Alone In The Big Leagues

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Faster, Zane, faster!" I yell as the water flies out around us. I hold on as tight as I can to the reins, due to the fact that I didn't put a saddle on Zane. I was riding bareback through the water with Zane. He had become jumpy and high strung due to both his eximent and mine.

This was the last year we would be going down to our summer beach house. My parents had decided to sell it. It should have been sold years ago. This is the first time we have come down here in five years. It's just sat here, untouched. We had no one looking after it. The last time someone was in the house was the day we left to be cleaned.

When we first got this place, I had begged my mother and father to let me bring Zane along. I couldn't stand to spend one more whole summer without him. So they had a little stable with a fence put out onto the property. It may be a bit small, but Zane doesn't mind. I take him out riding everyday. We run along the beach, or play in the water. He even sometimes lays down in the sand to bask in the sun. I would always go with him and lay my head on his neck. I was always up for tanning anyways. We would probably lay out there forever if we could, but Mother would call, "Jewel! Jewel!"

I blink "Jewel, Mrs. Kingston asked you something." I blink again, taking my mind away from the memory completly.

"I'm sorry, what did she ask?" my mother's lips tighten and I know she's upset with my reaction. Lottie's mother smiles, but I can tell it's forced. "School, dear. How are your studies going?"

I clear my throat and speak. "Pretty good I have all A's and rarely go home with homework, thanks to my study skills class. People say you don't do homework in class, but indeed you do. In my class, you do whatever you have for homework and if you finish early you can do whatever you want." I shrug. "Well, my class at least."

Lottie sits across from me angryly sipping at her tea. Her mother speaks up. "Lottie, do you have a study skills class?" Lottie is caught by surprise and can not reply because of the buttered up roll she had just stuffed into her mouth. So instead of saying no she just shakes her head. Her mothers face twists into a mean look. "Lottie, chew your food and speak like a lady!"

She chews her food as fast as she can and swallows. "No, Mother, I don't have a study skills class," She says in a breath.

Her mother nods. "I see. Well, maybe you should look into getting one of those classes." Lottie is fuming. Why? I have no clue. She just stares at me with her death glare. I swallow hard and look down at my untouched cup of tea. I don't care much for straight up tea. I like sweet tea. For some reason my mother doesn't like me drinking it, so when she's not looking I grab the sugar and dump some into my tea. When I then have enough sugar in my tea, I grab my spoon and stir it around, mixing it into the drink.

"You like sweet tea?" Lottie's mother asks. My mothers head snaps over to me.

I shake my head. "No, ma'am. I'm just letting the heat spread around a bit more." I look at my mother who is narrowing her eyes at me. She most likely suspects what I did, but I really don't care. I refuse to drink plain old tea. I smile slightly at my mother and sip at my tea. Mmmm. Just the right amount of sugar. I slowly bring to cup away from my lips and set it on the table. My mother's lips are tight and her eyes bore into mine. Mrs. Barbra seems to notice the tension between me and my mother. "Alright! How about the girls finish up their cups of tea and get changed for riding?"

I smile. "That would be wonderful!" I look at my mother and then pick up my cup of tea and drain the rest of it in my mouth. Her eyes are rock hard on me and I just sit there, smiling like a fool. I knew I would get away with this. I didn't understand how drinking sweet tea is unproper. It was tea and in my book, tea is tea. I then scoot my chair back and stand. "May you please show me the bathroom?"

Mrs. Barbra nods. "Lottie," she adresses her with a honey dripping tone, "please show Jewel to our guest bathroom so she can change into her riding clothes."

Lottie stands up, hiding the irritation, and nods. I grab my bag that I had placed next to my feet when we sat down for tea. Lottie leads me out of their huge, pure white dinning room and into a long white hall. Their entire house was pretty much pure white. As I follow Lottie down the hall, I look all around, admiring the hall. It was well lit due to the windows that all lined up on the left side. Window after window after window. The right side of the hall was lined with pictures of their family. All the generations that have lived in this house. There were a lot. The hall way takes a turn and more windows line the wall and the other one has more pictures. It doesn't have as many pictures as the other, but still has a lot. Door ways are now in the hall as well as showing the ways to the many rooms in the house.

Lottie stops in front of one door that is closed just like all the rest. "Here is the bathroom. When you are done, just wait out by the front door." I nod and she walks away, not looking back at me. I shake my head and turn to the bathroom door. I touch my fingers to the cold gold door knob and twist it, the door swinging open. My eyes take in the scene and my mouth hangs open, letting a gasp escape my lips