My Parents banished me to my Uncle's ranch:

"I don't want to face Jack alone buddy," I mumbled to him. I sat on the top of the railing in the corner of the stall. Big Boy was munching away at his feed. He twitched his ears every now and then listening to me talk outloud. It felt so good to be able to just talk; even if it was to a horse. I don't know exactly what it was about him, but I felt in some strange way that he was listening to me. Even if he couldn't respond back.

"I'm not even hungry..." I sighed. "Nate is probably going to drag me into diner with him. I'll be right back though, don't worry. Tomorrow maybe I can give you a bath or something."

"You're going to wash the black right off of him if you keep cleaning."

I turned to see Nate standing a few stalls down. How long has he been there? Dammit, they are so nosey.

"How long have you been there?" I grumbled.

"...'I'll be back. Don't worry. Bath tomorrow'..." He started walking towards us. At least it hadn't been longer. Maybe he won't see that I'm talking to a horse.

If he gets any closer...Big Boy's ears went flat on his neck and he stopped eating as Nate approached. Bite him! I thought as hard in my head as possible.

Big Boy rammed his chest into the fencing and stuck his head over the gate reaching for Nate. Nate was quicker than Joe though and he jumped out of his way just in time.

"What the hell is wrong with that horse?" Nate acted calm and collected as he stood a safe distance away. I patted Big Boy on the neck. I need to find a different name...maybe Jaws? I laughed. I needed a better name.

"You think that's funny. Jack won't let you keep him if he does that."

"Jack doesn't have a choice. He's mine." Well, he's my mom's. He went back to eating like Nate wasn't even there.

"What's that you're doing?" Nate asked.

"What?" I asked looking at him confused.

"That thing...you're humming to him and now he's all fine with me being here." I hadn't noticed that Nate was closer now. And Big Boy wasn't doing anything. Strange. He likes the song that much. He's definately my mother's horse.

Nate looked at me expectantly. I looked down to him. "It's this song my mom used to sing to me before I went to bed." I admitted.

"Oh..." Nate looked like he was trying to do a very hard math problem now. Might as well tell him. Hes got to know sooner or later.

"He's my mom's horse." I sighed.

Nate looked up at me with confused eyes again, "She's in California isn't she?" He asked not knowing.

"Not Veronica," I shuddered internally at her name. She was not my mother. "My real mom. She died four years ago. This is her horse..."

"I'm sorry about your mom." He seemed genuine.

"Thanks." There was silence for the longest time until he spoke again.

"What's the song you're humming?" He asked on a lighter note.

"It's a piece by Gustav Holst." I don't even know how I remember that. That's it! I got a brain blast all at one time. I know what I want to name him...Jupiter. After the song my mom sang to him.

"It's a beautiful song." He said.

I was a little taken back by his kind comment. Oh I see what he's trying to do. He's trying to get all buddy-buddy with me so I will forgive him for what he said about me. Ha! I'm not easily flattered. He's going to need to try harder than that.

"Thank you." I said curtly. I jumped off the railing. "By Jupiter. I'll see you in the morning." I whispered. He went back to eating as I made my way to the house.

I thought I heard Nate mumble something like 'moody...' but I wasn't sure so I just ignored him.

I seated myself at the farthest end away from Jack. Nate was by my side but the table seemed empty without the four other boys. Rosie still gawked at my T-shirt and Dona seemed like she disapproved equally. They can shove it. I needed to do laundry though if the maids here don't. Joe had seen me in the barn with Jupiter and he wasn't repulsed by my shirt. Nate didn't seem to care either. Besides, it was just a shirt. Jack sat quietly at the table.

I breathed out a heavy breath. One of the maids served diner. It was pasta today. My appetite came back at the smell of the Itallian food. I loved that stuff. I ate quietly, not paying attention to much of what they were talking about. It was mostly things about the cattle and weight and size and...blah blah blah.

"Geezus Tiggie..." Nate looked at my plate. I was on my third helping.

"What?" I hissed. He just smiled and shook his head.

"Nate, I'm suprised to see you stayed behind." Jack said putting his plate aside. I was the only one still eating. But god, it tasted sooo good!

"Yeah," Nate eyed me cautiously. I knew I had to say something. I swolled and looked over to Jack. Hopefully he was in a good mood.

"That's my fault actually. I um..." I cleared my throat. "Well you see...Remember how you told me I could pick out a horse?"

Jack looked thoughtful for a moment, "You told me 'no', and 'I don't ride anymore'." He said looking sternly at me.

Dang it, he remembered...My words flowed out of my mouth like a babbling brook and the speed was terribly fast I didn't know if anyone really caught what I was saying. "I know I said that then but I found my mom's old horse and he's too beauitful and strong to just be sold at some auction and so I took him back to day and I groomed him and he's in your barn right now so can I keep him?" I cringed waiting for his response. Everybody seemed to look to him.

He sat there with his arms folded with an exspression I couldn't read. "Your mom's old horse, huh?" He took a drink of his water. "You say he's in the barn?"

"Yes..." I was still tense, holding my hands in fists in my lap.

He laughed a big Santa Claus laugh. Huh? "How the hell did you get him in there? I haven't been able to catch him since you're mother passed away."

"Er, um...I just did. So can I keep him, please?" I added that please just as politely as I could.

Jack shrugged, "Why not. You need something to keep you busy when you get off grounding."

"Thank you so much Jack!" I was too excited to be mad at him for the whole body guard issue and restriction. I pushed out of my seat and bounded happily to my bedroom. Before I had made it too my room I heard Joe mumble something about 'that horse is trouble...Erin couldn't ride him...' But I ignored them. I could ride him! Actually, I hadn't really thought alot about riding him. I had mostly just wanted to save him from the jackasses.

