# Begin Again - A bullied teen, a homeless dog, and an abused horse.



## Roman (Jun 13, 2014)

Chapter One

I hated them. I hated everything. I even hated the half full box that sat on the floor by my bedroom door for no reason. All the anger and sadness that I'd kept inside for three weeks was coming out in tears and clenching fists. Why did my parents have to ruin my life all of a sudden? I thought they loved each other.

I fell back onto the mattress on the floor that hadn't yet been carried out to the moving van. I glared at the ceiling. This would be the last time I'd sleep in this room. I could hear Mom talking - a little to loud - to the movers downstairs. I had kept myself confined to my room until it was time to go. I refused to go down and see every piece of furniture we were keeping hauled out the door and put into a truck. And I refused to see or talk to my mom until we were on the road to Timbuktu. 

I thought back to three weeks earlier, when my life was suddenly changed and where all my anger had started. It was a Saturday night and I was about to go to a party at one of my friends, right before I left my parents called me into the living of our tiny house. I remembered myself panicking, wondering what I'd done wrong and if they were suddenly going to tell me I couldn't go to the party, or if they knew I punched Melissa Mulligan at school yesterday - which she deserved. The living room was always where my parents and I had our little talks about stuff - whether it be if I had a bad report card, hurt somebody, or Mrs. Sugar blamed me for trampling her flowers over - I knew her sorry excuse for a dog she called Fluffy, or Baby, or Whittle-pie, or Fluffy-wuffy, was the one who actually did it.

Back to Saturday night, I sat down on the couch across from the couch my parents sat on. They both looked at each other before Mom told me. 

"Hazel, your father and I have some news. We've been thinking about it for a long time -"

"And we've been seeing a counselor too." Dad chimed in.

Mom nodded. "We're getting a divorce." She came right out with it.

I was speechless for a few seconds before her words really hit. "WHAT?!?" I stood up, my eyes wide and mouth dropped. "This isn't April Fools Day is it because the last I checked it was July." 

"It's not April Fools Day, Hazel," Dad replied. "Your mom and I think this is the right choice. We still like each other, as friends. Our relationship has been - " He looked at her for the right words.

"Downhill." Mom suggested. "It's been going downhill. And we both agree this is the right decision." She looked back at me.

"When were you going to ask how I felt about it?" I demanded.

"Hazel." Dad warned.

I glared at them both. "When?" I pushed but didn't wait for an answer. "It would have been nice to know you both were feeling this way before you slapped me in the face with the news. So what? Is is already done? Are you no longer together?"

"No, the divorce is still-" Mom started.

"And it would also have been nice to have been considered." I interrupted. "Because I just happen to be a part of this family, if it's even a family anymore!" 

"Hazel Alexandria Flynn!" Dad yelled.

"Forget it." I shouted and then ran up to my room. I locked the door and while the tears didn't come, anger did. And I let it out then and there. But it lasted for five minutes and the rest I kept inside. I forgot about the party, and I didn't tell anybody until a few days ago. Now Mom and I were moving. Shady, Montana she said. Dad would stay here in Seattle, Washington and I'd visit him on New Years, Spring Break, and Winter Break. I didn't want to move to stupid Shady, Montana. It sounded like a hick town to me where everybody wore boots, spurs, and a Stetson.

"Hazel! Do you have everything boxed up?" Mom called, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I scowled, getting up. Everything was boxed up, stuff just needed moved. But I didn't reply. I refused.


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## bethanyandrain (Aug 10, 2014)

please make a second chapter! it sounds so good!


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## Roman (Jun 13, 2014)

CHAPTER TWO

"Hazel, I know you're angry about the divorce and moving but you'll on the bright side of this." Mom said. "You'll make new friends and it's like an adventure for us! And there's a rodeo that happens twice a year and we're in luck, the Summer Rodeo starts in a week!"

_Bright side? Was there a bright side? And who cared about a stupid rodeo. I'd rather watch paint dry than watch a bunch of stupid cowboy-wanna-bes get bucked off bulls or crazy cowgirls race horses around barrels. How is that fun anyways?_ I rolled my eyes, staring out the window. I'd hardly talked to my mom, only when I absolutely needed her. We had left Seattle and stayed in a hotel in some town before continuing our drive. Shady, Montana was only a few hours away. 

