Nothing Short of a Cowgirl

by Kaitlyn

If you had the world in the palm of your hand what would you do? Would you turn and run, or would you stay?
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Sitting on the top of the mountain with my horse Bell would have seemed like a dream a year before. But I guess sometimes even a dream...that you never wanted to happen, just might. A year before I had been living in a New York. I loved it there. But then my parents had to move to go to some TV show, and couldn't take me. I wanted to stay in New York with my grandparents. But my parents thought it was best if I got out of the city. So here I am, at the top of a mountain.

"Tia come back down to the ranch, time for dinner!" The voice made me jump, I turned around to see my aunt Lacy come up beside me.

"Coming," I grumbled. I watch her as she starts to think about a response to this. I can see her slowly giving up.

"Just come, okay?" she says quickly. She turns her horse and kicks him up to a gallop. I smile slightly. My aunt is not a bad person just If it wasn't for her, my parents would have never thought of the idea to send me here. But it just so happens my mom was talking to her, and aunt Lacy suggested I come stay with her and all the joys of living on a ranch. I sigh. "Well one way or another I guess shes going to get me down eh Bell?" Bell snorts as if to say " You know it!" I laugh and head back down to the ranch.

"Glad someone decided to show up" Tom one of the stable hands laughs.

"Shut up," I snap, taking a seat at the table. I look at Tom one last time to see his cheeks flush. I raise my brow, that what I thought I said to myself.

" Dinner is served," Aunt Lacy says walking in with a huge salad. I groan, uhhh another reason I don't like it here. Aunt Lacy for the most part does not eat meat. My aunt looks at me.

"Its not that bad," she says quietly.

"Not to you," I say under my breath. I look at her and watch her eyes fall to the floor.

"Lets eat," Tom says. And so the rest of the dinner is silent. Except for a few plates hitting the glasses.

*This is not a true story. I just made it up* :)

Nothing Short of a Cowgirl - Part 2

by Kaitlyn

The mystery beyond his eyes...
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"I just can't read him," my aunt Lacy huffs. "Hes the first horse I can't read! It's so frustrating!" She says.

"Don't sweat it Lacy, none of us can," Tom one of our stable hands says trying to be comforting. I can't get a real great view hiding up here on one of the beams that support the roof,but I can tell Aunt Lacy is not smiling. I see Tom, trying to be the big horse whisperer that hes not walk toward the new horses stall door. He flings it open and smiles. "See I think hes getting..." Before he can finish the sentence the horse jumps out of the stall. He starts to rear,and his eyes are rolling back into his head. Tom falls to the side in shock.I see aunt Lacy jump over and grab his halter. She pulls is down firmly and turns him around.

"Tom can you shove him in?" She yells over the horses constant neighing. When she finally realizes that he won't she takes her arm and pushes his rear end forward. I watch silently as aunt Lacy latches the lock on the door. Then she takes one last glance at Tom, and walks out mumbling how its so hard to find good help these days.

As soon as aunt Lacy is outside I can't help but to start laughing at Toms failed attempt at trying to please aunt Lacy. He looks up at me and scowls."He would have been fine if there weren't so many people around,"he mumbles. Once he realizes that no matter what he says I will keep laughing he gives up and storms out of the barn. I watch carefully that the door was shut,and jump to the ground. I haven't seen this horse yet, despite the fact that he jumped out of the stall. All I could tell was that he was a stallion, but I couldn't be sure if he's bay or chestnut.

I was hiding up here before they brought him in, and I guess I fell asleep. I walk carefully to his stall,making sure to make some sound so hes not surprised. I put my head down and when I get to him stall,I lift my head slowly until I can see him. That's him, I thought. Wow.

He's the most beautiful horse I have ever seen. I say about 16 hands, maybe even more. I can definitely tell now that he's black not chestnut. His muscles stand out, surely he's very strong. But can anyone ride him?

"Hey boy," I say calmly putting my hand out. He eyes it carefully. He takes a step toward me and the another. "Come on one more step," I say. Then I pull a carrot out of my pocket. "You want it?" I can see him looking at it with an expression of need. "If you want it you need to come here. But you would have to trust me to do that wouldn't ya?" I say softly. He finally takes a very slow step forward and allows me to rub his nose while he is munching on his carrot. After he is finished he looks at me and pulls away quickly. I stare at him puzzled. "What happened to you boy?" I say to him sensing something awful happened to him with his previous owner. I see he has no answer, so I turn and walk away stunned.

