When people say it's just a horse, they just don't understand.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my washed out jeans and tried not to look out the window of the car. My music blasted through my yellow head phones. Anxiety trickled through me.

No, I thought, settle down. I chewed at my bottom lip and ran my fingers through my blonde hair. I knew exactly where we were once the driver turned the corner.

"Tori," My older sister, Taylor said leaning over. She held a pill in her hand and held it out to me.

"You know it helps." She dropped it into my palm and I nodded downing it, and then smiled.

"We're approaching girls." The driver said and my mother turned and leaned between the two front seats.

"You excited?" She said clapping. I nodded and smiled. I was, but it was hard to ignore my nerves screaming and shaking through my body.

I looked out the window for the first time in the past ten minutes. People, horses, teachers, people. I looked away from the crowded premises as soon as possible.

"And we are here!" Max said as he pulled into a car park. We are here. I repeated in my head.

"Woohoo!" My sister encouraged, jumping out of the car. Yeah, I guess I better get over this feeling if I'm going to be staying here for the rest of my time in school. With a bit more confidence I jumped out of the car. I immediately beamed as I saw the horse transport truck stroll down the road toward the stable. I jumped in excitement and jogged after it. The truck pulled into the unloading area.

"Kenshi boy!" I jumped onto the wheel of the truck to look the peephole at him.

"Go on and get him out of there!" Kevin the truck driver smiled as he saw me. I pulled the door open and kissed Kenshi's white blaze. Kenshi was a dappled grey with a pinkish tinge. His blaze was pink at the muzzle and his socks glistened white in the sun.

Taylor horse, Autumn struck her hoof at the trucks floor.

"Oh, sweetie, Taylor will be here soon." I unloaded Kenshi and had him on the pavement outside in his baby blue shipping gear when a groom came and got Autumn out of the truck.

"Taylor will be here soon." I told the groom and he nodded quietly. Just then Taylor jogged over.

"Sorry." She told the groom taking Autumn's pink lead.

We followed the groom into the huge barn. Kenshi and Autumn's stalls were next each other and Kenshi's was right next to and across from a pair of cross ties. After I put Kenshi in his stall, I went back to the truck and got his tack and other things. I walked through the barn and put his things in the tack room. A group of girls were huddled in the corner. A girl with brown curly hair and olive skin glanced up and smiled at me. I placed my saddle on my saddle rack and rested my many colours of saddle pads below it.

"Victoria Grayson?" The curly brunette asked.

"Yeah, that's me!" I told her.

"Omigod, its Cara, your roommate!" She said walking over to me.

"Oh my god! Hi!" I said hugging her. She laughed.

"These are my friends." She led me over to the group of girls.

"Meet Hannah, Stephanie, Keeley and Sarah." She beamed.

"Kate…" Sarah's face dropped from a smile as she mumbled looking towards the door. A tall blonde entered the tack room, custom saddle in hand. She shot a look in our direction then rolled her eyes and put her saddle on her the rack next to mine and eyed my saddle and nodded.

"Wait, Victoria Grayson goes here." She mumbled slightly to her friend standing beside her.

"She transferred." The short orange haired friend said. Kate looked up from my saddle and back over to us and made eye contact with me. She smiled sweetly before tearing away.

She strolled toward the door before spinning on her heal and faced us.

"Good luck on making the beginner team tomorrow ladies." She said her eyes glaring into Keeley's. She opened the door and left.

"Um… what?" I asked, confused.

"I'll tell you back in our room. Roomie." Cara nudged my shoulder.

I had just finished my part of the room. I had laid a blue and yellow bed spread on top of my white sheets on my double bed. My wall above my bed was covered in pictures and Polaroid pictures of old friend and me and my horses. I had books stacked up on shelves almost over flowing and magazines stack into piles. My walk-in-robe was also almost overflowing and my desk had had textbooks workbooks stack in the shelves and my MacBook sitting open. My vanity was stacked with my make-up and pushed against the wall and the shelf above my dresser had my nail-polish in coloured order. I threw a few blankets and pillows onto the large leather couch an onto the window seat, the mini fridge was stacked with food along with the cupboards and all my movies and TV shows were piled around the huge TV.

"Wow." I sighed pleased with my creation. I sat down with a book and read for the rest of the afternoon.

It was late in the afternoon and I had had a sleep, boiled some tea and slept some more. Cara burst open collapsed on the couch. She stroked the soft blanket she fell on and smiled.

"These are nice." She said.

"I thought so too." I chuckled.

"Okay, so fill me in," I said sitting next to her with a bag of chips. She sat up and took some from the bag.

"Kate is Sarah's cousin, Keeley's former best friend and the schools queen bee." She munched.

"She's had this thing with Keeley ever since Keeley started kicking her ass at… everything." She paused and shrugged.

"So I guess the best she can do is put Keeley and all her friends down."

"Yeah, I've met that kind of person before." I said nodding.

"My friends invited us to the Slice for dinner. You interested?" She asked.

"Absolutely."

The Slice was busy as Cara and I strode up to it. Cara's friends had a long table off to the side. Everyone was already seated at one end of the table. I sat next to Cara on the end although there were still plenty of seats next to me.

"Hi, Victoria," Keeley said from across from me.

"Hey, just call me Tori." I told her and she nodded.

"What's your story Tori?" She asked grinning.

"I live in New York, been riding horses all my life… um, yeah… Nothing too interesting." I told her.

"Sure, that's why half of the equestrian team know you. Because you're not interesting." She chuckled.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"We all know your past. You're a nationally known rider, Tori." I looked down to the menu.

"Anyway, we'll have to go for a ride sometime." She smiled. Just then a bunch of guys entered the restaurant.

"Finally we can order!" Stephanie said. A tall dark haired guy sat in the seat next to me grinning widely.

"Miller, don't scare the new girl." Keeley smiled as she received a peck on the cheek from the boy that sat next to her.

"Hi," Miller said to me.

"I'm Miller." He grinned holding out his hand.

"Victoria—Tori," I laughed shaking his hand.

"I want pepperoni!" Another guy almost shouted.

When the pizza arrived everyone settled down from their excitement and grabbed several pieces at a time.

"The slice pizza is incomparable!" Miller told me with his mouth full. I laughed and took a bit of my mozzarella slice.

"Yes, it is!" I laughed with my mouth also full.

"So Tori, what was your life back home like?" Keeley asked.

"It consisted of lots of riding lessons and shows." I told her.

"No, we knew that. What your friends like—Wait! Did you have a boyfriend? Did you have to breakup when you moved here?" Cara asked. I didn't reply I just sat and grinned.

"Oh my god! You did!" She exclaimed.

"Shut up!" I said.

"What was his name?" She asked.

"Mitch." I whispered laughing.

"We're gonna have talk when we get home!" Cara shouted.

"Why not now?" Miller laughed resting his head on his hands.

"Miller, no, it's called girl talk for a reason." Cara said.

"I am so full!" Miller said rubbing his stomach.

"I'm ready to head back." I said to no one in particular.

"Oh but we haven't even had desert." Cara said.

"You stay; I can head back by myself." I told her.

"You sure?" She asked sympathetically.

"Positive." I told her standing up.

"I'll come with you. I can't fit in desert anyway." Miller said standing. I smiled and grabbed my jacket and we walked out.

"I'll see you tomorrow maybe." I told him outside.

"Yeah, bye." He said sticking his hands into his pockets. I waved goodbye and made my why to Orchard.

Back in our room I collapsed onto my bed and fell asleep. It was only Saturday night and tomorrow was Sunday. Maybe I won't get away early this time