The cottage door slammed shut, signalling the return of his children. Trouble Shoes carefully made his way into the family room where he could already hear two voices bickering with each other.
"Why won't you just give him a chance?" Grace, the eldest of the three, demanded. "Barbell's actually friendly once you get to know him."
Bumble, the second oldest, rolled his eyes dramatically. "He's the opposite of friendly. He's unfriendly. As in don't be friends with him." Trouble Shoes tilted his head, but listened as they continued.
"How would you even know? You're two young to understand anyway." Grace sneered, turned, and walked away to her room. Bumble stayed where he was, but turned to yell back.
"I'm only two years younger than you! It's not hard to see that Barbell's nothing more than a dunce with thick legs and a thicker head!" He shouted before stomping to his room down the same hallway.
Trouble Shoes looked to Monsoon, the youngest. "What was all that about?"
Monsoon just gave his father a shrug. "Grace has a crush on one of the colts on the buckball team, but Bumble doesn't like him."
He set his saddle bag in the corner of the room and flopped on the couch. "I personally couldn't care less who she likes."
Trouble Shoes sat on the floor by the couch, resting his head on the armrest. "So, then why does Bumble care so much about who she likes?" He asked, trying to understand.
"Pfft, heck if I know. Colts are just as weird as mares when it comes to dating. Both become absolutely impossible to understand. Besides, I try to stay out of the drama at school, especially when it involves my family." Monsoon hopped off the couch, hugged his father, and carried his saddle bag into his room to do his homework.