"Where's aunt Lacy?"I say to Tom as I walk in the house.

"Do I look like I'm a magician?" he responds. Uhh, I thought, I don't have time for this. "Haha very funny." I snap. "Seriously you should think of being a stand up comedian Tom," I add. Smirking I walk away swiftly.

"Aunt Lacy! Where are you?" I yell.

"In here Tia! in the kitchen,"she says. I take off running toward the kitchen. "Can I ask you something?" I say to her. She stares at me like she can't believe it. Then her expression changes into a big smile. Pretty soon her whole face lights up.

"Sure anything Tia!"she says excitedly.

"What happened to that horse?" I say assuming she would know what one I was talking about. Her smile soon turns into a straight line that does not look pleasant. Her eyes turn icy, and her face looks all to familiar. For a second I don't think she's going to answer. But then she slowly moves forward and puts her arm on my shoulder.

"Now that is a mystery."

Nothing Short of a Cowgirl - Part 3

by Kaitlyn

A Cowgirl's place is on her horse...
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That night I could not sleep. I kept tossing and turning. I was having bad dreams about that horse. That mysterious black horse. I seen him running through a clearing with the sun flowing on his back. He had a herd of horse following in hot pursuit. He looked happy, but wild. Then everything changed. He took a turn while the other horses went straight. Everything turned dark, he was running all alone in a dark field, it was nothing like he was running in before. And then slowly but surely he disappears.

"Tia! Get your butt down here right now!" I hear my aunt Lacy yell. I jolt up, what time was it? I look at my alarm clock. 8 o'clock! I overslept big time! My very first day at the ranch aunt Lacy explained we wake up at 5:30 every morning. I was astonished people could survive getting up that early, but they did. I groaned and got out of bed.

I struggled to lift my feet just far enough to reach my dresser. I looked in the mirror and winced. My short, dirty blond hair as my dad likes to call it was just a mess. It was piled at the top of my head like icing was to a cupcake. There was no time to shower now, so I took a comb and ran it through my hair. Piece after piece until it was okay. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a pair of boots and ran out the door.

I jumped in the barn and landed with a thud on the ground. "Owwww," I shrieked! I glanced up and there was aunt Lacy hands one her hips. I studied her.

Aunt Lacy had blond hair. It was wavy and she didn't believe in cutting it either. It hung all the way down her back. She was wearing a simple blue t-shirt but with the black jeans she wore it actually looked good. To wrap it all together she had a pair of new black cowgirl boots.

"Well are you going to get up today?" she snapped at me. I glared up at her. Suddenly remembering I hated her.

"Ya I was getting to that!" I spat out. My voice sounded as sharp as a knife. But I didn't care. This was aunt Lacy, farmer girl who dragged me into living here! It was all her fault. Just then she reached out and grabbed me a pitchfork.

"Better get to it," she spoke calmly to me. I snatched the pitchfork and headed over to Bell's stall. I looked back at aunt Lacy, she had a huge smirk on her face. I think she know she won.

"So whats his name?" I ask Tom. We were both intently staring at that beautiful horse out in the paddock. He was running around snorting. Of course we put him in his own separate paddock. Looking at his now he would probably be causing fights with all the other stallions out there.

"I'm not sure...yet," he snorted. "I think I'm going to name him Black Beauty!" he added happily. I stared at him, then I realized he was serious. I burst into laughter.

"You can't be for real? Black Beauty! That's so lame!" I shrieked. I fell of the fence and was now rolling on the ground. I couldn't help myself! It was too funny. Tom looked hurt.

"Yes I am for real!"he snapped. "Your aunt said I could name him!" he added. I stopped to listen for a moment, my eyes were filling with tears because I was laughing so hard.

"No way is that horse going to be named Black Beauty!" I giggled. Tom took one look at me and stormed away. "Ah getting better everyday!" I signed. I put all my focus on watching that horse again. "Well I wonder if I can ride you boy. Eh would you like that?" Suddenly the horse looked up. Paying full attention now. "You want me to ride you don't you?" he snorted. "Well here we go." I bolt off to the tack room, searching for a saddle. Then I realized I may be pushing it and just grabbed to lead lines. "Boy am I glad my parents aren't here to see me do this!"

