Just Chill (open)

[<Amy>]

Taylor Stone

Ty sighed as she pushed open the glass door into the rider lounge. It was mostly a converted farmhouse that had come with the stable, at least that was what Amy had told her. The room had a T.V., a couch, beanbags and a mini kitchen. Shelves all around the joined rooms showed off past students and horses, ribbons, pictures and old trophies standing monuments to Southern Blues' past successes. Down a short hall was where meetings were held for staff and where students would get ready for competitions if they chose to use the rooms. Taylor's only destination however was the actual lounge.

Heading to the fridge, Ty grabbed a diet coke and perched on a barstool at the bar-like counter. She was worn out from mucking stalls, exercising Ink and her newest addition, Lady. She had gone over both of them in a thorough grooming and then spent an hour filing the last of Lady's paperwork. It was killer and she felt ready to fall asleep.

Popping the top on the soda, Taylor took a swig, hoping the caffeine would give her a bit of an energy boost. Putting down the can, Ty studied a picture on the wall of a teen grinning at the camera with a white horse having its head hung over the kid's shoulder looking balefully at the camera. In the background it looked like they were at some sort of fair or riding expo, a red ribbon in the kid's hand with "2nd" in gold lettering.

Sighing, Taylor folded her arms on the counter and laid her head down. It was nice to be off her feet and just have a minute to relax and not have to worry about chores. In her mind, Taylor flicked through her chore list. Muck stalls, check. Groom Lady, check. Groom Ink, check. Fill hay nets, check. Dressage practice with Lady, check. Jumping practice with Ink, check. Organize Lady's tack.....

Before she knew it, Taylor was fast asleep. Her brunette hair in a loose ponytail slid to one side as she turned her head in her sleep, arms pillowing her head.

[baidan]

Aidan had just finished mucking out Charlotte and Finnegan's stall. It didn't take her long, maybe 45 minutes to finish both and put new bedding down. She was just used to it, back at her mom's house she had the whole 3 stall barn to herself and cleaned 3 stalls by herself everyday, 2 stalls a day was no big deal. Though, it was a lot warmer here than it was back home, so she was craving liquids a lot more than she usually would have. After she swept the asile in front of her horses stalls and made sure everything was good and tidy, she made her way to the student lounge. She'd never been in there before, but she'd heard about it.

She walked in, figuring there was no one else in there until she saw a girl asleep on the couch. She swallowed and quietly made her way across the room over to the fridge. She decided to just grab a drink and go back out to the barn, maybe clean her tack a bit, or re-organize. She didn't want to wake the girl, and sitting in her by herself watching a stranger sleep seemed a little on the creepy side. She opened the fridge and picked up a can of diet cola. She glanced at the girl once more to make sure she hadn't woken her yet, closing the fridge door. She figured she was home free, that was until she took a step towards the door. She had no idea what went wrong, but she simply tripped over herself and landed on the floor with a loud thud, her can rolling a few feet away from her. Shit. She quickly crawled over to the can and grabbed it before it had a chance to reach the couch and scrambled to her feet, hoping to god she didn't wake the girl.

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[<Amy>]

Ty jerked awake, not sure at first what had woken her up. With a yelp she toppled off the barstool she'd been sitting on and landed on the floor. The soda she had had on the counter, thankfully, didn't dive after her. Taylor pushed herself up and looked around for what had startled her back to wakefulness in the first place. Her eyebrows rose when she caught sight of a girl, maybe sixteen that was holding a can of cola and had the embarrassed flush of somebody that had just done something like trip in front of a crowd or hit the high note three octaves too high in a school musical. It took Taylor a second to realize she was staring, sitting on her butt looking like a fainting goat.

Giving herself a shake, Taylor hopped to her feet and smiled. Reaching back to adjust her ponytail, Taylor nodded to the other girl. "Hi." Stifling a yawn and glancing at the clock, Ty was glad to see she hadn't been asleep for more then ten minutes at most. Grabbing her soda she took a sip, making a mental note to grab an energy drink from the gas station in town when she left for the day.

"Um, well, I'm Ty" Taylor said, trying to recover from her embarrassing spill.

