san.dy st.ress relieve.r [open]

[sky+]

You were hanging in the corner
With your five best friends
You heard that I was trouble
But you couldn't resist


The 18 year old boy lifted an eyebrow at a passing couple, whose embrace was less than children safe. Wrinkling his nose briefly in disgust, Carver turned back to his horse. It was disgusting how good men were turned into suckers just because some chick came along and told them to be good. Reaching to pat the equines' broad nose fondly, he let a smirk tug at his lips. He was lucky a girl hadn't done that to him. Or, he didn't think it was possible for that to be done with him. He definitely didn't need some little bitch nagging him for everything. Perhaps not all girlfriends were nagging liars, but his had been.

All in all, he never should have gotten involved with the neighbor kid. It just caused trouble. So now Carver, being a single, free man, could flirt with anyone he pleased, look anywhere he wanted, and could do anything without someone telling him to stop. Clearing his throat, the boy led his cremello mare down the path he had found behind the stables. It had an old wooden sign next to it reading 'beach', except the e was looking mighty crappy. It probably hasn't been tended to in years. He thought, raking his pale cerulean gaze over the narrow path ahead. The ground was pretty even looking, so he led CiCi down it, red lead rope held loosely in his hand. The mare beside him had her ears perked, eyes wide and alert as they darted around the unfamiliar path. Carver narrowed his eyes, and rubbed a soothing hand along the mustang cross' soft shoulder.

"Easy, CiCi. It's alright." He muttered the words close to her ear, and CiCi soon subsided and allowed the boy to finish leading her down the secluded trail. Reaching the end of it, Carver raised his eyebrows as he spotted yet another sign smack dab in the middle of three different paths. By the way the arrows were pointed and labeled, he made out that the path to the far right was the famed horse beach, and so he tugged the mare along another path similar to the first one. Finally reaching the end of this trail, a smile spread across his lips briefly as he scanned th beach in front of him. Breaking out of the tree lined path, he saw the ocean in front of him, with the white sand stretching out on either side.

Wow. This was more than he had originally expected. Looking down both ways, he spotted a few riders at each end, sprinkled sparsely across the landscape. This had been the perfect day to come; the beach was almost empty. His face slipped into his usual, concentrating expression as Carver thought back to what a bitch the morning had been. Through the long trailer ride, CiCi had managed to leave a huge dent in the trailer, and Lucifer had chewed through his lead rope and was working on the plywood barrier by the time they had reached Windsor Academy. Plus, Lucifer was so pissed by the time Carver had found CiCi's stall and gotten her settled, that he freaked out as the boy was unloading him, and nearly gave himself a concussion on the trailer roof.

That had left Carver to sand the plywood down so that the horses wouldn't cut themselves on it, try and fix the dent in the trailer, which he had not succeeded at, and hack away the rest of Lucifer's lead. Not to mention everybody had been watching as the 18 year old boy had been wrestling with the demented stallion. How freaking embarrassing. Which had made for an irritable, snappy Carver. But that was nothing a good ride on the beach couldn't fix... hopefully. So the 18 year old placed both hands on CiCi's back and hauled himself up easily, muscles rippling with the strain. Since today wasn't even classes, he had thought that a light, white colored tank top and some dirty jeans would suffice for now. He had left his shoes by the pathway; he didn't want them getting soggy and sandy.

So Carver settled himself on CiCi's flat back, for all she had on was a simple halter with makeshift lead rope reins that the boy thought would make do for a run on the beach. So he touched his heel lightly into her flank, which made her startle a bit, before he leaned the reins up her neck. At this, it was like she imploded. CiCi kicked up her heels and bolted. The long ride in the trailer had made her as high strung as a mouse, and the fast mare stretched her neck out in an effort to go faster. Carver let her go, leaning up against her neck and letting the wind practically rape his dirty blonde hair. Once she neared the other riders, Carver pulled her to one side; executing a turn that he knew only CiCi could make on the wet sand. The mare happily complied, throwing sand clumps into the air.

