Chapter 6, enjoy!
On Saturdays at camp, the attendees got the afternoon free. They could ride for pleasure, train, or shop the stores nearby the stable. Georgie and Ellie had chosen the latter. Currently, they were making their way down the sidewalk, debating which store to go in next.
They decided to check out the equestrian tack and apparel store that was a ways down the street. They entered the store and began browsing the aisles of saddles, bridles, halters, breeches, show jackets, and countless other equestrian accessories. Georgie was looking through leather halters for one Phoenix's size. Ever since she arrived at Heartland, she had adored Spartan's leather halter engraved with his name and longed for Phoenix to have one of his own, today she decided to bite the bullet and get him one.
As she was waiting for the employee to engrave his name on the halter's metal plate, Ellie dumped her clothing picks onto the counter for another employee to ring up. Ellie payed her bill and stood next to Georgie.
"Word around camp this morning at breakfast is that there is a new rider coming," Ellie stated.
"Like a rider we are going to have lessons with or a student?" Georgie asked.
"A student, supposedly he had issues with his horses's paperwork and couldn't get it over here until two weeks after the camp started."
"Interesting."
"Actually, someone heard he was from Canada. Do you know anyone coming?"
"No"
"Huh, maybe my intel about them being from Canada was wrong."
"You're quite the gossiper, Ellie," Georgie teased her.
"I just report what I hear," Ellie replied with a laugh. "I like the halter you picked out," Ellie complemented.
"Thank you! I've always wanted one, but the closest tack shop with an engraver is in Calgary and I just never got around to getting one for Phoenix."
"So your town is pretty small?"
"Oh yeah. My mom is the mayor and the owner of the only diner in town. There are plenty of stables though. It's definitely a ranching and equine community."
"Quinn said you live on a cattle ranch," Ellie stated.
"Quinn talks to you about me?" Georgie asked, her cheeks gaining a warm, pink glow.
"A little bit. He says how talented you are." Georgie blushed even more, but before she could respond the employee handed her Phoenix's completed halter. She paid for the halter and the two girls exited the store with their purchases in paper sacks.
"Where to next?" Ellie wondered out loud.
"I don't think I need anything else."
"Oh look!" Ellie exclaimed, not hearing Georgie's reply. "A cute little dress shop, I do need a dress for the dance after the end of camp competition in Brussels."
"That's like a month away," Georgie responded. "I do need one too though," She added.
"It won't hurt to get it early," Ellie commented.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." The two girls looked through the store in search of dress for the dance they had been told would happen at the end of the camp. Ellie, with her love of shopping, was right in her element. Georgie on the other hand, strongly disliked shopping and was ready to leave at any time.
They searched through rack after rack of dresses. They each picked out a few they liked and tried them on, but in the end neither one of them found a dress they liked and decided to head back to the stable.
As they arrived back at the stable, a large horse van was backed up to the door preparing to unload a horse.
"The new student must be here," Ellie stated as they passed by the van and into the barn. Georgie couldn't help but take a peek inside the open door of the van. She stopped dead in her tracks when the horse's eyes met hers. "Georgie, you coming?" Ellie, who had made it halfway through the stable asked.
"Yeah, I'm coming," Georgie replied trying to shake the shock. Surely it wasn't him. The girls made their way through the stable and into the common area and up to their room. They sat down their sacks and changed out of their jeans and into breeches and t-shirts for the upcoming group lesson. Once they had changed, they descended down the stairs and back into the common area.
The girls found a seat beside another girl and Blaine who were talking amongst themselves. As they were settling in their seats, Quinn came down from his room and approached their table.
"Here have this seat, I'll sit over there," Ellie stated with a smirk before moving to intentionally leave an open chair beside Georgie.
"Did any of you see the horse van parked outside?" Blaine asked.
"Yeah, Georgie and I saw it when we came in," Ellie replied taking Georgie's mind back to the image of the horse in the van. "I heard a new student was coming, he had a problem with his horses's paperwork or something and couldn't get over here."
"Ellie, always the source of information," Blaine teased.
"I wonder who it is," The other girl at the table replied. Blaine, Ellie, and the other girl carried on their own conversation about this mysterious new student while Quinn and Georgie began their own conversation.
"So what'd you do during free time?" Quinn asked, breaking her from her thoughts of the horse.
"Ellie and I went to the tack shop," She answered.
"Get anything?"
"Yeah, I got Phoenix a mew leather halter with his name on it."
"Nice," Quinn replied.
"What'd you do during free time?"
"I-" Quinn began but was cut off by an outsider to their conversation.
"Didn't think I'd see you here, brown eyes," A familiar voice with a strong British accent stated.
"Dylan," Georgie replied, looking up to lock eyes with none other than Dylan Westfield. So it was Flame in the trailer, not her mind messing with her.
"We had issues with my Flame's vet inspection, so I couldn't get here on time," Dylan reiterated what Ellie had been saying. Her sources must be good.
"So, you're the new student?" Ellie asked. Dylan simply nodded. "And you and Georgie know each other?"
"Sure do," He verbally responded with his signature smile.
We'll see where this takes us... Shoutout to Baby Goats for their feedback and inspiration for this chapter! (Check out their stories too, they're great!) Let me know your predictions or what you though about this chapter!