Hope you guys like the second chapter-give me some idea's if you want. I know there arren't very many stories on here for privileged, and that the series is over, but oh well, we can have our own fun right?
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No one was allowed to ride in the ambulance with Alex. Will was pissed at that, but he, Marco, Magan, and Charlie all rode in his truck towards the hospital. The ambulance was far ahead of them by now.
Laurel had stayed with the girls to keep the aprty going, they were going to come by in the morning, unless anything else happened. Will thought it was amazing how someone could be so cold to their emplyee the very first day, he couldnt believe it.
But Marco jsut reassured him that it was her duty to stay behind, being one of the few that hosted the event every year and put alot of money into it. Will jsut shut his mouth, knowing he wasn't going to win.
"What the hell happened?" he asked, anyone for answers. Everyone was still shaking their heads no that they didnt know anything. "She didnt seem that great coming in, but she jsut told me she couldnt walk in heels and that she was nervous about being in a room full of people like that"
"I'm not sure Will, but she was breathing and alive when the ambulance got to her, so thats a good sign" Marco had jsut called Louis 5 minutes ago to get to the house, summon Rami, and tell him to send the folder of Alex's personal things that Laurel had in case of emergencies, to the hospital.
"Yea, thats true" he sighed as he had to stop at yet another red light. As soon as he got the green, it was only 30 meters away where the turn in for the hospital was. The ambulance was already in the drive in area where they couldnt see it.
As soon as he parked, they all got out before the engine was turned off. Charlie and Megan followed Marco and Will at the fast pace they set into the main entrance of the hospital. Lousi was there already, how the hell? Will thought, but didn't bother to ask, happy he was there with her documentations.
Louis passed Marco the folder as he went up to the front desk with it, pulling out a copied health card in a pocket and handing it to the front desk, then talking to her about it. Will couldnt hear him, so he walked up to know everything.
"...she jsut came in not 2 minutes ago in an ambulance, we would like to know where she went and if we can go see her" Marco told the lady, who was typing thing into the computer off of Alex's health card. She also took a document saying she had full health here under Laurel Limoge, so it was taken care of.
"Miss Alexandra was just admitted i believe, although no name has come up, there was only one ambulance in the past half hour, and it came in about 45 secodns ago" the woman typed and stared at her ocmputer.
"That would be her" Marco said.
"I can let you go to the ICU waiting room, and from there they can give you information on the whereabouts of her at this time, im sure she will not be able to see anyone for a little while until she's set up in a room" the woman directed them which way to go, and they all walked the halls, entered the elevator, climbed some stairs and turned a corner, facing a glass wall with doors that had Intensive Care Unit written on them.
Will walked in first, followed by the next 4. He walked up to the receptionist and she immediately told them what happened.
"You're here to see Miss Alexandra i presume" she ntoed in their dress clothes.
"Yes that is correct" Marco said.
"She was just administered to an operation room" she started, and everyone started freaking "but, for non life threatening injuries, they don;'t know whats going on, and she's still unconscoious, but, i was told you have her documents of information?"
"Yes, right here" Marco passed the folder over. Will noted that it was huge, he wondered why.
She indicated a row of chairs a few feet away. Everyone took a seat and waited patiently while the nurse was talking with someone on the phone. It was so quiet that lat at night in the ICU that they could hear her tlaking on the phone perfectly. A female doctor came in and she passed it off to her.
"Hello, this is Karen from the ICU unit in Miami General Hospital, in Florida, i believe i have an old patient of yours by the name of Alexandra Bergeron" she said and waited a few moments, looking through the folders and papers,.
She ndoded "yes, she was admitted here just 5 minutes ago, collapsed under severe dehydration we believe, although not too much information was known as to anymore, but she seemed to be a pale white and severly dehydrated, and i see here a list of complicatios in the past, and one major item" she said, knowing that she wasn't going to say it over the phone while everyone was listening.
