# Running Away on Hooves, Heart, and Hope



## xJumperx

*Chapter 1*

Donner was gently plodding along, allowing my mind to wander a bit as we looked for a spot to set up camp for the night. We would be able to use a patch of woodland, which I was very happy about. I didn’t particularly like having to park out in someone’s field; even though there was confinement and more safety, there was also a much greater risk that someone could come by, find us, and cause us to leave in a rush. That had happened once to us already, and losing tons of supplies had taught me a lesson. While the woods provided more bugs and occasionally snakes, it also provided far more shelter and security from being caught. It was also much cooler in the woods, which was a huge concern for Donner and I.

Finally, we came to a very small clearing. “It’s not perfect, but it will do. What do you say, boy?” I stroked Donner’s neck. He was definitely a trooper. Hauling me and all our supplies couldn’t be easy, but he did so with little complaint. A bit of sweat darkened his sorrel neck, but it wasn’t enough to truly concern me. If it was, we would have stopped a lot sooner. I hopped down from my seventeen hand-high steed, which was quite a drop for my tired legs. Horses are measured by “hands,” which is approximately four inches. They are measured from ground to their withers, which is the top of their shoulder. This made my horse, Donner, almost 5’6” tall at the withers; a good size for most horses, but about normal for being an off-the-track Thoroughbred. He was a gentle giant though, with the mind of a lamb and the heart of an angel.

I unlatched the poles and ropes from the pack behind my saddle. With these tools I made up a small, temporary pasture around the clearing. Once I had it good and secure, I removed Donner’s bridle and saddle, placing them in the center of the camp where I would sleep. A bit farther from the center, I dug a small hole where I placed some twigs and leaves. Using some lint I also had in my pack, I had a fire going in just minutes. I had learned to make the fire quickly and effortlessly from the weeks of being out here on my own. I glanced over to find Donner happily munching on some grass near the center of our little camp. “You want your dinner, big guy? You want some _grain?_” At the magical “G” word, Donner’s head poked up and his ears leapt forward. A gentle vibration from his nose let me in that he’d let out a quiet nicker, and I was forced to chuckle. The horse loved his grain!

I pulled a Tupperware container I had stolen from home when I took off from my pack. Filled with grain, Donner was nosing it as soon as he could see it, trying to push it from my hand. “Yeah, you’d like to have the whole thing, wouldn’t you? Sorry buddy, you know the rations.” The black lines I had drawn on the side of the container told me exactly how much Donner could have per day. I smoothed out a spot on the grass and dumped just the right amount out for my boy. He happily began munching, and I took the opportunity to leave camp for a second to get some water from a nearby freshwater stream I had noticed before. It wasn’t far – in fact, I could see camp from the stream – though I was still nervous about leaving Donner alone. Leaving him busy with his meal was a bit more comforting. He wouldn’t leave his dinner!

Using a canteen, I collected about a gallon of water. Putting my horse before myself (as I always had), I pulled out the small bucket I stuffed inside my pack that held Donner and I’s grooming supplies. I took them out and filled the bucket with water, offering it to the great gelding. He gulped it down, as he always does. It took a couple more trips to the stream and back, but soon enough both Donner and my thirst was quenched. Before too long, the sun had started to set, and the light of the fire became more noticeable. “Alright buddy, time to give Xavier a call.” I pulled an old Nokia brick from my pocket. It was unlocked; no sim card. My parents also didn’t know I had it. I had left my iPhone back at home, knowing they could very easily track me with it. Using a piece of savings, I had managed to acquire this phone. It had two uses – the photo of the directions to the Haven, and calling Xavier. Using a number-hiding technique, I dialed my best friend. It rang twice before he picked up.

“Cassandra?”
“Shh! What have I told you about using my name?”
“I’m sorry. You just called a little later than usual today … I was getting worried.” I could hear the concern in my friend’s voice. I rolled my eyes, chuckling. “I’m fine, Xav” (pronounced “zave”). A small laugh from the other side, “Yeah, because living out there on your own is so ‘fine.’” Xavier clearly didn’t approve of my plan, though I knew he understood why I had to do it. “I’m not alone! I have Donner!” The gelding didn’t raise his head to his name, too focused on the grass before him. “Yes, I guess that’s true. How is the big guy doing?” Xavier inquired. He had always been fond of my sorrel gelding. “Good, he’s good. How is everyone back home? You aren’t talking too much, right?” I was referring to my parents, brother, and other friends. Xavier was the only one I trusted enough to keep his mouth shut, so he was the only one I had contact with. He sighed, “still just as worried as ever. There are enough posters out here with your face on them to cover all of Colorado, you know. Of course, they are pictures of you complete with long, blonde, flowing hair,” we both laughed at this. Before I took off, I had buzzed my hair. It wasn’t the prettiest look, and I missed my locks, but I had to have the drastic change in appearance. Plus, it was hard enough to maintain Donner’s coat, much less having to deal with hair of my own. “Yeah, guess that’s to be expected.”

A moment of quiet silence made me realize how much I really missed Xavier. He was my best friend in the whole world, and being without him was hard. I had hoped we would be able to see each other once I reached the Haven, but I knew it would be a stretch. He was the one to break the silence. “Are you sure you’re okay, Cas?” He was the only one allowed to call me Cas, most had to at least call me Cassie. I found Cas very boyish, though it rolled off his tongue in a way that I didn’t mind it for some reason. I smiled into the phone, “I’m sure I’m okay, Xavi.” A pet name I had exclusive rights to as well (pronounced “zavey”). Another brief silence that he broke, “You know Cas, if you ever change …” “I’m not going to change my mind, Xavi. I’m sorry.” Another sigh. “Well, you know … you know that I …” With a smile, I stopped him, “Yeah Xav, I know. It’s okay. Goodnight buddy. I’ll call you tomorrow if I’m still alive,” I attempted to lift the tone, hearing a stifled chuckle, “Not funny!” before I hung up the phone. I stared at the “call ended” screen for just a moment, cherishing the memories Xavier and I had had, wishing he was here with me.

I turned to Donner then, who had gotten quite a bit closer. I laughed when he nosed my back, “That’s right buddy, I’ve got you!” I stroked his long, blaze-covered face before standing to prepare my sleeping arrangements. Donner was a good boy, and knew not to test the boundaries of the temporary fencing, so I was okay with sleeping for a bit. I did sleep in short intervals though, for several reasons. Therefore, I didn’t exactly sleep in luxury - I only had two thin blankets – one to lie on, and one to ball into a pillow. I hadn’t had room for anything else. I used Donner’s light saddle pad to cover my legs, and I didn’t need any more cover than that. I smothered the fire, set the alarm on my watch to get up in four hours, and let myself slip into slumber.

I dream of what I usually end up dreaming of, which happens to be home. I dream of my parents, and the fun times we have had. How happy I was when I was a kid, without a care in the world. I’m briefly homesick, before the ending comes that I anticipate. The reason I left, the reason I stay gone. They are suddenly lecturing me about my grades. The “B’s” on the report card won’t cut it anymore, and a form for boarding school is posted on the fridge. Donner’s sale ad flashes before my eyes, and I am traumatized yet again. It was the night before someone was going to come take my horse from me that Xavier took me from that evil house, brought me to the stable, and saw me off on my journey. It was a night I replayed many times during my sleep, but also during my consciousness; his face, one hand on his car and one hand in the air, waving to me as I disappear over the hills that surrounded the barn. He had stood there until I couldn’t see him anymore, and who knows how long he was there after I was gone.


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## horsedream568

I love it!!!!! As soon as I saw this under stories and poems I about freaked out! I loved your last one and I'm loving this one already!!


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## xJumperx

*Chapter 3*

Three in the morning came quickly, as it always did. My sleep schedule went as follows -
11 PM -3 AM
2 PM – 6 PM
This way, I could avoid the hottest part of the day, and also give Donner and I ample amounts of rest. I’ve skipped the night sleep before on cooler days to make up some time, but Xavier always yells at me when I do, and I don’t like to push Donner harder than I have to. For now, I gather our things in the dim light and tack Donner up. Once I’ve got Donner’s bridle on, I collect the temporary fence, mount, and we are on our way. After traveling back to the marker I had used, I check my directions again to carry on our way towards the Haven. I sigh, noticing that I’ll have to pass a street I’m very, very familiar with during this travel time - my grandmother’s. 

This particular pass was kind of hard to make. My grandmother’s is where I went when I needed some peace from my overbearing family. She understood me, gave me solace and warmth when I needed it. I wanted nothing more than to stop at her house, let Donner in her yard, and chow down on her famous cor-don-bleu chicken. She could provide me an actual shower over the streams, warm meals instead of canned ones, a bed made of more than a few sweaty blankets. I sighed heavily, patting Donner’s neck. “She’d call them immediately,” I realized bitterly. Though my grandmother could understand my running off, that doesn’t at all mean she’d allow it to continue. Alas, the stop was impossible, and Donner and I had to continue.

The quickest way through this part of town, while missing my grandmother’s neighborhood, was actually through this little trail that I had taken Donner on many times when I came up here to visit. My grandmother had just a few acres of land, but she had fenced it and built a small run-in shed attached to it so that I could bring Donner up with me when I visited. I would usually stay for a few weeks at a time, as she lived a few hours away from my parents’. So she would take me for trail rides and such, her on her mountain bike. (which she called Comanche [when I was younger, before I had Donner, I rode the bike everywhere. I called it my horse, and of course, the horse had to have a name! A super fan of the television series “The Saddle Club,” I stole the name from my favorite horse from the show. Until this day, grandmother continued the name just to please me.]) 

The issue was that the closer I got to town, the more posters I saw. I had figured grandmother would post some, but she apparently worked way harder than I thought she might. It was quite heart-breaking, to be honest. Also, what Xavier failed to mention, was that my horse was also plastered across the poster. While my appearance had changed drastically, Donner’s had not, and that posed a pretty serious issue. I never thought they would put my horse on the poster. Instantly, I had to dial Xavier. I didn’t usually call mid-day (it was noon by now), so I knew he might be a bit concerned, but I was a bit angry so I didn’t exactly mind bothering him. 

It rang for a while, to the point where I wasn’t sure he would answer. He finally did, formally answering “Xavier Willis, how may I help you?” I held back a smirk, recognizing he probably didn’t think the unknown number was me at this hour. Any other time, I would have come back with a snide remark, but I really wanted to get to the point so that I could get off the phone. It was easier to find and track a call during busier hours of the day. “You can help me by mentioning that my horse is also on my wanted poster, next time, considering that’s kind of a big deal!” Xavier stuttered for a moment, perhaps figuring out it was me, or maybe biting back asking why I was calling so early. When he did get something out, I realized his stutter was out of confusion, “the posters your parents put up don’t have Donner on them, Cas.” I stopped for a moment, unsure what to say. Finally, Xavier breaks my train of thought, “Where are you?” 
“I’m up by my grandmother’s.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I guess she made her own, and included Donner. She’s a little more on your brainwave than your parents are, I guess. Just be extra careful up there. Stick to back-roads. Call me tonight when you set up camp, okay?” He asked. I shook my head, unsure that I would get the chance at camping out tonight, “I can’t do it Xavi, I’ve got to get as far away from this town as I can. I’ll just stop next shift.” Another sigh from the other end; he sighs a lot, “Cas, you can’t …” I cut him off, “I’ll be fine, Xav. Just keep things quiet up there.” He was quiet for a moment, then agreed. “Alright, Cas. Still call me.” I nodded, “will do,” before hanging up the phone. I shook my head, patting Donner’s neck once more, “time to keep on and carry on buddy.”

Of course, we did just that. I was quickly able to make my way to the trail that I knew well, and we were on our way. The only issue that I came across was that the trail was a bit more… populated than I remember. Thankfully, nobody seemed to recognize me or my horse. I even passed other riders on the trail, which comforted me. Being the only horse and rider team for miles attracted a lot of attention … and attention isn’t something I need. Just as I thought all was well, I hear an all too familiar voice behind me, and for the first time in my journey, I’m faced with one of the worst things runaways can deal with: recognition.

“Oh my gosh. It’s you. It’s Cassandra, It’s _YOU!_” 
I knew the voice as soon as it came to my ear. I didn’t turn around, I couldn’t afford to. The sight of a girl that was close enough to a sister as I had ever had … it would have been unbearable. Sandra and I had been best friends since we were little. She was the daughter of my grandmother’s neighbors, and every time I came to grandmother’s I always paid her a visit. We frequently hung out together and did fun things, and I honestly loved the girl as if she were family. She always got along great with my parents as well, and she had spent weeks at my house on vacations, as we both enjoyed horses and … well, everything else. Before my eyes could cloud too much to see straight, I was forced to spur Donner on. It would confirm her suspicions, and likely deeply sadden her, but it’s not something I could risk. Now that she knew my whereabouts, she would have every family member on the line, all flocking to this place.

It was sickening, having to gallop away from her. On top of that, I had caused quite a disturbance. People jumped out of the way, yanking the pets they were walking on leashes. Other riders on the trail, probably suspecting my horse was bolting, were calling out “whoa” and “easy.” Thankfully, Donner paid them no mind. Fearful that someone could call the police (I take back what I said before; cops are definitely worse than recognition), I veered off the popular trail, into a large, open field. The field wasn’t mowed, and hadn’t been for years. I would suspect it to be used for hay, but it was too overgrown for even that. I figured it was a natural habitat for deer or something of the sort. When I was finally out of the sight of the trail, I had to pull Donner up, fearful of him overexerting himself. It was already hot enough as it was, and we still had a very long walk ahead of us. I sighed heavily, finally letting the tears that had been burning my eyes fall.

I slouched over in my Marcel Toulouse saddle, worn after years of wear … and weeks without a good cleaning. Just looking down to see the front of the seat made me homesick. I wanted so badly to turn around. Go back to cleaning my tack every Sunday, which I usually dreaded. Go back to cleaning Donner’s stall twice a day, watching him munch his hay contently as I worked around him. I wanted so badly to set up jumps in the arena for the lesson kids, just so that I would be allowed to use them once everyone had left. I wanted everything to be how it was, and it overwhelmed me now. I had to get off.

I slid from the saddle, planting my bum on a tree stump in front of Donner. He lowered his head to my level, ears and eyes at my attention, wanting to know what the matter was. I reached my arms around my big guy’s face, crying into his little forelock. He was a very sweet boy, and didn’t mind this overload of affection. He simply kept his head where it was for the moment, waiting for me to release his head. When I did, he still hung it low. I figure he wants the grass around us, so after a quick check for weeds or other toxins, I remove his bridle and allow him to graze. I always kept Donner’s halter on under his bridle, so I grabbed the lead that I loosely tied around his neck and let him graze. Even in these situations, I never let him eat with a bit in his mouth for fear that he could choke.

