Hey hey! I'm glad you all liked that I updated ^_^ If I manage not to go
insane, I'll continue to update every week or so. Or something. Actually I
guess I'll just update if I get reviews *hint hint* ~_^
Oh, and Hanni, thanks for reviewing the Pepsi Twist. . .thing (it definitely wasn't a fic O_o). That's good you actually are Hanni B O_O
Now! Onto the chapter! READ YOU PITIFUL MORTALS! MUHAHAHA!
Ummm. . .*cough*
~Chapter Seven~
Once we were all settled and driving home, I opened the envelope that came with my trophy. Inside was a little certificate and some information about the next championship in six months. "Hey Mom," I said from the backseat. "This next competition is in the same place. Convenient, huh?"
Mom cleared her throat and gave a shaky laugh. "Yeah. That's. . .good."
I shrugged and reread the letter.
~*~*~
When we finally got back, I made sure Princess was settled then I ran up to my room. I had to call Allison and Julie and tell them everything.
The phone rang once. . .twice. . .
Someone knocked on my door. "Honey? Can I come in?" It was Mom.
I sighed and hung up the phone. I guess I could call Allie and Julie later.
"Sure," I said, leaning back on my pillows.
Mom slowly opened the door and walked into my room. Whatever she wanted to tell me, I could tell she was nervous. Her face was pale again and her eyes were a little glassy.
"Diana. . ." she started, sitting on my bed. "I have something I want to give you."
I sat up a little and smiled. "What is it?"
Mom took a deep, shaky breath and took a golden chain off of her neck. She reached out for my hand, flattened my palm, and put whatever was on the chain in my hand, and closed my fingers around it.
Mom got up and left the room, her pigtails flying behind her. I could swear she was crying, but I couldn't hear a sound from her as she walked downstairs.
I looked down and opened my hand. On my palm was the key that Mom always wore.
I stared down at it. What the heck was she giving me an old key for? I always asked what it opened, but she would just smile and stare out into space. She never took it off. Never. And now it was in my hand.
There was something about that key, though. Holding gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside, and for some reason, I couldn't just throw it in my jewelry box and forget about it. I opened the clasp and put on the key.
~*~*~
I hid the key under my shirt the next day at school. I didn't have the urge to tell Allie and Julie about it. It was like they wouldn't understand. . .
I told them all about the championship instead. They cheered when they found out I won first place, but groaned when they heard Shane won second.
"That means you have to compete against him again at the other championship," Allison pointed out.
"So?" I laughed. "I beat him this time, so I'll beat him again."
At that moment, I got a chill up my spine. I turned my head around and saw Shane standing about two feet away from my little group, just leaning against a desk. He was staring at us, not blinking.
I gritted my teeth and whirled my head around, causing my hair to flop around my ears.
"God, who does he think he is?" I muttered. "He spies on me all the time when I'm with Princess, does he have to do it at school?"
"Uh, Diana," Julie laughed. "I think you're making a big deal about this. . .I mean, he's just standing there."
"He's staring at me!" I said in a loud whisper. "He's spying on me. Just like when I'm with Princess. It looks like he's brushing Mars, but he doesn't even move the brush! He just stares at the wall or something."
Julie opened her mouth to say something, but then the bell rang, so we had to run to our desks.
~*~*~
Since Princess had traveled so much and had gotten a lot of exercise over the weekend, I didn't jump her when I got home and to her stall. I just gave her a very good brushing and took her for some walks around the ring.
"I still can't believe we won first place!" I said to Princess.
"I believe it," someone said. I turned Princess around and saw Shane trotting Mars around a fence, but he slowed to a walk when he passed me.
"Uh. . .thanks?" I said, only it sounded more like a question.
"Your time and jumps. . .they were really. . .nice," Shane added quietly. He brought Mars to a halt and just sat there, staring down at the ground.
I cut across the ring and rode up to the fence. "Thanks," I smiled.
Shane looked up with a surprised look and stared at me with those big green eyes of his like he had at the competition. That tickly feeling returned to my spine and I cleared my throat and trotted away and around the ring.
"What the heck is going on?" I muttered. It wasn't that I hated Shane. It was just that he was so hard to get along with, and he was so quiet. There was nothing wrong with someone being quiet, but you think they would try talking to someone once in awhile.
But then again, he wasn't someone I liked. He was an acquaintance, just someone who was always there, like milk in the fridge or Pidgey's.
I shook my head and looked my watch. I would have to be home for dinner in about ten minutes, so I dismounted and led Princess back to her stall.
I untacked her and brushed her coat well before giving her a final pat on the muzzle and jogging home, the key thumping against my neck.
~*~*~
Dinner that night was potatoes, chicken, and salad. It was one of my favorite dinners, but I could only pick at my food. I couldn't understand why. Everything was great-in six months I was going to try to win another championship on my favorite Ponyta, school was fine, and everything was. . .fine.
So why did I have an uneasy feeling?
"Diana, honey, are you alright?" Mom asked me about five minutes into dinner. She leaned over in her chair and felt my forehead.
I brushed her hand away. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Just. . .a little tired, I guess." I faked a yawn.
Dad smiled. "Well, you should get to bed early tonight."
I shrugged. "Yeah."
We finished dinner about ten minutes later, and after I put my dishes in the sink, instead of flopping on the couch and staring at the TV like I usually do after dinner, I went up to my room instead and flopped on my bed.
Something was definitely going on, and I had this very strange feeling it had something to do with Shane.
~*~*~
Oooo I bet the suspense is killing you. I know it's killing me. I have no idea what's going to happen. I never plan my stories, not ever O_O I just write whatever comes to mind, which is why some chapters of this and April sort of make no sense.