"Yes, thats right, she is currently unconscious" the doctor seemed to finally realize that the audience in the chairs were listening and she ended up quitting the call, only to pick up another call. Aparantly from the operating room.
"Okay, she's awake" she said loudly, and turned to everyone sitting there, they all exhaled deeply, very happy. She talked for a second longer and hung up, walking out from behind the desk and over to everyone.
"She has asked to see me right now, i will head in a talk to her and then see if she wants everyone to come see her, i will be back in a few minutes" she indicated before heading off down the aisle, past some double doors and out of site.
"Thank god she's awake" Marco said immediately.
"Yea thats really good news, i wodner what heppened?" Megan wondered aloud. Will nodded his head, wondering what she was tlaking about on the phone, 'one major item' he remembered her saying, then stopped talking, knowing they were listening.
What was it that she didnt want them to know before she talked with Alex?
A few minutes passed by in silence before the doctor came back, trying to compose herself a bit, and suceeding, but not before Will could sense she wasn't happy about talking to them, he wondered what happened, had she collapsed again?
"Alexandra is doing fine" she started, everoyne was relieve once again, why was Will the only one who felt nervous? "and she wanted me to tell you before she went in, it was all nerves, and dehydration, not a well mixture, can cause the body to go into shock, especially here in Florida, she said she's never been anywhere so hot and humid before"
"Make sure that girl has got a water bottle on her at all times" Charlie joked lightly, easing the tension in the air, but Will still wasn't convinced. He looked over at everyone, they all looked happy, except Marco, he looked jsut as upset as Will did, maybe he sensed it too?
Marco looked over at Will as he sene him looking at everyone, he gave him a smile and stood up, as did everyone else. Will just realized they were allowed to go see her now.
They all followed the doctor down the hallway, through a set od double doors, and then into the first room on the left.
It was a large room, single room. Only Alex's bed was there, with a tv on, but muted on the ceiling. Alex turned to see them as they came in. Will noticed she had an iv drip attacjhed to her wrist. Probably to replensih her lost, or lack of, fluids.
"I am so sorry that i ruined the night for you, i can't believe i did, can you guys forgive me?" Alex laughed nervously, so scared that they would see through everything, that they knew it wasn't just dehydration and nerves.
Megan was the one who stepped forward towards the bed. "Alex, you're crazy, that's nonsense" she said.
Will came up as well "yea, i didn't even want to be there really, so thanks for bailing us out" he gave a smile to even the nerves he had built inside of him, seeing how white she still was. It was really scary seeing ehr like this, he never even knew her, but it was still upsetting seeing someone-anyone in this state.
But it easesd him when she smiled huge, that awesome smile that was almost too big for her face. He realized Megan was making her smile at something she was saying that he hadn't heard. At the same time, the doctor who had brought them in, had come back and told them they could come back tommorow and get her, but it was almost 1 in the morning and she should get some sleep.
"As should all of you" she gestured to everyone still in their tuxes and dresses. She fiddled with the bannana bag IV before telling them they ahd 5 minutes to say goodbye.
"Alex, are you good, cause i must let Laurel know" Marco placed a hand on her leg, which was covered by a blanket. Everyone was watching her itnently. It was amazing how generous these people were to her, she almost thought no one would show up after tonight, jsut getting her in the morning.
"I'm great Marco, you heard the doc, jsut some dehydration, i've got a travel water bottle i will keep with me at all times until i get used to the humidity and heat here" she joked with him, trying desperately to make them believe that was it. Marco nodded his head, but she couldn't shake it from her mind that he knew there was something else wrong, that she wasn't saying.
"Alright boy's and girls" Marco said, straightening up after patting her leg and giving her a brief look after she told him that, and turned to usher everyone out. Will walked up to the end of the bed, looking down at her.
She smiled at him as best as she could, which was pretty good, cause damn, he was hot! She almost chuckled as she thought of him like that.
