Chapter 3

Bevin held her arm aloft, wincing slightly as she prepared for her shower. She could hear her roommate moving around in the kitchen. She winced again staring at the bruise in the mirror. She moved her arm again, happy that it wasn't broken.

She moved into the shower to let the hot water soothe her aching muscles. Today's ride had taken its toll on her and her body was not appreciative. She took a quick shower, promising to take some ibuprofen as soon as she got out of the shower. She grabbed her towel and began to dry off, noticing the bags under her eyes.

"I need a decent night's sleep," she told herself in the mirror.

She ran her fingers through her dark brown hair, finger combing it. She blinked a few times as she swore her hair turned bright red in streaks in the reflection in the mirror. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes, willing herself to feel better.

"Maybe that fall was worse than I thought," she mused aloud.

"Hey, Cavanaugh!" her roommate called through the bathroom door.

"Yeah?"

"You still doing okay in there?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"You almost ready to head to school?"

"Yeah, I'll be out in a minute," Bevin told her.

She continued to prep for school, not worrying about what her roommate wanted. She hung her towel back up and then started to get dressed. She grabbed her shirt and pulled it on. As she smoothed it down over her arms, she pulled up the sleeves of the long sleeve t-shirt. She did a double take when she saw some strange markings on her arms. She ran her fingers over the markings, staring at the fresh looking tattoos that were there and then stared up into the mirror again into her hazy blue eyes.

"Bridget?!" she called out.

"What's up, Cavanaugh?"

"Did we go drinking last night?"

"No, Irish, we didn't. You were too beat up. I brought you home and put you to bed."

"You sure about that?"

"Yeah, Cavanaugh, I am sure about that. You about ready? We are going to be late."

"Yeah, I ready. Just give me a sec to grab my shoes. I'll be right out," she said, still staring in the mirror, before pulling down the sleeves of her shirt over the tattoos.

Bevin ran into her room, grabbed her shoes and jacket and met Bridget at the door. She threw her jacket on and just put her feet in her shoes as Bridget locked their apartment door. She continued out to the car, still holding her arm up, wincing with pain, when Bridget caught up to her.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. My arm just hurts like a bitch. I guess l hit it harder than I thought."

"I told you to let coach take you to the hospital to have it looked at," Bridget told her.

"Yeah, and miss trials, I don't think so. I am going to ride, pain or no pain. I am going to make that team. I have to make the team Bridget. I don't understand why, I just do," she replied getting into Bridget's Jeep.

"I feel ya, Bevin, but I think it is your Irish stubbornness. You don't know when to stay down. Sometimes you need to rest up," Bridget stated.

"I'll rest when I am dead."

"Well isn't that just cynical?"

"It may be, but we have stiff competition to make the international team. We can't just go out and try; we have to want it more than they do. We have to prove that we deserve it. Bloody Hell, Bridget, you were at the meet two weeks ago. That kid from BC cleaned house. I've never seen someone ride like that. It was like he was part of the horse or something," she replied.

"I have," Bridget stated.

"Yeah, who?"

"You, you goof. You have the best movement of us all. It is no wonder you got the scholarship for your equestrian skills. Besides, I doubt that coach wouldn't select you. He'd be dumb not to. He knows it, too. You have a way with any beast that man gives you. You tamed Sherlock in a week."

"Sherlock was easy," Bevin answered.

"That isn't what coach said, but it doesn't matter. You broke him and now he is one of the finest to ride. You should be proud of that," Bridget replied.

"I am."

"Then what has you so worked up?"

"I think I just had a rough night. It isn't a big deal. I'll be okay. I think I just need some caffeine."

"Well, we can stop somewhere on the way and get some breakfast."

"That sounds good," Bevin replied absentmindedly.

Bevin stared out the window as they made their way downtown. She wasn't really paying attention to anything as Bridget pulled into the university parking lot and parked. Bridget punched her in the arm to get her attention and pointed out the windshield to the Coliseum before them. Bevin smiled, gathered her books and got out of the car. She followed Bridget as they made their trek to the main part of campus from the commuter lot. Bridget immediately headed to the Russell House so they could get something to eat. Bridget knew that Bevin was blindly following her, but she couldn't figure out why. If she could get Bevin out this fog, she was going to make her go to the Thompson Health Center to be seen. Bevin needed to be in good form for their meet in three weeks for the SEC Regionals.

"Come on. Let's eat. I am sure that you are starved."

"Yeah, sounds good," Bevin replied automatically.

"Alright, that's it. You are going to the clinic after you eat. You've been weird all morning."

"I'm fine. I promise. I guess I am just a little more rattled than I thought. Let's just eat. I am sure that I'll be fine after that," Bevin told her, sitting down with her tray of food.

"Alright, spill it. What has you so flustered? Something's up and it isn't because of that fall yesterday. Tell me what it is," Bridget demanded, sitting down with her food.

