Status: comments would be appreciated :)

Sterling's Daughter

Chapter 25

Laya slowly pulled down the stirrups of Juno's saddle and fixed them to the length that suited her. Because she hadn't ridden for so long, Mum had been riding the horse instead, and Juno had calmed down so much during her rather long stay at Sterling Stables that Mum was pretty sure Laya could handle her first time back in the saddle.
"Right, want a leg up?" Mum asked. Laya nodded. She'd been starved of the saddle and horseback riding, and she couldn't wait to get back up there and ride like she always had. "On three, then. One, two, three."
Laya bounced up into the saddle with Mum's aid, and swung her leg over Juno's back, and landed slightly heavily in the saddle. Juno snorted. Laya jumped, and grabbed the pommel of the saddle. Her legs tightened on the saddle again.
"Are you okay?" Mum asked.
"Yep," Laya nodded, but her hands were shaking. Why? She wasn't sure. For some strange reason, her nerves seemed to be frayed. She took a deep breath, placed her feet in the stirrups, and gathered the reins in her hands. She asked Juno to walk on, and the mare responded instantly. The walk was so full of life that Laya rocked back in forth with the momentum of it. Every time Laya hopped on a horse, she wanted to canter, gallop and jump until neither she nor the horse could continue.
So why did she so desperately want to drag Juno to a stop, leap off, and run to the safety of her bedroom?
"Turn her a bit, get her nice and easy on the reins, see how little it takes to get her to respond to you, and when you are ready, up to trot," Mum called.
Laya took another deep breath, opened her legs and clicked once to Juno. The mare shot forward and Laya did something she knew she shouldn't do. She hung on with her legs. That only made Juno confused, and run faster. Laya gritted her teeth and pulled back on the reins.
"Laya!" Mum called.
Laya jerked Juno to a stop and the mare's head flew up in agitation.
"Laya!" Mum cried, and began to head over to her.
Laya dismounted and shoved the reins at Mum.
"Where are you going?" Mum sounded and looked astonished.
"Somewhere where I won't kill myself," Laya retorted, with an element of sarcasm lacing her tone.
As she fairly sprinted for the barn, she could feel nothing but terror surging through her body.
She couldn't ride.
She'd forgotten how.
She was scared of the fear that she wouldn't ever feel that same freedom of riding again.
She was scared of the fear of never being the rider she once was.
All because of that stupid dare.
***
THREE WEEKS LATER:
School was out for the term, and it was about time. Laya searched the entire school grounds at 3 o'clock for some sign of Will. She'd seen him earlier in the day, but couldn't for the life of her find him now. She groaned inwardly.
"When I don't want him, he's here. When I do want him, he's not," she pulled at her hair in frustration. "Where the hell are you, you stupid j..."
"Looking for someone?" a voice asked, and Laya almost had a heart attack. She stumbled, and a pair of arms grabbed her before she could face plant into the concrete. She gasped as she righted herself with the aid of her saviour.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she rounded on the person behind her.
"Sorry," the boy said, holding up his hands in defence. In doing so, he let go of her, and having been relying on him holding her up more than she realised, she almost went reeling over backwards. By some miracle, she kept herself upright and maintained a death glare. "Just trying to help," was all he said.
"Hmph," Laya grunted.
The boy backed away uncertainly and confusedly. He had no idea who this girl was who had nearly chewed his head off for trying to help. Best plan was to get the heck out of here.
Laya watched him walk away and rolled her eyes. Who cared about that guy? She needed to find WIll, as surprised as she was that she was actually admitting it.
Then she saw his dark head moving amongst a bunch of other guys.
Before she could check herself and keep her mouth shut, she'd yelled his name at the top of her lungs. He turned, surprised at the volume at which his name had been hollered, and saw her almost running in his direction.
"Hey," he greeted. "You must be desperate, yelling to get my attention, when you haven't spoken to me since I got my new horse. Or actually yelling for me in general," he added after a second.
Laya gritted her teeth.
"You're right," she admitted reluctantly. "I AM desperate."
"Wow, you're admitting that?"
Laya growled beneath her breath at that. Will smirked.
"You know what? I have another confession - I am completely insane," she snapped. "To even consider asking you for anything."
That quite possibly stung him a little, and his sly smile faded slightly.
"Okay," he shrugged. "What are you so desperate about that it involves talking to me?"
"You make it so hard for me to like you," she snapped.
"Do you even want to like me?" Will asked curiously.
Laya felt her cheeks heat a little but ignored them, glaring into his dark eyes. She took a deep breath.
"I need your help," she said.