Broken Prodigy | COMPLETED ✓

Chapter 12

Oh my god! I'm up to Chapter 12!

Wow. I'm choking up as I write this. Literally. Well, I'm choking up as I try to listen to 'Good Old Days' by Macklemore. Who else loves his songs?

This has been a really hard story to write. Because, even though writers block is a myth (in my opinion, it's just your mind trying to rebel against doing it so often), each time I start a story, I find it really difficult to continue writing it, because I'll get another idea, and then get really excited for it and start writing it. I have 9 unfinished books! NINE!

Yeah, so anyway, I'm pretty proud of myself for getting this far. Normally I don't get further than Chapter 4 or 5. I'm hoping that if- big IF because I don't want to jinx myself- I finish this book, I'll be able to go back and start on the other books I haven't finished.

So, to celebrate, I'm adding some bratty snobs (Ebony and friends) and more Gus banter! Oh, and this is a longer chapter athn the others, as a thank you.

See ya,

Mj.

*

"You know, doesn't training involve actually riding the horse?" Ebony asks, not bothering to be polite since it's just us. "Real trainers know that."

"Believe it or not," I start boredly, slapping my coil of rope against my right leg as Bess runs out her energy comfortably around the round pen. She no longer runs with fear, now that she realises there's nothing to be afraid of. "Ground work is way more effective than riding, because it's harder to make a mistake and ruin your progress."

She scoffs. "At least my horses don't need to be trained. They're all perfect. Though your house probably costs as much as each of my horses."

"Obviously," I roll my eyes. "It's you who needs to be trained. Or was the other day your 'perfect' horse's fault?"

She glares at me then, and seems to remember something before smiling somehow threateningly. "You may be the talk around here for now, 'Horse Whisperer'," she scoffs. "But I won't let you ruin what Gus and I have. We're basically together, you know."

"Does Gus know that?" I ask skeptically. This is the first I've heard of it.

Sending me one more deathly glower, Ebony turns and walks off, but not before smiling kindly at Elliot and Gus coming my way.

"How's she going?" Elliot asks me, climbing up onto the rail. Bess doesn't react to him, and I praise her, letting her know she's okay.

"Good. I think Georgia should start desensitising her now, if she's the one riding her in the show. Then I have to see how she is being ridden."

"You think she'll be ready for the comp?"

"That's up to her. She needs to decide whether she trusts us. She might be fine with me, but I've hooked on with her. We need her to be the same with everyone else."

"Where'd you learn all this stuff, anyway?" Gus asks, peering through the rail.

"My mother was a horsemanship trainer. She had all these videos of her working, and the rest I figured out on my own."

"Was?" Gus asks, and as a realisation sets in, his expression softens. "I'm sorry."

At his words, I stop and realise he thought she's dead. "No, it's no like that. She's... she's alive. Just not- not here. She left when I was barely a toddler." I've stopped exercising Bess now, and am just standing in the middle of the round yard. Bess strolls off to the side, watching the action inside the stables.