"So did you want me to come and get you then?" he laughed "cause i was supposed to be the date for the evening, and i didn't get to take you back home yet"
Alex laughed. Everyone had already said a small bye and wave before exiting, leaving them to say bye. "Yea for sure, let Laurel know and the girls know i will give them their first lesson tommorow anytime they want"
"Will do, but are you sure you wanna start tommorow?" he cocked his head to understand her more, thinking she was a little crazy that she was teaching the day she got out of the hospital.
"Will, i'm perfectly fine, don't worry!" she forced a small smile, almost wishing he would leave before he said something, and she said something that he would suspect something otherwise. He gave her a nod and a little wave.
"Alright, i will be here to bail you out tommorow morning then?" he joked and she nodded, then he nodded "get some sleep, you're probably exhausted, oh, and Alex" he said as he turned to the door, but stopped and turned around "sorry for bringing you tonight, i knew it wasn't your kind of thing, i should ahve known"
"Should have known!?" Alex laughed "Will, you just met me today, well, yesterday and plus it was my own fault" she shook her head at him and snuggled further into the pillows and pulled the blanket up to her neck "goodnight Will" she said and watched as he also said night, and left.
Alex lay in bed thinking about what she had told the doctor, happy that the doctor was able to give a little white lie to her new friends aobut her reason for her being here. She knew that she was eventually gonna have to tell them about her, but the first day wasn't quite the right day. She pulled the string on the light above her head and sunk into a nice dreamy sleep of everyone at her new home.
~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~
"You heading out to pick up Alexandra now?" Marco said from the kitchen just as Will walked by the open kitchen alley-way. He stopped and turned around, walking back into the kitchen, stopping just inside the door. Marco was preparing another huge supper for that night for everyone, which of course, was going to be delicious.
"Yea, how'd you know?" Will asked, even though he knew the answer.
"I know everything" Marco said with a small smile as he grated a giant pile of cheese onto a cutting board "but you are jingling you're keys" he gestured the the keys in Will's left hand, then turned to look at the clock "and she is allowed to be free from the hospital in exactly 4 minutes" he stopped grating before he gave Will a smile.
"William William" Marco sighed "are we crushing on the newest memeber of the team here?" Will was surprised he knew, but still palyed dumb.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Will gave a small laugh "i'm not crushing on her, i just happen to be a very nice guy, and i just met her yesterday" he walked in more to the kitchen and leaned on the island to get a further inspection on what Marco was making, even though he still couldnt tell, he had bacon frying in a pan.
"Will, i know you more than you think, and you are crushing on Alex"
"Hey, i didn't crush on Megan when she first arrived!" Will protested, trying to get Marco off his back so he could leave and go get Alex, man he WAS crushing bad!
"Yes, because she arrived with her boyfriend helping her move in on the first day" Marco confirmed, as Will had knew. Will had thought that Megan was a gorgeous girl and her boyfriend was a friend of his now, but he never thought of it that way.
Will had paused just long enough for a confirmation to Marco, who already knew it, but this was evidence. Marco gave him a smile before tending to the bacon and finishing the cheese. Something was boiling in a covered pot he didn't know.
"Okay okay" Will jsut smiled. Marco nodded. "but about last night, the phone call, her talking to the doctor before us, it jsut seemed weird to me" he was dazed, thikning, staring into the hot frying pan of bacon sizzling.
Marco had turned from the kitchen sink after washing his hands to stare at Will "you saw that too huh?" his words made Will break the trance and concentration on one single piece of bacon that was crackling.
"Yea, just doen't seem like this was all caused by dehydtration, i mean, she was ghost white, dehydration doesn't cause that, does it?" he said, staring at Marco.
Marco shook his head sadly, both of them knowing something else was up. Just not knowing what it was. "But William, don't got bothering her about it, if she wants to tell anyone if there's anytihng more, let her, especially on ehr first day of coaching"
"Yea true, you gonna go watch her?" Will asked as he slowly moved towards the door, noticing it was now time to pick her up.
