This Is My Life.

Summary: Jade Underwood is 17 and going to college early. She's going to the University of Nevada-Reno, she's leaving her small hometown of Lovettsville, Virginia to go to Nevada. This is her journey through college, friends and love. Who will she meet along the way?

Friday August 17th, 2009. 6:15am.

Jade Pov

I started playing with my jacket sleeve again. I was at Summer Run Stables, the barn where I boarded my 7 year old Quarter horse mare, Irish Magic(aka Magic). I was supposed to be wrapping his legs and tail for his trailer ride to Nevada, but I was too busy thinking.

My mother and father had bought me a black Ford F250 and a small 2 horse trailer as a graduation present, so I could take Magic to college with me. Since I got a full scholarship to the University of Nevada-Reno, my parents decided that they would use my college fund money to buy the gift, I'm glad they did!

I felt a bit sad to be leaving Virginia for Nevada but it was kind of exciting too! The owners of the stables had thrown a goodbye party to me and Magic last night, I had nearly cried. Andy and Jody had been great to me for the past 10 years that I had rode and boarded here, they had taught me everything I knew about horses and riding, gave me Magic 4 years ago when she was 3, helped me train her and now threw me a going away party!

"You gonna stand there all day or you gonna prepare your horse?" I heard the rough voice of Paul Jacobs, the oldest and most respected groom at Summer Run Stables. I turned around and smiled.

"Yeah Paul, I'm going wrap Magic's legs and tail." I said smiling at the older groom. Paul looked away before I could see the smile I knew he had on his face.

"How many stops do you think you'll be making with her?" Paul asked coming into the stall now.

"I'm going to make my first stop in Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania. Let her out, stretch her legs, then keep going, stop in Ohio. Then keep driving until Nebraska then stop for the night. Then drive to Nevada and once I pass the Nevada border stop and stretch again, then drive to Reno." I told Paul as I started to wrap Magic's legs. "Will that be good enough for her?"

"Should be. Make sure you stretch her good, and give her plenty of water and hay." Paul said to me, while he started to wrap Magic's tail. "I got something that will come in handy." Paul dug something out of his pocket and stuck it in my hand. It was heavy and metal. "It's a lock and chain for the trailer, so you can make sure Magic is safe."

"Thanks Paul." I said gratefully.

"Just wanna make sure you don't run into no problems. And here's a business card, when you get to Reno look up this ranch." Paul handed me a small business card. It said 'Gold Dust Ranch' in Darton, Nevada. "A good friend of mine works there, in the barn and I think it would be good for you to get a job out there, it will get you money and more experience, maybe somewhere cheap to board Magic. It's about an hour away from Reno. Well worth the drive."

Coming from Paul, this was the ultimate praise/compliment. Paul obviously thought I was good enough to recommend me to go to this ranch and he thought I could get a job there, very high compliment. But he wouldn't want me to get sentimental over it. So I kept it short. "Thanks Paul." I smiled.

"I'll give my friend a call and tell him you're heading out to Nevada and give him your number to call you if that's alright." Paul finished wrapping Magic's tail.

"I'd be fine with it, if it's not a problem." I said, finished wrapping Magic's legs. I stood up. "I guess she's ready to go."

"Yep. I'd say so." Paul agreed. My parents were supposed to come over to the barn before I left so I could just leave from here.

"Come on Magic, time to go out West." I said snapping a lead rope on my mare's halter and leading her out of the stall. I walked with Magic out of the barn and saw my mother and father, my older brother Chris, Andy and Jody Rogers and Christina Jackson, who was a groom, rider and my friend here at the stables.

I smiled as I led Magic towards the trailer. Christina was the first one to come up to me. "I can't believe you're leaving for college!" Christina said throwing her arms around me, I put my arms around her too.

"I know! But I'll be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas!" I told her, pulling back now.

"I guess this is goodbye Jade." Jody came up and hugged me. "Make sure you both take good care of yourselves."

"We will Judy." I said, blinking away tears. Andy came over and gave me a hug.

"Once you get settled into school, you'll have to call us and maybe we could come out and see you." Andy told me. I nodded.

"That'd be cool." I said as Christina opened the trailer door and I led Magic on. Christina shut the door and I unsnapped Magic's lead rope, I was going to let her ride loose so she could move around and not be tied for I don't know how many hours. Christina opened the door for me to walk out.

I walked over to my parents. "Hey mom, dad." I murmured as they both hugged me.

"You got everything?" My mom asked.

"Yep, all my boxes of clothes and things are in the backseat of the truck." I said.