"I guess it was the kid from BC."

"Really?"

"Yeah, sorry. I guess he just got to me. I wasn't expecting to bother me so much. No one has ever scored higher than me in a meet. I was a little taken aback by it. I guess I just let that get to me, which is why I fell yesterday. My mind wasn't on the ride," Bevin confessed.

"So..."

"So what?"

"You like him?"

"I don't dislike him."

"You have a crush on a guy from another team?"

"I wouldn't say it was a crush per say. I would say that it an appreciation for talent. That kid could ride. He flowed with the horse. It was almost magical the way he was with his stallion. I just...I have a lot of respect for him. He treats his horse well, too," Bevin answered.

"Treats his horse well, huh? And, how would you know that? Did you talk to him in the stables?"

"No, I heard him talking to his horse there. He was rubbing the stallion down after he rode. He was talking to it, like he was calming it down after a hard run. He just had a way about him with the horse, like it was personal or something. I've only seen my cousins act like that with their horses. It was like the horse was pan of him and he was part of the horse. They belonged together, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Bridget replied, laughing at her.

"Cause I am the same way?"

"Exactly, besides, you know coach is going to offer you a job after graduation. He wants you as a new assistant coach. He told me that he hasn't seen anyone ride like you in years. He thinks we need that for the team that you can teach that to us, you know? I wish I had the same grace that you do when you ride, but I don't. l am good, but you are flawless," Bridget told her.

"I am not flawless. I think that I proved that quite well, yesterday. There was just something about him. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there is just..."

"Fine, we'll Facebook stalk him later. Eat up. We got to go to class. And, just stop thinking about him for a while. We'll see what we can find out about later. We need to be heading to lab anyways."

They finished up their breakfast quickly and cleaned up their table. Bevin grabbed their books as they headed out the Russell House. She handed Bridget her book bag and they walked towards the Humanities Quad and the Darla Moore School or Business across campus.

As they were crossing through the North end of the Horseshoe, Bevin caught sight of two crows. They seemed to watching her and it made her a little uneasy. She looked at Bridget but didn't say anything. She didn't want to give Bridget any more fuel into thinking that she was losing it and making her go to the campus clinic. She had enough to worry about with grades, classes and getting ready for the meet without having to worry about some doctor telling her to relax and talk to one of the campus shrinks.

The crows stayed with them as they neared Gambrell Hall. Finally, Bevin was about to say something to Bridget about the crows when she saw a shimmer on the roof of Gambrell. She stopped walking and stared up at the roof, trying to figure out what caught her attention. Bridget stopped and looked up trying to figure out what Bevin was looking at. They both saw the two crows land on top of the building and stare down at them before 'cawing' at them. As soon as they started cawing, Bevin's cell phone rang.

She pulled her phone out, looked at the caller ID and then answered with her thick Irish accent coming out, "Hello, Shannon."

Bridget watched her, knowing that she had a strained relationship with her relatives. Bevin turned to her and smiled, trying to make Bridget go on to class without her. Bridget shook her head and sat down on the steps outside Gambrell to wait on her. Bevin made a face and walked away slightly to have a private conversation with her cousin on the phone.

"Hello, Shannon," she said again into the phone.

"Hello, Cousin."

"Wha dae ye need?" Bevin asked her as Bridget wrinkled her nose at Bevin's constantly thickening lilt.

"Granddadda would like to speak with you. He saes it is important and it cannae wait. He danae want ya to doddle. He saes to come home to Kildaire."

"I can't do that. I have things to do here. If he wants me to come, he can call me. I have to go to class. Tell him that I'll call back later. And, yes, Shannon, I remember the time difference," Bevin told her before hanging up.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I don't know what she wants, but I do know that I don't have time for it."

"What did she say?"

"That Granddadda wants me to come home."

"Is he okay?"

"I dunna know 'cause I dinnae talk to him."

"Bevin?"

"Yeah?"

"Calm down. You know that no one can understand your lilt when you get all worked up. We still have ten minutes. Let's get you a soda and find our seats, okay?" Bridget asked.

"Ya, sounds good. Sorry for this. I cannae help it."

"I know, Irish. I know. But, let's calm down now."

Bevin gave her a look and stood up from her seat. She followed her into Gambrell Hall. They made their way to the canteen and bought two Mountain Dews before making their way to their class. They sat down in their usual seats in the back just as the professor walked in and closed the door.

Bevin let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding. Bridget smiled at her and pushed the drink at her, wiggling her eyebrows and making a motion to drink. Bevin smiled back at her, finally calming and took a drink. She looked out the window of the classroom and saw the shimmer again. She did a double take when she saw the two crows perch on the window ledge and look right at her

A/N: You may think that this has nothing to do with story, but I assure it does. Everything will be revealed in later chapters. This is a necessary part of the story and it will all make sense later. BTW, reviews are always appreciated. ~JET