Red Briar Academy: The Invitation

by RogueMustangMare

When Annika was first told that she was to be betrothed to her friend's brother, Kyle Matthews, on her fourteenth birthday, she had been angry, scared, and a little confused as to why her mother would consent to it. But now she and her mother have moved into their new home and not everything is as it seems. AnnikaxKyle, RosexCharlie

RogueMustangMare: Okay everyone, I know it's been a few years since I've worked on this story but . . .

Annika: A few years? Seriously?

RogueMustangMare: Anyways! So I've been working on this story for a long time and I just recently submitted it to a writing competition in which we passed. This is an idea that I'm thinking of having published but it's not ready just yet. So, now that we got that out of the way, I would just like to remind you all that I only accept constructive reviews. I will not change my story to make it the way that you want it so please do not ask me to change the way the characters are for there may be a reason. I strive to make my stories as realistic as possible and I use my creativity to make it realistic as well as fictional. So, here is Annika Wyatt with the disclaimer.

Annika: RogueMustangMare does own this book along with the rest of the series, she owns the characters, and the ideas. Please do NOT take any part of the story without her permission, otherwise she will have no choice but to take action against the person in question. This story is only placed under the Canterwood Crest series for a reason.

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Summary

Annika has big dreams. She wants to win the Equitation Medal Finals and to be invited to ride in the Olympics for Eventing. But for now, all she can do is train for her dreams; dreams that now seem closer than ever now that she is betrothed and is now living with her mother on her future husband's family horse farm. But right away problems arise when Brianna makes it clear to everyone that she believes Annika was responsible for the sabotaging incident that happened a year ago. But then their trainer makes an announcement that could help both girls further their careers but only if they can put aside their animosity toward other.

Can Annika put aside her anger in order to get closer to her dreams? Or will she use it to fuel her determination? And, is there more to her mother's past and Annika's betrothal than what she was first told?

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Chapter One

Annika's P.O.V.:

There are a lot of things I don't like talking about. My stuck-up relatives was one of them. The arrangement my cousin had made without asking me if I even wanted to be a part of it was the second. Despite my parents' love for each other their success in their respective careers, their families couldn't get over the other's heritage and social class. My dad came from a wealthy Irish family while my mom comes from the Lakota Reservation. I don't know why my relatives hate each other. They just do.

But the one thing they can both agree on is that both sides think I'm an embarrassment to their own.

I think that's why my cousin is always bullying me. Though it may also have to do with the fact that I'm a much better rider than she is. I can't help it that I mean . . . some people have a natural talent while others have to work for it. Plus, she sorta brought this on herself. If she hadn't decided to "hire" me as her personal groom and rider than I wouldn't have trained so hard for both the Hunters and for Dressage.

"Annika! Come on down! Lunch is ready!" I heard Mom's voice calling for me.

"Be there in a minute!" I called back before reaching into the cardboard box that had held all of my pictures and pulled out the last one. Unwrapping the newspaper that had been covering it to protect the glass from breaking, I looked down at the memory that had been capture in that moment in time.

It showed me as a seven year old girl, sitting on the back of one of the school ponies from my old barn, in between mom and dad who each sat on their own horses. Mom was riding one of her resale projects while Dad was on her trail horse, Belle. Unlike Mom and I where we both looked as comfortable as if we were on a soft bed, Dad looked about as comfortable as a dog with fleas on Belle. He hadn't really like riding but had supported both me and Mom in every way he could.

This picture was special to me, since it was the last time the three of us had gone on a trail ride together before he died in a wildfire that had also killed his entire crew three days later. I can still remember the look of fear and sadness that had crossed Mom's face when the Fire Chief came and told us and the other wives and children the news. The funeral had been a closed casket since Dad had been so badly burned that he might as well have been cremated, which was what he had wanted.