So the two went back the way the came, this time at a smooth canter. Carvers' stress was melting away. The crisp ocean air was calming, and CiCi's compliance was certainly helping. He was content that she wasn't being a bitch today. Maybe his first day at Windsor Academy wouldn't be too bad.

[/center][/blockquote]

[{jacyy}]

oh, but if i take my heart's advice
i should assume it's still unsteady
i am in repair
i am in repair

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. On and on it went until River removed her ear from the barrel of the mare. She tightened the

saddle and placed her ear, this time to a new spot somewhere on Serenity's neck. The muscle spasmed and settled in one singular moment that

River didn't register the twitch. The mare kept breathing calmly, the practice of her rider pressing the side of her head to hear the horse's

breaths was normal. The only problem Serenity had with it was that the procedure made her anxious to stretch out her muscles and go. River

would never have any of that. Everything had to have a purpose. Nothing would be wasted. Any moment spent thinking was pressed up

against the Trakehner.



Satisfied at last, River removed her hands and heaved herself up onto the horse. Serenity wasn't a large horse by any means, she was actually

lean and sinewy instead of muscular, but River was just too short for her own good. Her butt hurt immediately. The saddle was new and

needed to be worn in. That was the whole point of this endeavor. If something was going to be used by her horse, than it was going to be

perfect.



When she and Zoe had been born, River was absolutely certain that they could be easily identified as new parents. The names they bestowed

upon their children were the names of characters off of Luke's favorite television show. Neither twin was thrilled with the origin of their name,

even when they were young. Zoe wanted to be named after the captain, despite the fact that the captain was male. But River hated her name.

She was the 'crazy'. Movie Zoe could shoot the bad guys, but Movie River could only read the future. And that was if she hadn't decided to

go ape shit crazy. The name couldn't have been any worse. However, the moment Aunt Naomi brought the young mare into River's life she

knew what to call her. Serenity and River. River and Serenity. The names stuck together. Serenity was River's own vessel and everything was

the best on her vessel. The thought that someone trying to force Serenity into the second best disgusted River. The feeble notion broke River

out of her reverie enough that her attention was turned away from memories and onto the present. We don't like to be meddled with, do

we girl? The horse seemed to agree with her eager pawing at the Earth. Too bad people are meddlesome.



Her heels only lightly squeezed her calves and Serenity took off, prancing lightly down the beaten path. River noticed the tracks in the dirt

trail, but paid more attention to the sky than the ground. As much as River's name belonged on the ground, she was always fond of the sky.

The colors were, as she figured it, immensely more delicate than the browns and greens she knew she would see if she looked down. Her trust

that Serenity would behave if something or someone appeared on the path was greatly biased, since only hours earlier she had let go of

the mare's lead for a second and the horse wandered off. It embarrassed her that she would make a mistake that novice on her first day at

Windsor. Mostly, though, she was afraid that if Zoe found out she would look at her with that look of pity she always gave River when Zoe

offered her a ride to a party and she would decline. River hated that look. Zoe could call her stupid and it would hurt less than that.



Even thinking about the habit brought her mood down. She shook off the unhappiness and returned to watching what was going on around

her. A fork in the trail, or whatever you would call a three-way split in the road, made Serenity pause just long enough for River to take

control and choose the path with the most recent tracks. Without realizing it, the trail opened up and River suddenly couldn't distinguish

where the sky ended and water began. The colors melded together in a way that no one could reproduce; painting, picture, or otherwise. A

breath of air that now seemed musty escaped her lungs and the fresh, scented air entered. River's hand patted Serenity's neck as she spoke. I

think we can get used to this.