Watching my boy contently graze as he always had brought me back to peace. It was clear that Donner was perfectly alright with our situation. Maybe he was just a trooper, but I preferred to believe that he’d go anywhere I went. “What a horse you are, sweetheart,” I cooed to the steed. The only acknowledgement I gained was a quick flick of the ear, but I didn’t mind it. “You probably don’t even have the slightest clue as to what I’m saying, but you’re still a good listener, you know?” I glanced upwards, then back to my watch. It was, in fact, three. Typically, I would sleep through this part of the day, but we were far too close to the search parties that would come to do that. I patted Donner’s shoulder again, and grabbed his bridle. I pulled him from the grass with some difficulty, but soon he was bridled and we were ambling through the field again. I frequently glanced over my shoulder to see if anyone was there, but saw nothing each time. Finally I quit worrying about it so much, and aimed my focus on finding shade. The sun was beating the crap out of Donner and I, sweat brimming my helmet and his neck. I hated riding in the wide open anyway since there was no place to hide, so the addition of the sun was downright exhausting.

I was finally able to spot some tree-cover, but it didn’t come without price. Turns out, the field we had been passing through belonged to a farmer. Once I got over the hill that blocked my view previously, I noticed many fields full of things like corn, tomatoes, and more. “How are we going to get out of this?” I asked Donner, wishing he had an answer for me. As far as I could see to the left and right, the farmer owned and fenced land. Cows scattered much of the landscape where crops were nowhere to be found, meaning all of that space had to be enclosed. I looked behind me once more, contemplating turning around and finding another way. Figuring it was the only option, I started out that way. The sound of a motor stopped me in my tracks.

It was definitely an ATV, and it was definitely coming from where I was about to run straight towards. I turned again, planning to find an exit closer to the farm … when I noticed a cop car in the driveway. And I knew instantly why they were there. Crap.

Out of options, I choose to bolt to the right. I feel Donner swell with a large breath in, and though I feel bad for him, I know he has what it takes to run far … and fast.


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## horsedream568

More! More! You need to get your stories published! They're amazing!!


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## xJumperx

*Chapter 4*

I'm on vacation, so you can look forward to quicker updates this week! 
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When we finally met a tree line, after tucking in and spindling around to lose the ATV, I realized I had no idea where we were. “Great, that’s just … great,” I muttered, walking Donner in a small circle while I checked out the directions. He stuck to this small circle, meandering slowly to slow his heart rate and settle his breathing. I glanced around me, looking for some sort of marker to tell me where I was. Alas, I had nothing. “Okay, so let’s backtrack,” I spoke aloud to Donner and to myself. “Let’s see … We went off the trail about a quarter mile into it. That farm is here on the edge … which means this could be the little forest we are in.” If we were in the forest I thought we were, that really sucked. We were at least five miles from the path I needed to take to get to the Haven. Ugh.​ Complications seemed to arise more and more frequently as we travelled. We had been out here for two weeks, and if all goes according to plan, I should only have one week left to ride before we got there. Unfortunately, setbacks had slowed us down tremendously. “Don’t worry buddy, the Haven will take great care of us as soon as we get there.” The Haven in question is a place that I had volunteered at when I was younger, maybe 12 years old. It was a beautiful facility, featuring a pristine stable that they had recently built. The Haven was actually intended for foster children between homes. I believe there were five dorms, each with two kids of the same gender in it (unless you were brother and sister). The stables were built so that the kids would have something to do, that encouraged hard work while providing reward at the same time. I thought it was a fantastic idea. The stable had ten stalls, and filled eight of them. To my knowledge, they were searching for two more. I figured that, as long as they had at least one spot open, they could house me and Donner just until I figured out what to do next. Nobody knew I was coming, not even Xavier.​ That said, it wasn’t exactly 100% assured that they would let me in. If they were full, that would suck, but I could sleep in Donner’s stall. The real issue that could be presented would be if they just wouldn’t let me in. I couldn’t see why they wouldn’t, though. I mean, their whole goal was to give kids a better life, right? I hadn’t really thought of a Plan B, and that did frighten me a bit, but I had faith that the Haven would be receptive.​ After pondering the path I should take next, I set Donner out that way. Armed with a compass and my directions, we were ready to go. I reached down to grab some crackers from the saddlebag that hung over Donner’s withers, but stopped myself short when I was reminded that there were none left. Biting the inside of my lip, I realized that we were running lower on food than I had originally thought. I was out of crackers to snack on completely, definitely out of sandwiches (they only lasted a few days), and only had a few cans of chicken dumpling soup left. I had also packed various other small, portable snacks, but they were gone as well. The soup had been my best option for large meals, since it is pre-cooked, but I had to ration them very thinly since I didn’t pack too many because of their weight. My stomach growled fiercely, and it sucked having to bite it back, knowing I probably couldn’t eat until tomorrow night.​ Thankfully, Donner had plenty of grain left. I knew I would always put Donner first, and his meals always came before mine. He was fat and happy, and he was going to stay that way. I could survive. I thought back to when I last had a meal, hoping it would comfort me. Unfortunately, it only made my hunger worse. I hadn’t eaten yesterday either. Hmm… “I’ll just dive into the soup tomorrow when we take a break, buddy.” I sighed, knowing we wouldn’t be able to stop tonight. We would have to make up for lost time. We still had just a few hours until nightfall, when I would at least feed Donner his dinner and offer him some water. Water is one thing we never went without, thankfully, since Colorado was full of either fast-running creeks, or spigots that I could … ahem, “borrow” from people.​ Finally, we made our way along the trail we set out from. Unfortunately, cops were crawling it. Great. I did my best to stay parallel to the trail, while still keeping to its general course. We eventually made it past where the cops were scanning, and the path I needed to take veered away from the path they were searching on. I was surprised at their efforts to find me, really. I figured my family had sent out Amber Alerts, but the police forces rarely really minded them that much. Before I was on the list myself, I hated the cops for their laziness. Now I was almost wishing they’d get back to it. We walked along for an eternity, stomach still roaring. A couple times, Donner had actually acknowledged the loud sounds, twitching his ears back to me and raising his head. I had to snicker, wondering what the gelding thought the sound was.​ Nightfall eventually came, and the temperatures dropped to a more comfortable spot. I hopped off Donner in order to feed him, tying him to a thin tree as I knew we wouldn’t be there long enough for me to set up the temporary pasture. I undid his bridle and slipped it over my shoulder, allowing him to eat his grain freely and easily without fear of choking. I walked a small distance to a spigot that I had found near an abandoned barn, armed with canteen and bucket. To my luck, it still worked, and the water was clear and fresh. Sneaking a peek inside the barn, it didn’t look quite so abandoned either. The fencing around the building was about as worn, but upon a second look I noticed that it actually held cattle. There was one large run-in inside the barn for the cows, with water troughs and feeding bins for them. There was also a hay wheel, which I would love to bring Donner to, as he hadn’t had any good hay in a while.​ Unfortunately, upon further inspection, the hay was definitely meant for cattle only, as it was old and quite musty. I gave a wayward expression, and began to hop back over the fence to the main part of the barn. I was stopped short, though … “Well Bobby, the heifer’s doin’ well. She’s a great ma, and her calf’s gunna be somethin’ fancy.” I tucked back in behind the hay wheel, hoping the men would stay in the aisle of the barn. “That’s fine and dandy Frank, but you know if she births another girl, I get her.” Silence, though I assume ‘Bobby’ nods, “Yeah son, I owe ya that much.” Then, the sound of a gate latch … bad news. I walked slowly around the wheel, trying to always keep the men opposite of where I was. They appeared to be headed out to the field, probably to check out the heifer they were talking about. Of course, all I was concerned about was getting back to Donner. I worried that he could be finished with his grain by now, and getting anxious. “Hey, you hear that? Somethin’ rustlin’ in the hay?” My heart sunk to my feet. I held back the desire to punch into the hay, upset that it had given me away. Instead, I remained still. “Eh, it’s an old barn. Probably a mouse or somethin’.” Footsteps … quiet conversation … gone. I still held back a sigh of relief, and instead bolted out the door, hauling the buckets and canteen out with me.​ Donner gave a small nicker when I returned, but seemed fine. He had finished his grain, but sat patiently and had waited for my return. I hugged his neck tightly, throwing my face into his thick mane, “you’re such a good boy, I’m so happy I’ve got you by my side.” After a moment of gratitude, I offered him his bucket, and he drank a pleasant amount. I sucked down a bit of my canteen, and then poured the rest of what he didn’t drink into it. Typically, I would go back to the water source and refill it, but I didn’t want to risk running into Bobby and Frank again. “What do you say, I think two or three close calls is enough for me in one day,” I asked Donner, to which I’m sure he agreed. “Let’s walk the night away buddy, every step is a step closer to Haven …”​


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## faiza425

You have no idea how excited I was to see that you're back at it!! I'm excited for more!


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## horsedream568

*UHEM* Trying to be patient here! Post more soon please!!! :wink:


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## xJumperx

Greatest apologies, my laptop isn't exactly functional at the moment... I'm on my ipad now. I will post the next chapter as soon as I have the darn thing up and running!


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## xJumperx

*Chapter 4*

Fixed! 
~*~

Rain sucks; especially when you’ve got pounds of supplies, a horse to ride, and no reliable shelter. Frankly, I hated the stuff before I took off, and didn’t like it any better now. Traveling through dense woodland helped alleviate some of the water, so I tried to stick there as much as possible even though it slowed us up a bit. Glancing down at Donner, I really felt bad for him. Carrying this stuff around when it is dry can’t be an easy task, I couldn’t imagine carrying everything soaking wet, while also being drenched. I patted his neck, sending bits of water flying away from the contact. 

Of course, I had a poncho packed for this situation, but it was saturated now and not providing much. I figured we still had another weeks travel to the Haven, and I hoped it wouldn’t be raining the whole time. The one positive of the downpour was the abundance of water, which was becoming more and more necessary as my hunger grew. “We have to figure something out, buddy. I’m not sure what yet …” Suddenly, a crack of lightening lit the sky, striking too close for my comfort. The thunder roared like a caged lion, showing us just how close the bolt had been. I ducked down when it all struck, nearly ramming my face into Donner’s neck. My good boy didn’t move a muscle, but his ears and eyes told me that he was a bit spooked as well. I made a call to jump off of the gelding, leading him to an even denser cove of trees. I kept a plastic cover over my saddle at all times, so there was no need to worry about it now. I was concerned about getting Donner and I in as safe of a place as possible. I checked my watch for the time, wondering if Donner could have his grain. I knew food would pre-occupy him. 

It was actually a bit later in the day than I thought. The rain and clouds had kept the sun from bearing down so harshly, so I hadn’t noticed that it was already almost 3:00 PM. I usually slept from 2:00 – 6:00 PM. Since I had missed my night rest, I was surprised I wasn’t exhausted enough to have noticed just from that. “Well buddy, it’s not quite time for you to be eating yet. Though I’m not sure I really want to be sleeping during this storm …” After pondering for a moment, I realized that there was probably nothing better to do in this situation. I unpacked Donner’s fencing and set it up in a smaller patch than I normally did, because of all the brush that surrounded us. I slipped Donner’s bridle off and allowed him to graze on what little grass remained, and found a high spot to sleep on, where it shouldn’t puddle. It didn’t take long for me to drift into sleep, the sound of the rain soothing me into slumber.

~*~

Knives in my stomach woke me up with a start, tearing at my guts from the inside out. My body convulsed nastily, bringing my knees up to my chest. The pain was gut-wrenching. I flipped over in the blankets time and time again, much like a horse when they colic. Anything to relieve the terrible pain, though I know it would do no good. There was only one thing that could cure the hunger that ripped me apart, and that was one thing that I didn’t have. Food. 

Donner raised a head from his small patch of grass, telling me I must have shrieked or something. He wasn’t really easily distracted, though would react to noise. I bit the side of my mouth, trying to stay quiet. I knew standing would only cause me to pass out, so I tried to ride out the stomach issue as best I could.

Finally, I was numb enough to get to my feet and stammer over to my horse. Donner held me up well, patient as he could be. After catching some breath, I went about dismantling the pasture and tacking him back up. I climbed up upon his back slowly and carefully, as the big gelding stood calmly for me. He was picture perfect. “Okay buddy, walk on. We have to head towards town …” I had thought up a solution for the starvation, though it wasn’t ideal. Of course, a week without food hadn’t been ideal either and I knew I couldn’t make it to the Haven in my condition.

Being in town was always risky. Thankfully, I personally had never been here before, and I didn’t think my family had either. The issue was that no matter how well known you were in the town next to you, Amber Alerts stretched pretty far, and Xavier had told me that I was up in that list. With Donner set up in his pen just outside town in a small enclosed field, I walked calmly into the doors of a convenience store. Nodding to the store keeper under my worn baseball cap, I attempted to keep a low profile. I probably looked like a boy, but it was a good thing if I did. I reached around to fumble with my hair, only to remember that it was all gone. The nervous tic would be unresolved. 

I found my way around the store easily, finding the protein bars near the fatty snacks. The protein was exactly what I needed, and I craved it harshly. It took a lot not to rip the whole snack isle open, consume everything in the row. With much self-control, I quietly added the bars to my pockets, filling them as full as I could without being obviously bulky. After filling up on the expensive protein bars, I moved to another piece of the isle to grab a much smaller and far less expensive bit of candy. The candy costs only a few cents, so I paid for it easily with the single bill I had remaining. Making the purchase made my presence far less suspicious. Though I hated myself for thinking like such a criminal, I tried to convince myself that it had to be done.

Luckily, I was able to make it out the door with no repercussions. The store owner knew nothing, and though I was upset for what I had done, I was finally able to eat. Thank God! I got back to Donner as quickly as possible, finding him grazing contently. I sat in the middle of the small pasture for a moment while I consumed enough bars to curb the worst of my hunger. Each bar tasted like liquid gold, though I stuffed my face too quickly to really absorb all of the pleasure of the taste. Keeping myself from downing all the bars was difficult, but I knew I didn’t want to become a thief yet again, so I forced myself to stop. 

It was finally time for my nighttime rest, being sleep deprived for the past two shifts had been difficult on my body. I found the small field we were in safe enough, as it was lightly brushed with trees and coverage. After setting up and lying in my little bed-like structure, I grabbed my phone to give Xavier a call. Per usual, it only took a few short rings.

“Cas?” 
“Hey, buddy. How are things?”

