Hi! I'm trying harder to update more frequently.
I wanna thank Kambia so much for giving me such good advice and reviewing almost every chapter! I'm really grateful!
Please R&R!
Chapter 8
At the waterfall, Lisa was unpacking the saddlebags and Carole was sitting on a rock overlooking the river with the waterfall rushing down behind them, which was where they were going to eat their lunch. Stevie emerged from the trees astride Belle and turned her towards Carole. Carole looked up and smiled when she saw Stevie.
"Hi Stevie!" she said when Stevie reached her.
"Hi Carole!" Stevie said as she slid down from Belle's saddle.
"It's working! Lisa had never been here before so she didn't suspect a thing!" Carole said to Stevie.
"Great!" Stevie said grinning. Just then, Alex rode into sight.
"Hi Alex!" Carole greeted him.
"Alex, could you tie Belle for me when you're tying Comanche?" Stevie asked her twin.
"Sure." Alex said before dismounting and taking the reins from Stevie's hand and leading the two horses through the trees towards the waterfall. At that moment, Lisa appeared at the other side of Carole with the food.
"Hi Stevie!" Lisa said, placing the food on the rock. "I'm so glad you found us! Anything new?"
"Not really. Hey, I'm thirsty. Could you get me some juice?" Stevie said smiling innocently.
"What did your last slave die of?" Lisa asked indignantly.
"Love and appreciation!" Stevie said still smiling innocently. Lisa giggled.
"All right." she said, getting up from her position on the rock. "And no need to push me in later!"
"Awwwww." Stevie said, pretending to be disappointed. "How did you know?"
"Lucky guess!" Lisa said giggling. She walked towards the waterfall and when her back was turned, Stevie gave Carole a high five.
Lisa was closing the saddlebag after lifting all the flasks and bottles from it. She turned and started to walk back towards where Stevie and Carole were sitting, flasks and bottles in her arms, when she heard a voice behind her.
"Lisa?" Lisa jumped when she heard her name and dropped all the drinks that she was carrying. She whirled around and saw Alex standing behind her.
"Alex?" Lisa said confused. "I thought that you had to stay at home and rest?"
"Well, I'm allowed to go back to horse riding today and school on Monday." He said, bending down to pick up the flasks and bottles that Lisa had dropped.
"That's great!" Lisa said, also bending down to pick up what she had dropped. "You must be so glad to be able to come and ride Comanche again." She said, straightening up. "He missed you."
"I… What?" Alex said, also straightening up. "But how could he tell? I haven't been riding him long."
"It doesn't matter how long you've been riding together, it's the bond there is between you." She said glancing over at the horses grazing contentedly. Then she looked back at Alex "And even anyone who didn't know what happened knew something was wrong when both you and Stevie stopped coming to lessons. Looking on you missed him too."
"He isn't the only thing I missed." He said.
"Your friends? Teasing Stevie? School?" she asked him.
"All of those." he said with a smile. "But none are what I missed most." He said. He looked back over at the horses to hide the fact that he was blushing.
"What was that?" she asked him. He turned back towards her.
"You." He said shocking Lisa.
"Me?" Lisa said looking bewildered. "But why would you miss me most?"
"I missed spending time with you, having fun with you and seeing you smile." He said.
"Really? Me." She said sceptically scanning his face to see if this was some sort of joke.
"I missed you too." She said when she saw that Alex was totally serious. "I was afraid that you would be permanently sick."
"Well, I'm better now." He said, as she looked a bit sad when she said about her fear. "The thought of seeing you again really helped me to get better. So, do you want to go to TD's later?"
"Sure." Lisa said with a smile.
Behind the trees Stevie and Carole looked at each other. They had seen and heard everything that was going on with Alex and Lisa.
"That worked out perfectly!" Stevie said to Carole.
"Yeah," Carole replied. "They make such a cute couple!" she said with a smile.
"I'll make sure that Michael and Chad don't go to TD's tonight."
"You haven't really changed." Carole said looking at Stevie. "Just realised that you're best the way you are!"
Back at Pine Hollow, a car pulled up outside the stables and two boys got out. They were Michael and Chad Lake and they started to look around the stables.
"Stevie! Stevie!" they called. Mrs Reg heard the calls and came out of her office to find the two boys.
"Hello. Looking for Stevie?" The two boys whirled around in alarm when they heard her voice but visibly relaxed when they saw Mrs Reg. The two boys nodded and Mrs Reg spoke again. "She's down by the waterfall." The boys just looked back at her with confused looks on their faces before she added, "The quickest way is that way." Before pointing in the direction that Stevie and Alex had taken earlier. Chad mumbled,
"Thanks." before dragging Michael off through the trees in the direction Mrs Reg had indicated.
When Chad and Michael reached the clearing where the four were eating their picnic, they hid behind some trees and spied on their brother and sister.
"Look Chad! Alex is there too!" Michael whispered excitedly to his older brother.
"Duh!" Chad whispered back. "He's into horses now too!"
"But, he's with Stevie, Carole and uh… what's that other girl's name?"
"The little one with the curly hair? I think it's Lisa."
"Yes!" Michael punched the air in silent jubilation. "We can finally tease Alex about his girlfriend! Look!" He pointed to where the four were sitting and Alex and Lisa holding hands.
"He likes Lisa?" Chad said stunned. "But she's fifteen and one of Stevie's best friends!"
"One year older than me!" Michael said proudly.
"They're heading back!" Chad said noticing the four on the other side of the trees mounting their horses. "Let's wait at the stables." And with that, Michael and Chad ran back to the stables to wait for Alex and Stevie.
