Beneath the Willow Tree

Chapter 3 Ruined

A chill wind ran through the empty isle of stalls as Melody sat looking at her wrist where Oliver had placed his hand. His touch was so light it was almost unreal, and it made her skin tingle. What the hell? Am i going crazy? she thought.  

"Maybe." Oliver said as he hopped on one foot, pulling on his boot.

"Wait, what?" Melody looked at him, confused.

"I have noticed that you have the tendency to think out loud." he said with a smirk.

"I-I do?" Melody felt her face flush.

"I guess, but seeing as it's happened at least three times already..." Oliver hald up his hands and shrugged.

"What have I said?" Melody asked.

"Well besides just now you were cussing out some Mathew guy." Oliver pulled his over shirt off to reveal the black t-shirt beneath, but he got stuck halfway and his under-shirt pulled up to his shoulders in the back, "God...damn-it..." he struggled for a moment before melody stood up and pulled the black shirt down, freeing the top one.

"Did the sweet and quiet bookworm just..."she paused dramatically, "...curse?"

"Did you just call me bookworm?" Oliver turned around laughing.

"would you like a different name, your majesty?" 

"I like 'your majesty' better." 

The brown haired woman from earlier walked down the gravel driveway to the barn and waved politely at Melody, "Hi, I'm Karen, Oliver's mother." 

 "I'm Melody, it's nice to meet you." she said quietly.

The woman turned her attention back to Oliver, "Are you two riding?" 

"I guess, if Melody wants to, she can, but I know I am." Oliver struggled to unlock the tack room.

"You wouldn't mind if I did?" Melody played with her fingers.

"Absolutely not, I have to many to ride on my own--seeing as my useless younger brother only rides when I am giving him a lesson...but that's beside the point. It would be nice to ride with someone who knows what they're doing." 

Melody giggled as Oliver kicked the door and it opened. He raised his arms suggestively and grumbled under his breath. Karen shook her head and sighed, "What did you do to break the door?"

"I didn't do anything! That's what happens when you leave Jake and his friends down here!" 

Karen sighed again, "I'm just not going to let him down here anymore unless you or I am with him."

"Thank you..." Oliver's eyes widened and his rushed into the room, "What happened to my..." 

Melody looked in the door, the tack room was wrecked. Things were flipped and strewn about and someone had spray painted the walls in some places. Oliver stood motionless looking at the polished black saddle that had scratches covering its surface. He set it down and slowly turned to Karen who had also come to stand in the doorway, "Who did this?" he said quietly--and honestly--a little bit too calmly.

"I don't know...no one has had the keys since..."

Oliver pushed past both Melody and his mother and sprinted up the driveway. Melody ran after him and followed him into his house and up the stairs. He slammed open the door and grabbed the younger brown haired boy, and pinned him against the wall by the collar of the shirt, "What the hell did you do!?" 

The other boy looked honestly scared as his face went pale. Melody stood in the doorway helpless, she had only known him for a day, she didn't need to get herself caught up in these things.