His voice was great to hear, his tone sounding relieved to hear from me as well. “Good. I mean, still kind of up in the air since you’ve gone AWOL on us, but we are managing,” he informed me, similarly to how he does daily. I asked him further for how each person was coming along, and if anything specifically exciting was happening. He mentioned some of my older friends and what they were doing with personal relationships, or other aspects. Getting the low-down on my family and friends was nice, and I enjoyed chatting with Xavier in general. I tried to update him on what we were doing, without giving away too much information. Though I trusted him with my life, I tried not to give out exact locations or anything. And I definitely wouldn’t tell him about the issues I had had with hunger; there was no reason to cause him to worry more than the poor guy does already.

After a while, I knew it was time for me to hang up and get some rest. “Hey, Xavier? Thanks a lot, seriously. You’ve kept me going out here, with our daily talks. I miss you, buddy. I really hope I’ll get to see you, and soon.” I didn’t thank Xavier as much as I liked, and felt bad for it. “I miss you, Cas. I miss you a lot. You’re my best friend, and if you think for a second that I won’t visit you when you reach where you’re going, you are insane.” 

I wanted so badly for all of that to be true. A smile jumped to my face, and I hoped secretly that I would be seeing Xavier sooner than later. Much sooner. “Goodnight Xavier. Sleep well.” “You too, Cas.” I pulled the phone from my face, grinning at the number on the screen before finally hanging up. Even when I wasn’t homesick, I was always wishing he could be there with me.

“What do you say, Donner? You ready to head to bed?” I asked the big red gelding, watching for his facial expression for the only reply I could receive. His ears flicked towards me, but he was otherwise preoccupied by the grass around him along with the grain I had given him a minute ago. Content that my horse was satisfied, I finally settled in for some good rest.


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## xJumperx

It turns out that this story will be much, much shorter than Heartlines was. This story has a much more straight-forward plotline, and will move much more quickly. Hope you still enjoy!


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## horsedream568

I love it! A shorter story just means you can put out another one soon! *wink* *wink*


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## Edgy13

I have to say that you are an amazing writer!! If I was able to publish this I would! this seems like a story that all horse lovers could relate to in one way or another. Keep it up and good luck with your writing. I have a question though.. How did you come up with the ideas fore this story??


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## tinkytasha

*Reply*

I think this is an awesome story! Can't wait for more! :lol:


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## xJumperx

Thank you all SO much for your lovely input! 

@Edgy13 -- To be perfectly honest, the idea for this story actually hit close to home. When faced with overbearing parents, one of my friends really considered running off. The situation was similar to the fictional one painted out here. She told me her plans on how she would go about it. While I heavily discouraged her, I did keep in mind her plan of action so that I could help her out if she ever did it. Since she never did, I got her permission to make a story out of it. Of course, I had to throw a horse in there  

Hope you really enjoy this story!


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## xJumperx

*Chapter 5*

We were finally just tens of miles from the Haven. I figured up three days of travel, with no rain or people holding us up. Of course, that always managed to be the case, so I was prepared for anything. Well, mostly. Unfortunately, the protein bars hadn’t lasted as long as I wanted them to. It hadn’t helped that I wasn’t able to keep very much down … the stomach cramps, throwing up, and massive headaches had come on strongly, and it hindered me terribly. I was especially hungry, though it pained me to eat. I was drinking as much water as I could, though I was curious if it was tainted water that had caused my illness in the first place. “Should have boiled everything you found,” I constantly remind myself. “Oh well, nothing I can do about it now. We just have to push through, and get to the Haven.”

Donner, thankfully, was still doing well. Mud caked his legs, and his coat had seen better days, but he hadn’t dropped any weight and was sound, not limping or favoring at all. We plowed through the terrain, me hunched over in the saddle as Donner pulled me along. He was an amazing horse, and I knew I couldn’t have made the trip without him. Back home, he was my heart and soul. In fact, it was because of him that I had to take off in the first place. I recalled the night that I had made up my mind about the ordeal like it was yesterday…

My father threw the papers on the table angrily. I sat on my hands, just waiting for the attack from my mother. My father’s lectures were nothing compared to hers. She came up behind him, placing her hands defensively on the table that I was sitting at. “What are you thinking, Cassandra?” Her tone was disgusted, her face contorted. I looked up to her with the kindest eyes I could muster, “it is only two B’s mother, I have friends who …” My tone was gentle, but she cut me off with a devilish curt, “Your _friends_ do not have your intelligence! I expect more from you, young lady! How are you to become a surgeon with these grades?” She spat the nasty word at me, something I wanted nothing to do with. I retorted with more demand, “I don’t want to be a surgeon mother, I don’t want to be like you and dad! How many times do I have to tell you, I just want to pursue a career that I actually have interest in. Is that so much to ask?” 

She laughed an insincere laugh, turning away from the table. With her back turned to me, she carried on, “You have no idea! You just have no idea what life is like! You must carry the family practice, Cassandra. It is your duty. Do you not have any respect for your family?” She had finally spun around to look at me, though if looks could kill … her words did the job already, though. She knew exactly how to make me feel bad. “Of course I do, it’s just …” I honestly couldn’t finish. I couldn’t make her understand that splitting people open and messing around in their guts just didn’t appeal to me. Not while proving that I really did care about my family. She looked to the ground, sighing. My father still stood there quietly, at the side of the room. He was a bit more understanding, but couldn’t help but be moved in her direction.

Finally, her tone decreased to a normal level. “Cassandra,” she started, always using my full name. A sigh, and then she continues, “We’ve been talking, and we believe that maybe there are just far too many distractions in your life. With that boy, Xavier, and your friends always bothering you … you need more time to focus on school. And not to mention that horse of yours; you spend every waking moment for that horse, when you should just be worried about your school work.” Immediately, any respect I had in that moment was gone. Dissing my horse was a big no-no, a sure-fire way to upset me. My mother knew this, which is why I was puzzled to why she was playing the cards. Not to mention calling my friends “bothers.” Snappily, I asked her to get to her point.

“Well, I just think that you might be better off in a more … educationally controlled setting. Somewhere you can really get your studies done, and done right, without all of these … distractions.” Suddenly, it clicked in my head. “You want to move?!” I was borderline yelling now, and I didn’t even know the worst of it. “No, Cassandra. You will be attending Martha and Willis next year. It has already been decided.”

I was speechless. Martha and Willis was the boarding school about four hours away. “There is no way in hell I’m going to that school,” I snapped angrily, with no care for the consequences: a slap on the face for the swearing, and then the continuation of her lecture. “Don’t worry; your precious horse will be in fine hands when you are away. We have found someone to purchase him for a healthy price, which will pay for your tuition.”

At that point, I was finished. I said words that I couldn’t imagine repeating, screaming as loud as my lungs would allow. I had stormed out of the house then, walking down the road alone until someone came and got me. I spent the rest of the day in my room, researching and planning. I would set up and pack for two weeks. On the night before Donner was to be purchased, Xavier drove me to the barn he was boarded at, and we were gone.

The memory was a hard one to think about, and it took a lot out of me given my health. I asked Donner to halt for just a moment, giving me time to collect my bearings. After a few moments, I was able to continue for a few more steps.

Suddenly, my head was faint, my body feeling unsupported and losing balance. I found myself moving in slow motion, unable to regain my posture upon the large horse. As if I were flowing through time at half-speed, I slumped off of Donner. I barely felt the impact of the ground before everything finally went dark.


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## Roadyy

I have truly missed your writings. I wish I could afford to pay you to do nothing but sit around and write stories for me to read. My 13 yr old daughter actually put down Harry Potter to read both of your stories.


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## xJumperx

*Chapter 6*

@Roadyy I was hoping you would find this! Aw, thank your daughters for me, they sound awesome 

~*~

“I think she’s coming to. She’ll have a lot of questions; hopefully she’ll have a lot of answers too. Try to keep her still when she wakes up.” I heard footsteps, and then felt just the knowledgeable presence of one person. I shifted over, trying to open my eyes. With dizziness and a cloudy head, I managed to get my eyes working. Glancing around the room, I noticed a lot of doctoral things. A few beds, clean white sheets, scrubbed walls and tile flooring. The sight was oddly relieving at first. But then, realizing my situation, it just got frightening. I tried to sit up, my mind suddenly clear as a bell. The small woman next to me placed her hand on my chest, gently pushing me back down onto the bed. “No dear, you must stay still for now. You are still very likely to pass out again. You’ve been quite sick,” her voice was kind, sweet, gentle. Her blonde hair bounced up into messy curls, complimenting her deep blue eyes. She was a beautiful woman, both inside and out, you could tell. Her petite stature made her even more likable. While I wanted to comply, I had bigger things in mind. “Where is my horse? Where is Donner?” 

The woman smiled, “We have him, dear. He’s out in a private pasture, untacked and happily munching on some grass. We knew he had to be yours, given he had your ID and stuff packed on him … well, and the fact that he never left your side.” I was overcome with relief, so glad to hear that my boy was okay. I let my head fall back on the pillow. Just before I drifted off, I managed to ask her “where are we?” With my eyes closed and my mind already half asleep, I could have sworn I heard her say the words I’ve been waiting for, for the past month. “You are at The Boys and Girls Haven, Cassandra. You are safe now.” I thought I had made myself ask her to call me Cassie, but I was off into sleep before I could hear her reply.

~*~

When I woke again, I was feeling much better. I was able to sit up comfortably, and survey the room. Emblems danced across the room everywhere, reminding me of where I was. I smiled at each little tag, so happy to have finally made it here. I wasn’t sure how they found me or how they got me here, but for now what I knew was more than enough to keep me going. Donner and I were safe. I let out a relieved sigh. 

Suddenly, I heard the clicking of a door. I whipped my head around to the entrance, though moving my head so quickly reminded me that I wasn’t 100% well just yet. This wasn’t the kind, bubbly lady I had seen before. This woman was taller, thinner, and overall a bit off-putting. Her brown hair stopped sharply just under her chin, not a strand out of place. Her thin black glasses set in the center of her nose, outlining the small wrinkles that danced across her thin face. When she fetched my eye-contact, she gave a brief smile, but after that it was all seriousness. I scooted back uncomfortably in the bed.

“Hello Cassandra, how are you feeling?” There was a stool next to the bed which she took a seat on, folding her hands in her lap. I nodded carefully, “I’m doing okay. The other woman told me I was at the Haven … How did I get here?” She gave a tight nod, “Well, honestly it wasn’t exactly a good situation. You see, one of our horses is a master at unlatching the gates, and one of the students forgot to fix the bolt correctly. He got loose, and we thought your gelding was him. We came up on him, and found the lot of you sitting there, clearly not doing well.” The woman tried out a wayward smile, and offered her name, “I am Ms. Tamira. The other woman you met earlier is Ms. Vickie. I am the secretary, she is the owner. I also deal with admissions here.” The tone in the last sentence changed quite a bit, which caused a bit of worry. Surely I didn’t come all this way for me not to be admitted … what was my other option? She seemed to be waiting for a reply of some sort, so I offered what I could, “I see … well, thank you for bringing me back. I’ve actually been traveling in this direction for quite some time.” 

Ms. Tamira squinted her eyes, and asked “what do you mean?” I began my story, telling her of how I had run off with my horse, and researched this place and chosen it as my destination. She nodded along with the story, but her stoic expression didn’t give me any clues as to what she thought of the idea. When I finished, she nodded slowly before she continued. “Well, that is certainly a very inspiring story. You see, we only have a certain amount of rooms and spots open for our guests. While we do have one or two openings, we are usually paid by some sort of organization for taking these foster kids, and giving them this Haven before being sent to a foster home. With you, you have nobody to fund your stay. We would have to take care of you and your horse with spare change, and there isn’t a lot of that going around here, Cassandra.” I bowed my head, not thinking of this before. I didn’t have any money to give the facility, but I did have work ethic. “What if I paid my own way? You know, I could clean up in the barn, brush the horses, feed … I could be your own personal stable hand.” Unfortunately, Ms. Tamira shook her head. “Each kid here is allocated a horse, and they are responsible for those horses. We have no stable hand type system. You would be taking care of your own horse, if you were allowed to stay, but that is all.” I frowned. It seemed like there was no way around this. “I mean … I know it is a lot to ask, but could I just stay until I found another alternative? I hadn’t thought that far, to be honest … I was hoping to find a safe place here.” I hated pulling on people’s guilt strings, for they never took it well. But frankly, I was well out of options.

The secretary sighed, “Well, you can’t be released until you are complete with a clean bill of health. I suppose we can keep you here in the infirmary overnight tonight. Vickie and I will discuss what will come after that.” Her tone was curt, but I nodded politely anyways. I smiled externally, but inside I was crushed. I could only hope that Ms. Vickie would be able to provide some sympathy for the torn runaway. “Ms. Tamira … would it be alright if I saw my horse? Just for a moment?” I knew it was a lot to ask, and I was pushing my luck. Thankfully, she allowed it, but only if she tagged along. Of course, I was fine with that.

We got to the barn, which I was immediately impressed by. Everything was state of the art, with beautiful wooden stalls with gorgeous wrought iron bars. The horses were out in the field at the moment, but the stalls were apparently well kempt. Each stall bore the name of the horse in a brass plate, with a smaller plate below that that held a white-board. On the white board were the names of the children that were taking care of said horse. The temporary appearance of the boards was a bit startling. The Haven probably got a much quicker rotation of kids than I had anticipated. It made me feel a bit uneasy, to be honest.

Once we got past the barn, the pastures came in sight. The fences were just as immaculate, with plastic three board fencing all around. The pastures were split in threes, probably for pasture rotation purposes. To the left of the pastures was a large round pen, where Tamira was leading me. I figured this is where I could find my Donner. The fencing was all wood, and stacked about six or seven feet tall. We eventually got to the door, though, and Tamira allowed me through. Donner was there, munching grass in the center. He lifted his head immediately upon my appearance, and to my delight came trotting towards me. I felt Tamira reach out for my shoulder, but she released when Donner reached me calmly, pressing his nose gently into the crook of my arm, as he typically did. He was such a sweetheart. Tamira seemed almost shocked by this display of affection, but at this point I paid no mind to what she was doing. I loved all over my dear horse, noticing that he hadn’t appeared to look any different from when I last saw him – except for the fact that he was spotless. When I asked who brushed him, Tamira responded with the owner’s name. “Vickie has a soft spot for the horses. The equine program was her idea, and she just loved your boy. We used un-opened brushed, and the buckets in this pen are new as well. That way, we reduce the chance of infection between your horse and ours.” 

