Chapter 3

• ***
• I waited patiently for Heather. After about ten minutes, she appeared behind me.
• "Stand up. Let's go stroll," she said happily. I smiled and stood up.
• We walked together, exploring the ranch. We went to parts of the ranch where we used to play.
• "Hey, Heather?"
• "Yes?"
• "Remember that little lake not far from the ranch where we used to go to play?"
• "Oh yes, I remember."
• "Should we go?"
• Her smile faded.
• "No, we can't. Well, I can't."
• "Why?"
• "Mom would scold us. She says it's dangerous. Especially because it's out of the ranch. Anything can happen to us there."
• "But we used to play there."
• "I know. But I really don't want mom screaming at me."
• "She's still so strict?"
• "Yeah."
• "Oh, I see," I changed topic. "Sawyer said she doesn't like me. Do you know why?"
• "She said that??"
• "Yeah."
• "I don't know. Maybe it's because she doesn't know you well. Give her time. Sawyer is very stubborn you know."
• "I noticed. Nothing to do with you."
• We went into the stable where horses were kept. We greeted the employees and offered to help feed the horses.
• As we fed them, I noticed a beautiful white horse. It looked a lot like strike, my own horse. I ran to it.
• "Wow! This horse is beautiful!"
• Heather joined me.
• "Really?" she asked, giving it a carrot.
• "Yeah!"
• "Dad gave me this one. He said when I'll be ten I could learn to ride it. I called her Dove."
• "Wow. She looks a lot like my own horse. As white too. But mine is a stallion. Strike."
• "Oh, that's nice," she caressed her horse.
• "Maybe when we'll grow older we'll ride our horses together. Right?"
• "Yeah, that's not a bad idea."
• I smiled at her and she smiled back, her cheeks reddening. Heather was my first crush.
• "Heather??" Sawyer called, coming into the barn.
• "Yes?"
• "We were supposed to play together." she grumbled, pouting her lips.
• "Sure. We will play. But with Sheridan too."
• Sawyer turned to me.
• "I don't want to play with him!"
• "Why?" Heather asked.
• "It was supposed to be only the both of us, Heather!" she cried.
• I got it. Sawyer didn't like me because she felt that with me around, her sister would not play with her anymore or spend more time with her.
• "Cmon, Sawyer. It'll be fun. Let's play hide and seek. I'll count," I proposed in a friendly manner.
• She looked doubtful.
• "Don't worry, Sawyer. He's right. It'll be fun. We'll hide while he looks for us. We'll give him a hard time," Heather giggled.
• Sawyer smiled. Finally.
• "Okay. The last person found wins!" she screamed happily.
• "Fine,"  I replied and went to the wall. "One...two...three..."
• I heard them giggle and run to go hide.
• -
• I reached fifty and started my search.
• "Where are you??" I shouted while I looked around.
• I searched for quite a while to no avail. I went into the barn and that was when I spotted Sawyer hiding behind a stock of hay. I pretended not to see her. I believed that if I made her win, she'd stop being cold.
• "Where are you??" I shouted again and left the barn. I strolled around the ranch when suddenly someone tapped me on the back. I turned and it was Heather.
• "Let's suppose you found me first. Sawyer would be happy," she whispered with a giggle.
• I smiled.
• "That's what I thought."
• We both returned to the barn.
• "Oh, nooooo! Sawyer, Sheridan caught me!" Heather said as we entered the barn.
• A joyful Sawyer hopped out of her hiding place.
• "Yes! Ha! I win!" she said happily.
• "Yup, I guess," I smiled.
• "That means I have the right to ask you what I want now," she said, folding her arms.
• "Um, okay," I shrugged.
• "Good," she held Heather's hand. "I want you to leave my sister and I to play together in peace!"
• Oh.
• "Oh..."
• Guess she didn't want to be friends. I decided to give up. I wasn't going to beg.
• "Sawyer, you shouldn't say that," Heather said.
• "Heather, if you refuse to play with me, I'll tell mom."
• Wow.
• Heather looked at me.
• "You can go, Heather. Don't want aunt Christina scolding."
• "Um, okay. Sorry," she allowed her sister to drag her out of the barn.