Heheheh I said that this was a work in progress...and it was...when I wrote ten words then got busy...and then ended up deleting those ten words. Coconut up top. ANYWAYS, here's chapter nine!

        I rode Lexington one-handed up the driveway, a habit that I had when I was riding at a walk and wasn't practicing. Finnick rode Nightshade beside me, still dripping wet from falling in the lake. As we approached the stable, I saw Parker tacking Feather up. Great, I thought. I was still confused by how Parker had acted toward me the night before. I halted Lexington, dismounted, and tethered him to a hitching post. Finnick copied me with Nightshade, and I realized that I didn't exactly have a plan on how to get Finnick dried off quickly. I knew from experience during a hose war that Finnick's hair did not dry quickly, and that when it was wet it always flopped over into his eyes.

        It was that moment that Parker noticed us. How he didn't notice our horses coming up the driveway? No clue. But he was turning Feather towards the fence, probably to mount, and he saw us. I walked over to Parker, deciding to be neutral. "Hey, Parker." I said, putting on a friendly tone.

        "Hi, Kennedy. What's he doing here?" Parker asked, tilting his head towards Finnick.

        "We were out doing some cross-country, and Nightshade dumped him in the lake afterwards. Well, actually, Nightshade dumped him on the ground, then wouldn't let Finnick catch him again and we ended up by the lake and Nightshade pretty much tripped him." I explained.

        "I'll assume that Nightshade is the horse. By the way, who names their horse after a deadly plant?"

        "He is not named after the plant. He's named after his color, because he's faded black. A shade of night." Finnick broke in testily.

        "Well then, my mistake," Parker said, and I was surprised to hear what I thought was a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

        "Anyways" I broke in as Finnick opened his mouth to respond. "We came back because Finnick needed to dry off, and towels would do the trick, but we need something else for his hair."

        "Just use a blow dryer or something," Parker suggested.

        "No way! I don't use electric stuff on my hair," Finnick said, shoving his bronze hair out of his eyes. "Towels and air only, please. I mean, it'll take around two hours to air-dry, and I would love to speed up that process, but find another way."

        Parker shrugged. "Suit yourself."

        "Also, can I just say that I love how we've been talking about my hair for this long?" Finnick noted, smirking.

        "No, you cannot." I said, wanting to get this over with.

        "Too bad, already did." Finnick responded.

        "I guess I can go get a towel. Plus can't you just gallop Nightshade around or something to dry off your hair?" Parker wondered.

         "Hypothetically, yes, I could, but I'd need a different horse, because I'm trying to give him a break."

        Parker bit his lower lip, which I figured was something that he did when he was thinking, because I had seen him doing that before. "Charlie!" Parker called out, turning his head towards the barn. Charlie jogged out, answering with "What?"

        "What horses are free for the next half hour?" Parker asked his brother.

        "Dawn, because Rachel won't be here today. Lonru, too, if you wanted to risk Isabelle's wrath. And Coconut." Charlie finished.

        "Right, Coconut! I always forget about her since she's in the back all the time. I'll be right back." Parker said to us as he turned, heading towards the tack room and emerging with a halter and lead rope, before jogging around the barn and out of sight. "Who's Coconut?" I asked Charlie, wondering why I hadn't heard the name before.

        "One of the other lesson horses. Coconut and Penny's pasture is all the way on the other side of the property, and they don't go in stalls except for when there's bad weather, so you wouldn't have seen either of them yet." Charlie explained.

        "Ohh, okay." I replied, and a few minutes later Parker reappeared with a glossy bay Dutch Warmblood mare who had four white stockings and a blaze on her face. "Oh, by the way, Parker?" Charlie said as Parker led the mare over.

        "Yeah?" Parker answered.

        "Mike wanted us to help with the new arrival coming today." Charlie said, making a quick trip to the tack room to grab what must have been Coconut's tack.

        "Oh, I completely forgot that he had found another lesson horse! I remember him saying something yesterday about that. When's it coming?"

        "In an hour. I already have a stall prepared, but you're in charge of unloading and settling." Charlie confirmed.

        "Got it." Parker replied. "We'll do the trail ride after the lesson, then."

        "All right." Charlie said, disappearing back into the barn.

        "Sorry about that." Parker said, adjusting Coconut's bridle.

         "No problem. I'm guessing that you're going to have Finnick ride Coconut?" I asked. (Let's just say that Finnick's dried off and blah blah blah stuff like that)

        "Yep. Even though it seems like his hair is perfectly fine, might as well still go for a gallop." Parker answered.

        "I'm riding her, I'm assuming?" Finnick asked from behind me.

        "Yeah," Parker responded. "I thought you wouldn't mind taking the cross-country course again."

        "Of course I don't mind." Finnick said, making it sound like Parker thought that he would mind going.

        "Then let's get going." Parker said.

        "Wait, let's?" I asked, wondering what Parker meant by that.

        "I'm going with him." Parker replied, as if it were obvious.

        "Okay, then. Have fun, you two. I'll stay here and see to Lexington and Nightshade." I concluded.

        "Then let's get going!" Finnick said, mounting Coconut from the ground as Parker mounted Feather using the fence. I guessed that Finnick was more excited by the chance to beat Parker on the cross-country course then he was for riding the cross-country course with Parker. The two boys rode off at a trot, and I shook my head, wondering how disastrous their ride would end up. I untied Lexington and Nightshade from the hitching post, untacking them and putting Lexington in a pasture while I mounted Nightshade and laid on his back as he grazed.

Tada! The promised chapter nine is here! I hope you enjoyed! Chapter ten coming soon. I wonder what will happen there.... mwahahhahaha. Live free and be happy.

Glorybringer1163