Maple Stream Riding Academy

Chapter One: Off We Go

(A/N- Thanks so much for reading! Sorry if there are some errors my h and left shift key aren't working very well. Anyways, enjoy the read)

        Today's the day. I finally get to follow my dreams of becoming a professional rider. I mean, I've been riding since I remember, and there wasn't a day I spent without my beautiful chestnut mare Raquel. I sit in my bed, daydreaming about what the academy will be like.

"Cameron! Wake up, we're out of here in two hours!" I hear my mother shout from downstairs. I grab my phone off of my bedside table and check the time. It reads 5:45.

        "Coming," I reply, getting up out of bed and change into tan breeches, a white polo with maroon accents, black boot socks, and my riding boots. As usual, I pull my dark hair up into a bun and grab my glasses from my bedside table. I double check my suitcases and make sure I have everything I need. I do, and I start heading out my door, but I stop because I realize I forgot my phone charger. That would be bad.

        "Callie, can you help me?" I ask, peering into my ten-year-old sister's room. She sits up and nods, yawning. I hand her a small suitcase and she follows me downstairs.

        "Cami, go get all of Raquel's tack and equiptment together. Grab extra feed bins because I'm not sure if the academy supplies them or not," my father says. I hand her the rest of my bags and make my way outside.

        It's late summer, and some of the trees are already turning. As I walk to the barn, a few brightly coloured leaves fall to the ground and I smile. I'll miss this place.

        With a groan, I push open the barn doors. I hear the whinnies and nickers of the numerous horses we have. Everyone has their own horse, and we still have Callie's old pony Pickle. Why she named him Pickle. no one really knows. But she was pretty proud when she came up with the silly name. My mother comes into the barn a minute later wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and muck boots. I start by feeding Raquel and the other horses, and I get to work getting all of Raquel's tack together. A few days ago for my birthday, Mom and Dad bought me a jumping saddle that matches my dark brown bridle and girth. Callie walks into the barn as I leave to bring Raquel's jumping saddle to the trailer.

        "Callie, want to grab Raquel's all-purpose saddle and meet me by the trailer?" I ask, adjusting the girth and bridle on the saddle so they don't slip out of my arms.

        "Sure!" she says excitedly. With that, she rushes to the tack room. I smile and continue outside. Dad's backing the trailer to the barn so we don't have to walk as much. The trailer was old and didn't have tack storage, so me and my father renovated it so it only fit one horse, but held up to four saddles and plenty of room for other tack. I put the bridle on a hook and set the saddle and girth on the top saddle rack. A few moments later, Callie comes over with my old saddle and some tack cleaner and oil. There is no way I'm leaving this house without my old saddle.

        "Thanks sis," I say, taking the cleaner and oil and placing them in a small box attached to the floor underneath the saddle racks.

        "No problem," she says, putting the saddle on one of the racks. "Just get Raquel's buckets, halters, leads, and brushes together. Me and Mom will grab her saddle pads, leg wraps, and boots.'

        "Okay," I say, stepping out of the trailer. I grab two feed bins, one maroon and one black, and put them in the back seat of the car. I take Raquel's leather halter and her black one, putting them on hooks in the trailer. I also grab her maroon halter and put it on her. Last night, I put Raquel's name on everything pretty much. On her halters, her leads, her brushes, and on the underneath of her saddle pads. I put the feed bins in the back seat of the truck because I din't think I was bringing them with me. I give Callie Raquel's maroon lead rope and her leather one, asking her to put them in the trailer. I sling the black lead rope around my neck and grab the brush bag. I put that in the trailer as well. I look through the saddle pads, leg wraps, and boots that Callie and mom put in the trailer. They grabbed my maroon saddle pad and my white one with maroon stitching. For leg wraps, tey got my plain maroon ones and my maroon one with a black and white floral ribbon on it. They also remembered Raquel's boots.

        "I think we're ready to go!" I shout. I get Raquel's trailer boots and walk into her stall. I put them on and clip the black lead rope to her maroon halter, leading her outside to the trailer. I lead her in, tie her up, and walk out, closing the 'butt bar' as I go.

        I get in the car, write Raquel's name on her feed bins, and drift off to sleep, dreaming about what life will be like in the academy.

[A/N again yay- So I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Today is a Saturday and it's snowing and I decided to write another story for you guys. This book will probably have slower updates, but I'll try to make them longer! Oh- So the cover page is Cameron and Raquel... so yeah Cami is based off of me and Raquel off of Raquel... so yeah]