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That same night, I went back to my work at the stables, with hopes for extra money and taking my mind off of JJ and whatever the hell he was doing. It was late, but the owner of the ranch allowed me to work later.

I was standing there with Maggie, as we both rode horses to stretch their legs out. She was on my softball team and was the closest thing I had to a best friend, besides the Pogues, of course.

I galloped around with a pure-bred we had gotten a few years back. "Yknow, maybe I should've blown up like that... but it's the same thing every-single-TIME! The cops take the Kooks side— Pogues, like us? Lock em up, throw away the key!"

Maggie agreed with me, leaning against the metal gate as I rode. "I mean, I hate the Kooks too, Blake, but like, your brother...the whole team. We all agreed, it sure looks bad for him." Another thing, when I was younger, I went by my middle name, Blake. Dylan was too masculine and I was always made fun of. Blake seemed better too. More unique. But Maggie just stuck with it.

"Ya think?! Great observation, Girl Scout!" I bursted out, frightening the horse I was riding. "Woah," I said in a soothing tone, petting him. "Sorry bud."

Maggie sighed, beginning to fill up the water for the horses. I took a breath. "Sorry, Mags. I'm just— stressed."

"Stressed," Maggie said at the same time I did, with a light smile on her face. "Blake, I might not be as close with you as your other friends, but I do know you well enough to tell when you're stressed. So I must be really close."

She was right. I was usually really good at hiding those things.

I laughed, getting off my horse and putting on his lead and leading him towards his stall, so he could go outside into the field with the other horses. I untied him, in which he galloped out, joining with the other horses.

I crossed my arms, and couldn't help but think of JJ.

"Hey, Blake?" She asked, from the next room over.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Your phone just dinged."

I walked over, grabbing my phone from her. I pressed the notification, and unlocked my phone.

I about freezed up, with a mix of nervous and anxious and pissed at the same time.

I about freezed up, with a mix of nervous and anxious and pissed at the same time

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(Don't mind the time and the date)

"Hey Mags? I uh—something came up," I began, staring at my phone and the message. Maggie stared at me, confused but nodded. "I gotta go and I'm taking one of the trucks!" I yelled, grabbing the keys to one of them.

"Marc isn't gonna be happy!" Maggie yelled back at me, and I shrugged. "I'll make it up to him!" I answered. I signed the truck out, and ran outside of the barn.

I grabbed my bike, throwing it into one of the beds of the ranch's trucks. I hopped inside the truck, starting it up and hearing the engine roar.

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