Chapter 2 - Chapter 2

“I'm Ana-Gaelle Osculaix.”



They stared blankly.



“I'm French-Japanese.”



Still with the staring.



“I just moved here.”



Finally, the awkward staring ended, thanks to Marc, well, Marc's car, which just pulled up. I jumped into it, without another word, and the car and I drove off instantly. I left the others standing behind, with a face-full of exhaust fumes. “Well, she's polite,” said Sakura, and they all walked off.



I sat in the car, relieved that the day was over. Marc began chatting to me in French, but I wasn't really listening, but instead looking out of the window. It was only when he poked me that I finally heard him. “I said, how was your day?”



“Ok. It's just a day at school. No big deal.”



“Ok. If you're sure. You have homework?”



“Nope. At least, I hope not.”



“Ok.”



“Can we go and see Angelicus?”



“Who?!”



“Horse!”



“Oh, him. Yeah. Whatever. Sure. Why not? You going to ride?”



“Maybe, I might just lunge him, and let him and me get a feel for the place.”



“Ok.” He pulled into the driveway, “ Meet in the car in 20 minutes.” He climbed out and rushed into the house. I sat and waited for a minute, before following him in. I leaped up the stairs and straight to my bedroom, where I ripped off the clothes I had been wearing, and pulled on some riding clothes, that happened to be lying on top of the suitcase that I had as yet not unpacked. As I pulled on my jodhpurs, and a t-shirt, I remembered the last time I had been riding my horse, Angelicus Daemon. It had been quite a warm day, in France, in our stables. I had just got into the school, and was warming Daemon up, trotting him, and walking serpentines and circles, when I noticed her standing there. Her being my father's future wife. She was wearing a loose top and skirt that was flapping in the steady wind. I decided to ignore her and start doing some harder work, and as I legged my horse into a canter, we floated past her. At that exact same moment, her phone started to ring, spooking Daemon. He cantered still faster, and then went into a gallop, which was highly dangerous in the small school. I tried to calm him, but I couldn't. He sped up again, and charged straight at the fence of the school. Before I knew it, he had jumped, and I became unseated and went flying off. I landed on the floor with a dull thud. And she just stood there. And laughed.



I wiped a tear off my face. Not a tear of sadness, but one of anger. I hated her. She had ruined my life. I looked at the clock, and noticing the time, quickly searched for my riding hat, and brushed. Finding a few boxes full of my riding stuff, I started to walk down the stairs, and then, making several trips, managed to load them all into the back of the car. When I had loaded all this up, I climbed into the front seat to wait for Marc. He came out shortly, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and as he climbed into the driver's seat, I smiled at him.



“Thanks.”



“For what?”



“Everything.”



He shrugged. “It's nothing.” He guided the car through the city, and then out of it, and he drove expertly down the roads that got smaller. Eventually, the car turned into a driveway, and as we drove down it, I saw a few stables at the end of it, by a field, where there were two horses. As we got closer, I recognised them both, one of them was Angelicus Daemon, my beautiful horse. He was a selle francais, a beautiful red colour, with a pure white stripe running down his face. Hearing the car, he threw his head up, and galloped towards the stables. I smiled. I had missed him. The other horse, a stocky little thing, was my brother's mare. She was a good horse, and very reliable. “I take it you're trying to breed them, then?”



“Yes.” He smiled at me, “you don't mind?”



I shook my head, and we pulled into a car park. Climbing out, I walked over to the fence, where my horse stood, waiting, “Hello, beautiful.” I stroked his fine nose, and he nudged me. I walked over to the gate, and opened it, letting him out.



“Don't you need a head collar?” marc called to me from the car.



“No, he's well-trained,” and he really was. He followed me into the main yard, and I stood there, waiting for Marc, whilst Daemon sniffed at me, and nudged me, nearly pushing me over. Eventually Marc came into the yard leading his mare, Puella. He pointed Daemon's stable out to me, and led Puella into the one next to it.



