Picture Perfect

It’s been two months since I last talked to Jimmy. Two whole months. The only thing that kept me going since then was Puck. But, even now, my time with him was dwindling down. Mother insisted that I had to go every single wedding place with her. I hated it. If it were up to me, my bags would have been packed and I would have disappeared by now. But I can’t. There are too many lives at stake. Too many lives that I do not want on my conscience.

“Anna! Pay attention!” Rosanna yelled at me.

I snapped back in time to realize that Puck was about to peel me off of his back with a jump standard. I quickly swung my right leg back and pushed his barrel over. “I’m sorry!” I called, bringing the warmblood back down to a walk.

Rosanna stalked over to me. “Don’t do that again. What if you were jumping? You could get seriously hurt, Anna.”

“I’m sorry, I really am.”

Rosanna sighed and looked at Puck’s eye. “You were right to try to peel her off, she spoke to him. “I wouldn’t want a space cadet to be on me, either.” She grinned and gave him a cookie before turning her attention back to me. “Now straighten up and focus. Ram tap is only three days away! Do you hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good, now go warm-up on the baby fence while I raise these jumps.”

Nodding, I urged Puck on. I had to focus. I couldn’t afford anymore distractions.

Four days later

It was the second day of the three day horse show that marked the beginning of show season. True to Ted Cooper’s word, Puck had yet to fail me…but I couldn’t let my winnings make me cocky. Horseback riding, though a non-contact sport- was extremely competitive, especially on the A-circuit. Unlike most non-contact sports, however, there was no psyching out of opponents. We all perform the same courses. No, the competition comes in breeding and how the horse “floats.” That is, who the sire is and how effortless the rider can make the horse’s gaits look. It doesn’t help that all the rich snobs get drunk each night to get dirt on the other competitors (I feel that that is just a given).

Puck shifted excitedly underneath me as I watched one of the competitors go around the course. As I watched her ride, I instantly began to plan every turn and fence to get the optimal number of points. I had already decided to go with the lower choices- they were the easier, cleaner turns, and that sixth fence looked a little scary.

“You have a plan?” Rosanna asked.

“Yes.”

“And you have the steps?”

“Memorized them backwards and forwards, even the broken lines and roll backs.”

“They didn’t give the rollback count.”

“I know,” I smiled down at her. “I calculated them in my head.”

Rosanna smiled and laughed. “That a good one. Look, you did amazing in the greens with Addie this weekend, now let’s show these people what you can really do.”

I laughed back and nodded my head. “With Puck, anything is possible,” I smiled before urging him into the covered arena. I let both of our eyes adjust before making my opening circle. It’s now or never. I remember the course being fine, but Puck, in his adrenaline rush, turned too soon to the sixth fence and took the higher option. I think I tried moving him off of that path and to the lower one, but it was too late. I was not prepared. I remember shouts and yells, but that’s when everything got fuzzy and the world faded away.