Hey guys! I wrote this chapter because I was bored and was procrastinating so I could avoid cleaning. Anyways, here is some qualification on some things.

1)Yes, Aiden is wealthy.

2)Her parents didn't drive her to CCA because she flew from Colorado and they were in Zimbabwe for work.

3) Oliver was driven by a horse transporter.

Don't worry, I will get more in-depth with these small parts. I want to thank Cecelia the Angel-Devil for some AMAZING tips. Thank you so much! I don't own the CCA series sadly :'(

As we walked to the barn, I couldn't help but admire the campus. Brick buildings made the walk interesting. Ivy crawled up the sides of them, giving them a beautiful vintage look. We walked down a courtyard and I ran a finger through the curtain of water that flowed down the side of a fountain. I jogged after June and came to the stable.

I stopped dead in my tracks and gaped. I had been so nervous about making a new life here at Canterwood that I hadn't noticed how beautiful the barn was. The hedges were clipped to perfection, and a gorgeous riding green was off to the left of the barn. Two outdoor arenas held jumps that went up to four feet high. My stomach twisted at the memory of my fall. I shoved it out of my brain and stuck my shaking hands in my pockets.

"I thought you already saw the barn," June called over her shoulder.

"I never really saw how pretty it was," I said shakily. We linked arms and walked down the aisle, ducking under cross ties and patting horses' noses. June stopped and I bumped into her on accident, my brain still freaking out about the jumps.

"Aiden, are you okay?" my roomie asked. I nodded and tried my best for a smile. It seemed to work and June turned her attention on a gorgeous Cleveland bay that stood in front of us.

"This is Aspen." Her gelding nuzzled her arm and I pet his neck. Taught muscle showed how much they had worked over the summer.

"Oh June, he's gorgeous!" I said. She smiled her thanks at me and I turned around to hear boots clicking. A red headed girl stood behind us, her hands on her hips.

"Rinaldi?" She said. June turned around and I saw her stiffen.

"Hello, Lulu," she said tightly. I looked between the two girls and felt a warning clicking in my head.

"If you and that joke of a horse think you have a chance at the advanced team this year, you'd better think again," the girl, Lulu, sneered.

"Well you'd-"

"June, let's go see Oliver," I said, grabbing her arm and dragging her down the aisle. I walked briskly, letting the warm air rush over my bare arms and legs. I stopped in front of Oliver's stall and let June pat him for a while. I tugged on my tank top and rubbed Olly's snip.

"Who was that girl?" I asked after ten minutes. June didn't meet my eyes.

"Lulu Bernard. She thinks she owns the place because she's Mr. Conner's niece." She snorted a laugh and shook her head.

"Oh." I combed through Olly's forelock with my fingers absently, still looking at the ground.

"It's almost time for dinner. How about we grab some Pizza from the Slice and eat in our living room?"

"Cool," I said. I kissed Oliver goodnight and followed June out of the barn. No way would I let my riding past ruin my riding future. They were different times. I was changed, now. Wasn't I?

CcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcCcC

It was eleven o'clock and I was lying in bed. The night had turned humid, and my pajamas stuck to my skin. Here in the silence it didn't seem so bad to think about my accident. Nobody was here to see the fear leak onto my face every time I relived that moment. The crunch of my bones and then the darkness that swallowed up my vision for the next three months were now my nightmares.

I had been competing in a jumping competition in Washington. I was riding my trainer's horse, Embargo, and we were having a clean round. I had just finished going over a Liverpool that was sure to boost my score and was two strides away from an in-and-out when a little kid ran by screaming with a silver balloon. In those two seconds, we had come up on the jump and I had no choice but to go over them. Embargo had made it over the first jump before the little girl spooked him by popping the balloon. He missed his footing and had to twist to get over the second jump. I had lost my balance and when we took off I wasn't ready. I remember hitting the poles and hearing my ribs and shoulder breaking, and then my head came in contact with the jumps.

When I woke up in the hospital, three months had passed. I had gone into a coma and had been on life support for the first week before I slipped into the sleep. I remember when I saw my parents and brothers and hugged them, and breathed in their smell.

Then, I had gone back to the stable. My ribs and shoulder were fine, so I began riding again. I was timid, though. Embargo had had minor injuries to him, and he nickered to me when I saw him. Then, I met Oliver and it had all changed. I was fierce, and eager to prove that I could jump again. I had gone to shows with him that summer, and then purchased the frisky five year old. And now, we were at the most elite boarding school on the east coast.

The only thing that nobody could know was that I had gone into a coma. At my old school, I never hung out with a lot of people. I would sit with a group of girls at lunch, but they weren't real friends. That changed after the coma. People would invite me to sit with them and ask me how I felt. I was fine. I didn't want their pity. I didn't need them. So, I proved that I wasn't a weakling. I was at the barn everyday by then. I shut myself off from people who cared from me. Brooke was my only close friend.

I wiped angrily at a tear that went down the side of my face. Ugh. This year I would be open to new friends. I would welcome them. The key was that I couldn't let them know of my coma. If they knew, it would be Denver Junior High all over again. It wouldn't happen this time.