So far it wasn't working. She could feel herself blushing but tried to make it stop. Sadly that wasn't working either. Taylor couldn't believe she'd let herself get startled so easily. In her defense however, she had been asleep and been working for hours. It wasn't that she wasn't used to the work but more of the fact she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. Her dad had been up and roaming until three in the morning and she'd been pulling into the stable driveway at six thirty.

[baidan]

Just as she turned, she was able to watch the girl fall off of the barstool and topple onto the floor. She stood there, clutching the can in her hand for dear life while she watched the girl get up onto her feet. She half expected to get a dirty look and a roll of the eyes, so when the girl smiled and polietly said 'hello', she was taken back a little. But, she smiled back and waved a small bit. Hi.. I'm so sorry that I scared you, I just kind of tripped over myself. I didn't mean to make such a big noise. She swallowed and bit her lip softly. It wasn't until there was a moment or pure silence did she realize that Taylor had introduced herself, but Aidan hadn't. I'm Aidan, by the way. I just moved my horses in here a few days ago.. so I'm a little new.. Don't really know what I'm doing. She chuckled slightly nervously and pushed her hair back with a swift move of her hand.

Aidan was a naturally shy person, so it wasn't like she knew how to line up a conversation with a perfect stranger, but she also wasn't about to be rude and simply walk out while the girl was talking to her. Besides, she needed to start socializing at some point, maybe this would be a good start.

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[<Amy>]

"Really? We've had a lot of new people recently" Taylor said, hopping back up to perch on the barstool. Holding the soda can between her hands, she smiled at Aiden. "Where did you live before you came to Ravenhook?" Taylor was a naturally friendly person, almost compulsively friendly. At least, to girls she was. Guys got the cold shoulder from Taylor for a long time until she was absolutely, one hundred percent, sure she could trust them. That was one of the many side effects of having once been abused by her boyfriend before moving to Ravenhook with her dad. Of course, dad still drank a lot but he never got violent, just droopy and sleepy. Either way, at the moment Taylor was friendly and relaxed, perfectly safe within Southern Blues.

"I used to live in North Dakota before I found the TAEA online and adopted a horse. Dad lost his job and we moved here so I could work and he could find another job." She wasn't sure why she told Aiden this. Maybe it was because that was something they had in common? They had both moved boy was that a big jump.

Virginia was absolutely nothing like North Dakota. It was so different that at first Taylor had hated it with a burning passion. Then she'd gotten a hold of Invisible Ink and he had helped her get better, mentally and emotionally. Her outlook had brightened and she had stopped being so scared or flinching whenever a guy even looked at her. Now she had the guts to give them the cold shoulder but also break out of her shell when she was around people she was comfortable with.

Of course, Ty couldn't even assume that anything quite like that had happened to Aiden but still, at leas there was one thing they had in common.

[baidan]

Aidan watched the girl sit back down at the bar and continue talking to her. Maybe standing here made her look.. awkward, or rude, like she was in a hurry to get the hell out of there. She slowly took a few steps towards the counter and sat across from her, setting her soda on the counter top in front of her. She'd wait to open it.. after dropping it on the floor it might be a good idea to let it sit for a few moments. She didn't think it was strange that she was opening up to her like this so easily, she actually kind of envied that she was so easily open with people and not shy at all. Aidan figured if she was going to talk, she might as well, too. I used to live in Maine with my parents until they got a divorce. At first I was just going to keep living with my mom because we had a barn on our property and I didn't wangt to have switch schools and stuff.. but then her boyfriend moved in with us and convinced her that 3 horses was too much for a 16 year old, so she was going to make me sell them all and I didn't want to, so I talked to my dad, sold one of my horses and moved here. She nodded.

It wasn't really a story like her's was, nothing bad had ever really happened to Aidan. She had nothing to cry about in life. At the moment, the only thing she had to be sad about was the fact that she had sold Cheerio and she missed her friends, which she still got to talk to all the time, and she got emails and pictures of Cheerio nearly every week. I still need to find a job and stuff like that.. and my mom's going to drive my car down here when she comes to visit in a few weeks. So I'll start job hunting when I get my car back. She took a deep breath and nodded. How long have you lived here? Aidan was surprised at herself. She felt like she was really comfortable with this girl. She was never deathly shy, but she was talking to her like she'd known her forever.