I was very, very thankful for their system, and told Tamira of this. After a good long time with my boy, I was beginning to feel lightheaded again. Tamira led me back into my bed, where I told her his feeding instructions (she asked for them) and told her where she could find the servings of grain I had left in my stuff. She agreed to mention this to Vickie, and then went on her way. It wasn’t long before I was asleep again, complete with a smile. I hoped that Vickie would be kind to me and Donner – I was really starting to like it here.


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## Roadyy

Very pleased with your update. I hope you are able to add more soon.


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## xJumperx

More tonight, I promise!


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## xJumperx

*Chapter 7*

It was hard to know the time of day in the infirmary. Though there were windows, they were covered with while drapes, which did a good job of blocking the sun. There were several beds, each with a nightstand that held a dim light. It appeared that they never turned off the light of an occupied bed, for mine was always on. Other than these bed-side lights, there were also overhead lights that were hardly ever on. There was an office in the corner, though, that shone brightly in the otherwise dimly lit room. Assuming it was daytime as there was some light pleading through the window curtains, I sat up and looked towards the office, assuming there might be someone there. There wasn’t.

Alongside my bed was a small button, labeled “NURSE.” I figured they must have gotten the equipment from a hospital. I pressed the button. For a while, nothing happened and I wondered if the buzzer was connected to the vacant office. Ready to roll over and go back to sleep, the door finally popped open. The bubbly woman I now knew as Vickie came in, to my relief. She had opened the door with great concern, but her face softened when she saw me sitting up contently. She closed the door softly behind her, and made her way to my bed. “How are you feeling, dear? Ms. Tamira told me that you guys took an adventure to see your boy. Was his care to your standards?” She had sat on the edge of the bed gingerly, and spoken with a genuine, caring voice. I nodded with a smile, “Yes ma’am, I’m very pleased that we found – er, that you found us.” Ms. Vickie’s face changed again … sympathy? Or was that guilt? “Yes, Ms. Tamira told me of your story. It’s very touching, dear. I’m sorry you felt compelled to run. Don’t you miss your family, though?” I began to answer her, telling her that I did miss them, though knew I was better off here. Mid-sentence, I remembered something that startled me, in the worst ways. “Oh my gosh … Ms. Vickie, how long have I been here?!” I said with clear worry. “Um, four days honey. You’ve been asleep most of the time, recovering.” 

My heart sunk. Xavier.

“I need my phone right now please, where is my stuff? I’ll tell you where it is I just …. _Really_ need it.” My eyes wide and my hands shaking, I figured Ms. Vickie saw my urgency. She sat for a moment, questioning my motive, before finally rising. “I know where it is. I will get it for you, but I demand an answer after you call who it is you wish to contact.” I nodded swiftly, begging for the device. He had to be worried sick. He could have called search parties, extensive ones. He could be freaking out right now, and it was my fault. “****it Cassandra!” I smacked my thighs, cursing my stupidity. Finally, Vickie returned. “No language, young lady,” she noted as she handed me my Nokia. I quickly dialed the number. Not two rings – one. “Cassandra? Oh god, Cas, please let it be you.”

My heart dropped even further, and tears ran to my eyes. The sound of his voice was torn, and it broke my heart. “I love you Xavier,” fell out of my mouth like a brick, so grateful for my best friend’s loyalty. “I love you, Cas, but are you okay?! Please, are you in a hospital? Where can I visit? What room? I’ll get my keys, I’ll be there in a second.” I was laughing now, “Xavier, put your keys down, I’m _fine._ I made it, Xavi, I’m here! They put me in a nice room to recover from a little … uh, dehydration. But everything is okay. I made it! And Donner is good too, everyone is good.” A heavy sigh from the other end, but a relieved kind, “I’m so happy to hear that, Cas, really. But please, don’t _ever_ go that long without telling me what was going on. I thought you were dead in a ditch. I was about to go searching the entire state for you. Now, since you’ve made it to your destination, would you tell me where that is?” I felt bad, not telling Xavier where I was, but I couldn’t. Nobody could know. “Sorry buddy,” was the only rejection I could muster. A small chuckle, “alright, I understand. Thank you for being alive.” I smiled again, and we held a moment of silence. I had to break it, “well, I have to go. I have some explaining to do to my caretaker – I kind of demanded for my phone.” We both laughed a bit, including Vickie, who was sitting in a chair nearby. “Alright, Cas. Call me when you can. Don’t get dead.” “Okay Xavi, promise.”

I was about to hang up, when Xav stopped me, “Wait, Cas, before you go … did you mean that? You know …” I smiled wide, unable to contain it. “Goodbye, Xavi.” A quiet second, before a content “Goodbye, Cas.” I finally hung up my phone, laying it on the bedside table. My gaze landed on Ms. Vickie, whom held an interested smile. “Boyfriend?” I shook my head, “Best friend.” She gave a long nod, obviously doubting me. I let it slide, “I called him every night while I was on the run, so that somebody knew if I was alive or not,” I explained to her. She nodded again, more assuredly. “That’s smart, very smart. Tamira told me why you ran off, and I can understand. But honey, I’m not really sure how I can manage keeping you here."

My moment of happiness ended abruptly. Her words were full of sorrow, and she looked genuinely upset about it. “It’s just … Tamira is looking at it from a budget stance, and it is true that we can’t feed unpaid mouths.” I turned away from Vickie, I had to. I was fearful of breaking out in tears. I didn’t want to stay on the run, forcing Donner through that pain. Vickie seemed to notice this, and continued, “But … maybe we can make an exception. Just until you have a permanent plan. I’ll beg Tamira, though she has the final say. I’ll do everything I can, though, okay?” I turned back towards her, finding that she was now up and making her way toward me. I gave her a small smile, “I would really appreciate that.” She smiled back, patting my shoulder softly. “You are doing much better, you know. Would you like to change into some clean clothes and come into the common area? You can meet the other kids then, and even join us for dinner if you are feeling up to it. We’ve informed you that you’re here, and they’d like to meet you.” My eyes brightened, and I nodded quickly. It wasn’t the meetings that I was looking forward to, per say. But the normalcy of it was extremely inviting. Vickie laughed, leaving to fetch my clothes. She returned with my jean shorts and comfortable t-shirt, folded neatly. “We washed all of your items upon your arrival. Everything should feel nice and cozy.” I thanked her, and she left me to change.

I stood cautiously, finding myself a bit dizzy at first, but quickly regaining my stance. After putting on my more normal-looking clothing, I ran a hand over my head. My hair was short, still buzzed, but coming in. I felt my cheeks redden, and I suddenly felt very awkward. The other kids probably wouldn’t think of me as the most gorgeous thing, but I guess it was alright considering it got me here. Vickie came back in a moment earlier, ready to take me to the common area. With a deep breathe, I nodded nervously, and followed her out the door.

The infirmary was actually a separate building from the common house, nestled between that and the barn, set a bit behind both. The path to the house was nicely maintained, and the door to the common house was a welcoming sort. You entered into a mud-room, complete with small lockers for coats, shoes, and bags. Each locker had the same white-board nameplate system I saw in the barn. I was asked to remove my shoes and put them aside in an empty locker (there were only two empty spots of the seven possible). Some of the names included “Miranda, Chelsea, Lilith” on one side, “Dean, Adam” on the other. I placed my shoes under the apparently female side. Vickie then lead me through another door, this time leading out into a large foyer. The house wasn’t very grand per say, though it was quite spacious. It had many rustic touches, showing it’s farmhouse history. To the right, I was led into an even larger living room, complete with several couches, fireplace, and two giant book-cases. A television sat above the mantel, though it was off. The décor isn’t what caught my attention, though; it was the five pairs of eyes all looking my way.

Each person held a smile, some more real than others. They stood upon my arrival, showing their vast differences in height and appearance. Of the girls, two seemed to stand close to each-other, and held a judgmental glance as they checked me up and down. I instantly felt a little bitterness coming from them, and glanced around to the guys. The third girl was over by the two boys, looking much more kind. Both guys seemed just as kind, instantly smiling and giving a wave. I returned the welcome, and Vickie introduced us. “Everyone, this is Cassandra, but she prefers to be called Cassie (yup, she must have heard me on the first day). Cassie, this is Dean and Adam,” she said, referring to the guys. They each nodded again at the sound of their names. Adam was shorter than Dean, with mid-length blonde hair and deep brown eyes, almost to the point of them being black. He dressed in a dark tee and skinny jeans, giving him a very “punk-rock” vibe. Dean, on the other hand, had short, dark brown hair, spiked at the top. His clothing was more modest, with looser jeans and a less fitted, green tee. His eyes struck me, though – the deepest, most amazing green color, like no color I’ve seen. It was hard to look away. His smile was generous, kind. 

“And behind the guys,” Vickie continued, “is Miranda.” I broke my stare, looking over to Miranda. She was very pretty, with a bright smile. She gave a quick wave, which I returned. We laughed a bit at our playful waving. Vickie smiled as well, “looks like you two should get along nicely!” I was then introduced to Chelsea and Lilith, Lilith standing in front of Chelsea. Chelsea had brown hair with white highlights, pulled back into a messy bun. Lilith had mousy blonde hair that lay perfectly straight, draping over her shoulder. The girls were clearly close, and also didn’t appear to think much of me. They smiled in a sny way when introduced, batting their eyelashes in an almost intimidating way. I had dealt with people like this before at school, so I paid no mind to them.

Vickie clapped her hands softly together, “well, I’ll let you make your own acquaintances! Dinner will be served at normal time, 7:00 PM. After that, you can all do your barn chores.” She turned to me, now, “you will simply take care of your boy, as long as you feel well enough to do it. We will show you how we typically do things around here. If you ever feel a little dizzy or otherwise ill, just let me or Tamira know.” With that, she exited the living room, leaving me in front of the congregation of my peers. “This should be interesting …” I thought to myself. This was definitely going to be harder than I had expected.


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## horsedream568

Love love love love IT!!! More please!


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## xJumperx

*Chapter 8*

Miranda was the first to greet me, walking right up to say hello. “Hi, so your name is Cassie? That’s really cool. So you have your very own horse?” She talked quickly, but not in an annoying way. She seemed genuinely interested in meeting me, and I was glad to have someone to help me pop out of my shell. I smiled and nodded, “Yeah! His name is Donner. We did Show Jumping competitions, he’s my baby.” Miranda opened her eyes wider with awe, “Jumping! That must be amazing! See, we have assigned horses here, so we sort of temporarily have our own horse. I really love having my girl. Her name is Kat, you can meet her when you do barn chores with us.” I nodded quickly, starting to match Miranda’s energy. “Sweet, I would love that! Hey, mind me asking how old you are?” I was really curious. She looked older than me, to be honest. “Oh, I’m sixteen, but everyone tells me I look older.” She chuckled, as did I. “I was honestly just about to ask if you were a counselor or something! That’s cool though, I’m sixteen too.” Her eyes lit up, and she was about to reply with something when one of the guys stepped in. “Miranda, quit hogging the new girl, we want to meet her too!” 

It was Adam that walked between Miranda and I, bearing a teasing grin. He offered his hand, which I shook. “Ms. Vick kind of stole my thunder, but I’m Adam. It’s good to meet you.” I nodded in agreement. For some reason, I didn’t feel as comfortable around Adam as I did around Miranda. Perhaps it was because I had only just been introduced, but I had a weird feeling. I shook it off, asking him his age and what sort of music he liked. He was seventeen, a year older than I, and enjoyed (can you guess?) punk-rock. I attempted at a conversation, as I did listen to a little punk-rock, though mainly enjoyed Country music. We carried on for a bit, before we began speaking about the other people. Miranda and Dean were chatting amongst themselves, with Chelsea and Lilith doing the same on the opposite side of the room. “I would watch out for the Blonde Brigade. They’re like snakes,” he warned, keeping his voice quiet. “Miranda is a bit of an earful, but she’s not evil. Dean is kind of aloof; don’t be offended if he doesn’t seem to want to be your bestie right off the bat.” I nodded along, thankful for the information. “And you? What are you like?” I asked teasingly, in a friendly way. “Well, I’m pretty amazing. So we’re cool.” I laughed, as did he. “Come on, I’ll walk to the snake-pit with you. You won’t mind the company, trust me.” I believed him, from what I’ve seen.

We walked over to the couch Lilith and Chelsea sat on. They didn’t bother to stand for us. “I see you’ve already obtained the gothic groupie,” Chelsea noted, glaring at Adam. “Well, I…” I was cut off by Lilith, “welcome to the island of misfit toys, Cassandra.” I attempted a smile, “you can call me Cassie.” With a hard stare from Lilith, I decided to keep my mouth shut. “Pleased to meet you, Cassandra. We can talk more at dinner,” Lilith nearly snapped at me. Without waiting for a reply, she returned to the conversation she was having with Chelsea. Adam turned away, and I followed him. “Told you,” he mumbled. I chuckled, and we walked back over to Miranda and Dean. “Saved the best for last,” Adam jeered at Dean, poking him playfully in the rib before handing me off to his friend. He took his turn sitting on the couch chatting with Miranda, while Dean and I stood at the edge.

“Hello,” Dean started, “Have fun talking to Mr. Skinny-Jeans?” He snickered, followed by a, “I heard that!” from Adam. I returned the laugh, “yeah, he’s alright. Pants seem to be tight enough to restrict his movement though, poor thing.” Adam pointed at me as if getting me in trouble, though the smirk on his face told me he was only teasing. Dean laughed at the comment, and offered his hand. Another handshake, though his was more firm than Adam’s. “Cassie, huh? Interesting name; I like names that you can swap around and easily misspell.” Dean’s dorky, playful attitude didn’t seem to match Adam’s description … at all, though I was alright with it, as he was easy to get along with. We chatted for a bit, and I found out that Dean was also seventeen, though he was a few months older than I. He enjoyed the time he spent with the horses, though far preferred trail riding to arena riding. We agreed on sharing a trail ride, though it was a bitter promise for me – I had no idea when I would be allowed to stay, or when I’d be forced to go. I secretly hoped it would be a long enough stay to get to know Dean better. He was clearly more than a pretty face, and his eyes seemed to hold back things he wouldn’t tell. 

I stuck to Adam, Miranda, and Dean until Vickie called us in for dinner. The three of us talked about all sorts of things, and we became fast friends. When dinner rolled around, it held great resemblance to that of a Thanksgiving dinner. The table was full of food, with Tamira and Vickie sat at opposite ends of the round table. I sat between Dean and Miranda, with Adam between Dean and Vickie. On the other side of Miranda sat Vickie, and the Blonde Brigade sat together between the adults. Dinner wasn’t very eventful, though it was extremely delicious. I was told by the adults not to eat too much as it would make me sick, but I did love what I ate. The table manners of the house were incredible, and I matched their politeness. The BB (the shortened title of Blonde Brigade) spoke to the whole table as if they loved everyone, though the gang I had seemed to be absorbed by occasionally exchanged quick glances when obvious sarcastic kindness came into play.

