Woohoo! Chapter 3 is here! Okay, so this chapter is better because the story finally starts to take place. I'm glad you all sticked to the story and reviewed even though it wasn't very interesting in the first two chapters…But I found it was necessary in order to establish Lea's character more fully. Thank you for your reviews! Please review this chapter too!

Chapter 3

The next morning Lea awoke to the pleasant sound of birds chirping. At first, she fought against waking up but soon surrendered to wakefulness and sat up with a yawn. The sunlight was pouring in the windows, giving the room a pleasant, cheerful look.

After dressing and leaving her bed unmade, she walked over to one of the windows to look outside, finally able to see where she was. Unexpectedly, her breath was taken away for a short moment, as her eyes widened while she took in the scenery around her.

The main building where, she assumed, her dad had dropped her off was shaped like a capital "L" and Lea could see people going in and out of the door-she had used the night before-at the right angle of the building. There was short, green grass in front of the main building and quite a long driveway before you got to the road.

Lea wasn't interested in the main building though. What caught her eyes and stunned her was the beautiful land. For miles and miles, all she could see were trees, and small fields. She was almost positive she was somewhere in Tennessee, but either way it was gorgeous.

Hurriedly and taken with curiosity, Lea left her room and locked her door behind her, pausing a moment outside her room as a couple of teenagers walked by her. Where was she? Some sort of camp, perhaps? With an impatient sigh, Lea walked briskly down to the first floor-which looked exactly the same as the second story- and exited the strangely hotel like building.

Once again, Lea was shocked and didn't even hear the door close behind her, or feel the warm sun rays on her pale skin. There, not a hundred yards from the building she had exited, was a large barn- or stable, as it appeared to have people leading horses in and out. The stable had been on the other side of the hotel building, and out of view from her bedroom, and Lea doubted she would have seen it from the main house even if it had been light when she arrived.

Horses?

This was her dad's idea of punishment? Sending her to a camp where it was beautiful and there were people riding horses? Lea was humored by her father's idea, and only took brief notice of the small coral she passed on the way to the main building.

Lea had a lot to think about as she entered the building, and took in the large room she hadn't been shown the night before. It was simply a long and somewhat wide room with tables and benches filling it-with a counter setting the kitchen area apart from the rest. The walls were practically invisible as the floor length windows were so abundant, making it seem almost as though you were eating outside.

Robotically, Lea followed a group of kids looking to be about 13 or so and somehow ended up in line to grab a plate and put some food on it from the dishes on the dividing counter. Looking around with wide eyes from where she sat alone, Lea took no notice to the breakfast she un-hungrily picked at.

It wasn't long before Lea decided to skip breakfast and headed out of the large building, rushing to make it back to her room and hurriedly brush her teeth. She couldn't help it, her curiosity had gotten the best of her and she wanted to look around the place.

"You want to ride?"

Lea blinked blankly for a moment at the lady asking her the question. She had been satisfied with leaning against the coral's rails and watching the stranger riding around expertly.

"Me?" Lea asked in surprise a moment, glancing around at the people passing by absorbed in their own conversations, or riding off somewhere else, "Um, I guess?"

"I can show you where to pick up some riding boots." The middle aged woman offered, sliding off of the sleek brown horse with ease, "I'll be right back."

Only twenty minutes later, Lea had her riding boots on and laced up making her feel strange. She'd never ridden a horse or pony-nothing. Riding would definitely be something new for her, and she wasn't sure if she was excited or nervous.

Thankfully, the woman whose name was Kate, was a very good teacher and it wasn't long before Lea was told to try riding her white horse around the small corral. Lea heard Kate's request and immediately felt unsure and clumsy. As she was told, Lea had her horse start, but the animal started at a pace a little quicker than she expected and she was sure she was going to fall.

At her obvious startling, Lea heard someone not far off laugh slightly in amusement, and whipped her head around to determine the culprit. A boy looking to be about seventeen had his arms folded neatly on the corals highest rail with a grin on his face. She glared, internally punching him in the face for his laughing at her.

After a few more minutes, Kate apologized that she had to be somewhere so Lea's lesson was over, despite it's being short. Lea was relieved that Kate offered to take care of the horse, since she would have no idea what to do.

"Your first time riding, I assume?"

Lea turned from watching Kate and the white horse walking off, to come face to face with the guy who had laughed at her startledness earlier. He was a couple inches taller then her with dark brown curls, and dark eyes that seemed to radiate friendliness.

"Do you always take joy in laughing at people?" Lea replied, ignoring his question and crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

"When they do something funny, yeah." He shrugged, "It's not like I was making fun of you."

"And I suppose you could do so much better on a horse?" Lea shot at him, walking off, not expecting him to follow her. But he did.

"Probably, but only because I've had experience." He said humbly, "It was just your expression that was funny- if you had seen it, you would have laughed too."

"Sure." Lea couldn't help but smile slightly.

"No, really."

"You have a name, Mr. Genius?" she asked bluntly, making him laugh and her enjoy the sound. She wasn't one to hang around people who laughed much, nor did she laugh much herself.

"Nick. You?" he said cheerfully.

"Lea Denise Harper." She stopped in her tracks and looked at him, "I have three names and gave you all of them."

"Oh, I see, this is a formal introduction." Nick cleared his throat and put on a serious expression, "I'm Nicholas Jerry Lucas from Texas."

"Jerry?" Lea couldn't help but smile slightly in amusement. His middle name didn't quite fit the rest of his name for some reason.

"Denise?" Nick raised an eyebrow, "That's my mother's name."

"That means you can't make fun of it." Lea pointed out, starting to walk again with Nick at her side.

"Good point." He commented with a chuckle, "Want me to show you around the place?"

"I've got nothing better to do." Lea replied in a bored tone, "Lead on, Genius."

"With pleasure, madam." Nick replied with good humor, quickening his pace slightly. The next hour was the "grand tour" as Nick called it for Lea and she couldn't help but enjoy herself. It felt so easy to have a good time with Nick, and Lea decided to make the most of her summer "punishment".

Dun dun duuuun! And we have the appearance of Nick Jonas/Lucas! You know the story can only get more interesting from here! Lol

Reviews are loved! :]