"Good boy, nice and easy that's the way," I said calmly. I may not know everything there is about horses, but in the year I have been here I like to think I learned something. I attached two lead lines to both sides of his halter. This is how aunt Lacy started me my very first time on Bell. I walked him over to the fence and started to lift myself up. The horse moved forward. I rolled my eyes moving over. "Okay, now let's try this again!" I mumbled. He moved again. "Stop being stubborn!" I said. I quickly jumped on him back and grabbed a piece of him mane. After I steadied myself I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lets go boy!"

Nothing Short of a Cowgirl - Part 4

by Kaitlyn

Cowgirls don't cry...
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I was just silently riding him in the paddock. I didn't want to risk taking him out into the field and him bolting. "Well it looks like you have been trained!" I say happily. The black horse tosses him mane and nods. I reach up to fix my hat that was falling off my face onto my neck. "Lets try a little bit of canter," I say. I get him out on the rail, and soon enough were off. It was nothing like riding Bell, her gait was smooth but her strides were not as long. Riding the mysterious black horse, I finally felt free.

At dinner that night aunt Lacy served us a great big salad. "Uhh," I said to her. "What happened to chicken?"

Aunt Lacy shoot me a look, I held her gaze making sure she knew I was not afraid. " So I have been thinking of a name for the new horse," I smile looking at Tom. He moved uncomfortably in his seat.

"And what have you been thinking of," Aunt Lacy replies calmly.

"Well..." I say taking my time." ThunderStruck!" I say proudly. "Its a perfect name for him," I add. Aunt Lacy sucks in a breath looking silently over at Tom, whose face is now beet red. At first I wasn't sure what she was going to say, but then she blurted out the most funniest thing ever.

"It sure is better than Black Beauty!" Aunt Lacy giggled like a 14 year old girl. I glanced over at Tom who has dropped his fork onto the table and stood up.

"Hmm, nice to know I'm appreciated!" he spat. Then he turned and marched away. For a second aunt Lacy looked guilty, but that soon faded into laughter.

"ThunderStruck it is!"

Over the next few days I rode ThunderStruck at least 10 times. But we weren't making any progress. And I still haven`t told Aunt Lacy of me riding him. During the course of those few days I fell off at least 5 times. One time ThunderStruck decided to chase after a bird, and he threw me into the fence, another he bucked me off. Naturally I never told anyone of me falling off, I kept it to myself. And thats just how I wanted it to be.
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I'm sorry its so short! And I also know it kinda late, but please enjoy!

Nothing Short of a Cowgirl - Part 5

by Kaitlyn

A stubborn horse walks behind you, an impatient horse walks in front of you, but a noble companion walks beside you.
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An old musty moving truck pulled into the driveway beside our ranch. I watched as they came to a stop and eagerly opened the trucks door. I counted each and every single one of them that got out. Their was 4 of them. One was a boy. He looked about 12 or 13 with curly dirty-blond hair.

The next to get out was a girl. She, like the boy who I was guessing was her brother, both had dirty-blond hair. Except hers was straight. I watched all of them, but in particular the girl. She seemed almost... happy? How could she be happy about moving out here? Well, I thought to myself... I guess we won't be getting along.

I walked silently through the barn doors into Thunderstruck's stall. I pat his nose and smile. "Well how are you today?" I say to him. Thunder tosses his mane happily.

"I'm guessing good, right?" I giggle.

"Hey Tia? Are you in here?" my Aunt Lacy yells. I huff and reply.

"Yes I'm here! What do I need to do now?" I drawl in my best Southern accent. My aunt appears at Thunder's stall door scowling. She hates it when I do that. I guess that's why I do it then.

"Tia drop the attitude! Please," she says rubbing her temples. I glare at her waiting for what she was going to say next.

"Now remember that pretty little chestnut? I think her name is... oh what was it again? Bell! That's it! Remember her?" She says mocking me.

"Yes," I snap. "I do remember my own horse!"

"Well you aren't acting like she's yours," aunt Lacy counters.

"It ain't like you could ever let me forget!" I hiss staring my aunt dead in the eye. I can feel her shrinking.