Dinner was amazing for sure, but I was pleased when it ended, for that meant it was time to take care of the horses! Vickie came out with me, showing me where everything was kept, and the schedule of which everything was done. She also told me the riding schedules. “Everyone has their own sort of thing,” she started. “Adam doesn’t ride much, but he does tons and tons of groundwork. He’s very in-sync with his horse, and has taught her a lot. When Adam does ride, it’s bareback. Dean rides the trails that we have surrounding the farm. I’ll explain those in a minute. Chelsea and Lilith both ride Western, and prefer barrels and poles. Miranda is our only English rider.” She paused, before adding “well, and you.” 

I smiled wide, happy to be acknowledged as part of the household. It wasn’t set in stone and I knew that, but I liked the sound of it. Vickie kept explaining, “There will be opportunities to ride on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are rest days for the horses. On the ride days, you will be allowed to ride after all chores are completed, inside of the house and out. If we have a community service day, that will obviously take up time as well. We are on summer break right now, so you don’t have to worry about school.” I nodded along, taking in everything she said. The rules made a lot of sense, and I definitely thought it was something I could follow. “As for the trails, you can speak to Dean about that. I know you guys spoke about taking an outing.” I held back a shy grin, though I felt the heat rush to my face. I couldn’t pinpoint why this embarrassed me, but I didn’t want to think about it just then. I simply nodded. “Alright, well go ahead and get Donner taken care of!” 

She left for the house, and I turned back into the round-pen that Donner was in. There wasn’t a stall to muck, but there was a small run-in shed for shelter. While I probably could have just cleaned that, I chose to go ahead and clear the whole round-pen of poo. Since it was a small space, I wanted to make it as nice as possible. “Hopefully they let you in one of the bigger pastures here soon, buddy. I know how much you like a good run. No worries, we can get back to riding tomorrow!” I chatted to my baby as I cleared the pen. Occasionally, he would walk over to me and ask for a good itch on his big blazed face. I would offer a hand, and he would go about his way when his itchies were fulfilled. Many people disagreed with me allowing him to scratch his face on my hand, but he was never pushy about it, so I didn’t mind it. He had a kind, non-dominant disposition.

After I had finished with my barn chores, I spent a minute just enjoying my horse. I sat in the grass alongside him, occasionally moving as he grazed around. I rubbed on his back, gave him a good brushing, and just showed him that I loved him, and appreciated all he had done for me. “You’re momma’s boy, aren’t you? I don’t know what I would do without you, big guy.” I cooed to the gelding as I rubbed his ears. His eyes drooped, his head resting on my chest as I stood there. He loved having his ears rubbed. 

“You and him seem to really like each other!” The voice from behind startled me a bit, and woke Donner from his day-dreamy mindset. “Yeah, we’ve stuck it out for a while now,” came my response. The voice had come from Dean, who was standing at the entrance gate to the pen. “You can come in, if you like. He loves to meet people,” I invited. Dean took the invite, unlatching and entering the pen. After closing the gate behind him, he made his way over to Donner and I, who still stood just in front of me. With ears perked and eyes sparkling, Donner blew big breaths into Dean’s open hands. Donner then lifted his head up to the boy’s head, and continued breathing into his hair. Dean and I chuckled. “He likes you, too!” I announced, happy to see my horse enjoying the company of this person. Dean reached up to stroke Donner’s wide blaze, “he’s mighty gorgeous, Cassie. Rides good too, I bet.” He noted, ruffling Donner’s forelock. I nodded, “yup, one of the best jumpers in his barn.” Dean nodded, patting Donner’s neck before turning to me. “How is he on the trail?”

I smiled, happy to think of finally getting out and riding again. “Well, he did carry me all the way here,” I joked. The comment inspired a chuckle, “then I guess he better be pretty good! Well, it’s your lucky day then. Tomorrow is Thursday; it’s the best day for trail riding. I’ll sign us up for a nice trail that goes out to a lake. Ever swam with him? It’s great fun. Indy, the mare I ride, loves it.” I nodded enthusiastically, “we went swimming once with some friends of mine, he did really well! I would love to give it another go.” It was Dean’s turn to grin, “Perfect! Well, wear a swimsuit under your riding clothes tomorrow. Miranda might have a spare if you don’t have one. I’ve invited Adam and Miranda as well, if that’s alright?” I nodded, “that sounds great!” We confirmed the outing, and chatted for just a second about his horse, Indy. She was a big paint mare that I recalled seeing in the barn before when I walked through. She wasn’t out to win any races, but she was a sweet girl as Dean described her. I was excited to meet all of the horses, and learn them better. I was also pleased to see that Dean seemed happy to call me his friend, for he seemed very likable. Miranda and Adam seemed friendly too, and I couldn’t wait to meet them better tomorrow.

Soon enough, we were called back into the house from the barn. I met up with Miranda once we were back in. “Hey, Dean just invited me out on the trail tomorrow, and said you might have an extra swimsuit. Do you think I could borrow one?” I asked. She smiled wide, nodding quickly. “Do I! I love swimming, so I have about five or ten pairs. You can have your pick! Let me just tell someone I’m taking you up to my room for a second, and we can check it out.” I nodded, and waited for her to return. Once she did, she bounded up the stairs. I followed closely, while trying to admire the photos on the wall. “Previous kids,” Miranda explained. “Everyone that’s ever been here goes on the stairs. It’s pretty cool, I think.” She sounded a bit embarrassed at her liking of the photos, but I couldn’t help but to agree. There had been a lot of kids cycle through the walls of this house, that’s for sure.

We passed a couple closed doors before finally finding her room. Each door had another whiteboard with the names of the kids, in different colors and fun designs. I noticed that there were only four doors, and that Dean and Adam; and Chelsea and Lilith shared their whiteboards. Many other doors were blank. “Why don’t Adam and Lilith take a room of their own?” I asked Miranda, who had a room to herself. “They like sharing their rooms. It’s kind of nice, having a roommate. I had one, but she got deported,” she must have noted my quizzical look, “deported is what we say when someone gets picked up by a foster parent,” she explained. I nodded, and Miranda unlocked the door to her room. Inside was very nice, and extremely spacious. The room had two beds, one on either side of the room, with a dresser in the middle acting as a nightstand for both beds. A light in the middle showcased some pictures of Miranda and a few other people. I assumed they were her previous friends. Her bed was complete with a fun bedspread, while the empty one lay empty of everything but some basic linen. The room wasn’t extremely colorful; neutral colors canvassed the space. Miranda had decorated the walls, though, with posters and pictures and paintings and anything else she could find. 

I gathered from her fun room that she was also a country music fan, which we excitedly fan-girled about for a while. Finally, I was led to the closet, which was connected to the bathroom that the room kept to its own. She pulled out the numerous bathing suits. She wasn’t kidding about having about ten of them, either. “Okay,” she explained, “so we have all sorts. Fringy, colorful, neutral, one pieces, two pieces, multi-colored … oh, you probably don’t want this one…” she grabbed a suit that appeared black, but I noticed a familiar symbol. I gasped, “OH MY GOSH YOU ARE A SUPERNATURAL FAN!?” I nearly yelled. Miranda’s eyes lit up like fireworks, and we both started jumping up and down, yelling crazy gibberish. I mean how could you not?! It was Supernatural!! Only the _best_ television show! 

Naturally, we HAD to talk about Supernatural for probably 20 minutes. It was then settled that I just had to wear that particular bathing suit. She agreed to that, and picked out an equally adorable suit of color. After The Picking of the Suits, we sat on her bed for a long, long time, enjoying each other’s company and talking about things we enjoyed. Miranda turned out to be a _lot_ like me. We easily could have been related, except for the difference in appearance. I told her about my stories from running off, and why my hair was so short (it was starting to grow out to look like a boy cut, now. My hair grew quickly). She spoke a bit about her previous friends and relationships, and we could have gone on all night had Tamira not come up for me. “It is time for bed. Cassandra, we will have you in the infirmary again tonight,” I was bummed, but nodded. I said goodnight to Miranda, and followed Tamira back to the infirmary.

“I will get you for breakfast in the morning. Make sure you are up and dressed by 8 AM. I will give you your chores then, and afterwards you may take your ride. Goodnight.” She left without much conversation, though I smiled, nodded, and waved where it seemed appropriate. I dressed in my nightclothes and slipped into bed immediately, as it seemed like the smart thing to do considering we would be up early. Just before heading to bed, I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and called Xavier. He answered quickly. We spoke about everything. I told him about my new friends, and how Donner was doing. He told me about some local events back home, and how my old friends were. For hours and hours we went on and on, talking about everything and anything. When I found myself tired, I would just shut my eyes and keep listening. I’m not sure when I fell asleep, but I don’t remember hanging up, and woke in the morning with phone in hand. I smiled, noting the length of the call. I missed my best friend.


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## faiza425

I really, really like your characters in this one. And Dean...Supernatural...I see what you did there :wink::wink:


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## xJumperx

@fazia425 -- Shhh, I was trying to be discreet  I mean, with the green eyes and Dean's haircut described, it's not like I have ... an obsession with Supernatural or anything ... *cough cough*
I'm actually really loving the characters in this one too. I feel much more "in tune" with this particular story, and am enjoying writing it. Almost more than I enjoyed writing Heartlines, in fact. Probably because of how close the story hits home, but who knows! 

More tonight or tomorrow morning!


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## Roadyy

I like the energy in this one alot! I can feel it in your typing of every word.


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## xJumperx

*Chapter 9*

While I might have fibbed about how close the last installment would be, I took the liberty of going ahead and writing a few chapters ahead. I will have one chapter up each day until it's finished, now!  I didn't think you guys would mind any!  Without further ado, Chapter 9!

~*~

I was dressed and ready when Tamira came in, to her pleasure. She smiled and nodded, leading me back to the house. The chores consisted of many things dealing with basic housekeeping. There was a large chart set on one wall, a whiteboard sectioned off with tape and filled with dry-erase marker. The chart was divided horizontally by each person, labelled with a name on the far left. It was divided vertically by chore. Check marks went where the columns and rows intersect, when someone had completed a chore. While I was shown the system, my name remained off of the board for now. Instead, Tamira checked off the chores I was to do under a blank name-spot. 

Once I was finished sweeping the kitchen floor, dusting the common area, cleaning up the place I slept in the infirmary, and watering the plants outside of the house, I was finished and allowed to use my barn recreation time. We had already taken care of our horses as a part of our chores (they weren’t on the board because it was done daily, at set times), so I was ready to ride. Beforehand, I ran to the infirmary to clothe myself in a bathing suit under a comfortable t-shirt and jeans. I threw on my riding boots and half-chaps over my jeans and head out for the barn. Dean and Miranda were already getting tacked up, but we were still waiting on Adam. I got Donner’s saddle on, but waited to put his bridle on. I walked him over to where Dean and Miranda were also waiting. “Adam’s usually a little late leaving the house when we go on rides,” Miranda noted. “Yeah, he has to fix his makeup for the deer,” Dean joked. We laughed, but I was curious to know why nobody knew exactly what took Adam so long. I shrugged it off quickly when he finally came out. “Sorry guys, I’ll grab Chester and we can be on our way,” Adam called to us as he hurriedly entered Chester’s stall. Chester was Adam’s assigned horse. He was a short, stocky Quarter Horse, with a nice, dark roan coat. I noticed Miranda and Dean slipping their bridles on, but asked why they were doing so already, “doesn’t he have to tack up still?” Miranda shook her head, and pointed back to Adam. He already had Chester out in the aisle, brushed, and dressed in a Bosal bridle (a type of bridle that has no mouthpiece; bitless) With nimble skill, Adam jumped right up onto Chester’s back, turning back and jeering at us, “what’s taking y’all so long?” 

I was a bit shocked, but quickly got Donner’s bridle on and joined my friends on horseback. Adam led the way with Dean next to him, and Miranda and I rode side-by-side just behind the boys. The trail was wide enough to where this worked out well. The path was beautiful, neatly trimmed and clearly well-traveled. “We come out here on the weekends mostly every week during the summer. It’s one of the best spots you can find, and the girls never take this trail, so we can avoid them pretty easily,” Miranda explained as I nodded along. “They typically stick to the arena, working their horses around the barrel patterns. They get around pretty quick, but they aren’t super friendly about it. They are constantly wailing their legs on their horses’ sides to get them to run faster. They compete with each other since we don’t go to showing events or anything, so I guess it’s enough to keep them occupied.” I nodded along, “how do the horses react? Do they seem to put up with it?” I asked. Miranda swished her head side to side, “they don’t seem to dislike it, and the girls do take care of them. I mean, they are required to, but at least they don’t slack on giving them water or anything. I don’t think they really have any sort of bond, though.” I gave a wayward frown. I loved the bond I had with Donner. I couldn’t understand how someone could work with a good horse that worked hard for them, and not feel anything towards them. I didn’t have much time to dwell on it, though, as we reached the lake soon after the conversation.

The water was gorgeous, not green or cloudy at all. It seemed almost pool-like, full of large, flat stones and smooth surfaces. The lake included spots of sand, and stretched a good ways. There was a large fountain on the far side, built of rocks and a barely-exposed PVC pipe that turned the fountain into a beautiful waterfall. It was obvious that the pond was man-made, but it looked extremely natural, and was even stocked with large fish. “Pretty amazing, huh?” Adam came up jumped off of Chester, tying him to one of the two hitching posts, “it was one of the house’s big budget projects, when they got all kinds of funding from start up.” 

I jumped down with everyone else, tying our horses with quick release knots. We had all brought halters with us, of course, and that is how we tied them. Everyone started stripping into their bathing suits, so I did the same. The boys had just thrown t-shirts on and rode in their trunks, but Miranda and I had come fully clothed. We threw our clothes into one big pile, on top of an old worn picnic table. Miranda and I gushed over my Supernatural bathing suit for just a minute, and then we proceeded to untack our horses. Our saddles went on small saddle racks that hooked onto the hitching posts, and we hopped back on our horses bareback, with nothing but our halters, with lead ropes looped over as reins, and tied to either side of the halter’s rings. The only one to break our mock dress code was Adam; he continued riding in his Bosal bridle, as it wasn’t made of leather like everyone else’s bridles were.