But of course his parents had stepped in and had insisted on having a closed casket funeral. The whole thing had been bogus though, since they were so high up in the inner circle it felt like we were on parade or something since there were tv cameras and everything. What's worse, the wildfire had started when a group of rich teenagers had skipped school and gone out into those woods, drinking and doing drugs . . . and obviously hadn't thought to be careful with their lighters and matches. They escaped unharmed and had even escaped punishment despite causing massive amounts of damage and deaths.

The judge had said that he didn't want to ruin the futures of five promising students when in reality . . . their parents had donated a huge amount of money to the families of the dead firefighters and to repair the damage. I hadn't wanted to accept their money but Mom claimed parental rights and deposited the money I had gotten into an account.

I wish you were here Dad, you would have loved it here I thought sadly as I placed the picture frame on my nightstand and crumpled up the newspaper before I left my room and head toward the stairs.

Unlike this morning when Mom, my future husband's family, and myself began the work of unpacking all of our belongings, the new house was starting to feel like home.

My future husband. That was another topic I didn't like to talk about but not because I didn't like my future husband or his family. No, it's because everytime it was mentioned in front of my cousin and her friends they'd make fun of me for it. On top of that they didn't even believe me when I had told them who I'm betrothed to. Why would I lie about something like that?

At the bottom of the stairs awaits the boy in question: Kyle Matthews. Looking at him anyone could tell that we came from the same tribe since we had some physical features that were the same-though when it came to me they would have to account that I'm only half Lakota-we both had the same rich tanned skin and high cheekbones . . . but while he has the black hair and dark eyes that seemed to look into another world, I have chestnut brown hair with green eyes that also seemed to look into another world.

He had been leaning against the wall, playing on his phone, but as I drew closer he looked up and smiled at me. "Hey Wolf Dreamer," he said calling me by my tribal name.

I smiled. "Hey Raven's Feather," I answered also calling him by his tribal name and, when I stepped off the bottom step, he slipped his phone into his pocket and pushed away from the wall to come toward me.

"Now, what was so important up there that you had to keep me waiting, hmm?" he asked, his voice low and husky sounding. He stepped closer to me and kept closing the distance until our bodies were touching and he wrapped his arms around me, bringing me closer so that our faces were close to each other and I could feel his breath on my face.

I wanted to step back but his arms kept me in place, trapping me against him. I felt the heat rising in my neck and I tried to fight the blush that I knew was coming on. After all, we've been dating and betrothed ever since my birthday on April first and, now that Mom and I would be living on his family's farm, we would be seeing each other everyday. I just wish I didn't feel so awkward when he held me.

"Well?" he asked when I didn't answer.

I completely forgot what he had asked. "Well what?" I asked hoping he wouldn't be mad.

"What took you so long to come down here?" he asked, his voice level.

"Oh! I just . . . wanted to finish unpacking all of my photos," I replied. Swallowing hard around a lump in my throat, I reached up with both my arms and placed them on his shoulders, interlacing my fingers together behind his head on the base of his neck. He didn't tense up like he used to when we were younger; and he didn't make any sort of movement to show his displeasure of being touched so I at least knew I hadn't done anything wrong.

He grinned as he dropped one arm and turned so that, while we stood side-by-side, his left arm was still wrapped around my waist. His hand warm and a bit calloused; my mind going fuzzy from it. "So are you all finished?" he asked.

"With what?" I asked my mind blank save for the warmth of his hand.

"Unpacking your room," he replied slowly as if he was talking to a child.

"Any particular reason you're asking?" I asked him. No one had ever been interested in whether I was done with something or not. Except for my cousin and her friends making sure that I had finished getting their ponies ready for a show or a lesson.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing in particular," he replied in an almost non caring way. "I just have a surprise for you later."

I perked up a little at that. "Really? What is it?" I asked, my voice rising with excitement. I couldn't help it. I love surprises.

"Now if I told you what it is than it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?" he asked playfully as we entered the dining room where our mothers were setting the table with the lunch they had made. An array of sandwiches: turkey, bologna, and chicken; cheese, veggies, chips and dips. In the center of the table was a slow cooker with what smelled like Mom's bacon and potato soup.