"Yea i was thinking about it, Laurel said she was going to go see the first lesson, as Megan is also, you coming?" he gave a small smile, already knowing it was a yes.
"I'll think aobut it" Will joked, then gave a wave and walked out, before walking right back in "by the way, Marco, what the hell are you making?"
Marco smiled again and looked up from stirring whatever was in the mystery pot, he pulled the spoon out, and tipped it, only to let a dolop of gravy fall back into its contents. "Poutine, hurry back"
Will laughed, and picked up the pace as he rushed out to the large driveway to his truck and headed off towards the hospital.
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"Hey, finally!" Alex joked as she saw Will walk into her room. She was sitting in bed, with her legs over the side, but she still looked pale-had she always looked like that? he wondered, cause she looked good now. She was dressed in the dress again, and Will wanted to smack himself for not bringing her some differnt clothes.
"Oh crap, sorry Alex" he groaned "I didn;t even think of bringing you some differnt clothes"
Alex only laughed "thats okay, i do like this dress, and why not make a grand exit before i leave?" she joked. Will laughed at her, she seemed quite normal now. "Alright lets go, i am now discharged, my doc came in earlier to let me go"
Will helped her off the quite high bed, since she had the heels on again. He was still worried about her, so he put his hand around her back to help her walk down towards the nurses station, and she gave a wave to the docto who was on the phone. She gave a nod and a wave, as well as a smile to her dress and heels she was exiting with.
"What a way to make an exit eh?" Alex laughed as she got some stares wlaking out of the hospital with Will at her side, obviously dressed more casually with a grey t-shirt and blue jeans.
Will laughed and nodded as he guided her over to his truck and opened the door for her. She thanked him as she hoisted herself in, careful with the dress. Will shut the door once she was in and jogged around the other side. Alex laughed as she noticed he did that.
"Marco has whipped us up some poutine for your arrival" Will told her as he exited the parking lot after paying 2 dollars to get out.
"Wicked!" she exclaimed "two days in a row, i never even had it that good at home" she laughed.
"Are you sure you wanna teach the girls for the first time tonight?" Will asked her. She got nervous, hoping they weren't gonna get into this conversation again, praying he would ge toff topic.
"Oh yea, im fine now, don't worry" she brushed her hand at him "by the way, do you know what time the girls were going to want their lesson anyway?"
Will knew she was trying to avoid tlaking about this, and he remembered what Marco was saying to leave her alone, especially on her first couple days here. But he was still upset that she was hiding something from them, he was very curious as to what was really wrong. He was mixed up in thinking about that until Alex nudged him in the arm, repeating the question.
"Oh sorry, uhmm yea" he smiled at her and turned onto the street and through the gate for the area "i think i heard Marco saying they were having it at 7 o'clock"
"Okay, thanks" Alex said. "Wonder what the girls are going to be like, i hope they can commit to something like a horse, they seme like the type to not commit to a horse" she said it plain and simple. Hoping Will wasn't gonna get mad at her makaing assumptions about his neighbours, even though they were like 10 years younger than him. Will made her feel better when he laughed and agreed.
"Yea, only time can tell on that part, when Laurel has staff to take care of every aspect of her home, including her horses, who knows how much quality time they will get with their own animals" Will told her. He pulled the large truck into the large circular driveway, parking over next to Alex's front door, so she wouldn't have to walk far to get changed.
"I'll meet you over in the kitchen then, i'm gonna go grab a quick shower and change of clothes" Alex said as she hopped to the ground from the large truck. Will nodded his head and headed off towards the kitchen.
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Alex headed out the back door of her apartment. She had finished up some phone calls back home. Thank god she didn't have to pay the phone bill! She ahd called her mother, father, sister, and 3 friends. The rest she emailed a quick hello, what she was doing, and goodbye. She would fill them in later on, on msn hopefully she thought. She really missed back home now, back where she didn't have to hide behind the crazy amount of foundation, covering what was really up with her.
