Here's the next chapter! its a good one... I have read your reviews and then went back into the books for reference and with brynna in the past with the HARP girls she was more serious because there was a situation before either in the car or in the air port that made her more serious and professionsal. alright how about we get some more traffic on this page :D tell your friends, tell a stranger...well not complete strangers but like others whose stories you've read or pages you have liked! in no way am i promoting that, ya kno stranger danger loll umm yeahh tell anyone and please review thank youu

Chapter 4

This was the hardest assignment ever! At first it seemed so easy and then you find that all the horses start to look the same and you can't tell which one was a mustang and which wasn't.

"This stinks. They all look like they could have been out on the range as some point," I complained.

"That's the point," explained Sam. "Try and look at the brands."

"The what?"

"The marks on their neck or shoulder are called brands. They tell who the horse belongs to and whether or not they were mustangs," explained Jen.

She was so smart.

DJ looked like she could care less and just stared at the horses and looked bored.

I turned my attention back to the horses and concentrated on figuring out which were mustangs. Then there was an unexpected comment from the peanut gallery…

"Why does that red one seem like she keeps bumping into things?" asked DJ.

"Which red one?" asked Sam.

"The one that looks like a shiny penny, like her color or whatever."

"That's Penny. She's blind and a mustang."

"She's blind?" said DJ in a sad, disappointed way.

"Yes, she had a previous owner that tried to break her the hard way. H would pull her over backwards when she reared and he damaged her head, which caused her to go blind."

"Poor girl," whispered DJ.

I was a little shocked by DJ showing a softer side but was still scared of her because a minute later the scowl on her face was back.

So much for progress.

…

In bed that night, I began to question why I was here in this foreign place or even why I was in the HARP program to begin with. I wasn't a bad kid. I wasn't like DJ. I didn't act as mean or as rude as her but then again she felt some sort of passion for Penny that I couldn't understand.

I needed air. I needed to get out of the bunkhouse and away from the snoring and drooling of the girls inside. I quietly tiptoed out the door and shut it gently. Unfortunately for us, our bunkhouse did not have a porch or chairs, but the other did. I went silently over there, careful not to wake their dog, Blaze, and plopped down on the long bench.

The sky was so clear here, so full of stars and the moon was so big. It wasn't clouded or smothered by lights that kept if from reaching its full potential and strength.

Suddenly there was a screech of a screen door. It was Ross coming out of the bunkhouse. He didn't look like he was coming out to get me. He just sat down, pulled out a notebook and began writing. I wanted to see how long it would take him to notice me, not long apparently. He looked at me wide-eyed, about to get up and call Mr. Forster probably.

"Relax there cowboy. I'm not trying to run away. I just needed some fresh air and this was the only place with somewhere to sit."

He didn't look convinced.

"Come on. Please don't tell. I really only came out here to think. You can even stay out here with me to keep me from running away," I said with a smile. I patted the seat next to me, "For safe keeping," inviting him to come sit.

He did but reluctantly. We sat in silence, which was agony. Finally I asked him, "why did you come out here?"

He just shrugged.

"I'm Lea by the way." This I knew would force him to talk.

"I-I'm R-ross."

Hmm, was he nervous? I didn't know but I wouldn't ask because that would be rude and I didn't want to seem like I was making fun of him.

"So, um, what were you writing before?"

He didn't answer, just shrugged.

"Do you think I could read some of it?"

He looked at me like I had two heads and I realized I had over stepped my bounds and I didn't want him to get up and go inside.

"Sorry that was rude of me."

He simply said, "S'okay."

This was frustrating, trying to get him to get him to talk. And again the awkward silence set in.

I glanced over at him. I knew I shouldn't have, but I did. It was amazing, even by the light of the moon he looked handsome. It hit his jaw just right and made his eyes sparkle. It was then that I noticed he was watching me too. I smiled at him hoping he would smile back. He did and it gave me goosebumbs how kind his smile was.

I had to go. He was making me feel something that I didn't even know what it was, even though he had barely said two words. There was something in his eyes that made me feel all warm inside. All I could do was hope he felt the same, but no. It could never happen he was so much older than me only 17. And besides he probably had all the girls fawning over him.

I stood up quickly and he grabbed my arm. "I'm going back to bed now," I told him. "I have a feeling I'm going to be waking up early tomorrow."

He laughed and nodded yes.

"Goodnight Ross," I said with a wave.

"Night."

I wandered back to my bunkhouse careful not to wake up anyone and thankfully no one noticed my absence.

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