Rebound *Book Two*

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Matt and I arrive at the barn around the same time at 7 the next morning. Mark is meeting us at the riding center at 8, so we better get going.

"Hey, Matty." I say to him, leading Rebound out of his stall and clipping him to the cross ties.

"Hey Al" Matt smiles at me me, putting Quebec on the cross ties in front of my horse. "Can you get me some brushes?" Matt adds.

"Sure thing."

I walk past Matt and into the tack room. The tack room must be one of my favorite parts of the barn. The walls are a beautiful dark mahagony wood. Tack boxes for each of the horses line the walls, underneath the perfectly polished bridles, saddles, and girths. Large, open windows give a view of the horses out to pasture. I grab two grooming buckets and walk back out into the open barn aisle. I hand Matt one of the buckets and walk over to Rebound.

Rebound's three favorite things are cross country, carrots, and grooming. He loves the attention and being pampered. I whisk the soft brush allong Rebound's gleaming body. His lower lip hangs out of relaxation.

"Do you know the Rolex schedule yet?" Matt asks me. Whenever someone asks me about Rolex, my nerves bundle up and I get butterflies in my stomach. It took a lot for me and Rebound to qualify for Rolex, including three wins at different three stars. And now, there is less than a month until competition starting on the 23rd of April. April, GiGi, and Drew will be going to watch me and Matt is going to groom for me.

"Well," I start, "The first jog is the 23rd, dressage is 25th, cross country is the 26th, the second jog is the 27th, followed by stadium, and then awards." I had everything memorized in my head.

Matt nods his head, soaking in the information I just told him. "And we are trailering up the 21st?"

I nod, collecting my brushes, taking them back to the tack room. Matt follows me. Mark, Matt, and I will head to the Kentucky Horse Park on tuesday the 21st, giving the horses a day to settle in. Mom, April, GiGi, and Drew will come the 25th and stay until after the awards on sunday night.

"We should tack up here." Matt says, grabbing my bucket of brushes and putting it away. I agree with Matt.

I grab Rebound's five point breastplate, Success Equestrian cross country pad, Barnsby Liberte cross country saddle, girth, bridle, galloping boots, and bell boots. Somehow, I manage all of that in one trip.

~

Carefully, I flatten my favorite cross country pad on Rebound's back and place my saddle on top of it. I attach the five point breastplate and cinch up the girth. Next, I put on his bell and galloping boots. I decide to get myself ready before I bridle him. I have on a black Joules polo, tan Tailored Sportsman breeches, and new Der Dau elastic zip contour field boots. I put on my black Charles Owen helmet, black Tipperary vest, and my medical armband. I think this is the only sport that requires you to wear your medical information on your arm.

When I start bridling Rebound, Matt is already finished. He leads Quebec out of the barn and loads him onto the trailer first. After I bridle my horse I reattach his leather stable halter and clip on a lead rope. I hand Rebound to Matt and he loads him onto the trailer.

"Thanks!" I shout to Matt, running back into the barn to get my cross country bat.

~

Matt decides that he wanted to drive the trailer to the riding center. I don't put up a fuss and climb into the passenger seat. Once he starts the truck, I turn on my favorite radio station, Country Hits. Matt passes me an annoyed glare and I laugh at him, knowing that he hates country music.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I glance at it. I smile, receiving a text from Drew-

Drew<3 : Hey Al. We r heading to the riding center now. Should be there in 5. See you soon xo

I type back: Sounds good. We r almost there too. Love u

~

Matt snickers, glancing at my phone. I shut it off, glaring at him. "What!?"I say annoyed.

"Nothing!" He laughs, eyes back on the road. "Do you think you guys will marry some day?" Random much?

I sigh. "Matt, marry is a big word. Truthfully, I don't really know. We will talk about it when the time is right. Im only 21 after all."

He nods, and I hear him say quietly "I wish I had a relationship like you and Drew." Wow. I have never heard this side of Matt in all of the years I have known him. The emotional, loving side.

"What about April?" I toss out the idea to Matt.

He shakes his head. "She's nice. Too emotional and party crazy. Besides, isn't she still with that Brian kid?" True.

"GiGi?"

Once again, he shakes his head. "She can be... frightening sometimes." I laugh at that.

"There is always Kelly." Kelly was my greatest show rival from a young age. She was also the one who tried to eliminate me as competition when I was 15 at AECs, resulting in the amputation of my lower left leg.

"Are you shitting me, Ali!! I would never ever in a million years consider her." I smile to myself. Thats my Matty.

~

Finally, we pull into the riding center driveway, right behind Dee and Mark

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