She had to apply a liquid foundation heavily in the right tone of her skin everyday-at least everyday she was around people who didn't know her, otherwise, she would get strange looks and points. She knew last night she had gotten quite a few of them, from Will and Megan, and everyone else. She just hoped they thought it was in their head, or the lighting last night. She looked 'normal' now, so she was praying no one would metin last night to her.
She and Will had eaten the large plates of poutine that Marco had made them for her welcome back after the hospital visit. She hadn't sene Laurel yet, apparently she had a meeting quite early in the morning, and had gone somewhere else that no one knew afterwards, but Alex was told she was coming to the girls' first lesson.
Alex glanced at her watch, seeing that it was starting in 5 minuteS? She hoped the girls had their horses tacked up, or almost, cause she was sure Laurel was not the type to be waiting. But then she thought about it, the girls didn't seem like the type to be tacking up their own horses, wanting her to do it. Oh crap. She started jogging around the house, hoping they weren't all waiting for her to tack up the horses.
She jogged towards the barn and seen the two girls standing there. Oh no. They had their riding attire on, which consisted of pretty much formal, show clothes. Alex looked left and right once she got there, looking for the horses, then peered into the stalls which the girls were standing across from.
Mia was getting Gold's bridle on, and it looked as if Silver was already tacked up in her stall, her halter over her bridle and tied to a ring jsut outside the stall, so that she couldn't eat with the bit in her mouth. Alex was glad to see they were ready on time, but she didn't like Mia doing it, she wanted the girls to take responsibility.
Alex said a hi to the girls before heading to the stall and slipping in next to Mia who was just finishing doing up the throatlatch on the bridle. She made sure the girls couldn't hear her, but she didn't need to worry, because they were talking about the new riding boots they had ordered from Spain?
"Hey sorry about you getting them tacked up, i'll make sure they do it next time" she said quietly.
Mia laughed at her "I don't mind, I get paid for it, but I would pay anything to see you to get those girls to tack up their own hroses" she said the last part a bit sadly, knowing they were not the kind for responisbilities such as taking care of their horses to this extent.
"I'll figure it out" Alex said and slipped back out, giving her a smile before so. She turned to the girls once she exited the stall "okay, head on down to the outdorr arena with your horses, and i will be right there, jsut gonna grab some props from the tack room"
And with that, she never waited for an answer, just headed off, hoping they would do as told. She was the teacher, this was what they wanted apparently, and she could tell already if she didn't step up and take charge as the boss, she was gonna be poudned into the ground before too long.
She made her way to the large, airy tack room at the end. It had 3 large windows facing the arena's and pastures on the far wall. On the wall with the door, there was tack trunks and lockers, another wall jsut had old old pictures of horses, paintings were some. She figured they were horses from the family from decades ago. And anotehr wall had trunks, closets, shelves, and any kind of storage.
Alex grabbed a lunge whip from the dozen on the hooks beside her head as she walked in. Pulled down a lunge line from the many hanging on the wall, and 4 pilons from the stacks in the corner. She looked out the window cautiously down to the arena to see the bleachers had about 20 people on them?! She was a bit scared, but she wondered who the hell was there to watch.
She seen Marco, Louis, Laurel, Megan, Charlie, Will, and about 10 others all around. They were all girls, except 2 guys, but all the girls' age. Friends she thought. As she turned around to exit, Mia walked in and gave her a headset.
"Laurel wants you to wear this so she can hear everything about the lesson" Mia said apolegetically, with a small smile "it amplifies over the arena on a few speakers" she laughed at Alex's face as she speechlessly took the headset.
"Oh lordy, i ahte public speeches, and now look what im doing" she joked as she set the items down and put the headset on, putting the other piece in her back pocket. She smiled her thanks as Mia said good luck as she exited.