I sniffed the air appreciatively and felt my mouth water. "Smells great Mom," I replied as my stomach growled. We hadn't eaten since we'd stopped by the McDonald's on our way to the farm and, even then, the food had been a breakfast sandwich with a cup of hot chocolate to wake me up. I didn't like coffee though my mom swears that I should give it another try now that I'm older.

Mom smiled as she looked up from setting out the plates. "Thanks sweetie, did you finish your room?" she asked.

I nodded as Kyle let go of me, his hand sliding along my back, to head towards the sink to wash his hands. I shivered at the touch and at the tingling sensation his hand had left. Thankfully neither neither of our moms had noticed anything.

Or if they had, they weren't saying anything.

I looked a lot like my mom, except where as she was pure Lakota like Kyle, I also took after some of the features from my dad. But if someone were to meet my mom for the first time, they'd have thought she had stepped out of a textbook about the Lakotas. But she wasn't like the domestic, docile and obedient housewife of some ancient warrior. Mom could ride a horse of any kind of temperament all while giving them the respect and nurture any young horse needed to grow and develop into a show horse. Her main career was training young horses for Dressage and, at the moment, she had two young prospects that she was hoping to go far in.

Aries, a black Anglo-Arabian stallion with a bald face that looked like a bucket of white paint had exploded on his face, and Promise, a dapple-gray Arabian mare who was sweeter than honey. Mom though was hoping to keep Aries until he had to retire since he didn't go well for anyone else except my mom. And, to be honest, a horse like that would be pretty hard to sell and, even then, he would probably spend the rest of his life siring future Dressage champions. Promise though I could see being sold practically as soon as I put the ad up on Mom's website, she was beautiful and was so sweet, she would clean up in any show.

"Kyle could you go get your sisters and brother?" asked Marta as he finished washing his hands and dried them on a towel.

He nods. "Sure mom," he said to her before turning to me. "Be back in a second and don't make any plans for tonight," he adds in an undertone to me.

"What's going on tonight?" I asked in the same tone, hoping he would tell me.

"Don't worry about it," he replied. "Just don't make any plans okay?"

I nodded. I didn't really have any other choice since it was obvious that whatever he was planning I wouldn't find out about it until it happened.

I watched him leave feeling a sense of loneliness now that he wasn't by my side. But then I just scoffed at the feeling and it went away. What the hell? He's only going to be gone for a few minutes! It's not like he's leaving forever I scold myself and chucked it up to me being tired from all the unpacking.

The new house was different than our old one and, even though Mom hadn't sold it, she was talking to a leasing company about leasing out our house until we decided if we wanted to sell it or not. I didn't like the idea and, while Mom didn't seem to be so thrilled with selling the house she'd bought with my dad, I could tell she was seriously thinking about it.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of running feet and, the next thing I know, Jake-the youngest of Kyle's siblings-tumbled into the room like a wild horse and went straight for the food.

"Jake how many times have I told you not to run in the house?" asked Marta shaking her head in an exasperated manner.

"Oh! Sorry Mom, I'm just so hungry! We finish the backyard though," he said this very fast as his dad and grandfather came in from the garage.

Alexander-the head patriarch of the Matthews family and the man who had approved of mine and Kyle's betrothal-laughed and clapped Jake on the shoulder. "Still feeling your oats are you? Don't worry Marta, Ray and all my other boys went through the same thing. Growing like a weed and not feeling full enough no matter how much they eat."

She sighed but nodded. Kyle may have been adopted but even he had that problem where his body burned more calories than he could eat. His doctor had him on a specific diet but, no matter how many calories, fats, or sugars were in the food, he was still skinny as a stick.

Soon Kyle, Rose and Emily joined us and we piled our plates and bowls high with as much food as we could eat.

I sat in the background watching everyone interact, hoping to get some inspiration for the book I was working on. The characters in my story were sort of inspired by the very same people here in this room and I wanted to see what scene I could put in for the chapter I was working on.