ANYWAY!. . .review! You all know I loooooove reviews ^_^
Oh, and Hanni, thanks for reviewing the Pepsi Twist. . .thing (it definitely wasn't a fic O_o). That's good you actually are Hanni B O_O
Now! Onto the chapter! READ YOU PITIFUL MORTALS! MUHAHAHA!
Ummm. . .*cough*
~Chapter Seven~
Once we were all settled and driving home, I opened the envelope that came with my trophy. Inside was a little certificate and some information about the next championship in six months. "Hey Mom," I said from the backseat. "This next competition is in the same place. Convenient, huh?"
Mom cleared her throat and gave a shaky laugh. "Yeah. That's. . .good."
I shrugged and reread the letter.
~*~*~
When we finally got back, I made sure Princess was settled then I ran up to my room. I had to call Allison and Julie and tell them everything.
The phone rang once. . .twice. . .
Someone knocked on my door. "Honey? Can I come in?" It was Mom.
I sighed and hung up the phone. I guess I could call Allie and Julie later.
"Sure," I said, leaning back on my pillows.
Mom slowly opened the door and walked into my room. Whatever she wanted to tell me, I could tell she was nervous. Her face was pale again and her eyes were a little glassy.
"Diana. . ." she started, sitting on my bed. "I have something I want to give you."
I sat up a little and smiled. "What is it?"
Mom took a deep, shaky breath and took a golden chain off of her neck. She reached out for my hand, flattened my palm, and put whatever was on the chain in my hand, and closed my fingers around it.
Mom got up and left the room, her pigtails flying behind her. I could swear she was crying, but I couldn't hear a sound from her as she walked downstairs.
I looked down and opened my hand. On my palm was the key that Mom always wore.
I stared down at it. What the heck was she giving me an old key for? I always asked what it opened, but she would just smile and stare out into space. She never took it off. Never. And now it was in my hand.
There was something about that key, though. Holding gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside, and for some reason, I couldn't just throw it in my jewelry box and forget about it. I opened the clasp and put on the key.
~*~*~
I hid the key under my shirt the next day at school. I didn't have the urge to tell Allie and Julie about it. It was like they wouldn't understand. . .
I told them all about the championship instead. They cheered when they found out I won first place, but groaned when they heard Shane won second.
"That means you have to compete against him again at the other championship," Allison pointed out.
"So?" I laughed. "I beat him this time, so I'll beat him again."
At that moment, I got a chill up my spine. I turned my head around and saw Shane standing about two feet away from my little group, just leaning against a desk. He was staring at us, not blinking.
I gritted my teeth and whirled my head around, causing my hair to flop around my ears.
"God, who does he think he is?" I muttered. "He spies on me all the time when I'm with Princess, does he have to do it at school?"
"Uh, Diana," Julie laughed. "I think you're making a big deal about this. . .I mean, he's just standing there."
"He's staring at me!" I said in a loud whisper. "He's spying on me. Just like when I'm with Princess. It looks like he's brushing Mars, but he doesn't even move the brush! He just stares at the wall or something."
Julie opened her mouth to say something, but then the bell rang, so we had to run to our desks.
~*~*~
Since Princess had traveled so much and had gotten a lot of exercise over the weekend, I didn't jump her when I got home and to her stall. I just gave her a very good brushing and took her for some walks around the ring.
"I still can't believe we won first place!" I said to Princess.
"I believe it," someone said. I turned Princess around and saw Shane trotting Mars around a fence, but he slowed to a walk when he passed me.
"Uh. . .thanks?" I said, only it sounded more like a question.
"Your time and jumps. . .they were really. . .nice," Shane added quietly. He brought Mars to a halt and just sat there, staring down at the ground.
I cut across the ring and rode up to the fence. "Thanks," I smiled.
Shane looked up with a surprised look and stared at me with those big green eyes of his like he had at the competition. That tickly feeling returned to my spine and I cleared my throat and trotted away and around the ring.
"What the heck is going on?" I muttered. It wasn't that I hated Shane. It was just that he was so hard to get along with, and he was so quiet. There was nothing wrong with someone being quiet, but you think they would try talking to someone once in awhile.
But then again, he wasn't someone I liked. He was an acquaintance, just someone who was always there, like milk in the fridge or Pidgey's.
I shook my head and looked my watch. I would have to be home for dinner in about ten minutes, so I dismounted and led Princess back to her stall.
I untacked her and brushed her coat well before giving her a final pat on the muzzle and jogging home, the key thumping against my neck.
~*~*~
Dinner that night was potatoes, chicken, and salad. It was one of my favorite dinners, but I could only pick at my food. I couldn't understand why. Everything was great-in six months I was going to try to win another championship on my favorite Ponyta, school was fine, and everything was. . .fine.
So why did I have an uneasy feeling?
"Diana, honey, are you alright?" Mom asked me about five minutes into dinner. She leaned over in her chair and felt my forehead.
I brushed her hand away. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Just. . .a little tired, I guess." I faked a yawn.
Dad smiled. "Well, you should get to bed early tonight."
I shrugged. "Yeah."
We finished dinner about ten minutes later, and after I put my dishes in the sink, instead of flopping on the couch and staring at the TV like I usually do after dinner, I went up to my room instead and flopped on my bed.
Something was definitely going on, and I had this very strange feeling it had something to do with Shane.
~*~*~
Oooo I bet the suspense is killing you. I know it's killing me. I have no idea what's going to happen. I never plan my stories, not ever O_O I just write whatever comes to mind, which is why some chapters of this and April sort of make no sense.
ANYWAY!. . .review! You all know I loooooove reviews ^_^