Heading down, she saw the girls at the rail talking to everyone with their horses, laready in the arena. Everyone turned to look at her-pretty much the girls' friends. All of her new friends gave a a comforting smile, but didn't stare like the rest. She was guessing that Sage had told them all how she hated her.
Oh well. just do your job and everything will be fine.
Alex wlaked into the arena and shut the door behind her. She amde sure the volume was turned quite low on her handpack in her pocket before she talked.
"Alright, one hour lesson each time, when you get down to the arena, i want you to hand walk your horses in either direction before we do anything else" Alex immediately directed, ignoring the faces of the teens staring at her, and her voice being broadcasted over the arena. The girls didn't say a thing, but started walking around with their horses.
"Alex, over here" she heard someone. Megan was waving for her to come to the railing. She headed over and laughed, having to cover the mouthpiece of her headset to see Megan waving a water bottle-not used to the fact she was gonna have to always drink, or fake it, to keep them happy.
"Thanks Megan" she said as she took the bottle and took a swig to make everyone happy.
"How are you doing Alex" Laurel said "you don't need to do a lesosn tonight if you're not up to it"
Alex was touched by her saying that, she would have thought that Laurel thought her being in the hospital was an inconveniance. "No thats okay Laurel, but thanks, i feel a hundred percent" Alex smiled at her before putting her bottle on the railing and turning around.
She saw the girls walking together with their horses, quite slow. "Alright, i want you, Sage, to cut across the arena, and walk on the other side, never walk your hroses together that close when you have a whole arena" that earned a good stare from Sage "and a quicker walk, it helps the hroses loosen up a bit just after having their saddles and bridles being put on"
Sage did as she told with no words. Alex was amazed. But as she passed her to get to the items in the middle of the arena, so could tell she was pissed. Oh well.
As the girls walked around, faster this time, Alex had put out the 4 pilons at each corner, making sure the girls went on the outside of them, because newbies always tended to cut their corners off dramtically. But she was not going to tell them that, she would tell them it helps their hroses turn more on the hin-end or some bullshit like that. At least until they could do it without.
"Alright, beofre i forget, i would like you two to learn by Mia how to brush and tack up your own horses and do it yourself after this one lesson" Alex declared, knowing the reaction she was gonna get.
"What!" Sage exclaimed. Rose was quiet. Maybe she was listening to her. "Whay the hell would be do that when we have people who do that for us!"
"Because, how do you think you'd feel if you actually got into Scotsdale and never knew how to tack up your own horse?" Alex said to her, staring at her as she walked. "There are handlers who have people tack their horses up, yes, but if you ask them to tack up their own hroses, they can do it"
"Alright, i don't mind" Rose said, giving Sage a look "it'll be fun, we can try out our new brushes ourselves on them huh Sage?"
"There, good attitude, and also, your horses will enjoy you more if you're the one doing the tacking up, they respect you more" Alex said. She noticed the girls were done walking and started for the middle. "Okay, right after we stop our walking, and before we mount, we need to check two things, things that may have moved whie walking"
"Our tack?" Rose asked, seeming genuinely interested. At least that makes one of them. Sage didn't care.
"Yup, girth will need to done up a bit more because of the walking, loosening up the horses stomach muscles a bit, and the bridle, just in case" Alex gestured to either one. Both girls were fiddling with the two, not really knowing what to do. Alex just kept her calm and walked over to help. She went to Rose's saddle... Sage peeked around Gold's head to watch.
"Lift up this flap, and pull against the girth, if you can fit your 4 fingers in, and pull it completely away, like this" Alex gestured, the girth of Silver's saddle came out about 2 inches away from the body "then it needs to be done up, maybe 2 holes on each billet" she showed Rose and she got to work. Sage went to her saddle and did it, just like she wasn't watching Alex.
Both of them checked the bridles, not so much though. Just to make sure everything was even and nothing pinching the hroses' face. Alex stood back away from them a few feet away.
