From Gumboots To Jimmy Choo's

"Yo butt munch! Kristen's here!" Chace yelled, throwing open my door and making it bang loudly against the wall. I woke with a start and tumbled off my bed, landing on the floor in an awkward position as Chace simply laughed at me.

"W-what's the time?" I asked, rubbing my sore head as I sat up.

"Midday." Chace said before leaving my room and allowing a bouncy, over-excited person come flying in. Kristen threw open my curtains just as I opened my eyes.

I cringed as blinding sunlight hit me. I blinked a few times, my eyes watering from the shock.

"Thank you so much for that.." I groaned, getting up and adjusting my messy hair.

"All good!" Kristen beamed with enthusiasm. "So what's on the agenda?"

"Riding? Did you bring Goldbar?" I asked her as my vision focused.

"Yep. She's pumped and ready to go. You, however need to change." Kristen said, regarding my farming clothing.

"Well, if you go saddle up Roo, I'll change." I said. "Oh wait, I need to have a shower."

"I'll go saddle him up, you get in the shower, get dressed then meet me outside okay?" Kristen replied as she left the room.

I left my room as well and went and had a quick shower. I came back into my room and shut my curtains then changed into a pair of dark loose-ish skinny jeans, a pair of flat leather boots and a grey sweater. I pulled my hair up into another ponytail then left my room and met Kristen outside.
She stood there with her palomino Goldbar and my appaloosa Roo.

"He's getting big!" She exclaimed as she handed his reins to me.

"I know, I swear he grows each day!" I replied, mounting him as she did the same to Goldbar.

We started off through the paddocks and then found the horse trail, Goldbar and Roo trotting happily.

"So, are you excited about tomorrow? I mean, I know I am and it's not even me performing!" Kristen grinned, turning in her saddle slightly to look at me.

"I'm more terrified than anything." I said.

"Why?" She asked.

"I don't want to muck up. This is my chance to show everyone that I can do it. People out here don't exactly get famous for being a farmer." I laughed.

"Is it all about the fame then?" She replied.

"No. That's just a perk isn't it? It's more I want to show everyone that I made it. I want so desperately to help dad as well with the farm and all. I-I've never told anyone but when I was younger, I used to cry because of my want to be famous, to be an influence." I said quietly.

"You're odd but I see where you're coming from." She said, staring into space with a dreamy look on her face.

She was often like this, gazing at something no-one else could see. Thinking of ideas you'd never have thought possible. Kristen was, as my grandmother put it, an old soul. Someone who'd had a past life and took everything cautiously, gracefully and with the air of someone beyond her years.

Brilliant is what I call her.

We'd made it deep into the forest, the light just streaming in the little gaps of the tall and clustered trees. It was bout one thirty, we'd been riding for an hour. We stopped next to a small stream and tied the horses up so that they were able to drink from the water but wouldn't wander off.

"So, how's Ben?" I asked Kristen whose face suddenly began turning pink.

"Fine." She mumbled, looking at the ground.

Ben Harris was Kristen's boyfriend of exactly nine days.

"Something wrong?" I asked, sensing a change in her emotions.

"Oh Zoe!" She suddenly wailed, throwing her arms up and startling me so much I actually ducked out of the way.

"What's wrong?" I asked, clutching at her as tears poured down her cheeks.

"He's so perfect!" She wailed again.

I rolled my eyes and concealed my grin, "What's wrong with that?"

"I'm in love.." She said, quietly, "with someone else."

I sat there slightly confused. "Whose this other person?"

"Kevin Jonas!" She cried.

I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing and fell on my side, holding my stomach.

"It's not funny!" She burst out, hitting me on the arm.

"Okay, okay, I'm-" But I couldn't finish my sentence because laughter overtook me.

"What's wrong with that?" She huffed, folding her arms and glaring at me.

"He lives on the other side of the world and he's like five years older than you!" I said, "And he has a girlfriend!"

"There's still time!" She argued then she began laughing as well.

We stayed next to the stream, talking and laughing as best friends do before we noticed the light beginning to fade.

"We'd best be getting back." I said, pulling Kristen up. We untied our horses and got back on them then raced each other out of the forest like always.

I waved goodbye as Kristen trotted off towards her own home, promising to txt me. I put Roo back in his stable and took off his saddle and such then began to brush him down. I finally finished and left Roo, walking back into the house.

I took a quick shower and changed into a pair of pyjama shorts and a white singlet.

"Darling, could ya come in here please?" Dad yelled from the living room. I yanked on a pair of ankle socks and tied my hair up before leaving my room.

"Yeah?" I asked, sitting on a one seater. Tyler, Chace and Caleb were all spread out on the couch, amused grins on their faces.

"I need you to clean up your room tonight love, we're having a few, uh, guests over for the next two weeks and I need the house to be clean." Dad said, a small grin appearing on his face as well.

I stared at them all curiously. "Who is it?"

"Just an old friend. He and his family wanted to come out and see how we were doing." Dad shrugged but I felt an uneasy feeling.

"Alright, I'll go get cleaned up." I spoke cautiously, trying to read their bemused faces. I left the room and I could've sworn I heard Caleb snicker.

What on earth was going on??