Mom sighed and turned off the highway we'd been on for a few hours. The car drove down the exit ramp and onto another highway. I slumped in the front seat before putting earphones in my ears, then turning the music on my phone up. I'd fallen in love with OneRepublic's new song "Love Runs Out" and replayed it several times before I heard Mom mumble something.

"What?" I took an earphone out. 

"Thirty more minutes." She said.

"What?! We're that close?" I exclaimed, last I knew we were hours away from it.

"You've been listening to music for the last two hours." Mom told me.

I found that unbelievable but whatever. It turned my phone off and packed everything away. I wanted to get a good view of Shady. I could already imagine that cars were replaced with horses but I told myself I was exaggerating. Thirty minutes flew by and soon the long empty fields and hills were replaced by big farms, then smaller houses as we got closer to town. Finally, the houses let up and were replaced by buildings, mostly made of brick but it was a very rustic looking town.

"Isn't it gorgeous! So rustic like." Mom grinned.

Anything old could fascinate her. She was an artist and I knew she had plans to start up art classes or something. There were hardly any people walking around town, it was very quiet, unlike Seattle. Though I saw a couple girls - surprise, wearing boots and a hat like real cowgirls - and boys hanging around.

"So where's our new house?" I finally asked. 

"A little ways out of town." Mom replied, before turning the car and parking in front of a store. "I'll be right back. Need to get directions." She unbuckled and hurried into the store.

I pictured the images of the house in my head. Mom had shown me the property a few days before we packed up and left Seattle. It was a two story home that needed some love in terms of looks. But it had a small barn with two stalls and a storage area, Mom had plans to make it into a second garage, and a two acre pasture which I doubt we'll use. Still Mom loved the house and it had a good price. Now it was ours.

I looked around, Mom was taking a long time. Deciding to get out, I went inside the store she went in and was blasted with the smell of leather. I looked around. Saddles hung on one long wall and sat on saddle stands on the floor. One wall had reins, bits, halters, and bridles. Then there was a section of the store that had clothes. _Got enough tack?_ I thought. I spotted Mom talking to an older man by the cash register. He had on a white Stetson, a light blue shirt, and a big belt buckle. I walked over.

"...Seattle was great but I'm liking the quiet country already." Mom was saying. 

I crossed my arms. 

Mom noticed me. "Oh, Mr. Adams, this is my daughter Hazel." Mom introduced me. 

Mr. Adams smiled. "Call me Wes, no one calls me Mr. Adams around here." He chuckled. 

I forced a smile only because Mom was staring me down. I gave her a "come on let's go" look. Mom talked to Wes for a few more minutes before saying goodbye and leaving. Then we started driving to the house. I hadn't seen the best pictures of it and hoped it was nice and not like you were living in the 1900s. 

Surprisingly, the house looked better than the pictures. It was painted white with green storm shutters on either side of the windows. There was a small front porch and overgrown hedges around the front. We grabbed a few suitcases and went inside. We walked into a hallway with stairs leading up to the left and a tiny closet on the right. Right after the closet was an open doorway that led into the kitchen which was fairly big, a dining room was on the other half of the room. Then the living room with a backdoor going out to the back. I stared out the window and saw the barn, it didn't look too big. 

Mom went to see the rest of the downstairs and I quickly dashed upstairs. Another hallway but there were four closed doors. The first was directly across from the stairs, it was very small to be a bedroom. The second door led to a full sized bathroom with a double sink, shower, and toilet, along with cabinets. The last two rooms were bedrooms and I decided to claim the one at the end of the hallway. The room felt small and I wished the movers would hurry up and get here.


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## bethanyandrain (Aug 10, 2014)

so far soooo good


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## CountryRoseSierra (May 2, 2014)

This is great! Keep it up!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Jeff W (Aug 20, 2014)

Sub
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## MyHorsesLucyAndSonny (Aug 4, 2014)

its really good.


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