A Long Way From Home

Chapter 10

Liv

The Next Morning

Maddi and I woke to do our morning chores before school. We had to let out the horse. Feed and water them. Muck the stalls and feed the dogs and barn cats. I had pulled Freya out and grabbed her tack to get her ready for the ride to school. Maddi did the same with Spartan. While I was mucking her stall, I saw a black Ford F-250 pull up. Out jumped none other than Alex and Andrew. They walked over to pappy who had two mugs of coffee waiting on the porch for them.

I motioned for Maddi. She already had spartan saddled up and ready. Her chores were done for the morning. "Who's truck?" She had asked. I pointed to the porch. Her eyes lit up and then she hopped on to Spartan's back and rode over to the house.

"Maddi wait! I don't even have Freya ready yet!" I yelled out.

Pappy was in deep conversation about the herd with the guys when I walked up. "Pappy what is going on with the herd?"

"Livia we have an issue with one of the heifers. She's unfertile and we are going to have to slaughter her." Pappy told me. Maddi instantly straightens on Spartan's back and hollers excitedly "I wanna do it!"

I nod. Maddi then proceeds to say "The trailer is loaded and ready to go we need to get going if we are going to make it to school on time."

Alex and Andrew look at her with a confused gaze. Alex speaks up "Why don't you guys just ride with us?" At that thought of the answer to his question Maddi is off on her way up the driveway so she can't hear my answer.

I respond "Maddi is terrified to ride in any vehicles. She was in the car with our parents when the car was hit. They didn't make it and Maddi did. So she refuses to get into a vehicle again. So when we first got here Pappy made the rule that we could ride the horses to and from school on the grounds that he followed us with the trailer to bring them home while we are there."

They nodded. I turned Freya towards the driveway so I could meet up with my sister. She was waiting by the road. Alex and Andrew followed behind us to school the entire way there along with Pappy behind them. I knew something was wrong but I couldn't be sure.

Once at the school, the guys took us to the office so we could get our schedules. I had Math first class of the day and I couldn't wait to find Maddi to tell her about everything up to that point. The day seemed to drag on to that point. I was seated at the table with the guys and while I was scanning the room for Maddi, I ask "Have you guys seen my sister?" No sooner did the words leave my mouth did I see her walk into the room. Her eyes met mine and I could tell that she was pissed and that shit was about to hit the fan. Little did I know, it was going to be directed towards me.