I slammed my door shut and decided at shower sounded good. Nate hadn't been acting like a body guard all that much lately but it was nice. And I didn't plan on going out until Sunday. What day is it anyway? Friday? I think it's friday...yeah it's friday all right. That means Sunday will be soon. I need to get my clothes washed before then. Or I won't have anything to wear. Chase told me that I was his girlfriend. Although this relationship was hard to manage, what with our families fighting and the jackass group wanting to kill him. But he was nice. And he seemed like he cared too. He even offered his house as a place to stay. Although that was probably a little more on the sexual side...either way.

After my shower I gathered up my laundry and went to the back washroom and threw in a load. Don't get me wrong, I know how to do chores and stuff, but it just seemed funny that the maids here didn't do laundry. I mean, isn't that why they are here. Don't they get paid for that kind of stuff? Oh well. I left my laundry in the wash and went back to my room. And of course there was Nate...

"Where'd you go?" He asked a little breathless. Had he been out looking for me? I couldn't help but laugh.

"Laundry..." I said raising my brow.

"Oh." He let me into my room. Idiot...

"What?" Did I say that out loud? Ooops.

"Nothing." I said and jumped into my bed. It was silent for a little while and then I jumped at the sound of a ringer.

"What's that?" Nate asked. The noise was coming from under my bed. I looked under and found a phone. I looked at the screen. Call from: Lindsay

Crap! Chase had dropped his phone there. I quickly hit the ignore button and burried it under the bed.

"Nothing." I said a littel frantic.

Nate pushed past me and started looking under my bed. "I don't know what your talking about I didn't see--"

He pulled out the phone and held it up to me with a quirked brow. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap...

"How'd you get this?" He asked opening the phone. I was absolutely speechless for once in my life. I had no idea what to say.

He continued to go through the phone and then he slammed it shut with a shocked exspression. "This is that little bastard's phone isn't it?" He roared.

"No." I lied the worst lie in my life. My voice even cracked. I cleared my throat, "Don't call my boyfriend a bastard you jackass!" I tried to grab for the phone but he shoved it in his pocket.

"Boyfriend? I thought you--you know what--he's been in here hasn't he! That night Steven was right. He was under your bed the whole time wasn't he?"

I didn't answer. Shock covered my face. He was dead on. There was no point in lying.

"He's just using you, you know that right? He just wants to get in your pants cause you're Jack's--"

"You don't know him! He's nothing like that!"

"Oh really? So what was he doing here last nigh? Yeah that's what I thought. I can't believe--"
"Nothing happened. I don't see why all you guys think I'm sleeping with him!" I screamed in his face. He shut the door and then came back over to me. He looked worried.

"Save the whole act, okay. I don't need you pretending like you really care about me. Give me the phone and go away." I held out my hand. He shook his head.

"No." He said firmly. "I'll give it back to him myself."

I scoughed, "Right. And when would that be...?" He just shook his head and went back out of the room to sleep on the couch.

In the middle of the night I felt a scratching on my window. Followed by some grunting and heavy breathing. What the hell? I woke up at looked to my window. There were distinct scratching noises and grunts followed by a low groan.

I knew what it was emmediately. But I couldn't get it out, "B-b-b..." So I screamed. I wrapped my arms around my legs and burried my head in my arms.

Nate came bursting through the door. I didn't look up to him. The grunting noise was still at my window. "What's wrong?" He came over to my bed.

"B-b-b-b..." Was all I could get out. The bear growled at my window and I latched onto Nate. I squeezed my arms around his neck so tightly if he hadn't been so muscular I would have choked him.

"It's okay, it'll go away if you're quiet..." He whispered.

"Please don't leave me," I whimpered. I had never seen a real live bear and I wasn't about to let go of the only thing that stood between us. I could still hear the loud sniffing noises at my window.

Then he growled again and I wrapped all my body around Nate and pulled him all the way into my bed. Him being so close I couldn't help but relax. I felt so safe with him laying on top of me. I burried my face in his chest and I hoped he couldn't feel the tears that were starting to come involutarily.

"It's okay...he's gone." He cooed to me. I didn't loosen my grip. The noises were gone but I had a feeling the bear was still near by.

"I hate bears..." I whispered. He chuckled a little, or he did something like that. His chest vibrated but I couldn't quite hear the laugh itself.

I could however feel his bare legs against mine. They were fairly smooth for being a guy's legs and his chest was also. He was so warm...and...comforting.

"Please don't go." I asked. And after a few moments he responded.

"I won't." He must have been uncomfortable laying on top of me like we were, but I liked it. I felt so secure. I fell asleep only a few minutes later.

I dreamed about my mother again. But it was a different dream. This wasn't a flashback, I was just dreaming about her riding. She was on top of a beautiful black horse--which I assumed was Jupiter--and she was making figure eights with him. Her soft brown hair flowed back and forth as they turned and weaved. She was smiling beautifully and it looked like she didn't have a care in the world. Jupiter also looked happy. His tail swished back and forth and his ears were fully perked up awaiting her commands.

They were the perfect couple. My mom was so young in my dream. She had me when she was only nineteen and her youthful face was all I remembered. She had this thing she always used to to--like out of habit--she would stick her toungue out when she was focussing. Just a tiny bit--not drastically--and she would squint so that the dimple by her eye was noticeable. In this memory she wasn't doing that though. She looked absolutely free while she road. Not like at competitions. She looked like she didn't have a care in the world while she was riding...