“Alright everyone, let’s plunge in!” Dean shouted, with a jaw-breaking smile. He looked over to me and laughed, using his hand to gesture me into the lake. We entered through a part made of rock, with no-slip mats covering them. The rocks made a gentle ramp into the water, and it was obvious that this was made just for the horses. Dean went in first, trotting Indy at a quick pace into the water. It was obvious that they had done this many times. Adam trotted in behind them on Chester, while Miranda walked her horse Maverick in just ahead of my boy. She laughed as we watched the boys frolic about in the shallow end of the pond, trotting their horses in circles and letting them paw at the water with big, powerful strides. The boys jeered and laughed, teasing each-other and splashing about. Donner was a bit timid, but Maverick seemed very sure of himself. Miranda gently led us into the shallow end of the pond, and I kept Donner just a few strides away from everyone as he got used to the cool water. Miranda let Maverick wade around just a bit, before she led him right into the deep end.

Maverick clearly enjoyed swimming, as his ears flicked about and his step bounced a bit more as his body was slowly cloaked with more and more water. Just after the water lapped up onto Maverick’s belly, Miranda slipped off of his back and into the water, letting her legs float behind her and she stayed an arm’s length away from Maverick’s shoulder. She kept a grip on Maverick’s lead as he carted her around, holding his head up above the water like a professional. You could see his big, powerful legs kicking and swishing about below the surface, proud and quick. Miranda giggled the whole time, and Maverick took her around the deep end with gentle power. I was just watching in awe, smiling ear-to-ear, excited for me and Donner to take the plunge. I patted his wet neck, as he seemed to begin to relax. Suddenly, I felt a cold burst of water splash up onto my torso!

I quickly shot a glance to where the water came from, only to see Dean laughing his head off just a few feet away, with Indy prancing about under him, “Got you!” he called. I laughed, “ohh, I’ll get you Dean!” I teasingly threatened, pushing Donner into a swift trot. Dean spun Indy away from me, trying to flee as he was unable to control his laughter. It wasn’t long before I caught up to the pair, turning Donner in front of them. Indy stopped short, putting Dean onto her neck. Without resisting, Dean let himself fall into the water before Indy, laughing the whole time as it happened. I stood proudly upon Donner, trying to keep myself from bursting into laughter as well. “Now I’ve got _YOU_, mister!” I stuck my tongue out as Dean shook his head, whipping water from his hair. “Oh yeah?!” He taunted, before jumping over to my leg, “Not for long!” He chanted, as he pulled me off of Donner and into the cool, clear water. While we kept a grip on our horses, we stood between them now, gripping onto each other’s arms with our free hands, laughing hysterically. “I think we may have to call this a draw,” Dean pleaded, through breathless laughter. “Yeah … or …” I jeered, just before dunking his head under the surface. He rose from the water with wide eyes, and an even wider smile, “I’ll get you, Cas!” He called to me as I climbed back onto Donner’s back to make my escape. The nickname stopped me for a moment, sending a warm feeling through my skin. I felt no urge to tell him to call me Cassie, that that nickname was reserved. Instead, I found myself egging him on, “Oh yeah? You’ll have to catch me first!”

The whole gang swam for a good, long while. Everybody splashed, jumped about, roughhoused, and otherwise made fools of ourselves, leaving us all pretty tired. The horses were allowed to munch on the grass they could find around the hitching posts, while Dean and Adam busted out some sandwiches for all of us. Miranda and I thanked them for thinking of the lunch, for we were all pretty hungry. We chowed down, joking and laughing about like old friends. I really felt close to these guys, even though I had only just met them a few days ago. I secretly hoped that the Haven would allow me to stay, for I could barely tolerate the thought of having to leave again.

Soon enough, Miranda checked her clock, “Hey Dean, when did you tell Vickie we would be back?” “Sometime around five or six; we left at two, correct?” She nodded, “It’s four thirty now. You think we should head back?” She asked. Dean dropped his shoulders a bit, biting his lip. “You and Adam go ahead; me and Cas will clean up around here. That okay with you?” He asked me, to which I nodded. Miranda looked to me through the corner of her eye and snuck in a wink, to which I replied to with the best evil-glare I could muster. She would get a talking-to later! Adam stood quickly, Miranda following short after. “See you guys at dinner! I’ll tell Vickie you’re coming in a little bit behind us, so don’t take forever!” Miranda called back to us as her and Adam rode their horses back up the trail. Dean stood up now, and I followed. We started cleaning up as Dean had stated, and I mentally told myself that Miranda had gotten the wrong idea about his intentions. I did decide to use the alone time to my advantage, though.

“So, Dean … I don’t mean to pry, but Adam said something about you being kind of quiet when I got here. Was he just messing with me, or…?” I asked timidly, a bit shy to ask. The question had been bugging me, though, I had to admit. Dean stopped for a moment, making me think twice about asking such a question. Before I could repent, he began speaking. “No, he wasn’t messing with you. I guess I kind of felt comfortable around you pretty quickly. You just seem kind of … real, I guess.” He laughed at himself a bit, though I didn’t know why. He continued, “I’m not really a people person, Cas. Here, come sit.” We moved over to the sandy area near the pond, as Dean played with a stick in the water while he talked. I simply watched the designs he made as I listened, sitting close to him but not touching, “I’ve been in the foster system for a while. I remember my parents, surprisingly. They dropped me when I was six, I think. Put me up for adoption because they couldn’t afford to keep me, I was told,” he shifted his weight uncomfortably, and I reached out for his hand, hoping to comfort him. He gripped it, looking down at my arm as he kept going. “That made me a little mad. I mean, it’s not a puppy, it’s a person, you know? You don’t just give a kid away like you do a dog.” I nodded softly, squeezing his hand, trying to keep him from getting too upset. He squeezed back. “Anyways, I’ve been shuffled around since then. When I was ten, I thought I had found somewhere nice, a family that would actually keep me. Well, I thought that for five years. Sometime after I turned fifteen, they got pregnant. Said it was a miracle, an act of God. Needless to say, they didn’t need someone else’s kid to love anymore. I had made friends, thought I had a family, even made some memories in a house I thought I might have called home. Then all of a sudden, it was gone.” His voice cracked in the last sentence, which cracked my heart along with it. I pulled him into a hug, as he dropped his stick and let himself fall into my lap. I held him there for a while, letting a soft silence remain between us. 

I stroked his hair for a long time, gently massaging his head. Every once in a while, his breath would shudder, and he slipped out a whimper, but it was basically silent by the lake. I think it must have been six by then, because shadows began to cast themselves on the lake, but that didn’t matter to me. I just wanted to fix all of Dean’s problems, turn his memories into happy ones, do all I could to help him. After a long while, he took a deep breath and spoke again. “I’ve been here ever since. It’s been nice, but people come through in here so fast. Here one day, gone the next. You become close with someone, and then they’re gone. I only let myself open up to Adam because … no foster families wanted to deal with a punk teenager. Miranda sticks close to us too, but I’m still even afraid to get too close to her, you know? She’s the type to be taken home at any given day.” I took a deep breath, suddenly realizing that the Haven might not have been the refuge I thought it was. Dean flipped on his back now, facing upwards as he continued to use my lap as a pillow. I attempted a slight smile, “I’m not going anywhere,” I whispered, trying to keep myself from crying as well. “I’m not going anywhere, Dean.” I repeated, stronger this time. 

And that’s when I, Cassandra, had my first kiss with a beautiful, yet partially broken, boy named Dean.

~*~
oops, my romantic novelist side fell out :lol: 
What do you guys think, team Dean or team Xavier?? I felt like getting a little more depth to this particular story, let me know if you like it or would prefer to keep it more solely horse-oriented!


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## horsedream568

Ahhhhhhhh!! I don't mind a little romance as long as the whole story isn't based on it. As for who I don't know??? I really don't know!!!


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## faiza425

I think the story needs a bit more Xavier before I can decide! But Dean and Cas  I certainly am liking that. I don't mind the romance aspect at all. I'm ready for more!


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## xJumperx

*Chapter 10 Pt. 1*

@faiza -- Man, you've got me figured out!! :lol: (ahem, Destiel is OTP, ahem) 

Anyways, your daily installment! This one moves a bit quicker, so there's more going on in a shortened amount of time. Hope you guys don't mind! Enjoy! 

This chapter is broken into two posts, because I reached maximum character count.
~*~*~*~

We had gotten back right after six, only saved from punishment because of Miranda and Adam telling everyone exactly where we were, and that we were cleaning up. We had rode back right after the moment by the lake, once Dean splashed his face with water to hide the tears he had shed. The ride started quiet, but we were back to joking playfully with each other before we had gotten back to the Haven. Dinner was nice, though Miranda was prodding me the whole time, telling me that I owed her a visit to her room after dinner. I agreed.

Of course, being girls, we had to discuss everything that had happened. Miranda was super excited about the fact, wanting every single detail. “I’m telling you, that’s literally it! We were just sitting there, joking around, and boom!” I kept it as short as possible, knowing I couldn’t delve into everything Dean had told me about his past. It wasn’t for me to share, and I felt the things we had said belonged between us. Miranda was obviously displeased with my cliff-notes, but soon enough I was able to edge her onto a different topic, and all was well.

Eventually, Tamira was back at Miranda’s door. This time, she wasn’t calling me back to the infirmary though. She led me down back into the dining room, where Vickie was sitting before an open binder. I couldn’t tell its contents, but my blood instantly ran cold. What if they were kicking me out? After I had just told Dean I would stay … “Stupid, stupid!” I chastised myself in my head, praying that that wasn’t the case. I sat down facing the women, who sat together behind the binder. Vickie started, “we’ve decided that since you were well enough to ride out with the others, and based on your health stats, that you are completely healthy. There is no need for us to keep you in the infirmary any longer.” My heart sunk. I was getting kicked out. This was it. I was going to be just another kid to come through here … “But, we don’t see any reason to put you on the road, either. We have plenty of open spots here, and the kids would appreciate an extra set of hands with the chores. You worked hard this morning, and we feel comfortable enough with our financial situation that we think we can make accommodations for you.”

It took a minute for it to set in. Were they really keeping me? Would I really be allowed to stay? “Thank you, so much. I … I don’t know what to say,” Tamira spoke next, “this isn’t permanent, dear. We can’t turn this place into an adoption home. While we can keep you for the meantime, it is only until you can find a permanent place.” Tamira’s voice was stern, but Vickie interrupted, “But, we can house you until then, for as long as it takes to find that permanent home,” she said with a smile. I grinned at them both, “Thank you, so very much. I will work as hard as you need me to, and then some. You’ll never have to worry about me, I’ll be on my best behavior!” They nodded, “that’s what we thought we would hear,” Tamira added. “You’ll be roomed with Miranda. The spare bed will be made up with a bed spread that you can pick from what we’ve got in the storage room. Everything is clean. You can make up your bed tonight, but worry about decorating your room tomorrow. It is already past ten, so everyone must stay in their rooms now. Tomorrow after your chores, I will bring you into my office so that we can discuss the rules of the Haven in detail.” I nodded in agreement, and I went to select my sheets. I picked something fun that went well with Miranda’s décor, and entered Miranda’s room with them. When she saw the set, she instantly knew I was there to stay.

We squealed into pillows and danced around the room for a while, before I finally made my bed and we settled in. It took us probably a half an hour to say goodnight through the giggling and the fun, but I slept very well that night when we finally got to rest.

That night, I found myself dreaming of home. Specifically, Xavier.
These dreams came in the form of memories. Several of our fondest times, but probably my favorite memory of our friendship came to the forefront in my mind. Ironically, my happiest memory was of one of my saddest times: the nights before I left home. I had called Xavier in frantic hysteria. I was pleading with him to take me away, to start the car, come get me, and let us drive forever. I just couldn’t be home anymore … for the house I resided in just wasn’t home anymore. He would deny it, saying I was being irrational. He said he couldn’t stand to see me leave, but would help me plan a more logical way if I literally couldn’t stay. “Think of it Cas,” he would say, “You couldn’t leave Donner. I mean, you’re freaking out because they’re selling him. I won’t let that happen, not to him or to you. But we have to slow down, okay? Let’s just think.”

For hours, we’d stay on the phone, talking about the path I would take and where I would go. The whole time, he’d be asking me to reconsider. The whole time, I’d tell him I was set on this. The next day I would go to his house. We would consider planning, writing everything down and studying places I could go, eventually landing on the Haven. Soon enough, Xavier would beg for a break. “Cas, come on, let’s walk up and grab some ice cream or something. We can come back to this.” I agreed, and we would take off. We frequented this ice cream shop, as it was only a mile or so away from our homes. We were almost neighbors, just a street down from each other. On the way we would prance around the sidewalk, jumping the lines and acting like complete fools. We would nearly fall over, and grab each other for stability. We were the epitome of best friends, and I never thought we would go our separate ways. We discussed going to college together, renting apartments together … I guess it never crossed my mind that I wouldn’t be with Xavier, at least as a friend.

We had been this way since grade school. After our several years together, I had no doubt in my mind that I loved Xavier. He cheered me up when I was down, and made living with my overbearing parents bearable. He was the brother I always wanted, and that’s how I always thought of him; as a brother. We would flick our ice cream at each other on that last day, staining our clothes and making our skin ten kinds of sticky with the frozen cream. A few nights later, he would drive me to Donner’s barn, and watch me leave over the hills. I’d give him one last wave, and in that moment, I would feel a pang of pain that told me that maybe Xavier wasn’t just a brother to me. When I woke the next morning, I swore I would call him that night.

~*~

The group wasn’t planning on anything specific the next day, so I figured I would get Donner into the arena and give him a good schooling. I thought he might still remember his training from before, but he may be a bit slow to get back into it. After the morning chores (I finally had my name on the board!), I head out to the barn immediately. The only issue was that when I entered the round pen, my horse was gone.

I instantly panicked. My blood ran cold, my breath ran out, and it took everything I had not to scream. _Where is Donner!?_

I raced into the barn, as I knew I saw someone go in there. To my displeasure it had been Lilith, but I was welcome to talk to anyone that might know where my baby boy was. She was getting into her horse’s stall when I came up behind her, “Lilith! Please, please tell me you know where my horse is. Lilith I’m begging you,” I was nearly on the verge of tears, while Lilith just looked me up and down like I was crazy. “Stall behind Indy, you obsessive weirdo. Maybe look around before spazzing out?” I paused for a moment, not sure if I should punch her or hug her. I decided to just leave her be, and ran over to where she instructed me.

