Chapter Four

our group was doing dressage while Carn was assisting Marissa with another horse
"nice job!" I called over sarcastically to April, who had a smug little expression on her face.
"I hope you feel good after what you did to Marissa!" April trotted over beside me next to Sun Dance.
"I do" she laughed, "And I will feel GREAT when I get rid of her horse." She grinned and winked at me with those small beady eyes. "Oh yeah", and this is for earlier. I felt her hands push my shoulders, and next thing I know I'm on the dirt covered ground. "Later" and she speeded around the barrels. I slowly got up and brushed the dirt off my new riding pants. Luckily Sun Dance didn't stomp all over me when I fell off, so I safely hopped back on the saddle. I cautiously looked back to make sure she wasn't going to sneak behind me and push me off again when I noticed her mom looking strait at me. She had the identical smile as April's, just upturned a little in the corners.
"I see my daughter pushed you off that pony" she exclaimed, "maybe you should learn to stay on betta?"
"Maybe your daughter shouldn't go pushing people off their horses?" I replied. Her mom stood up a little more off the rail she was leaning against, and the corners of her smile turned down into a frown.
"What did you say?" now more tense in her voice
"I said maybe your daughter shouldn't go pushing people off their horses?" I knew I had crossed the line, she jumped over the picket fence and landed right next to Sun Dance. Her eyes were bulging out of their eye sockets, and her hair was falling out of her neat little bun, Her nostrils were flared like a horse gone wild, and the pointy chin that looked like someone just glued it to her face was jutted out as far as it could go.
"Listen hear sassafras, I ain't gonna put up with this crap, my daughter has the right to push you off this jack@##, and if you don't like it, you got somthin headed your way, and it's headed right up your-
"Valerie" interrupted Carn, (she must have found Marissa a horse)
"What did you I tell you about yellin at the kids? Tory didn't do anythang so it ain't nothin to worry bout, understand?" Valerie nodded and slowly made her way toward the blue hummer, slyly looking back and glaring from time to time.
"You ride Alon now Tory" Carn said calmly, "I'll talk to you after lessons." She smiled and made her way toward the center of the ring. "All right girls, let's start at the trot!"

Chapter 3

The rest of the day was just a normal one. I ate lunch, hung out with my friends, and listened to the boring teachers. As I was listening to Mrs.Hue (or Mrs.Pue) drone on about why mammals can't fly, the bell finally rang and I rushed to the buses to go to the barn. I went up the dirt laden stairs and walked down the small isle filled with kids spitting spit balls at the bus driver, and teens making out and sat down in the back seat next to Marissa, who is one of the girls who go to the barn. Apparently she is really weak on the lower part of her body so her parents made her do horse back riding lessons. She isn't very good but I still acted like she was, even when her back was completely bent over on her horse and her feet are never down in the stirrups.
"Oh, hi" she said in her quite voice. "I was wondering if I could ride your horse today, my horse doesn't listen to me." "Well", I responded in my sweetest voice, "I think my horse may be a little to hard for you to handle." But I thought of a devious plan. "maybe you can ride April's horse, General?" I could picture her on him, her small skinny legs stretched over his sides, and her back bent over so her head was buried in his mane.
"OK" she whispered again, "That would be nice."

The bus came to an abrupt stop outside of the dusty road, leading to the barn. I bolted out of the bus and ran as fast as I could toward the stables. Today I would be doing dressage. I opened the stable doors and a huge whiny greeted me by my favorite horse, sun dance, (the horse I was leasing) I went over and gave him a huge hug around his strong, bulky neck. He stomped and nipped my arm in delight.
"Well that horse sure loves you!" I turned around and saw Carn, my trainer leaning against Sun dance's stall.
"Never liked anyone like that before" She said in her country accent. Carn handed me my saddle and bridle and patted my horses back
"Nice and strong". Marissa suddenly came in and sagged in the door, with the usual sad expression on her face. The twinkle in Carns eye went out like a shining candle that would never be lit again.
"What's wrong" the trainer cooed.
"Nothing" she whispered "I'm just tired." Sun dance was dying of anticipation so I put on the saddle and halter, and hopped on. Squeezing my legs to go, me and my noble steed trotted out the door.

Our group was warming up in the ginormous ring bordered with a brown picket fence. I cantered around the ring, jumped a few of the brick walls, and occasionally trotted around one of the barrels. I just jumped over one of the walls when April's Blue hummer came down the dusty road with dirt clouds poofed behind it. I could see her mom through the windshield. She had bright neon red lipstick, and way to much mascara on. It was blotted everywhere on her eyelashes, and scattered everywhere on her lower ones. Her eyes drooped like she hadn't slept for days, and dark rings were formed around her eyes like she had just woke up from the dead. They pulled up next to the barn door, and April strutted out of the car and headed toward the stables when Marissa bounced up to the ring on general. April's face was like she had just seen a ghost. She was as white as a blank sheet of paper, and her mouth was dropped open like a codfish. "Why is that stick on my horse?" She said under clenched teeth, eyes bulging. "I thought I should ride him today" spoke up Marissa. "My horse has been acting up lately, so I thought I should ride him today because he is really good with you."
"Well" exclaimed April,
"I guess that is to bad because I am riding him today, and you are NOT!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. I could tell Marissa was about to cry, water started to swell up in her eyes, and her glasses were getting all fogged up.
"OK" she exclaimed and she hopped off the horse and dragged toward the barn.