The families in the story were just like us: a mother and daughter living next door to a family of five who owned a horse farm and had offered free riding lessons for the daughter if she worked around the farm. Kyle and his family though were very much real and, if it hadn't been for them, I'd still be stuck at my old barn slaving away taking care of six ponies and a horse.

Alexander Matthews like I said, is the patriarch of the whole Matthews family. His father had bought Arctic Wolf Farms as a Thoroughbred Racing facility and Alexander had worked alongside his father and brothers to build up the farm's reputation for churning out winning racehorses. Of course, the farm hadn't stayed as a Thoroughbred Racing facility for very long; when Alexander and his brothers got married, his wife along with the other wives had suggested extending the farm's racing programs to include the other riding disciplines such as English and Western, and Harness.

Alexander's father had been dead set against it but, when he died, Alexander and his brothers took over the farm and, gradually, bit by bit, they bought more land, built more barns, and extended the farm's facilities into what it is today. Alexander, Ray, Marta, Emily, Kyle, Rose, and Jake still live in the same house that Alexander had grown up in and had started a family in; his wife had died before I was even born but it was thanks to her and the other wives that Mom had a job and that I would be able to board my horse and my new pony-when I bought them-and train in.

Alexander semi-retired last year and gave Ray, his eldest son who had taken up the reins to become a jockey/trainer, the management of the Thoroughbred Racing facilities. It's basically Ray's job to make sure that the program was running smoothly, the horses saw the vet and farrier, the employees were paid, the bills were paid, and to schedule the races as well as the breeding days. He also had his own horses whom he had brought up to be racers and, while Flight Angel couldn't be bred anymore, he still rode her whenever he could along with his other horse, Blackbird's Feather, who was still siring winning foals.

Marta however was actually a somewhat new addition to their family. She'd lived and trained at the farm ever since she was eighteen and fresh out of high school as a show jumping rider. Ray's first wife had . . . a drinking problem. I don't know the full story and the only thing I remember about the woman was that she didn't like horses and had berated me for "encouraging" her last hope to continue riding instead of dancing.

I didn't understand it at the time but I had always wondered why she'd married Ray and moved in with him if she didn't like horses. But I guess it was because Ray wanted to do the right thing since she was pregnant with his child, Emily, at the time. Marta usually took care of the kids anyway whenever Ray had to be away from home since Emily was afraid of their own mother. After Kyle's adoption had been approved and everything made legal, Christine left the family and only came back two years later with a new fiance and divorce papers.

Needless to say I still don't like her.

Marta was a lot nicer. Despite the kids not even being hers, you wouldn't think that they weren't blood related since they call her mom and she treats them like they were her own. She still trains and rides in the Show Jumping facility, riding the horses that Adam and Casey have as well as her own. One of the great things about working here was that, not only did you ride and train the horses or ponies that were assigned to you but you could also buy a horse and train it. Besides a flat pay, you were also given a share in the winnings and/or sales of that horse.

It was just too bad that Marta was a Show Jumper instead of a Dressage rider cause then she and Mom could travel to shows together.

Emily was the eldest of the kids and we had grown close together during March when she was helping me prepare for my Betrothal Ceremony. I also looked up to her since she is also a student at Red Briar Academy and would be graduating from the high school part of the Academy before entering college. Last week we'd visited her at the Academy and watched her and her two horses, Shadow and Lady, win their final Inter-School Golden Saddle Championship. I dreamed of being invited to attend the school itself because of its reputation of helping their students succeed in a world where horses were expensive and you needed more than just luck and talent to get to the higher levels.

Rose and Kyle also wanted to attend the same Academy and, while Rose and I had talked about what we would do at the Academy, for me, I knew it was only a pipe dream since neither myself nor my mom would be able to afford it. Rose and Kyle though? Were guaranteed to at least be noticed and considered. Rose was kind of an all-rounder, she could ride English or Western but she specialized in both Musical and Classical Dressage as well as the Hunters. Like my mom, she also owned a stallion, a blue-roan Dutch Warmblood named Indigo whom she was training herself but she also just recently bought a French Trotter mare straight off the track whom she was hoping to retrain as a Dressage horse and a Welsh/Connemara/Pinto/Shetland/Warmblood cross pony named Luna whom she was going to ride through the Large Pony classes.