Sure enough, Donner was placed comfortably in the large stall. He munched from a hay net in the corner of his stall, looking up when I appeared at the stall door. “Hey buddy!” I called, extremely relieved to see him there. I looked down at his name-plate, expecting to see both of our names in whiteboard, as it had been made clear that we were temporary visitors. Instead, I found the bronze emblem emblazed with DONNER, with CASSANDRA in smaller letters just beneath it. While the plaque was contained in a temporary slip, I loved how “set in stone” it was. I couldn’t hold back a wide smile as I entered his stall, halter in hand. I tied him to a tie ring in the stall, and proceeded to tack him up. I found my stuff in the tack room, under a locker with my name written on the whiteboard above. Once my boy was fully dressed, I headed out into the arena. I noticed Miranda out there as well, and she stopped by the gate when she saw me enter.

“Hey! What’s up fellow English buddy? I’ve set up some jumps on the far side over there, but I couldn’t jump without a spotter before. Want to do the honors, and I’ll spot you?” Miranda looked very excited, and I had to admit I wanted to get jumping as well. I nodded, “I’d love to!” Miranda beamed, “Cool! You can also help me out with my jumping if you don’t mind. Vickie sometimes gives me pointers when she’s not busy, and I watch videos all the time, but other than that I don’t really have lessons or anything.” I agreed to the arrangement, and we began warming up our horses.

Miranda had already been out there for a while, so while I trotted around, she went over a few cross rails. While she did have a good base position, I was able to tell she wasn’t lying about her lack of instruction. She was skilled enough to be safe, though, so I just had to remind her of little things to perfect her position. Donner was working perfectly, as if we hadn’t missed a day of practice. After a good warm-up and lots of pats, I decided we were ready to start jumping. Donner and I had been competitive in the 3’ divisions back home, but I asked how high Miranda had gone, and she only responded with 2’6”. I decided it would be best to keep Donner at that height today anyway, as he hadn’t jumped in a few weeks.

We took turns going over the small vertical, both of us sharing tips and hints each of us had learned. Donner did fabulously. It was so fantastic, the feeling: a shock of bliss, flying over the jump, completely in sync with my boy. I didn’t realize how much I had missed jumping until I started again. If Donner had been able to, I could have jumped all day and all night. Eventually, I knew we had to stop for the day, though I promised Donner we would be back in the arena on the next ride-day. I gave him tons of love and pats as we cooled down, as I was more than ecstatic with him. Since Miranda started first, she was also finished first, so she headed back to the barn to take care of Maverick, her horse. I agreed to put the jumps back where they belonged.


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## xJumperx

*Chapter 10 Pt. 2*

After untacking Donner and putting him in the pasture he was assigned to, I went back out to clean up the jumps. Unfortunately, I met Lilith out there. “I was hoping you would be back, your little poles and posts are in my way.” I rolled my eyes, “what is your problem, Lilith? You’ve barely said two words to me since I’ve been here, why all the hate?” I asked, genuinely curious why she was bashing me so hard. She scoffed, “you’re just one of those skimpy tomboys, all rough and tumble. You think you have it _so_ hard, but in reality you’re just whiny. I mean, you _chose_ to come to this dump because mommy yelled at you. Big whoop. Most of us would kill to have parents yell at us, you know. You’re just a spoiled brat. Now could you please get your crap out of the arena so that I can school my horse properly? Peppi here can’t be running around with all these nonsensical things.”

I wanted to comeback with something equally snotty, but I had to admit, she had a point. She was right; I ran from my family, where the kids here would run towards them. I tried not to let her words get to me, but I couldn’t help but feel bad. I put the jumps up, and head back into the house. The kids that weren’t at the barn were either in their rooms or the common area. I assumed Chelsea had followed Lilith to the barn now that her chores were done (she took forever to finish them), Adam was nowhere to be found, nor was Miranda or Dean. I figured everyone was in their rooms. I walked upstairs to me and Miranda’s room, where I found her on the desktop computer that was in the room. She was watching a video of George Morris teaching a jumping clinic. I asked her if I could join her, and she started to oblige but stopped herself, “Dean wants to see you first. He’s in his room,” she told me without looking away from the screen. “Are we allowed in each other’s rooms?” I asked. She nodded, “any times before dinner and after chores are done, we are. There’s cameras in each bedroom though, so don’t do anything too kinky,” she joked, flashing me a sly smile. I rolled my eyes, “you’re terrible Miranda! It’s not like that,” I laughed, teasing her. She replied with a sarcastic “su-ure,” just before I left.

I went down the hall and knocked on Dean and Adam’s door, which was already cracked. “Yeah?” came the single reply, from Dean. “It’s me, Miranda said you wanted me?” Quiet for just a moment, then the door swung all the way open, Dean standing at its entrance. “Come in!” He gestured, bowing as if he were a fancy doorman. I curtsied in response, before walking through the door.

While Adam wasn’t there, I could tell exactly which bed belonged to whom. Adam’s side of the room was coated in heavy metal band posters, pictures of him and some other people were showcased between some posters in a messy fashion. Clothes were strewn all over the floor, the desktop computer cluttered with different assortments of things, including empty cups. I laughed, “I didn’t think you could have food or drink up here,” I questioned. Dean flopped onto his bed, smirking. “You’re not technically allowed to,” was his only response. I looked to him and shook my head, but he just gave an innocent smile. His side of the room wasn’t much tidier, but the walls included posters of classic rock bands, and ticket stubs instead of pictures. I sat on the foot of Dean’s bed, admiring the ticket stubs, as there were many. “That’s so cool,” I noted. I had always loved concerts, but I had always been to the Country variety. He nodded, “Some of my better memories from staying in one place.” 

His voice held no sorrow, but it did remind me of what Lilith said. I left the foot of the bed and moved up to where Dean was, and lay next to him. He scooted over a bit, but we were sandwiched together on the small bed anyways. He held my shoulder to keep me from rolling off. “Do you think I’m a spoiled brat?” I asked, the question falling out of my mouth. He gave me a quick, confused look. “What would ever make you say that?” I frowned a bit, upset that I had let her words get to me. “Lilith said that. She basically told me I was a terrible person because I ran from my family, while you guys want nothing more than a family. I guess I just felt really bad, because after what you told me, I kind of realized how lucky I was and how I just threw it away.” I didn’t mean to ramble, but that’s what happened when I felt bad. Dean was quiet for a moment, and I thought I had said something wrong. “Cas, you’re not spoiled. Yeah, we wish we had what you have. It’s true, we are all kind of jealous of you. But that doesn’t make you a bad person. Everyone has their reasons, if Lilith and her Brigade can’t accept that, then screw them.” He wasn’t looking at me when he spoke, but I could tell he meant what he said. I let myself relax a little.

“Thank you, Dean.” I let my head rest against his ribcage, and he hugged me tighter, “Any time.” “So, what did you want me in here for?” I asked, remembering that he had been the one to call me in. He sighed, which worried me. Was everything alright? “Cas, I’ve been given … an opportunity. The Haven got a call, and Vickie and Tamira called me down to the office to chat.” My stomach flipped, but I wasn’t sure if I should be happy for him or not. “There is a large ranch that isn’t extremely far from here. It’s sort of a permanent version of the Haven. They take in kids that are older than 16, and just give them a home until they are 18 and old enough to go to college and stuff, move out on their own. They only take four kids at a time, so it’s a miracle they picked me.” He seemed a bit relieved, so I supported him, “That’s so amazing, Dean! Right?” He nodded just once, “It’s good. But, uh … I kind of told them I had some conditions.” I gave him a confused look. He took a deep breath, and then turned to face me, “I told them I wanted to bring someone with me. They had another spot open, and I thought it couldn’t hurt to ask. This ranch takes in horses as well, if you own them. I talked to Vickie, and they said they would sell me Indy. It would be paid from the ranch, and I would work off the loan there. Since I found out they’d let me have my horse, I thought that would give you an option, since I know you’d never leave Donner.”

Unclear as to what he was asking, I had to clarify, “Dean, you asked if _I_ could come with you? To the ranch?” He nodded again, looking at me with his calm, green eyes. “I don’t want to go without you, Cas. You’re the first person I’ve felt at home with since my old family. I’m not losing you.” He spoke genuinely, that I could tell. I was astonished. This was my chance, my permanent fix. The ranch could be everything I had ever hoped for, and they would let me keep Donner. I couldn’t believe it. At the same time, the quickness of it all made me a bit unsure. There would be no turning back from this ranch. I would likely never see Xavier again. After my dream last night, I was questioning if that was even an option for me. What would he say? I knew I would be calling him tonight, but maybe we would be having more to talk about than I originally thought. Dean broke my train of thought, “I can’t expect an answer today, so they gave me a week to let us decide if it’s what we want to do.” He stroked my hair, “just give it a thought, okay?” I nodded, smiling back. “Okay, I promise.” He kissed my forehead, and pulled me in for a long hug.

We chatted about other things for a while, mostly about our horses and his concert experiences. We laughed about fond memories that we shared with one another, and I found myself more and more comfortable staying with him. After a long while, I figured I should clean-up for dinner. Miranda questioned me, of course, and I told her the cliff-notes version again. I knew she would find out eventually, but I wasn’t ready to tell everything yet. Not until I had an opinion of it myself.

After dinner, we went out to take care of the horses for the night. I loved on Donner for a long while, brushing him off completely and making sure he was completely content. All the while, I discussed leaving for the ranch with him. “You would get to stick with Indy, and they might actually let us show at this ranch, so we could get back into the Jumper circuit. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” I rubbed on his nose, and scratched his neck where he loved it. Sooner than I thought, I was told it was time to come in. I patted Donner once more, then head back into the house. We were stuck in our rooms for the rest of the night, but I wasn’t ready to sleep yet.

I faked my rest until Miranda fell asleep. Once I was sure she was out, I grabbed my phone. I had to call Xavier. A few rings, and he answered. “Cas?” I smiled. The nickname wasn’t exclusive just for him anymore, but I guess I had grown to love it that much more. “What’s up Xavi?” I asked, keeping my voice down. “Oh, nothing, just happy to know you’re alive. Your parents are sort of freaking out, though. They keep asking me if I know where you are. I’ve got to be honest with you; it’s hard for me not to tell them I at least know you’re okay.” I sighed quietly, realizing how hard it must be. “I know Xavi, but you’ve got to keep quiet. Things … might be different soon.” “What do you mean?” I took a deep breath, and proceeded to tell him about the ranch. I didn’t tell him about Dean, though. I didn’t think he’d want to hear about it, to be honest. I kept the facts about the ranch simple, and kept him in the dark as much as I could at the same time.

After explaining, the line was quiet for a long time. I thought the call might have dropped, “Xavi, you there?” I asked. “Uh, yeah, I’m um … I’m here.” My heart broke, hearing the solemnness in his voice. I knew he wouldn’t be happy about it. “Cas, you’ve got to do what makes you happy. But … can’t you come home? Your parents, they’ve learned their lesson. We all miss you, Cas. I miss you. I miss you so much.” I could tell he wanted to keep rambling, but I had to stop him. I couldn’t handle it if he started begging me, it would have been too much for me. “I’m still thinking about it. I don’t know what will happen yet. I just want you to be … aware. If I do go, I’ll be able to get a real phone, though. We won’t have to worry about being so secretive, you’ll be able to call whenever. I’ll be able to speak to my parents.” “Will we be able to know where you are?” He questioned, barely letting me finish. I took a deep breath, quiet for a moment. “No, Xavi. We … we might be apart until college, okay?” Another long spell of quiet. “Okay.”

“I miss you too, Xavier. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? I have to be quiet now, my roommate is asleep.” I didn’t know how much longer I could stay on the phone without bursting into tears. “Okay, okay Cas. Goodnight. I … I love you.” His response was hushed, as if he himself was trying not to cry. “I love you too, Xavi.” A single tear left my eye.

Nobody hung up for a while. When I finally had the courage to end the call, I sat in the dark room, still for just a moment, before I fell onto the pillow, and let myself go.


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## faiza425

xJumperx said:


> @faiza -- Man, you've got me figured out!! :lol: (ahem, Destiel is OTP, ahem)


Sorry, I can't help myself! I'll try to resist the urge :lol:

I like this new twist. I'm excited to find out what happens!


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## horsedream568

More more!!!


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## xJumperx

I'm going to post the next 3 chapters on Friday, which is the next time I'll have Internet connection on my laptop, where I've typed the story. So sorry for the delay! 

What are you guys thinking Cassie should do? Stay at the Haven? Go home? Go with Dean? I'd love to know where you guys are leaning! 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## CuttingHorse

This story is amazing! Now, off to find more of your work while I'm waiting for the next chapter.


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## faiza425

I'm conflicted...I feel like she should go with Dean, but then there's Miranda and the whole Xavier thing. I think whatever you want her to do will be the right thing


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## KodasSlvrWings

I'm going to try to patiently wait for the next 3 chapters. I'm loving it so far!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## horsedream568

Ugh.... I don't know!!!! Stay.... go..... Ugh!!! If she stays I'll be disappointed. But if she goes I'll be disappointed!


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## Roadyy

A person can not become what they are meant to be by staying where they are in life at this moment.


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## xJumperx

Guys, I'm so sorry! It's been a crazy week. Tomorrow I will work really hard for you guys. Maybe I'll go ahead and getit finished up for you guys, since you've been so patient!


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## xJumperx

*Chapter 11*

The next morning came more quickly today, as the buzzer rang that woke Miranda and I pierced the quiet veil that had surrounded the room. I sat up in bad, throwing my legs to the side of the bed, and rubbed my face for a bit. My eyes still hurt a bit, and my face could stand a good wash. “You okay, Cassie?” I looked up at Miranda, wondering if I really looked that bad. Before I could say anything, Miranda gasped, “have you been crying? Your eyes are totally bloodshot, what’s wrong?” She immediately jumped up and switched over to my bed, laying a hand on my back. “It’s nothing Miranda, I promise. Just … dealing with some stuff from where I came from.” I tried to be careful with my wording, not wanting to call the place ‘home’ in fear of insulting Miranda. She reached over for a hug, “You can talk to me about anything, Cassie. We’re practically sisters now; I’ve got your back!” 



I thanked Miranda, but her comforting words came with a pang of guilt. If I went to the ranch, I would have to leave Miranda behind. It seemed no matter what I did, someone had to be left behind. If I left for the ranch, I let Xavier down. If I left for home, I let Dean down. If I don’t stay, I let Miranda down. How could anyone make a decision in just one week?


 For now, I had more immediate things to keep my brain occupied. Chores had to be done, and my workload was no lighter than anyone else’s. I got up to wash my face and get ready before heading downstairs for breakfast. Breakfast was always a lot more quiet than dinner was, since everyone was still waking up. There wasn’t much talking to the whole house, but many people just mumbled to whoever they were sitting around. I sat between Dean and Miranda as I usually did, so I typically spoke the most to them. Adam was on the other side of Dean, and I talked to him a lot too, but he had been abnormally quiet lately. This morning, I had too much on my mind to do a lot of speaking. Instead, I lay gently against Dean’s arm as we both ate slowly. He was talking to Adam.