"Alright, mount up" Alex indicated with her hands. Sage jsut looked at her.
"What, you're not gonna give us a lecture on how to mount the horses?" Sage said, icily. Alex held her breath, knowing she had a huge audience, but anymore of these remarks and she would certainly give them some entertainment.
"Nope, i will afterwards if i have any suggestions" Alex smiled at her, gritting her teeth to force the smile.
Both girls raised their left foot in the stirrups and mounted. Rose was shorter, so she had to hop a few times, but Sage easily got on, giving a triumphant smile as she did so. But as soon as she was on, she pushed Gold forward to brush past her, VERY close-too close, before she had her other foot in the stirrup.
"Alright, well two things Sage. . . one" Alex said, her hard tone coming through a bit "make sure you get your right foot in the stirrup before asking a horse to move on, big accidents have happened of horses bolting. . .and two" Alex turned to look at her as she walked along the rail. Rose was now walking as well, but after Alex gave her the okay "if you ever do a stupid thing like almost run me over while on a horse, you will sit out for the lesson"
HA. That sure got her attention, along with the audience. Alex heard a gasp and some chuckles from the side. She knew where both came from. Sage's friends were probably astonished that someone as middle-low class talked to her like that. And Will and Megan were probably snickering, knowing how Sage was.
Not a word came out of her mouth.
"Alright, we are going to start every lesson just like this, the hand walking-checking our tack, mounting, then we stretch our hroses out for at least 10 minutes" Alex walked large cirlces in the middle of the arena, to be able to see both girls at anytime.
"10 minutes!" Sage finally said "we only have 1 hour lessons!"
"Yup, exactly why less tlaking and fighting with me, the quicker you get on and get working" Alex looked down at her watch "we have now wasted away half of the lesson, which, usually the begining part only takes 10 minutes" Rose was upset looking, Alex felt bad for her. She was sure Rose didn't quite like all the talking and learning like this, but its how you start, you eventually get quicker, and more knowledgeable so that questins aren't needed as often. But Rose seemed interested and willing to know everytihng and give Alex no shit, unlike her evil twin.
"Day's go by and you will get quicker at these things, and it will come naturally, you'll be doing it without even knowing it" Alex told them. "Okay, the 10 minutes in the begining is stretching, flexing and bending our horses, remember, horses are using differnt muscles to carry you than standing freely in the pasture, they need to have them well warmed up before any strenuous exercise"
"But horses are so much more muscl-y" Rose said, saying te last word slower "shouldn't they be okay with it, they got so much more!"
"Well, they're alot bigger too, so in equivalent, they're the same as us, if we don't warm up our musccles before we run, and just start running as soon as our feet hit the ground, we're gonna screw ourselves over" Alex stated, watching both girls walking. "But some good exercises for the horses are circles, and bending around our inside leg as they do it, stretching their barrel, or torso part of their body"
Alex walked up to Rose as she neared her "if you do a circle now, and push your inside leg against this area, right behind the girth, your horse will eventually move off of it, not liking pressure, but, adding pressur to the other side at the spot on the girth, will allow the horse to use those muscles a bit more and eventually gain more muslce power"
Alex stepped back and watched as Sage did the same thing "good good, now we only do those on the corners, especially in the first 10 minutes, it allows the hroses' muscles a little break of bending while they walk along the long side" Alex snuck a glance over at the rail.
Laurel actually looked pleased, if the small smile was anthing to go by. Everyone was quiet, watching. Will was leaning against the rail alongside Louis. Alex picked up the lunge line and whip and stood in the centre, watching them do circles a few more times before calling them to stop.
"Okay, we only have 10 minutes left, so i want both of you to work on a little balance, and knwo how the hroses move, to better your seat, and learn how to move with the horse more, making you and the horse more comfortable" Alex stated "Rose, would you mind coming into the centtre, you can start, Sage you jsut stay on the rail in that corner and can watch, you're next"
As soon as Sage saw Alex putting the lunge line over Silvers bridle, she yet again, wasn't happy.
