and the smell that clung to my body was even more repulsive than that
of the animals. She laughed when she saw me, not bothering to ask how I was
doing, she simply walked back into her office and closed the door.
I
glanced at the clock on the wall above her office and noticed that it was only
10 o’clock. I had already been up for six hours, working for most of that
time, and I was already worn out. I had no idea how Chase and his brother were
able to handle this kind of work. In fact, I hadn’t seen Brian all day, which
made me wonder if he had come to work with Chase today or not.
I
finished up the last stall, removing the soiled straw from the ground and
replacing it with a fresh, clean covering. As I put my tools up I noticed
Chase standing at Grandma’s office door, his hand raised to knock. He glanced
at me, smiled, and returned his attention to his task. He rapped lightly on
the door and waited for her to open it. Instead, she called out for him to
enter and he disappeared inside, closing the door behind him.
I
walked by, briefly glancing into the office, before heading outside. The fresh
air was incredible. It was as if I could finally breathe again. The air was
fresh and inviting, urging me to leave the confines of the barn to explore the
world around me. I was dirty, sweaty, and smelled like I had spent the day
wallowing in horse manure, but I felt something else as well. Satisfaction.
CHAPTER EIGHT
I
crawled into bed that night after a long hot bath, barely able to keep my eyes
open. Grandma let me off the hook for the rest of the day; thank goodness,
because I seriously doubted that I would have been able to make it up the
stairs if she hadn’t. She was right though. I had never worked that hard in
my life. My days had always consisted of shopping with Amber, going to movies,
and partying in the Hamptons. We even had a maid, so I never had to do any
housework either. I could officially say that I had been a pampered princess,
and up until now, I had thought there was no better way to live.
I
had never felt this level of satisfaction after a long day of shopping. Sure,
I would come home with my arms loaded down with shopping bags, goodies
overflowing their tops, but I had never truly known what it felt like to earn
anything. Today I earned my sore muscles, and tomorrow I would do it again.
Well, that was, if my body allowed me to.
As I
closed my eyes I heard my phone vibrate on my nightstand. The noise shattered
my peaceful moment of reflection and jarred me out of my sleepy stupor. I
reached for the phone and was shocked to find Amber’s picture displayed on the
screen. I couldn’t imagine what she had to say after the last time we talked,
but a part of me was still missing her, so I answered it.
“What?”
I snapped.
“Well
hello to you too,” she sounded nervous. Good, she should be after the way she
treated me. “How are you doing Rox?”
“Peachy.
What do you want Amber?” I sat up in bed, my grip tightening around my phone as
I tried to keep my voice from crumbling.
“Look,
I’m sorry about the other day. I am a rotten human being, and I don’t deserve
your forgiveness, but I’m hoping that you can find it in your heart to forgive
me,” she rushed the words out, barely breathing between each syllable.
I
felt conflicted. I couldn’t tell if she was being sincere, or if she was
simply trying to appease me. With Amber, you could never tell one way or the
other. I had always known that she was a superficial girl, but I believed that
she actually cared about me as a friend. I mean, how can you know someone for
your entire life and not care about them?
“I
don’t know...” I started but as soon as I heard her sigh I knew that she wasn’t
sincere. “Scratch that. I don’t forgive you. You ditched me for a bunch of
people that you barely know, and hardly tolerate. I have never
of the animals. She laughed when she saw me, not bothering to ask how I was
doing, she simply walked back into her office and closed the door.
I
glanced at the clock on the wall above her office and noticed that it was only
10 o’clock. I had already been up for six hours, working for most of that
time, and I was already worn out. I had no idea how Chase and his brother were
able to handle this kind of work. In fact, I hadn’t seen Brian all day, which
made me wonder if he had come to work with Chase today or not.
I
finished up the last stall, removing the soiled straw from the ground and
replacing it with a fresh, clean covering. As I put my tools up I noticed
Chase standing at Grandma’s office door, his hand raised to knock. He glanced
at me, smiled, and returned his attention to his task. He rapped lightly on
the door and waited for her to open it. Instead, she called out for him to
enter and he disappeared inside, closing the door behind him.
I
walked by, briefly glancing into the office, before heading outside. The fresh
air was incredible. It was as if I could finally breathe again. The air was
fresh and inviting, urging me to leave the confines of the barn to explore the
world around me. I was dirty, sweaty, and smelled like I had spent the day
wallowing in horse manure, but I felt something else as well. Satisfaction.
CHAPTER EIGHT
I
crawled into bed that night after a long hot bath, barely able to keep my eyes
open. Grandma let me off the hook for the rest of the day; thank goodness,
because I seriously doubted that I would have been able to make it up the
stairs if she hadn’t. She was right though. I had never worked that hard in
my life. My days had always consisted of shopping with Amber, going to movies,
and partying in the Hamptons. We even had a maid, so I never had to do any
housework either. I could officially say that I had been a pampered princess,
and up until now, I had thought there was no better way to live.
I
had never felt this level of satisfaction after a long day of shopping. Sure,
I would come home with my arms loaded down with shopping bags, goodies
overflowing their tops, but I had never truly known what it felt like to earn
anything. Today I earned my sore muscles, and tomorrow I would do it again.
Well, that was, if my body allowed me to.
As I
closed my eyes I heard my phone vibrate on my nightstand. The noise shattered
my peaceful moment of reflection and jarred me out of my sleepy stupor. I
reached for the phone and was shocked to find Amber’s picture displayed on the
screen. I couldn’t imagine what she had to say after the last time we talked,
but a part of me was still missing her, so I answered it.
“What?”
I snapped.
“Well
hello to you too,” she sounded nervous. Good, she should be after the way she
treated me. “How are you doing Rox?”
“Peachy.
What do you want Amber?” I sat up in bed, my grip tightening around my phone as
I tried to keep my voice from crumbling.
“Look,
I’m sorry about the other day. I am a rotten human being, and I don’t deserve
your forgiveness, but I’m hoping that you can find it in your heart to forgive
me,” she rushed the words out, barely breathing between each syllable.
I
felt conflicted. I couldn’t tell if she was being sincere, or if she was
simply trying to appease me. With Amber, you could never tell one way or the
other. I had always known that she was a superficial girl, but I believed that
she actually cared about me as a friend. I mean, how can you know someone for
your entire life and not care about them?
“I
don’t know...” I started but as soon as I heard her sigh I knew that she wasn’t
sincere. “Scratch that. I don’t forgive you. You ditched me for a bunch of
people that you barely know, and hardly tolerate. I have never
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