 “Where have you been, man? You’re coming back to the room as late as you’re allowed to, I never see you during rec hours … where do you keep sneaking off to?” Dean questioned quietly, keeping his voice low so that the counselors wouldn’t hear. Adam sighed, “I’m just working harder with my chores is all. Trying to earn my keep and stuff.” I felt Dean tense up, and couldn’t help but think that Adam was hiding something. Glancing across the table, I noticed the Blonde Brigade seemed to be having a disagreement, but they were speaking too quietly for anyone to hear what they were saying. What was so weird about everyone today?


 After breakfast, we headed out to the barn to take care of our horses. I moved with more ambition now, entirely focused on Donner instead of my situation. I loved taking care of my boy. It was a release for me, a time where I could relax and enjoy myself. I brushed him off completely, checked his water and his hay, cleaned his hooves … anything I could think of to make my boy more comfortable. Leaving him was hard, but I was eventually called back into the house to do my chores. 



 I was starting to notice Adam’s absence more and more. His chores got done very quickly, yet nobody seemed able to find him. Checking the board caused another growing suspicion, but I tried to push it down. Surely that couldn’t be true … it was Adam we were talking about! He would never do such a thing. I shrugged it off and finished up my chores so that I could chill out with Dean and Miranda, whom were both in the recreation area. Lilith was also there, reading some sort of teen magazine in a far lounge. I didn’t say a word to her, knowing her feelings towards me. I plopped down on the couch my friends were at. “What’s up guys?” They grinned, Miranda replying, “nothing much, just talking about going to a small water-park that is just up the road. If Vickie will take us, do you want to come with? You can borrow one of my suits again.” I quickly nodded, loving the sound of it. “What about Adam?” I asked, though my question was met with a scornful face from Dean. “He can stay and do whatever it is he does that is too good for us.” His tone left a, “just let it be” impression, so neither me nor Miranda said anything more about it.


 Vickie agreed to take us, and said she would pick us up around dinner time. We threw ourselves in the van, and were ready to pull away when we were stopped by surprise. “Wait!” Strangely enough, it was Lilith. She was decked out in a skimpy bathing suit cover, carrying a full bag and sunglasses. She jumped into the van before we pulled away, snapping herself into a seat. “I’m just going to tan. I could use the sun.” She had made an attempt to make it sound snappy, but it didn’t sound true. She almost sounded … hurt? Sad? I couldn’t tell for sure, but whatever it was made my suspicions rise even further.


 We had a wonderful time at the water park. Lilith stuck true to her intentions and stuck mostly to the outside of the pool, frequently rubbing on oils and tanners of all sorts. She did come back home with us a shade darker, I must admit. Dean, Miranda, and I on the other hand, came home with minor burns and thorough exhaustion. I ended up falling asleep on Miranda’s shoulder on the way home, Dean falling asleep on mine. 



 Vickie woke everyone up when we got back to the Haven, and shooed us inside to hurry up and change. Dinner would be on the table in just minutes. When we sat at the table for our meal, something was clearly awry. While Dean, Miranda and I were in our normal spots, Adam and Chelsea were not. Instead of Adam sitting on our side of the counselors, they now sat directly next to us, with Adam on the side of the BB. He stared at his meal the whole time, while Dean was busy glaring at him, daring him to look up from his plate. Dinner was unusually quiet tonight, but I knew as soon as it was time for us to head to our rooms, that Adam and Dean would be in for some trouble. 



 I wasn’t wrong. I kept my ears open, and for good reason. Soon enough, I heard shouting. Since Dean’s and Adam’s room was right next to ours, Miranda and I could hear everything when we sat near the far wall. “Are you kidding me, Adam?! Who do you think you are?? You are sick, man, a traitor at best!” Dean’s voice, then Adam’s shouted reply. “I _love_ her, man! You don’t know what that’s like! How could I ignore it?” Dean cut him short, scoffing and making angry noises, “You don’t love her, you used to hate her! This is _Chelsea_ we are talking about! I mean, you are practically hooking up with the devil’s mistress!” “Oh, like you know Cassie so well? You’ve got no room to talk Dean; you went and latched on to the next piece of meat that showed up here!” The comment stung, but I waited for Dean’s reply. Instead of an instant reply, we heard a dull BANG. Something muttered coming from Dean, then another sound, though this sounded like a smack or … I jumped up, instantly bolting out of the room. I threw myself into the boys’ room, and found Dean crouched over Adam, on the floor with a raised fist. I jumped onto him, pulling him away from Adam’s now bloody face. Dean looked at me with a wild eye for a moment, as if stunned or lost. After a second, he just smoothed my hair back and held me back, going limp in my arms. “Miranda, please go get –“ I was cut off by loud footsteps. Miranda didn’t need to go and get anyone, they were already here. I didn’t turn to face the door. I knew what was coming. Silent tears fell down my face. I suddenly had a lot less than a week to make up my mind. Dean would probably be leaving in the next few days … if not right now.


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## xJumperx

*Chapter 12*

It was Vickie that had come up. She brought us all downstairs, now. Me, Dean, Adam, and Miranda, all seated around the dining room table. Vickie and Tamira sat around Adam, with Dean between Miranda and I on the other side of the table. For only a second, there was silence. Vickie had patched Adam up, him only needing a bit of a good face-wash and some bandages by his cheek where Dean had hit him. Vickie was the first to speak, though she was hushed. “As you know, we have a strict policy against violence. Since Dean had already had arrangements to leave the Haven within the week, we are now simply taking the choice away from him. He will be forced to go.” Dean seemed angry, and was about to object. I placed my hand on his arm, hoping to hush him. I was successful. Miranda was the one to speak, “what? What do you mean?”


 Tamira briefed Miranda on the situation, adding my plan on the end. “It will be Cassandra’s choice if she is to stay, or leave. Cassandra, we will need that answer by this time two days from now.” I took a sharp breath, fearful to make such a big decision so quickly. How could I ever choose between Dean and Xavier? And what about Miranda? I hated this. I was starting to wish I was still on the run. Maybe that would be the best path to take …


 Dean squeezed my hand, breaking my train of thought. He wanted me to go with him. I wanted to go with him. But I couldn’t be multiple places at once. How could I explain to him if I didn’t want to go? Vickie broke my train of thought. “I was actually coming up to your rooms for a different reason, when I saw … the situation.” Our ears perked up, curious as to what Vickie could have wanted us for. “It’s Miranda,” she noted, turning to my friend. “She has a family that would like to adopt her.”


~*~


 Miranda was set to meet this family the very next day. As it turns out, they were perfect. She would have an older brother by two years, and a mother and father that had always wanted a girl, but the mother had had complications in birthing their first child and lost her ability to have any more children. The brother seemed very kind and extremely welcoming to Miranda. They really liked her, and I could tell she really liked them. It was bittersweet, helping her pack. We reminisced the memories we had together, and I told her to keep in touch with me, writing down my phone number for her. She swore that she would, and I believed her. She “forgot” to pack her Supernatural bathing suit, and told me she didn’t want to bother with getting back into her suitcase. “I can’t take it from you,” I pleaded. “No, I have like a billion. I _need_ to give it to you,” she laughed. We joked around a bit more, and then I was forced to lead her down a more serious road.


 It was obvious that I had no reason to stay at the Haven now. The question was, who do I go to? “Cassie, you’ve got to do what you think is best for you. Your family is your blood, but you ran off for a reason. Dean really loves you, and you and Donner would find success at the Ranch, but do you want to wait a few years to see Xavier again?” She begged great questions, and I was forced to ponder upon them. When she was walking out the door, I was still unsure.


 Everyone at the Haven gave big hugs to Miranda as she left, even the Blonde Brigade. There were many tears shed, but I knew Miranda would be happy in her new home. As the van drove away, we headed to the barn to do our nightly chores. I spent a long while just talking to Donner, wishing he could tell me what the right thing to do was. I knew he would be happy wherever we went. But could I be sure my parents wouldn’t threaten to sell him again? What if the Ranch wasn’t as fancy as the Haven? Though the trek home would be immensely hard, the Ranch would trailer him there. But if we went home, he would be going back to familiar territory.


 Once again, I had to be forced to come back inside. I wished I could spend all night out in the barn, just being with my horse. No matter what, he was the biggest part in my life. I don’t know where I would be without him. I know I couldn’t have survived without him, that’s for sure. At dinner, there was a bit more chatter from yesterday, but nothing substantial. Mostly, we reminisced about Miranda, and that kept the bygones at bay between the conflicting groups. After dinner, Vickie reminded me that I only had a day left to decide. I nodded, understanding, and head up to a room that I no longer shared. I sighed, before finally falling asleep after a long while.


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## xJumperx

The last chapter will be up either late tonight or tomorrow afternoon. Thank you all for your patience, I hope you guys have enjoyed this story!  It still needs a title, if anyone has any ideas!

Where do you guys think she will go now?? The Ranch? Back home? Will she run off again, just travel? Either way, she has Donner, but where will she call her new home?


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## horsedream568

I don't think she should run off again! I think she should go to the ranch at this point. But I do think she should get to see or at least talk to Xavier and tell him about Dean.


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## xJumperx

*Chapter 13*

I placed the bathing suit in my suitcase, the last thing to go in. I was dressed in jean shorts and a comfortable tee, though I made sure to look presentable. I had already been out to get Donner ready for the trip. He had polos and bandages on his legs for the haul, and was brushed impeccably. I zipped up the suitcase with a sigh. The adventure had been fun, but it was time for me to get to where I belong. 



I grabbed my new smartphone, a gift from Vickie. The iPhone was newer than my old one, and I was already quite fond of it. I had added back the phone numbers I still remembered, including Miranda’s, but there was only one person I had to dial right now. “Hello?” Came the voice. “Xavier? It’s me – it’s Cassie.” 



The conversation wasn’t an easy one to have. “I miss you, Xavier, I do. I will see you soon, okay?” I assured him. “Are you coming home, Cas?” His voice chirped a bit, clearly hopeful. I sighed, unable to aide his excitement. “There is someone here, his name is Dean. He was given the opportunity to go to a permanent Ranch, and he’s asked me to go with him.” The line was quiet for a moment, but I could have guessed it would be. “So, you’re going?” His voice was dull, and I hated it. I wanted nothing more than to please Xavier, but I knew I couldn’t do that now. Going home wasn’t an option anymore, not if I was to be happy. “Once I’m 18, we can meet up as soon as possible. It’s only a bit more than a year away, and I’ll still call you all the time. We’ll be okay, Xavi,” I attempted to convince him. I knew our friendship could last the distance, but I also knew it would be hard. “I know, Cas. I’ll see you soon, okay? Make sure you call me when you’re settled at your new place.” His voice was genuine, and caring. I knew we would be okay.


We said our goodbyes, and hung up. I grabbed the heavy suitcase from the bed. Tamira had given me a suitcase to use for packing, so that I didn’t have to lug everything in separate bags like I had on the way here. I had given the farm the temporary pasture, plus anything else I didn’t need anymore. They were grateful for the extra utensils, and I was glad to have offered them something for keeping me around. I met Dean at the bottom of the stairs. “You ready to roll, Cas?” I nodded, grabbing his free hand. We had already said goodbye to everyone, and now just had to make our way to the truck that would take us to our new home. We threw our stuff in the back, loaded up the horses, and made our way to what would be our own little slice of paradise.


~*~



The alarm clock clicked on, playing whatever was on the radio at the time at full volume. The time flashed on the little screen, and signified the time for us to be getting up. I sat up in bed, wearing a pair of cloth shorts and one of Dean’s t-shirts. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and got up. I walked across the room to the door that divided mine and Dean’s rooms. His alarm clock was also going off, but of course, he was still sound asleep. “Come on, sleepy-head, it’s Regionals today!” He turned over in his bed, slowly at first. “What day is it again?” He muttered groggily, still half-asleep. I plopped down beside him on the bed, with enough excitement for the both of us. “Regionals! Regionals! You’re going to get first in Trail, and I’m going to kick some tail in the Jumpers class, and we’re on our way to Nationals!” 



He finally sprung up, grabbing me by the waist and lifting me up while he jumped up. “Yeah buddy! Go get dressed, we gotta go!” He set me down, and I ran back for my room to get ready. We entered the hallway at the same time, and giggled like school children, racing down the stairs to Louise and Jake, our counselors. Louise and Jake were also married, and loved treating us as if we were their own. We really felt at home here, like we truly belonged. After eating a wonderful breakfast, we ran off to the barn to get our horses ready for the trailer. The barn was pristine, essentially everything I had ever dreamed of. Shoot, the whole place was a dream come true.


With horses in the trailer, and counselors in the front seats, Dean and I shared the back. Considering it wasn’t even light out yet, we found ourselves sleeping on each other’s shoulders pretty quickly. There was no doubt in my mind that I had made the right choice. With Dean by my side, anything was possible. With Donner by my side, the possibilities were made even better.


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## faiza425

Love! Yay Dean and Cas!!


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## xJumperx

Hope you guys loved it!  
While I enjoyed writing this one more, I personally think I like Heartlands a bit better as a whole. This read is aimed more for younger audiences, but if I made one reader happy, that's a success for me! 

Hope you guys enjoyed! I'll let you know if I put anything else out!


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## Roadyy

I have to agree about my enjoyment of Heartlands more as the story went on, but that is because I am older and not much about reading the teenage romance stuff. It was still a good read and my girls loved it.
Heartlands had a little, but not the triangle and not really the teenage frills that come with it. I am sure the younger teens will enjoy this one very much.


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## xJumperx

Yes, Roadyy, I agree completely. I did want to go with something different for this story, and see if I could appeal to different audiences. I would also really like to play around with equine novels aimed at an adult level, but I'm not sure that my writing ability will match that age range. I'm continuing to practice, though!


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## Roadyy

xJumperx said:


> Yes, Roadyy, I agree completely. I did want to go with something different for this story, and see if I could appeal to different audiences. I would also really like to play around with equine novels aimed at an adult level, but I'm not sure that my writing ability will match that age range. I'm continuing to practice, though!





Pssst! I'm 43 years young and a dad of four daughters. I think you can get the attention of us "Adults" lol. Ok, so being tenderized after raising four girls and raising someone else's 2 year old daughter since she was 7 weeks old may attribute to my ability to get these stories, but they are really good to my limited experience in these types of stories.


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