Post by FBS Member on Jun 10, 2008 15:16:37 GMT -5
My head hit the glass of the window as mom drove crazily over the road, shaking me to a unwanted state of awake. I had been sleeping as my mom rambled on about how lost I had become, like I wasn’t even there anymore. And where was the Alison she knew? Gone, that’s where she was. No more friends, no more parties, no more lazy Saturdays. She was gone, where too? Fantasy Bridge Stables, that’s where.
Fantasy Bridge, as the brochure my mom received said, was a school that offered teachers coming out to see the students there so they would get an education. But the place itself was a boarding school for those interested in horses. And somehow, my mother got this crazy idea that I might be interested in getting back on a horse. So here I am, as she pulls that ugly green car into the driveway of hell.
“Are you even listening to me?”, was my moms reply when I guess she finally realized that I might not be into what she has to say completely. And not wanting to get into any of her, ‘you don’t respect me’ speeches, I simply nodded my head. What she doesn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
She sighed and looked me over like she was seeing a new me, smiling, she reached across the car and gave me a big bear hug that I was sure not to return. Resistant, she pulled away and got out of the car, I could hear the click of the trunk lock turning as she opened it. Sure enough, she appeared by my window carrying four bags of what I had packed. I hadn’t wanted to pack at all, but after I realized that there was no talking her out of this, I was sure to pack everything I could want for the 6 month stay here at Fantasy Bridge. Her speech to get me to stay went as follows:
“Just stay for 6 months, and if you absolutely hate it like you keep insisting you will, I will come pick you up, and bring you back home and let you re-attend school down here. Just give it a try honey! They have horses, and you used to love riding so much! You’d spend hours on end just begging me to let you stay at the stable a little longer, or to move out to the country so you could be around horses all day long! Now here’s your chance to be around them all day with allot of kids your age! You’ll love it!”
After that, she had given me a stern look that says ‘just nod your head and say you want to go and pack, otherwise, I’m packing for you and I will hunt you down and drag you to that car!’ So really, I had no choice in coming here, its just another chapter of my life planned out by the witch. And of all days to send me here, she chooses my 15th birthday! Oh, how lucky am I?
I uncrossed my arms and unbuckled, reluctantly turning to open the door, I stepped out and picked up my bags, two in each hand. I looked at her, giving what must have been a death stare, because she turned on her heels with a victorious smile and walked off. “Hurry along now honey, you don’t want to be late or else you wont get the tour!”
“Yeah, yeah. I hear you.” I had to hand it to her though, this place was beautiful, complete with a huge barn holding countless stalls, two indoor rings, three outdoor rings, over one thousand acres of pastures and trails, and a ten ‘o’clock curfew. The place didn’t sound that bad honestly, I got a chuckle out of the brochure, Be sure to carry money whenever leaving the main house, because if your not back by the time the door closes and locks, your hiking to a hotel for the night or sleeping outside. And if you convince one of the horses to share its stall, you might be lucky enough to sleep in a comfy bed of straw for the nigh! NO EXCEPTIONS!
Reaching the door, I was greeted by a skinny blonde with bright pink shiny lip-gloss and a large smile. She held out her hand to shake but then looked at the bags I was carrying and must have realized I couldn’t, because she brought her hand back and started her greeting more properly, “Hi there! I’m Holly! You must Alison. Ms. Thomson sent me to come and give you a tour of the stables. Is this your mom?,” She said and turned to look at my mom who nodded. “The office is that way, go into the commons area and there will be a door with a sign on it. You can talk to her if there’s anything you need. I’m just going to take Alison to her dorm and get her situated. If you’d like to join us for the tour, we’ll meet up in the commons area.”
Mom must have had something better to do, or just couldn’t wait to get rid of me one, but whatever the excuse, she came up with the greatest, and possibly most overused, lie to get out of it. She started walking towards her car, “I would, but I’m late for work, I’ll call Alison later and just see what she thanks. Bye Holly!” And with that, the car engine started and she was backing down the drive. And I was officially stranded here at Fantasy Bridge. I let one final glare follow my mother and turned to Holly who was smiling brightly at me and gave her a half smile. She turned and gave me a motion to follow her, so I did, I mean, what else was I going to do? There was no way I could run fast enough with four bags and catch my moms car.
I didn’t have much peace once entering the building, into what was apparently the commons room, because Ms. Thomson, I recognized her from the brochure, met up with me and stopped me for a moment to talk to me. “Now Alison, we are simply thrilled to have you here, but like any school or official building. We have our rules and schedules, here’s yours by the way, I’ll hand it here to Holly and you can look over it later, since she is taking you to your room. Curfew is at 10, now I don’t expect everyone to go to sleep at 10, I just want them all in their rooms by 10, if your outside the building at 10 and don’t make it back before the doors lock, your just out of luck until the open at 6 in the morning.
Your mother informed me that you did not have your own horse and provided me with money, there is now a list of horses with their pictures and info on your bed in your dorm, you can choose one of them. They range from here in the United States all the way to Europe. There are over 500 horses for sale in that list. If you have time, I suggest you come down to the office and tell Ms. Crenshaw, our secretary, thank you for finding so many choices. Its not mandatory that you do so, but I’m sure she appreciates a thank you every now and then.
During your free time, you may do whatever you like as long as it doesn’t include drugs, violence, or any of that sort of things. Your spending money is whatever your parents send you, the school will provide food, water, electric and that sort, but anything else is up to you. Your mom told me you had a laptop as well, there is a wireless internet connection that can be gotten into anywhere on the premises. If you have any questions that cannot be answered by the students or your handbook, come see me or Ms. Crenshaw in the office.”
And with that, she turned and walked off. I looked at Holly and raised my brow slightly, who in return shrugged her shoulders, “This way.” She walked off, leading me towards a staircase. That’s how I ended up here at Fantasy Bridge Stables.
[/size][/center]