Comeback *Book One*

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

It was my turn to ride the jump course. It was my turn to show that my ride wouldn't turn out like Kelly's. A ride that ended with a tramatized horse and a pissed off rider. "Entering the ring now is number 486, Alison Michels riding Beau." The announcer cracks off the loud speaker and the eyes of the viewers stare at me. Wow, talk about pressure.

"Go own this course, Ali. You got it!" Dee smiles at me as she opens the arena door for me to go in. After taking a deep breath, I cluck and Beau walks into the ring. Here goes nothing. Correction, here goes everything that I trained for.

I gently press my legs against Beau's side and ask for a working canter. He obediently does as I say and faces the towering jump before us. It is a three and a half foot rolltop. Right after the jump, you have to immediately turn a sharp left to the next one. Focusing my attention back to the jump, I silently count strides in my head. Just at the right moment, Beau sails over the jump. Perfect. One down, seven to go.

I pull on Beau's left rein and squeeze him with my right leg to get him aligned with the next jump. The next jump was a three foot high oxer in a combination. The second jump in the combination was a three and a half foot oxer. Beau and I leap over the combination with ease. Judges at this competition counted both jumps in a combination as one. Two down, six to go.

The next five jumps Beau takes like a master. As we head to the final jump, I can see a champion ribbon in my head. To bad I didn't get a real good look at the last fence. It was a three and a half foot liverpool. In owning an aquaphobic horse like Beau, liverpools are not your favorite obstacle at events. I try to push that thought out of my mind and I squeeze Beau with my legs and hold on tight, just in case he decides to refuse. Beau eyes the jump wildly and takes off a stride too early. Good thing I was expecting something like that. I make the jump perfectly, even though he took the jump wrong. Boy, that jump would make quite a good picture. As we land, I listen for a pole to topple over. Nope. The crowd errupts into cheer and I give Beau a well deserved pat on the shoulder as I exit the ring. Mom and Dee are clapping the loudest and I can't help but grin.

~

Later in the day, GiGi and Jill take a turn at the course. GiGi goes double clear and Jill gets eight faults. Four faults for time penalty and four for a rail knocked. All in all, we did exceptionaly well. The horses are bathed, freshly braided, blanketed, and tucked away in their stalls. We all are walking with Dee to see our scores posted on a board by the judges stand. GiGi and I race to see our scores. We both know one of us is in first, and one of us is in second. Jill, however, sulks slowly behind. I go up the list and find Jill's name under fifteenth place. She seems upset but keeps quiet. In second place is GiGi. That means, I am still in first! I check, then double check, then triple check to make sure that my name is posted under first. Sure enough, the board reads: Novice - Stadium - Alison Michels - Beau - First Place. Even though my double clear stadium round secured me in first, I still couldn't believe my eyes. 

GiGi gives me a high five, "When cross country comes, you better watch out! Danny and I are gunna kick ass." I laugh at her remark.

"Great job, Ali!" Mom and Dee take turns hugging me, before walking away.

Jill stays quiet until the parents are gone. "Of course you win Ali! The judges know you are going to be the best so they play favorites. And so does Dee."

"What are you talking about, Jill!?" GiGi glares at Jill, obviously never hearing her talk such like a snob. My mouth is hanging open. I have never heard her like this before. And what does she mean that the judges were playing favorites? They can't change my score with a double clear round without cheating!

"Oh! She didn't tell you, did she?" Jill glares at me. Her attitude seems more like Kelly's than her own.

"What!? Spit it out all ready Jill." GiGi has an icy glare on her face.

"We'll apparently she is going to be the best junior rider when she wins this competition. That's why she is winning, the judges played favorites.. She has no real talent, her rides have sucked."

Tears swell up in my eyes. I can hardly believe this is Jill talking. I try to talk, but my mouth feels swollen and dry.

"You are wrong, Jill!" GiGi starts, "Ali is one of the best riders that I know. Surely I am jelous of her, but I am happy for her! She deserves this. She practiced so hard and it shows. And you don't. Obviously. I don't see you stealing blue." GiGi gives me a slight smile before walking off towards the barn.

"Whatever." Jill walks away from me and I take off running to the barn.

~

In the barn, I sneak up a ladder I found that I knew lead up to the hay loft. I guide myself around the piles of hay and collapse in a corner. Tears spill out of my eyes and they just keep coming and coming. The tears come from now and memories that have been stuck in my mind for ages. I think of my dad. The memory of him laying in the hospital, weak and barely alive. He grabbed my hand before dying right there. I feel like I let him down. I feel like I let everyone that I have every cared down. I don't know what I did to deserve having Jill angry at me. I don't know what I did to deserve Kelly to hate me so much. Tears keep pouring down, surely making me look like a hot mess.

"Hi." GiGi sits down next to me in the hay loft. She obviously saw me come up here. She hugs me and I hug back. I have stopped crying but my face and eyes are red and they sting.

"Why... Why does she..." I start before tears start coming down my face again. "Why does she... hate me so much?"

"Honestly Ali, I don't know. I think Jill is jelous of you. Everyone has a different way of showing it, and I guess hers is anger. But she hasn't been very nice." GiGi try's to be nice, but it doesn't help much. Tears still fall down my face. I wipe my eyes with my hands before standing up. A small black cat is curled up in a ball on a bale of hay, staring at me intensely. I pet the cat before following GiGi down the ladder.

All I want to do is sleep. Crying so much mixed with riding and stress make me want to pass out. Thankfully, the day is over. I won't have to deal with the show tomorrow.

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