes with both Tamere and Shandi, after all she's been riding since she was six years old. It took her one push and the girth was at five. I laughed and pulled myself up onto Blue's back, and rode him out to the trail in the woods. There waiting for me was Crystal and Jonathan.
"Did she have to help you?" I asked, thinking of my first time riding across the field.
It was in sixth grade, and I had just met Kammie and it was my first time at the barn. I was riding Tamere, just as Jonathan is now, and he kept stepping in the pot holes in the field. It was the worst ride of my life.
I laughed at the memory, when Kammie rode up on Shandi.
"Shall we go?" asked Crystal in a nasally voice.
We all laughed at her, but I was thinking something else besides going with all of them.
I tapped Blue with my foot and started to canter toward the north woods.
~*~
Kammie's POV:
Estelle took off across the field toward the woods.
"Where's she going?! Is she allowed to do that?!" Asked Jonathan frantically.
I rolled my eyes and replied, "Yes. And you're the one that's going after her."
He stared at me astonished. "Here, I'll help you."
I went over to Tamere and tapped his side. "Go" I whispered.
Tamere took off like a bat out of hell, but Jonathan held on. Surprisingly.
~*~
Jonathan's POV:
I had no idea what happened after the horse took off. I may have blacked out. Last I remember, Kammie rode over and the horse bolted. I held on as tight as I could, but I could still feel my hands slipping off.
He rode off in the woods and I was barley holding on. I was so close to falling off before he abruptly stopped and flipped me over him.
"Why you little-"
"Hey don't talk to Tamere like that!" I heard Estelle yell. Before I knew it she was grabbing my hand and pulling me up. "Now come on, I need to show you something." She ran off farther into the woods and I started after her.
After about a half a mile, she stopped and flopped to the ground, crying. She was murmuring something, but I couldn't make out what she was saying. I ran over to her and she was rocking back and forth with her head in her knees.
"Estelle?" She looked up at me with blood-shot eyes and a bleeding lip. Alarmed I pulled her into my embrace. "What's wrong? You were so happy."
With staggered breaths she replied, "'Happiness can fade away faster than chalk in rain, if the right memory is hit' the words of my mother."
She stared up at me with a blank expression, pulled away from me, and walked to a little clearing nearby. She clumsily sat down by a stone, and looked down.
"This," she said pointing to the rock, "is what I wanted to show you. It's my mother's gravestone, and you, Kammie, and Nicki are the only ones, of my friends, that know of it. Something killed her, and no one knows what. They say a mutated version of the flu, but I'm not so sure."
I walked over to her, and sat down to her right. "Well what do you think?" I asked.
"I don't know, but I'm researching. I call it PLAN FLARE," she said, barely opening her light, thin lips. A strand of red hair fell in her face, and almost automatically I brushed the piece behind her ear. She looked up at me and smiled. Her green eyes, though red from the tears, were more green than ever, and sparkled with tears in them. I leaned forward, so close I could feel her breaths in my face.
~*~
Estelle's POV:
He leaned to close to me, so close I could feel his even breathing.
Then it happened.
I don't exactly know how, but I could feel his soft lips brush mine, and his breathing even with mine. It was as of we were one person. His lips moved gently across mine and then it all ended.
And time froze.
I felt different. Relieved even.