When I had got Daemon into his stable, I went back to the car, and unloaded all my stuff, before grabbing my grooming kit and going back to Daemon. I worked on his coat for 45 minutes before I was satisfied that he was sufficiently clean enough. I then went in search of his bridle, which I put on him, before leading him into the large school situated next to the stables. Apparently we were renting the stables, and had them to ourselves. Our mother had bred the French Saddle horses, so we were very used to hard work, especially with horses. When we got to the school, I removed the bridle, as I had forgot a lunge rein, and it would just get in the way. Using my body language and voice, I sent Daemon to the outside of the school, and he was soon cantering around, paying attention to me. I turned my back on him, encouraging him to join up with me, showing trust and patience. He did this, and came over, breathing down my neck, and tickling me, making me laugh. I turned and stroked him, and he looked at me, with those large trusting eyes. As he looked at me, he started to go down to his knees. I guessed what he was doing, and encouraged him to stay standing up. I walked over to the fence, and he followed me. I climbed onto the fence, and he stood patiently beside it, before I swung one of my legs over his back. I loved doing this. I asked him to walk on, and he did so. I asked him to trot. Done. Canter. Leg yield. Shoulder in. Half pass. All carried out perfectly. I rode him back to the yard, and dismounted. I put him away, and put a rug on him, before saying goodbye.



Marc was all done with Puella, and waiting for me in the car. I climbed in, and we started for home once more.



***



The evening passed well, and I went to bed at 9 o'clock, as I was still really jet-lagged. I settled into my large bed, and rolled into a small ball under the covers, falling asleep quickly. I slept deeply, and soon began to dream. It was dark, first light came. The snow, bright snow. The sounds, so happy, so peaceful. Laughter. The girl and her mother, having so much fun. The sudden snowfall. The trail on the mountains. The echo. The falling. The breaking away of the cliff. The screaming, more than one voice. Louder, and louder. Not stopping. I was shaking. Something was calling me, shaking me. “Ana, Ana. Wake up.” I opened my eyes, the tears streaming down my face, looking at Marc. “Are you alright?” I was shaking, and crying, letting it all go. “No,” I whispered, and he put his arms around me, drawing me into a deep hug, “No, I'm not alright.”



***



We sat at the kitchen table, me in my pyjamas with Marc's uni jumper on top, and him still in the clothes he had been wearing earlier. My hands were encircling a mug of hot chocolate, and my face was red and blotchy from crying. “Start when you're ready,” Marc said.



I sighed, “It was nearly Christmas. You'd been gone for a few months, and we, well mum and I knew you wouldn't be back. Father was still waiting for you. We were in the house by the Pyrenees, you know, the one on the mountain? It was Christmas Eve, and I woke up really early, and went to see my pony. Do you remember Ange? I went to see her, and mum was there too, so we decided to go for a ride. It was nice and snowy, and we were doing one of the rides up the mountain, chatting and laughing, when it started to snow. It was all so beautiful. I was so happy. Our laughter was echoing, and making us laugh more. Then there was a slight avalanche, up ahead, so we went quieter. Mum went on first, and I watched her. I watched her go,” the tears began to flow again. “She warily mounted the snow on the path, and her horse took a few steps, before she turned to me. I remember her telling me it was fine. Perfectly safe. And then, and then. And then I followed her, and we went slowly, when all of a sudden, her horse slipped. And she wasn't in front of me anymore. She wasn't there at all. I remember hearing her screaming, and I called her, but she didn't answer. She wasn't there at all. And then it was all so quiet. So I stood and waited, and more snow fell, and I seemed to freeze, and then they came, and they found me.”



Marc sighed, his eyes filled with tears.



“They never found her body. The horse's, but not hers. Father was so upset. And you never came back, not even for the memorial. And then, after Christmas, she came. Elena. She was 27, and father told her everything. He told her what he wouldn't tell me. By summer she was living with us. By the next Christmas she was pregnant. And by the next summer they were engaged. And by this Christmas, well, they're married, and I'm here, I think that explains it all.”



Marc stood up, and came to me, silently. He knelt in front of me, and looked into my eyes, “Ana, I'm sorry I never came back. But I'm here now. And I'll never hurt you. I'm your family now, and we'll stick together.”



I threw my arms around his neck. And cried, we both cried. That was one of the saddest nights of my life, but one of the most memorable.



***



The next day came, and school happened, in a melancholy fashion. Lunchtime came around, and I sat at the same table as the day before. The group of people I had met the day before again came and sat down, apart from this time they spoke to me. The guy called Joey looked at me, and started to speak, “Hey, you're Ana-Gaelle, right? Do you EVER shorten your name?”



“JOEY, that's so rude!” exclaimed Kaede.



I couldn't help but smile shyly, “Call me Ana, all my friends do.” And that was it, they were stuck with me.

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