Kyle was strictly for Eventing, he didn't like the idea of messing around with the Equitation or the Hunter classes; and, while he owned both a horse and a pony, Neptune was so tall for a pony that he was actually considered to be a small horse and competed alongside Nakota in their classes. Both of them were used to riding in different riding groups-whether it be private or a group-and their parents could afford the tuition fees as well as even sponsoring them to compete. I just didn't like the idea of being left behind while they got to further their careers.

Jake was the last of the siblings and the youngest; he took a different path than the rest of them in that he was strictly for Western riding. He'd just come back from traveling the rodeo circuit for the preteens and even came back with an extra pony that he'd won in a bet against a fellow competitive rider. But he and I had something in common, something we were both born with but with different causes on how we got it.

We both have Epilepsy. Mine's from several family members having it while his is from his mother's drinking. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is no joke but, other than the Epilepsy, he's a pretty active kid.

I was so focused on my thoughts of my future family that I didn't notice my phone going off until it fell with a clatter to the floor.

"Annika are you okay?" asked Mom as I blushed deep red.

"Yeah . . . I was just . . . thinking," I replied setting my plate down before bending down to pick up my phone. I sat up and looked at the screen to see a picture of my cousin flashing on the screen. I growled but answered the call, knowing I wouldn't get a moment's peace otherwise. "What do you want Victoria?" I asked in annoyance.

"Well it's about time you answered your phone!" Was her reply.

"What are you talking about? This is the first time you called."

"Uh no! It's not! I've called you ten times within the last hour!"

I looked at my phone's call history and, sure enough, her name was listed with the number ten in parenthesis as having called. I put the phone back to my ear. "Okay I was a little busy unpacking everything in mine and mom's new home," I explained. "I mean come on! Even you should know that it takes a good amount of time to move."

"Yeah, yeah whatever! I need you to come back to Morning Star this afternoon," she said as if my explanation was of no importance.

"What?!" I yelped drawing attention from the others. "Are you crazy? There's no way I'm . . ."

"I have a client coming to try out Princess and I need you to get her ready," she explained interrupting me. "So I will need you to be here in an hour. Good-bye!"

She hung up.

I don't know how long I sat there, my phone in my hand, staring at it as if it I could see my cousin's face in the screen. I knew my cousin could be dead, dumb, and blind to everything that wasn't about her but even I couldn't believe that she could be this ignorant. Mom had told everyone that we would be moving, leaving our home and Morning Star Stables forever. Victoria and Sasha's parents who had been paying me to take care of their daughters' ponies had accepted that fact and had paid me my last check this past Saturday when I'd ridden those same ponies in their classes.

But apparently Victoria and Sasha still believed that this was just some huge lie. But couldn't they see that Eclipse, Belle, Aries, and Promise were no longer there? And that my locker and tack trunks were empty and gone?

"Hey Annika, what's up?" asked Rose, her voice breaking through my thoughts of how I could drill reality into my cousin's brain.

"Sort of," I replied setting my phone down and picking up my plate. "But apparently my cousin has a client coming this afternoon and she wants me to go back to the barn and get Princess ready for them," I paused to let the info sink in before I added, "In an hour."

She scoffed knowing exactly what I was talking about when it came to my cousin. "Is she serious? I thought you'd quit your job?"

"I did, I haven't been to the barn since last Saturday when we came back from the show," I replied. "Their parents paid me that day and I had made sure that everything was out of my locker."

She shook her head. "I will never understand that family of yours," she said.

"I don't blame you, for I don't understand them myself either," I said and shook my head. "But it's not like I can go down there now, even if I wanted to. The trip alone on the bypass is three hours, and an 1 ½ on the interstate."

She nods. "And that's assuming that traffic is good right now," she said.