"There is no way I will be towed around like an 8 year old on my horse, no way!" she exclaimed.
Alex didn't say anytihng, jsut talked to Rose. After attaching the lead line on, she told her what she was gonna do. She had tied up the reins into a knot and secured them to the bridle to prevent them falling, but not allowing Rose to use them.
"Alright, i just want you to keep your hands on the handhold here" Alex indicated to the strap in front of the saddle "just gonna walk and trot, and do some things like taking one or two hands off at a time" when she said that, Rose was a little scared and she laughed "don't worry, i won't allow you to fall, believe me"
Rose agreed, and nodded her head. Alex let some line go out and stood back, picking up the whip, but then throwing it down again, figuring these horses were so well trained on voice cues.
"Walk on" Alex said and Silver obediantly walked. Rose was a little scared looking, but tried to force a smile as Silver walked faster, knowing that a lunge line usually meatn a faster, trianing pace. "Don't worry, i won't let her go any faster"
Rose nodded and settled into her walk, which was a little fast, so Alex slowed her down a bit.
"Why does she walk faster like that, Alex" Alex was astonished to hear Laurel from the side of the arena "does she knwo that she's going to go faster?"
Alex nodded her head "most people when using lunge lines on horses, use them for exercising, so they usually trot and canter, so sometimes when horses get hooked to one, they immediately think about it and get excited" Rose looked scared when she said that "but don't worry, she's very well trained, she knows what she's supposed to do" Alex said it to Laurel, but it eased Rose a bit more.
"Would you like to try a trot?" Alex asked. Rose looked at her cautiously and nodded her head, almost immediately digging her heels into her, causing a choppy trot from Silver. Rose immediately fell forward to grab the reins, but they were too far. Silver felt Rose falling and immediately stopped.
"Alright, you always gotta remember about your feet as well, legs and heels are our way of telling them to go, so when you dig your heels into her, she wants to go" Alex gave a chuckle to ease Rose's worries that seemed to be apparent on her face. Rose sat back up and Alex walked the mare on again.
"Now remember, don't lean back, just sit more on your seat bone than anything else, keeping your toes and knees in a straight vertical line to the ground and it will keep your balance more" Alex reassured her "ready?"
"Yup" Rose finally said, not digging her heels in this time. Alex clucked to the mare and told her to "trot on" Silver picked up a very smooth, almost jog-like trot. Rose was a bit unseated at first until Alex told her to sit more back on that seat bone, which she did, and it came more easily.
After doing 3 circuits on the trot, Alex almost laughed before she said the next thing "alright, you wanna do it with no hands?" Rose looked at her like she had two heads "you don't have to, but its easier to do it while you're already trotting, so that you're already in correct movement with the horse" she was trotting the whole time she said this. Rose nodded again.
"Alright, easiest way to do it is out to your sides" Alex told her simply. Rose contemplated it for a second before slowy taking one hand, then the other off the handhold, and bringin them out to the side. After a few seconds, Rose's face was a huge smile.
Everyone applauded from the side, but Alex noticed the girl's friends didn't do much, barely even clapped for Rose, who seemed so happy that she had did it. As soon as they stopped, Rose leaned forward to give Silver a pat and thank her for not running.
Alex was so happy that Rose did it, and that she was so interested in it all, and with her horse. But Sage was another case. When she thought of Sage, she turned to where Sage was with Gold, teling her she was next, but Sage was dismounting.
"No way i am being ponied around like a kid, i can do it by myself" and with that, she pulled Gold off towards the gate. Alex snuck a glance over to Laurel and everyone. They stared at Sage leaving, then to Alex. Alex saw Laurel shake her head, she didn't know whether she was disappointed with Sage, or with Alex for not doing her job well enough to get her granddaughter to finish her first lesson.
Crap.
