You've got to be kidding me" Beca deadpanned, turning to her instructor for an explanation.

"I don't see your point" Freya replied coolly.

"Why the hell is someone like that coming here instead of…the other place" Beca caught herself quickly. Freya turned and leveled her gaze with the short brunette.

"If there's a new boarder, that means more money. Do you have a problem with that?" The woman stated, staring down the girl. Beca scuffed her feet on the ground, crossing her arms.

"No" she muttered.

"That's what I thought – now be nice" she hissed as a tall man with a broad smile made his way towards them from the truck.

"Hello, Daniel Beale" he shook hands with Freya heartily.

"I'm Freya Davy– I own the stables and instruct. These are two other boarders at the yard, Beca and Stacie" Freya introduced them.

"Nice to meet you all. Chloe's just getting Swan from the trailer." Mr Beale grinned at the two teenagers. Stacie shook his hand, but Beca stood still, a guarded look in her eyes. All of their attention was drawn to the trailer as a girl with red hair led a beautiful dapple-grey mare off the ramp.

"Wow." Stacie commented.

"That's some horse" Freya remarked. Daniel laughed.

"Swan's quite a stunner," he agreed. The girl brought the horse over, a smile adorning her face quite similar to her father's.

"Hi, I'm Chloe and this is Swansong" she greeted. Beca was struck for a second as the girl's eyes flitted to her for a moment. They were quite possibly the bluest eyes Beca had ever seen, contrasting sharply with her ginger curls, but in a good way.

"Mr. Beale if you could come inside to the office with me – Beca and Stacie will show Chloe where everything is, if that's okay" Freya said. Beca shot a small glare at her instructor as she turned to leave with Daniel, which was returned with a smirk.

"Hi there, Chloe! I'm Stacie!" The long-legged brunette jumped into the greeting enthusiastically. As per usual.

"Keep it in your pants, Stace" Beca muttered, rolling her eyes. Stacie shoved her lightly.

"This pint-sized bundle of joy here is Beca Mitchell." Her friend stated. Beca glared at Stacie before throughing a half-hearted smirk at Chloe, which was returned with a beam so bright Beca was wondering how she wasn't blinded yet.

"Sooo, let's go put your gorgeous horse away first, and then we'll give you the tour!" Stacie interrupted Beca's reverie.

They led the way into the large barn, where Jesse and Aubrey were sitting on a hay bale outside Carson's stable. The couple turned their heads when the trio and Swan walked in.

"Well hello! A new girl on the first day back, things are looking good" Jesse smirked, getting up.
"Chloe, meet my oh-so-funny brother, Jesse, and his girlfriend, General Posen" Beca drawled.

"Jesse, Posen, this is Chloe and Swansong" she said.
"Nice to meet you Chloe" Jesse nodded. Aubrey stood up abruptly.
"It's Aubrey, actually, ignore the midget" she said sharply. Chloe glanced back and forth between them, unsure of what to say.
"Don't worry about those two. They cat fight all the time" Stacie assured her. Beca huffed, unlocking one of the stable doors.

"Right, you're right next to Duke" she said, holding the door open for Chloe to lead her mare in.

"He your horse?" Chloe asked, glancing over from undoing Swansong's halter.

"Yep, DJ-Duke's mine" Beca gave the dark bay gelding next door a slappy pat on the neck.

"He's very handsome" Chloe grinned as she shut the stable door, and Beca found herself mesmerised for a second in her smile.

"All done, Chloe? Okay, let's get this tour going" Stacie announced.

Barden Riding School certainly did not pride itself on the exterior of it's buildings. The whole stable block and barn area mainly consisted of a few brown wooden blocks, and beyond the fields and woods. This being, Stacie, Chloe and Beca didn't have to walk far to get a view of the whole place. They sat on the fence of the old pony field, only currently inhabited by a grumpy black shetland named Mouse.

"Over there, is the bedding shed. No-one goes in there though, it's full of spiders. We usually draw straws on who has to when we run out of bedding around the yard." Stacie explained.

"I'll keep that in mind" Chloe nodded, smiling. She had only been here for a few hours and was already loving the sarcastic, easy banter of Beca and Stacie, and the unshifted quiet aroma that surrounded the whole yard.

"This year we're planning to extend the cross-country course. It's gonna have a huge log jump into the lake" Stacie informed her excitably.

"Well, unless we're too busy doing the Riding School Cup" She added.

"What's that?" Chloe asked, intruiged. Beca shook her head.

"We don't have enough for a team, and Saffron Hill will win anyways" She told Stacie with a sigh.

"Who cares? Chloe will join us, won't you?" Stacie was defiant in her comeback.

"Uh-" Chloe began.

"Saffron Hill won't definitely win, and we've got Jesse and Bree who can kickass when they want to-" Stacie rambled.

"Stace, quit kidding yourself. We don't stand a chance against Bumper and his five-star horse from Germany" Beca scoffed.

"Ehrm, guys?" Chloe spoke up. The two brunettes' heads snapped towards her.

"Yeah?" Beca said, her grey eyes, previously hard, softening a little. Chloe smiled.

"What is the Riding School Cup?" She asked tentatively. Stacie sighed, pulling a crumpled piece of paper out of her jodphur pocket and passing it over. Chloe glanced at Beca, then began to read the paper:

Do you have your team ready for the Riding School Cup?

If your stables thinks they have what it takes, they should not hesitate in entering this amazing competition. This year we have the dressage star Garth Allen hosting, with first prize including a personal five-day clinic for your team!

The RSC requires a team of six members able to compete at intermediate level for at least one discipline. Your stable owner will have to give their consent as well. Please go to to get on board!

This competition prides itself on it's individuality. It is ultimately, a showjumping competition, but as your team progresses through the stages to the finals, there might just be some little differences that pop up to test you to the best of your abilities!

Well what are you waiting for? Form your team, saddle up and get competing!

"Wow" Chloe voiced after she had finished reading it.

"So, Chloe, you in?" Stacie questioned eagerly.

"Sure!" Chloe grinned. She high-fived Stacie as Beca groaned dramatically.

"Well done red, now she'll be hyperactive for days" she said to Chloe as Stacie leapt off the fence, no doubt to perform a victory dance. Chloe just smiled, noting the nickname.

"You're welcome, Beca" she replied.

So..hi! This is my first published fanfiction. I write quite a lot of little bits and bobs actually, just only when this little idea came along did I throw caution to the wind and decided to publish it.

My name is Streamy, and I ride weekly, and this fanfic idea popped up during one of my lessons, and I haven't really though about anything else since! (Amen, homework)

I'll try and update as often as I can. I would love it if people could review and etc, do all the things, hate, love, trash. I don't know.

And..that is the end of my painstakingly awkward author's note.

Until next time,

Streamy x