A Horse Tail

We were almost to the finish line. I could already hear the screams and yells of the press and family,

"Tory, you won!"
The crowd would be roaring and there would be camera flashes everywhere. My picture would be on the front cover of the Whidbey Record with a caption saying,
"Tory and her horse Sundance win the three lap race." I would be all over the school and the teachers would be awing over my remarkable performance. My mailbox would be full of letters from relatives and viewers.....I would be a star. We came rounding over the last corner in the lead of all the other horses, and I knew they could feel my glory. Hours of practice finally paid off, victory was mine!

* * * * * * *

It was two days after the horse race, and I was glumly sitting on my queen sized bed. After that race everything seemed dull, Even my favorite French Toast didn't appeal to me, it just tasted as lame as my victory. I didn't get it, I was ahead of everybody by at least ten feet and then that April chick sped by me on her stupid mule she calls a horse. Then she is in front of me, I could no longer see the victory and fame of my win, but two rear ends. Then April turns around and looks at me with that smug little pig nose face of hers and makes an expression saying,

"Look who's the loser now?" She crossed the finish line with me behind her in second. Now everything that I thought would be me..was her. She was in the Whidbey Record, she got tons of attention from the kids at school, and the teachers were drooling and awing over her performance.

"Oh April, you were amazing out there." About every teacher stated.

"Especially when you passed that girl....what was her name?"
It was crazy. The teachers were spending so much time talking about her, they soon forgot about every kids name but one, April, April, APRIL! At least the teachers didn't care about late assignments anymore.

Chapter Two

Today was going to be another day of some old school, same old teachers, and same old classes. It also meant another day of humiliation. I can already see April's face as I pass by her on my way to math, her little nose squished up against her lips, and her small beady eyes fixed upon the center of her nose. It would make her look even more like a pig. The bus I was riding that morning jolted to a stop and I slowly got off remembering to thank the driver for the ride, (or else I would be on his list of suspected enemies) and headed toward first period. As I was walking toward the main building, a group of three girls were huddled in front of me trying to keep up with the moving crowd. They all had Hollister backpacks, and Abercrombie And Fitch shirts and pants, also known as preps. They were talking in low voices, and looking up every now and then to see who was listening. Fortunately I hid behind some people so they couldn't see me, and I happened to catch a word or two
"Oh-my-gosh" Said the blonder haired girl, "It must be so embarrassing to lose to a horse race, especially one against April." "Yea", said the taller of the two. "Sooo embarrassing." They all started giggling like a pack of hyenas, and walked into their first class.

*********

I woke up on my favorite day of the week, Friday. It was the one of those days when you can do whatever you want after a day of school. I could go to the stables, walk on the beach, draw, or do homework. I got out of bed and took a long hot shower until my mom came in in her extremely colorful polka dot robe and yelled at me for taking a "Marathon" shower. Hesitantly I got out, got dressed, and ran out the door to the car. My mom was eagerly waiting with an angry expression on her face.
"You need to stop taking long showers,"
She said in an agitated tone. "It is going to keep getting us late!" Trying not to listen I turned on my music, and just answered with a monotonous, yes mom. satisfied, she started the car and drove to school. Down the road we past the big towering trees with ivy hanging down like green snakes down the sides, constricting it until all the life was sucked out of it's sturdy body leaving only the skeletal figure. All the bunnies and deers scurried out of the way as our car descended the hill. I looked down where an eagle plummeted into the ocean below.

I got out of the car and indolently made my way toward the library. A good book would be a pleasant morning start. I opened the rusty, creaky, doors to the building, and struggled up the stairs with my 30 pound backpack. Then I saw a face that just ruined my morning, a face that made even the fiercest shrivel in fear, a face that makes you just want to throw up your lunch, then eat it back up again afraid that it might be your last meal. I tried not to look at the horrible looks she was giving me, so I went to the horse section in the library. April decided it was worth making fun of me so she shouted in her preppy, high voice
"Are you going to find the book how to win a horse race?" "If you cant find it, I'll help you!" Saying something back would just have her say another lame joke so I pretended to be reading "A Horse Of My Own" but really I was peaking at the hideous faces she was making at me. Being brave I decided a little dis wouldn't hurt so I shouted back
"hey April, don't you need a little pigtail with that nose?" By the look she was making at me I knew I was in for it. "Are you saying I look like a pig?" She said exasperated. "Yea" I responded in a bratty like tone "Or maybe you're a hog. April looked like she was a train about to explode with steam, her cheeks got all red and she started to mumble things under her breath like "Stupid freak, loser." I'm guessing the library teacher had her hearing aid in and heard our squabble. She hobbled over leaning on her cane and squawked,
"What's the problem?" "Well", the pig nosed girl sighed "Tory said I looked like a pig, then she called me a hog!" I could tell the librarian was about to burst
"YOU" she shrieked "WILL NOT BE CALLING NAMES!" "I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS RIDICULOUS, PREPUBESCENT,NONSENSE!" "IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM TAKE IT OUTSIDE, THIS IS A LIBRARY, NOT A MAD HOUSE!" She took a deep breath and shuffled back to her desk piled high with books. "Well then." April said, shaking her head back pleased. "We will settle the rest at the barn.

Just Another Dream.......

I can feel the wind on my face, I feel like I have wings. We're up above in the sky, we can see everything. We race through the forests, with the towering trees, and glide over the rivers. However far we go, you never get slow, you seem to give me the shivers. It is now night and we dance under the moon, and gallop through the rolling hills. The owls hoot, the rabbits scoot, I am now getting the chills.

Midnight has come,and I can not hold on, I have begone to fall asleep. You start to slow down, and I fall to the ground, and I realize........

you were just a dream.