"Hey now Miss Julie you didn't think I'd leave you here to walk did ya?" a voice cut into my mental bitching.
I looked up to see Ryan, the stable hand, originally from Louisiana, my dad hires during the summer, boy had he grown up.
"Why are you starin' at me like that Jules?" he asked self-consciously tucking a strand of his semi-long curly blonde hair behind his ear.
"Huh?" I replied getting over my shock. I hadn't seen him since last summer when he was the annoying somewhat geeky seventeen year old stable hand that helped, well really hindered my attempts at keeping my horse's stable clean.
"Do I have a bug on my face or somethin?" he asked again.
"Oh no, I'm just tired" I replied quickly snapping out of my little hey you look really hot daydream.
"Well come on then little lady lets get you home" Ryan smiled at me and I suddenly realised that he'd had his teeth fixed. Last year they were all crooked and chipped and now they were pearly white and really straight.
I didn't argue, besides I was starting to feel like an idiot for staring at him and I really wanted to get home and crash and maybe dream about Fulton.
I tried not to cringe when I saw our family's "yard" pick up sitting in the almost empty parking lot. I should have known they wouldn't send any of the nicer cars to collect me, I mean I am their only daughter after all.
"Here let me take that, you must be exhausted" Ryan took my bags from me and placed them in the pick up's tray.
"Thanks" I remembered my manners as I waited for him to unlock the truck for me.
He even held the door open for me as I scurried inside. Since it was close to 5 am and still dark, it was kinda cold outside.
The half an hour drive from Bangor Airport to my parents 'farm' was mainly spent answering questions about the Goodwill Games from Ryan.
"I saw that amazing glove save you pulled out of your butt to win it Julie" Ryan kept his eyes on the road as we talked.
"Out of my butt?" I questioned teasingly.
"Yeah out of your butt. How'd you know that Iceland guy was gonna go glove side?" Ryan asked.
I remembered Bombay's words to me.
Julie, you've the fast glove. I know this kid's move. Triple Deke, glove side. Anticipate it and you've got it
"What if he goes stick side?" I remembered what I asked Bombay not realising I'd just said it out loud.
He's fancy, he'll go glove. Don't hesitate.
"What do you mean what if he goes stick side?" Ryan asked with an arched eyebrow.
"Huh?" I replied snapping back to reality.
"You just asked me what if he goes stick side?" Ryan continued.
"Oh nothing, just remembering. Um Coach Bombay studied their tapes" I replied quickly feeling like a complete and utter dickhead.
"Cool, sounds like this Bombay knows his shit" Ryan commented as he made a left turn.
"Sometimes he does" I replied remembering how much of a pompous asshole he'd been whilst in LA. The guy had left us without a coach for a game while he went off to 'find himself' as he put it.
I reckon it was more like 'Jan removed the huge stick up my butt'.
"What do you mean?" Ryan asked concerned that I'd been ill treated.
"Oh nothing much, he turned into this, well "Captain Blood" as Averman called it. Making us practice until 2 am each night, expecting us to attend tutoring sessions the next morning. Making us to all the work whilst he rode around in convertibles and was cutting endorsement deals for himself. Oh that and the Bash Brothers saw him hanging out with the Iceland team's Trainer" I exploded. That still kinda pissed me off.
"Wow what a wanker!" Ryan showed his support. "I knew he was one when he refused to put you in a game. I mean come on that Goldberg is hopeless as a goalie"
"Goldberg's okay, it just annoyed me that he didn't even think to use me until we were either getting creamed by Iceland or he needed someone to actually stop a goal" it was kinda mean to Goldberg but I was venting. Hell I needed it after that almost disastrous camping trip.
I knew I had to keep saying nice things about the Ducks once I got home though otherwise I'd have no hope of convincing mother to allow me to go to Eden Hall.
"You want me to keep that to myself don't you?" Ryan asked and I was shocked.
"How'd you know that?" I asked.
"Please Julie, I've been enduring your mother's wrath for the entire summer and let me tell you something, she's worse than what she was last summer" Ryan dropped the bad news on me.
"Shit" I replied grumpily. It was a running joke between us about my mother and her idiotic ways, she only cared about 2 things, herself and my father's money.
"Well here we are!" Ryan announced as we pulled up into the driveway. The house looked exactly the same.
Well I didn't really expect much to change in eight weeks now did I?
"Thunder's been dying to see you" Ryan said.
"I'll have to take him out later" I replied referring to my horse, Thunder.
"I might join you, Bobby needs a decent run" he said referring to the horse that my mother just had to have to outdo her snobbish high society tea-lady friends. Now the horse gets hardly any attention unless its from me or Ryan.
"Cool, I think I'll have a sleep first though" I replied waiting for the car to stop.
"Home sweet home" Ryan muttered and the irony never escaped me. There was nothing sweet about this home.
The house was mostly dark except a beam of light coming from the kitchen window which indicated that the cooks were up and preparing the menus for the day.
"I'm going to bed, goodnight" I grabbed my bags from the back of the truck and made my way to the main house.
"Night Julie" Ryan called.
"Oh and hey thanks for picking me up" I added before I forgot.
"Anytime" Ryan called over his shoulder without even turning around.
I watched him head into the stables.
I pushed open the heavy wooden doors leading into the 'lobby' as my mother called it. Anyone would think we were living in a bloody hotel the way she carried on about it.
I tried to be as quiet as I possibly could as I lugged my crap up the stairs. The last thing I needed or wanted was someone, mainly either of my parents, seeing me.
Fortunately for me, I escaped detection and retreated into my bedroom to find my cat fast asleep in the centre of my bed.
I tried shifting "Cat" (original I know but I couldn't think of anything else to name him) but he wouldn't budge. I was shocked to see that he was quite skinny.
Don't tell me those bastards have forgotten to feed him too?
The cat woke up and I gave him the rest of my muffin that I'd bought in Boston. He hungrily lunged at it thankful to finally have some food in his belly.
Boy would I be taking this up with the parentals later. First though, I really wanted to sleep.