I chuckled and turned my phone off. I know I should have called my uncle to let him know that I wasn't coming but I doubt he would have listened to me. Victoria had a way of getting every adult that she met wrapped around her little finger and, despite multiple complaints from both myself and everyone else, nothing had been done to punish her.

After lunch, we all helped clean up before the adults went around to make sure everything was all set while we collapsed in the living room. It was Emily who broke the silence. "So are you lot excited for the Memorial Day show at the end of this month?"

"Yep, I've already entered Indigo and Luna in the Dressage and Hunter classes, but Starrie needs more time," explained Rose.

"Yeah Max is making me take both Neptune and Nakota for the Dressage classes," replied Kyle. He made a face. "Man I hate Dressage.

"Yeah but it's a necessary evil if you want to compete in Eventing," I pointed out. Which was true, unlike in the Dressage and Show Jumping events where horse and rider only have to compete in one or the other, Eventing comprised of both of those events as well as a cross-country course. Not every horse could compete well in all three events but, where they may be weak in one area, they could be strong in the other two.

For example, my mare, Eclipse, could jump anything and everything that you pointed her at, but she absolutely hates Dressage more than anything. And I usually have to promise her my mom's homemade granola bars if I wanted her to do well. Nakota was the same way only he was the best at the cross-country course and I think it had something to do with the fact that he'd once ran wild in the midwest. He's a Nokota stallion who'd once ran wild in Nevada but had been by caught by the B.L.M. along with the rest of his herd when he was two years old.

Kyle and his family had been out that way for Jake to compete in the Medium Pony classes at the rodeo at the time; he'd been looking for a horse for a long time and, after learning about the adoption process had chosen to adopt the two year old. Nakota was a bit high-strung and, while he went well for anyone who rode him, he only did great with Kyle; the two were now competing at the Training Level along with Neptune.

Eclipse and I had just graduated to Training Level last week and I couldn't wait for the summer shows to start.

He stuck his tongue out at me.

"Really brother dear? Act your age not your shoe size," said Rose tossing a pillow at him.

He caught it but instead of throwing it back at her, he placed it under his head. "Thanks for the extra pillow sis, I needed it," he replied motioning with his head to where she lay with no pillows.

"Hey give it back!" she said.

"You tossed it over here," he said teasingly.

She growled but got up to walk over to him when he suddenly bust out laughing and tossed the pillow at her.

"Here you go," he said between laughs.

"Hmph!" she replied after she caught the pillow. She dropped down on the couch and laid back down, placing the pillow under her head. "Brothers!"

"Sisters!" both he and Jake replied.

"Staying out of it!" said Emily.

"Entschuldigung, ich spreche kein Englisch," I replied in German. (Sorry I don't speak English).

Kyle looked over at me in confusion. "Say what?" he asked.

"It means, "Sorry, I don't speak English', in German," I replied casually. "So guess what? You just got your first lesson in German."

He groaned. "Why couldn't you have taken French? Or Spanish?" he asked.

"Oh and just think, you'll also be learning Irish and Portuguese as well," I replied.

We laughed at the face he made. Kyle was smart but he didn't really like school as much as I did. It made me wonder just how well he would do when he had to learn my three languages for the next four years, or how well I'll be doing during that time in riding at a new barn for new trainers.

I didn't want to think of it but later, when everyone else had gone home for the night and mom had gone to bed, that I finally thought about what this whole betrothal meant for my future.

When Mom had first told me that I was to be betrothed to Kyle I was scared, confused, and angry at her for it. I mean, why take away my choice of who I not only wanted to date but to also marry? And what if it didn't work out? I'm only fourteen and he's fifteen, things happen and change all the time. She only told me that Ray and Marta had suggested it since we were so close and, during that month of March things began changing real quick. Mom was offered a job as a trainer/competitive rider for the farm's Dressage program and we would be moving to live here from now on.