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[<Amy>]

Taylor nodded as Aiden told her story. One of her old friends from the Peakmount, Ashley, had had her parents divorce. It had been really hard to see her go but it had helped when she had been in constant contact. Now however, since Ty had moved to Virginia it was practically impossible to get a hold of anybody she used to know. Then again, that had been sort of self-imposed. She didn't want her boyfriend finding her. Sure, that seemed a little rediculous but...anything was possible. In her mind, loosing all her old friends had been worth it if it meant she really was safe in Ravenhook and didn't have to hurt and be scared anymore. Now she just had to put up with a drunk dad.

"I've been here for about two years, found a job at the bookstore in town. I could probably see if I could get an application for you if you're interested" Taylor offered. "Almost everything I has goes into keeping my horses here, especially since I've had to pay for Lady's vet visits."

Lady in White was Taylor's Gypsy Vanner mare, pregnant with a foal and getting visits from one of Ravenhook's vets to make sure the foal was ok. The visits were a bit pricey since Taylor's dad had infrequent jobs and sometimes just didn't go to work. Still, she worked almost full time at the bookstore, getting every penny in overtime she could so she could keep both of her horses. Keeping Ink on the stud list was also bringing in money as well, though a portion had gone toward Lady.

"Have you had any chances to explore Ravenhook? I know it's not a big town but it's got some real gems if you know where to look."

Ty took a sip of her soda, crushed the can and tossed it into a trash can in the corner. It went in and clinked when it hit the bottom, probably landing on a bed of other old soda cans from other students hanging out in the lounge. Looking around, Ty had to admit it was unusual for the lounge to be so empty.

[baidan]

When she offered to get her an application, Aidan couldn't help but smile a small bit. Maybe she wasn't as big of an outcast as she thought she would be in this place. Taylor was actually being nice to her. Yeah, thanks. That'd be awesome. Aidan opened her soda and took a sip of it. She hadn't realized how thirsty she'd been until she actually took a sip of her drink. At her next question, she shook her head from side to side while she swallowed the bubbly liquid inside of her mouth. No, not really. I've only been here for 3 days and they've all been spent either settling in my horses or unpacking stuff at my house. It's not really different from where I used to live.. so it's not that big of an adjustment. It is a bit warmer, though. She chuckled and took another drink from the can in her hand.

So what kind of horses do you have? Horses were always a good subject for Aidan. She could talk about her horses for days, she loved those little critters. And maybe talking about horses with Taylor would help her open up even more.

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[<Amy>]

Aiden was a bit of the opposite of how Taylor had been when she had moved to Ravenhook. She had spent days just driving in circles around the little town trying to figure out how to get away. In those days she had found all the little hideaways, back alley second hand shops and other little oddities that the town had to offer a girl that had been at the time very much broken. When she had been circling was when Taylor had found the TAEA headquarters by accident and seen Invisible Ink in one of the corrals. She had instantly been in love with the stallion but that was a story for another day. It had taken Taylor almost three weeks to even consider coming to the stable but since then she had been coming nonstop.

"I own Invisible Ink, he's a Warlander stallion and I have Lady in White. She's a Gypsy Vanner and both of them are due for foals to be born. Still a couple of months away but exciting either way."

Taylor's brown eyes lit up when she mentioned her horses both about to be parents. Ink had been bred with another Warlander in the stable and Lady had bred with another Vanner. It wasn't that Taylor didn't like crossbred horses, she adored them as much as any other horse. It was just that she wanted to help build up Warlander bloodlines and Lady's stud had been the first one that had caught her eye when she had been searching. Why have one horse on a stud list and the other pregnant? She needed the money and absolutely adored foals. It was true she would have to sell Lady's foal but that didn't mean Taylor wouldn't love it.

"Ink is big in the jumping circuit and I've been working Lady with dressage but that's going to have to stop soon" Taylor said. "What about you?"

