September Story Contest

Robin Hood
By: JadeDragon
Age: 14

Jade and Annie walked towards the forest. They halted abruptly at the edge and looked at each other. The fog gave an eerie and mysterious look. “You sure?” asked Annie. Jade stared at the forest then gulped and nodded slowly “Yes,” she said, “I’m sure.” Together they plunged into the inky darkness…

Chapter One
On Thursday the girls were grooming their horses. Annie the short one with blue eyes, orange hair, and freckles owned Jet a 4 ½ year old midnight black thoroughbred stallion. Jade the taller, hazel-eyed girl with dirty blond hair and braces owned Star a 3-½ year old black tobiano paint horse stallion. They kept their horses in the old barn behind Jades house. Both were excited about the trip to a Nevada with Jet and Star.
 

Annie had just told Jade she had some new neighbors with a girl their age named Katrina. Jade asked if she liked horses and Annie replied, “The minute I mentioned Jet she went into full out question mode.”
“Has she ever ridden?” asked Jade.
Annie answered, “She said she rode 1 or 2 times when she was little.”

The next morning Jade saw Annie talking to a girl she’d never seen before outside the barn. She walked towards them and asked “Whatcha’ doin’?” Annie noticed her for the first time
“Oh, hi Jade this is Katrina.” she said glumly. Katrina introduced herself and Jade asked Annie why she was so sad.
“My parents said if I don’t get at least a B on my math test I can’t go to Nevada.”
“But it’s already been paid for!!!” exclaimed Jade. Annie said her parents would send Katrina as a welcome to Massachusetts gift.
“That would be awful,” Jade, said “no offense Katrina.”
“None taken.” she said

Jade and Annie said good-bye to Katrina and took a walk around. After a while they saw Jacob, Tom, and Jeremy. Tom was the serious but funny, had brown hair, brown eyes, and was very quiet. Jacob unlike Tom, was not serious at all had brown hair, blue eyes, and he thought he was a ninja
P.S. Never look in his desk it might eat you or something like that. Jeremy the smartest of the three and was funny when he wanted to be, the blond haired, blue eyed boy was extremely smart but lacked the ability to control his hubris which means deadly pride, thinking he can do stuff better than anyone, in this case work and academic things.

“Hey guys!” yelled Tom.
“Oh, hi Tom” said Annie.
“What’s wrong with her?” asked Tom “She usually says hi by trying to kill me.”
Jade told them about their problem. “Wow, that’s harsh.” said Jacob.
“Yeah” agreed Jeremy and Tom. “We could help you study” suggested Jeremy. Annie agreed readily and Jade cheered. They set the date for Saturdays at 12:00 to 1:00. Then Tom and the others walked away to meet Chris and Andrew who were playing kickball.
 
“Should we go check on Jet and Star?” suggested Annie. “Sure.” answered Jade “But do you think we should practice for the competition.”
“But we’re going to Nevada to help your Uncle with his new dude ranch and riding lesson centre” said Annie sounding confused.
“Well… I kind of entered us in a horse show a couple miles from the dude ranch and my uncle agreed to take us.” admitted Jade “That’s why I wanted you come instead of Katrina”

The two friends walked back to the barn. When they opened the door a welcoming nicker greeted them Star stuck his out of the stall. The warm barn smelled of hay and oats with a hint of saddle soap. They stoked the horses as the groomed them. Then they got their saddles and practiced a couple of drills. Finally before they went off they set up some jumps. Annie went first Jet cantered up to the jump but right before it he turned away and didn’t go over. Then Jade went, Star being a great jumper because that’s what Jade mostly showed in cleared the jump with inches to spare.
 
Before she left Jade gave Star a carrot Annie had left ten minutes before. Jade hoped Annie’s’ tutoring would pay off she knew the boys were smart she just wasn’t sure the tutoring would work.
“Oh Star,” she said “I hope this works I don’t know what I would do without Annie in Nevada.” Star seemed to sense her distress so he nudged her arm and tried to eat another carrot. “Silly boy.” She said laughing. Jade went to bed that night relieved because Star had gotten rid of all her worries.

Two weeks later on the day of the test. Jade wished Annie luck as she walked into math class. Jade couldn’t sit still during English she was too worried about Annie. When school let out she ran home to the barn where Annie was waiting.
“Well,” she said breathlessly “did you make it?” Annie held up her paper right there in the top right corner was an A.
“Yes!” Jade yelled startling the birds roosting on the roof. Jade was so relieved, Annie had made it with three days to spare.
“Let’s get packing.” Annie suggested.

On the day of the trip Annie and Jade thanked the boys and got into Jades moms car. In the horse trailer Jet neighed. They said their good byes and got on the plane. Jet and Star were in a cargo plane scheduled to take of a half an hour before the girls. When they got to Nevada Jades uncle hooked up the horse trailer and told the girls to get in the truck. On the way to the ranch Jades uncle informed the girls that the fist guests had arrived.
“The parents brought two kids their son and his girlfriend you’ll be teaching them to ride, oh and the girl will be in the horse show with you too.”
“Okay, has either of them ever ridden?” asked Annie. Jades uncle said he didn’t know.

When they got to the ranch they took Star and Jet to the barn. There were two empty stalls left, after Jet and Star got settled in the girls gazed up and down the isles of horse stalls, all of them were filled. Suddenly the door opened with a slam. Both Jade and Annie jumped they heard laughing. They whirled around to see a boy with light brown hair, green eyes, and a mischievous smile standing next to a girl with dark brown hair and greenish blue eyes.

“Ha scared you didn’t I.” the boy said.
“I didn’t find that very funny.” replied Jade.
“Well whatever I’m Max and this is my girlfriend Ashley.” He said sounding bored “my parent told us the riding instructors were here so we could ride, so where are they.”
“That would be us” answered Annie. Both Ashley and Max looked confused “but you’re our age.” protested Ashley.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t teach!” exclaimed Jade so loudly she scared a couple of horses. She stared angrily at Max and Ashley.

“So guys what do you want to learn, Western or English?” Annie asked trying to calm Jade down. “How about English it seems that’s what you two normally ride.” Ashley suggested looking surprised at Jades temper. Max not caring about Jades temper flare wanted to ride Western. Jade who had calmed down quite a bit and said she would teach Max Western while Annie could teach Ashley English. They showed both how to tack up their horses.

Then they tacked up Jet and Star “Jade watch your temper okay.” Annie said “They are just new to horses just don’t give Max a hard time alright.”
“Fine but if he annoys me more than Trevor back home does I’m throwing in the towel.” Jade snapped back.

Chapter Two

After the lesson Jade and Max got along just fine. Annie and Ashley didn’t like that Jade and Max got along. Jade was pretty sure Ashley thought she liked Max. But Jade liked someone else back in Massachusetts.