With horses Aunt Lacy can fix any problem, any minor detail. But with me Aunt Lacy might as well give up, I'm not an easy one to get through as some might say. I turn around from her and skip off.

Tia - One. Aunt Lacy - 0.

"Hey Bell, I'm sorry I haven't been around lately," I say to my horse Bell. A sudden rush of guilt hits me.

Bell was my horse, she was everything to me. But ever since Thunderstruck came she always was put last, and even I know that's not fair. "I once again am so sorry. I will never leave you again!" I say admiring her gleaming chestnut coat.

Bell was always a gentle, calm and strong kind of horse. The first time Aunt Lacy took me into the field to pick a horse there were many I seen that I liked. There were bays, duns, dapple greys. But in the end it was between Bell and Dusk, a 6 year old gelding. I'm not even sure why I picked Bell. I guess it just felt right at the time.

Snapping back to reality I realized that what happened could never be took back. That was the past, and this was the future. The only control I had over it was what I was going to do with it.

I was riding Bell a few days later when I saw her again. At first I thought it was my imagination. But sure enough, she was sitting right under the old tree. I have no clue what type of tree it is, I only know that it's a tree. At first she never noticed me.

Wow I thought, how can she not notice a girl on horseback? Then she looked up and jumped back startled. "Oh my!" She screamed. I watched as she stood up and brushed off her clothes. I never said one word, I just studied her. Like I said before she has long straight dirty-blond hair. She has a sweater on that read Hollister.

I envied her because I remembered how me and my friends would gush over our new clothes from, American Eagle and Bench. It just goes to show how much things have changed, or I have changed.

"I'm really sorry. I never meant to be so spooky," she told me meekly. "You see I'm not used to horses. Or any kinds of animals to tell the truth."

Then what are you doing out in Wyoming living on a ranch? I thought to myself.

"I noticed," I say slyly. Just then I heard thundering hoof beats coming from behind me. I whipped around to see Aunt Lacy galloping toward us on Madden, a 10-year old high strung bay horse.

"Oh no not again!" The girl screamed. Aunt Lacy pulled Madden to a halt right in front of the fence that separated our two fields.

"Tia this is Eva. Eva this is Tia," she exclaimed joyfully. Did my aunt think that this was some way of being nice? Did she think that this was helping?

"We kind of would have figured that out. You know if you didn't come charging down the lane like a mad woman!"

My aunt blushed.

"I just wanted you two girls to get to know each other. Nicely," she added staring at me.

What! Did she think I would be rude to a person I never even met? Ha, hardly I thought.

"Well bye now," I drawl. Aunt Lacy eyes me angrily. She snaps her head forward and urges Madden on. Soon she's just a blob in the distance.

A gush of wind hits our faces. My cowgirl hat flies off my head and is being carried away with the wind. "Aren't you going to get that?" Eva asks. I stare at her surprised.

"No. I have plenty more where that came from. Sadly." I add for dramatic effect. Eva glances at me oddly then turns away.

"You know at first I was excited," she laughed out of the blue.

"Excited about what?" I ask.

"You know, about moving here!" She gestures to the field then the mountains.

"Oh you mean moving out to Wyoming? Ya the thrill I guess wears off. I wouldn't know." I tell her.

"For you I guess, you love it here. So I don't mean to offend you. But out here sucks, there's no reception, or internet!" She wails on, "No nothing!"

Ya I kn... wait! What did you mean about not offending me?" I question. She stops and replies carefully...

"You," she points to me, "are a totally different person than me. I," she points to herself, "am different than you. Like you rode up to me on horseback! I could never do that!" She exclaimed. "I mean you obviously love it here!"

The last sentence just ticked me off. I felt like punching her. I fought the urge and snapped at her.

"I do not like it here! In fact I hate it here! I never wanted to come here! Not in a million years would I want to come here!" I snap, "But you never asked me that! Did you? No you were just to busy complaining! About how bad you got it! Well at least your parents never left you at here with a bunch of strangers." My eyes fill with tears. I never wanted to admit the truth. But I knew what it was. I shook my head and walked away.

I grabbed Bell's reins and kicked her up to a gallop. Never... never would I have thought that someone would think I was one of them. Never, never, never. Maybe that was my problem, I couldn't accept the truth. I galloped away thinking how I must have looked to Eva. She probably thinks I'm some country girl, riding away, on the road to the rest of her life.