Horses was a topic Taylor was perfectly comfortable with. She had lost her passion for horses when she'd been trapped in an unfortunate relationship but Ravenhook had brought it back with the help of Ink and Southern Blues. Now she was on top again, making her way through low level jumping contests with Ink and flaunting the dressage with Lady.

[baidan]

Aidan listened intently as Taylor talked about her horses. Aidan was always interested in horse chatter. When she mentioned that her horse was pregnant, she thought about maybe breeding Charlotte. Charlotte would be an amazing mother. And regardless of the fact that she was crossbred, she'd probably get bundles for the foal. Whenever she broguht Charlotte to shows people would approach her and offer her thousands of dollars for Charlotte. Aidan could only imagine what people would pay if she were to breed Charlotte to a decent stud. But Charlotte was still big in the show circuit, she couldn't afford to be pregnant, not right now. And she was still far too young.. Or so Aidan thought.

She smiled. I've always wanted to watch a foal being born. I'd be just as exicted as you are.. if not more. She chuckled and pushed her hair back again as she asked about her horses. She cleared her throat and swallowed. Well, I have an off track Thoroughbred gelding named Finnegan and he's ten. Before I bought him he was a trained eventer, but I turned him into a hunter jumper. But I still bounce around on the cross country course with him and do a little dressage.. he's really good at it. Or I think so. And I have a Thorougbred-Welsh Pony cross mare named Charlotte and she's 7 I believe. And she's a total sweetheart. I can trust her with kids of any size and she almost never spooks. Plus she's one hell of a competor. She chuckled and nodded a small bit. She felt almost as if she was babbling, but again, she was talking about her horses. She couldn't stop herself. Before I moved here I had a Quarter Horse gelding named Cheerio, but I sold him to a Theraputic riding center. He was getting pretty old.

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[<Amy>]

Taylor smiled, glad to see Aiden relaxing. It seemed like horses was a magical topic for anyone at the stables. Bring it up and it could brighten anyone's day more often than not. Plus, call her a little nosy but Ty was interested in what other competition Ink and Lady might someday be facing if Southern Blues held any circuit competitions. Usually Taylor didn't bother much with snooping competitions and really wasn't that competitive of a person but sometimes if the opportunity presented itself she wouldn't stop herself from asking and knowing. Knowledge meant a lot these days and it never hurt.

When Aiden brought up old horses she had owned, Taylor had to struggle not to wince. "I used to own a paint named Patches, he was a school horse but he was for me to use and he was really sweet. When I was about to turn fifteen though, I stopped riding for a while and let someone else ride him."

She didn't say why she'd stopped riding and hoped Aiden wouldn't ask. Let her assume it was an accident or she went broke and couldn't pay. Anything to keep her from snooping. If she did ask, Ty assumed she could just use one of the basic lies, accident, injury, no money for the fee. Still, Taylor was a horrible liar. That was why she was usually a goody-goody because she knew herself well enough to know she couldn't lie and get away with it. So, to avoid the need to lie she just told the truth and followed the rules like any good girl. Yeah people thought she was a wimp but it saved her the headache of keeping up with who knew which lie.

Taylor glanced at the clock on the wall and let out a yelp. "I'm gonna be late! Sorry, Aiden, I have to run. My shift starts at five but I'll bring the applications up tomorrow for you. If you're not here I'll leave them with Amy, ok?"

Hopping off the barstool, Taylor grabbed another soda out of the fridge before dashing out the door, boots clopping on the stairs and across the stable yard to her pickup.

[baidan]

When she mentioned that she'd stopped riding at 15, she didn't really question it, aloud or inside her head. Probably just a lot of stuff going on in her life at the time, like highschool in general. It happens. She was trying to think of something else to say to her, to not make sitting there awkward, maybe invite her to ride with her or something, but all of sudden Taylor just jumped out of her seat and bolted for the door. Oh, alright. Umm.. She heard the door shut and Taylor's boots running towards her car. Thank you! She tried to say it loud enough for her to hear her, but she doubted that she did.

She took a deep breath and sat in the silence of herself for a moment or so before she slid off the barstool, grabbed her soda and headed back towards the barn. She'd find SOMETHING to do.

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