"And you have your GPS all set up to help you get there?" My dad asked. My brother Chris had gotten my a GPS for my trip to college.

"Yes, everything is ready." I said. My dad pulled me into a tighter hug.

"Baby girl." My dad whispered and I knew he was losing his battle to keep his tears in.

"Daddy." I whispered back and my dad started to cry. "Daddy it'll be okay. Remember our song." I told him thinking of the song we had made up the night of my graduation. We had called it 'Ready, Set, Don't go'.

My dad kissed my cheeks and I felt wetness on them, I had been crying myself. "I love you baby girl. Get Ready, Set, Don't go." My dad said pulling away.

My brother Chris came over. "Okay lil sis, try not to get in too much trouble." Chris said smiling at me.

"Oh I'll try to stay good." I grinned back at him.

"Use that GPS wisely—not to find food!" Chris laughed.

"Hey! It works okay!" I said indignantly.

"I love you little sister, call us when you get there, or get to where you're going to stop." Chris said.

"Love you too Chris." I hugged my older brother before pulling back. "Love you Mom, Dad." I gave them a quick hug.

I turned around and looked at Paul. "Oh come here." Paul said gruffly. I smiled and hugged Paul. "There now, you can go off to school knowing you hugged everyone in the dang stable."

I laughed. "Andy, Jody, Christina, Paul. You guys have been awesome over the past 10 years I've been riding and boarding here. You taught me everything I know. I'm so grateful I knew you all, and someday when I get my own barn, I'm dedicating it to you. Because you got me here. And I just wanted to say Thank you."

"The first week after you came here, you came up to me and told me 'I'm going to go to college, do something with horses and get my own barn.' and I replied 'That's great' thinking you might change your mind. You never did. And I'm so proud of you for going to college and going after your dream. The past 10 years have been great with you here, Jade. You're like a daughter to us." Jody said with tears sliding down her cheeks, I knew this was sad because Jody and Andy couldn't have children.

"Thanks Jody. You and Andy have been like second parents to me. I like to call you my horse parents, anything I wanted to know about horses or riding, you had the answer. When my parents approached you guys about buying me a horse, you immediately told them Magic. You gave her to me. You knew I had wanted her since she was born and you just gave a possibly ten thousand dollar horse to a 13 year old girl for free." I was crying now.

"Jade we always knew you and Magic had a bond, and any other horse wouldn't of been the same. And it was worth it, seeing you and her together, how many ribbons you've won, how many accomplishments you've had together. It was worth everything." Andy said to me.

"Thanks Andy. Oh gosh, it's almost 6:30, I have to get going!" I said hugging everyone and then walking to the driver's side door. "Bye everyone!" I waved and they waved back. I got in the truck and put my seatbelt on. Then I stuck the key in the ignition and started my truck. I drove away slowly watching everyone in my rearview mirror my mother was in my father's arms, probably sobbing. Paul was walking back to the barn probably muttering about how everyone was so sentimental while maybe feeling sad himself. Chris would hold his emotions in, Christina would go ride her horses and Andy and Jody would start the morning chores.

Life moving on without me. I felt a pang of sadness, but I told myself I was doing a very good thing by going to college. I would graduate from College in a few years and start my own business right back in Virginia. I felt kind of sad that I could of stayed another year for what was supposed to be my senior year. I had skipped the 12th grade and decided to go ahead and go to college, I had been offered 4 scholarships. 1 to University of Maryland, another 1 to the University of South Carolina, then 1 to Dartmouth and finally one to the University of Nevada-Reno. Everyone in town had been stunned to find out I had chose University of Nevada-Reno instead of a school like Dartmouth. I had wanted to see the West coast and the University of Nevada-Reno had my major, it would also have adventure.

My parents had also wished I would stay close to home so I could come home on the weekends, but then understood my choice. My mother had gone to college in North Carolina, my father had gone to college in Maryland. Chris was currently attending Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

I sighed and just tried to focus on driving. Look ahead, not back. Think of the future, not the past. I was on my way to Nevada, to start working towards my dream.

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Author's Note: Hi everyone! Some of you may know me from my other stories: Ripped Pictures, Juliet's Moon and Jillian's Miracle. This is my latest story called This is my life. It's a bit different from my others, because as you can see Jade, is 17 and going to college. Usually I do girls around the age of 15 and going to high school. But anyways, I wanted to post this and see if anyone is interested in this story being continued.

So do you want to see more? How'd you like it? The chapters will get longer and more better, I promise! Review and tell me what you think!!

From: QuinnandSeth'sgirl15