Change

Well I’m here, in Iowa. On a farm, which seems to be in the middle of nowhere. There is not much besides little stubs of corn poking out of the ground; it feels pretty cool compared to California, but the humidity is what gets to you. Something I will just have to get used to. It is now the middle of May so school is out already for the summer, which I am happy about.

I don’t leave my bed very often. Most of the time I lay in my bed, wallowing in self-pity. I know I shouldn’t, but I do. Sometimes I just can’t help it. It hurts too much to know that my parents are gone forever. My heart aches and I feel empty inside, a void that seemingly can’t be filled.

Finally, I get so bored just cooped up in the house so my aunt finally convinced me to go explore the farm. There wasn’t much to it besides the smell of cow, pigs, and chicken. The smell of money as my uncle says. Sick. I think that was the first and last time I have laughed since I have gotten here. I turn the corner around the barn because I hear something. It is most likely my uncle doing some chores. It indeed was my uncle with the most beautiful horse I have ever seen. He had wild blue eyes, a white peppered coat, and a white mane and tail.

My uncle turns around and looks at me. “Hey Joy. Would you mind going and grabbing your aunts boots and helping me here?” Joy, I haven’t heard that nickname in awhile, something he has always called me.

I nod and head back to the house quickly. Maybe this is just what I need. Something to keep my mind off the past, something new and exciting and maybe, just maybe I can convince my uncle to let me have that horse as mine.

I slip on my aunt’s boots and head back outside to my uncle.

“Alright, Joy what I want you to do is hold the ropes and don’t let go.” My uncle says handing me the lead of the rope, which was holding the horse. “I’m trying to break him, get him used to people and riding.”

I just shake my head telling him to go on with what he was going to do. He hops on and takes another part of the lead. I honestly don’t see why he trusts me with this. This horse was huge and I look tiny and weak compared to it.

“Well this isn’t to bad, now is it?” My uncle says to the horse and to me as he pats its neck. The horse on the other hand had a different thought in mind. He starts to buck and pull on my lead causing me to slide a bit and lose my footing. My uncle starts pulling back on the reins trying to stop the bucking before he gets thrown off. “Joy hold on tight.” My uncle says just as I am about to lose it until someone comes from behind me and grabs onto the rope and to me before I fall, giving me more of a reassuring grip.

“Don’t worry I gotcha.” They say. It was a guy and whoever this was, was helping out a lot. They start to pull the ropes down to keep the horse from whipping its head back. To say the least it helped the horse calm down. My uncle was finally able to get off without being thrown off. He grabs the reins from me and whoever the mystery person behind me was.

“Thank you.” I say turning to the person who helped me brush my hair from my face. He smiles at me. He was about my age. Maybe a year older, he had the darkest hair I have ever seen; in the light it was shining blue, which lead to the next thing. This kid had the bluest eyes. He is wearing a plain white shirt and light blue jeans; he even had the cowboy boots to go with it. He definitely gave cowboys a good name. He was all around gorgeous to say the least.

“That’s what I’m here for.” He smiles, he had the cutest smile with a cute dimple growing on his left cheek. His smile was contagious. “I’m Liam by the way,” He looks at the horse. “Have you ever been riding?”

I shake my head no.

“I’ll have to teach you sometime than.” He smiles. This kid somehow knew just what to say.

“I see you have met Liam.” My uncle says from behind me. “Quite the charmer, isn’t he?” He smiles with a wink, taking the horse into the barn.

I didn’t say anything. I just looked at him. He cracks another smile for what my uncle has just said.

I smile and shake my head and walk away.

“Hey,” Liam calls out. “I never got your name.”

I turn as I am still walking and say. “Reina.”

"Reina." He says to himself. "I like that." I shake my head with a smile and turn back around to walk back to the house.

The last thing I hear is my uncle saying. “Get back to work. I don’t pay you to sweet talk my niece, Liam.”

I guess I will be seeing Liam quite a bit then.