The Betrothal Ceremony though was something I would never forget; it took place over the course of three days. The first day was when Mom and I arrived and Mom showed them everything that I have done over the years: my sewing, my photography, and my writing to show how I could contribute to the marriage. Kyle and I weren't allowed to see each other until the next night, my birthday, where I would be presented to the family. But he had snuck over and had spent the night where I finally understood why he had always treated me as something more than as a friend. On the day of my party, I spent being waxed and made up for the night where I not only met the rest of the family but I had also proved my knowledge of not only the Lakota language but also German, Irish, and Portuguese, being able to sing and play the piano.

I guess I must have passed or something because the next morning, Kyle and I stood in front of the whole family with his parents next to him and Mom next to me as we said our betrothal vows. But there was still that mystery of why I was chosen for him when Mom and I were basically living on a shoestring budget and I was trying to further my career. And I still find it strange that Kyle had been adopted by Ray and his first wife in the first place since the Lakota Reservation is in South Dakota and we're here in Florida.

I heard something tapping on the window next to my bed and, at first, I ignored it, thinking it was a nightbird or a tree branch hitting the glass or something. But then the tapping grew louder and I looked up to see . . .

"What on earth? Kyle!"

"Let me in please!" he said, his voice muffled by the glass.

I jumped to my feet and quickly walked the three steps to the window. I unlocked the locking mechanism on top and pulled the window open, stepping back to let him in. "Kyle what are you doing here?" I asked trying to keep the irritation I felt at his recklessness out of my voice. "What if you get caught?"

"Will you quit your worrying? We're not gonna get caught," he said as he climbed through the window, placing his hands on either side of the window frame and balancing precariously back as he put first one foot through the open window then the other. Once his legs and bottom torso were through the window, he leaned back so that the rest of him could go through and he was leaning against the window frame. "And besides, all I'm doing is coming to visit my girlfriend."

"But Noelle said . . ." I began but stopped myself before I could finish the sentence. Noelle had been the midwife who had given me a physical and had checked to make sure that I was a virgin as Mom and I had claimed. Noelle had also warned me that if Kyle and I were seen to be too intimate that she would know the next time she checked me.

He sighed and walked toward me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, pulling me close. "Annika I'm not here for that, don't forget I'm underage too," he said leaning his face close to mine until our foreheads were touching. "And besides, it's sort of a tradition in my family."

"A tradition?" I asked in confusion, wondering what he was talking about.

"See, if the girl lives on our farm-whether permanently or just to visit during the holidays-the boy can visit her at night. It's a way of bonding."

"And . . . how exactly do we bond with each other?" I asked, thinking of the bonding games me, Rose, and Emily had played when I slept over.

He shrugged. "Well we hangout . . . and sleep in the same bed . . ." he began.

I looked up at him startled at the last part of sentence. "Sleep in the same bed?" I asked. I tried to keep the fear out of my voice but he noticed it right away.

"Fully clothed and with you underneath the sheets," he said calmly and reached up to brush my bangs out of my face. "I should warn you, that me visiting you at night will help you during the last two weeks of the summer," he adds.

"And how's that?" I asked wondering how I was supposed to be able to handle having Kyle in my bed. Fully clothed? Fine with that. Me underneath the sheets? Fine with that too, as long as he wasn't underneath the sheets with me. But what was supposed to happen during the last two weeks of the summer that him and I sharing a bed would help?

"Because when our families go on the camping trip you and I will be sharing a tent."

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RogueMustangMare: Okay so just so everyone knows, arranged marriages aren't just things that were done centuries ago, they are still performed today. The fact that Annika and Kyle are betrothed is not something uncommon, especially in Native American tribes. Also, there will be no sex between the two teens until later, Annika is 14 and Kyle is 15; yes they're at that age where sex is becoming a new topic but I'm sure you will agree with Kyle's past, sex is a bit of an issue in later chapters.

Annika: Yeah thanks for not telling them just yet, Kyle's still shy about talking about that and I only had to deal with his father for one day. I can't imagine dealing with that SOB for more than six years.

RogueMustangMare: Okay so take it easy everyone, have a nice day, and look forward to more chapters. Keep in mind, I do work as well as go to school, so the updates will be long and in between.