[sky+]

You were hanging in the corner
With your five best friends
You heard that I was trouble
But you couldn't resist


The sun gleamed down indifferently on Carver and CiCi; almost in a manner closely resembling some sort of spite.
For a spring day, it was awfully hot out. Hopefully the sunburn would not curse him today.
The boy grimaced just at the thought of his skin being red and inflamed; sore to the touch.
Whoever created sunburns could die. Narrowing his eyes, Carver looked out toward the horizon;
where the sun and the water melted together, and you could tell what was actually the sun and what was just reflections from the bright object.

Of course, before the 18 year old set his pale blue gaze on the dazzling scene, he had checked to make sure CiCi was attentive to his cues. Luckily, the cremello mare was feeling very touchy today; and at even the slightest hint of a cue she would do as asked. Though, he wasn't sure how she would stop. Judging by the way his luck had gone for the day, probably not very well. Hopefully he wouldn't have to stop her soon. Most likely, he'd have to execute one of those goat tying stops his trainer had taught him. He was on CiCi with those right? Shit, no. He was on Lucifer. Ah, hell. Groaning softly to himself, the boy put a hand to his forehead. The invited him here, and he had brought the only damned horse he couldn't control?

And then the heavens opened up and God said 'I hate you Carver'.. He thought to himself, chuckling lightly. Well, this is what he got for bringing CiCi. Sure, she was most behaved when ridden bareback, but her stop without a bit sucked ass. She definitely wasn't a 'bitless bridle' girl. A seagull sounded it's familiar cry from above, and this seemed to snap Carver out of his reverie. CiCi was still moving forward at her smooth canter, ears perked, and hoofs leaving marks in a straight line in the damp sand. Glancing over his shoulder, the boy saw her marks over the clean sheet of beach.

It was like they were the first to mess up a freshly made bed. A smile crept it's way onto his face, and his eyes sparkled with a serene sort of joy. Maybe he should have looked forward sooner than he did, and he probably should have known that CiCi was just heading for her stall-and food. The mare thought she was given free reign, so she wanted to start back up the path.

One, two, three. One, two three.

Went the smooth beats. The ones that Carver was focusing on; and not the front. When he felt CiCi turn, thats when he put his full attention on where exactly she was going. He barely had time to register a dark bay horse in front of them before he realized that they were blocking where CiCi was going. "Shit, CiCi." He muttered, yanking hard on the makeshift reins, and managing to stop a few inches from the horse and rider. When his gaze finally fell on the rider, he bit back a smirk. She was pretty; and her mare looked like a dressage horse.

Ah, so she was from the dressage circuit, eh? From his experience, they were bitchy, sabotaging morons who had nothing better to do than look like they were better than everyone. But; she looked a little different. She was leaned over, hand on her horses slick neck. Finally letting the smirk tug at his features, Carver cleared his throat. "Yeah, sorry about that. CiCi is being a bitch today." He implied this by giving his mare a loving pat on her thick neck. "Oh, right. My name is Carver. Carver Zeeke. It's uh, nice to meet you." He introduced himself by flashing the girl one of his rare smiles briefly, before the devilishly handsome smirk made a reappearance.

[/center]

[/blockquote]

[{jacyy}]

oh, but if i take my heart's advice
i should assume it's still unsteady
i am in repair
i am in repair

A thudding sound registered far off, but the beat of the ocean was so much closer that River found herself transfixed at the music of the

waves. Water crashed and battered the sand in a way that only nature could it was the music of life. Even Serenity seemed to be dancing to

the beat, noted River. She looked away from the waves in time to see the producer of the thudding sound thundering towards her. Serenity

was antsy, but resisted moving, knowing her rider hadn't given the command to move. River quickly pulled the reins to the side. Serenity

danced out of her still position to the side and managing to avoid a dastardly collision.



The cremello mare was breathing hard, along with Serenity who River thought might be in shock. She knew that she was. If she were her

twin, she would have told the rider multiple places to shove his head other than his ass. But River wasn't like Zoe and could contain herself.

However, the feeling that the rider who about sideswiped her was idiotic was unnaturally wanton for her. Maybe Zoe was rubbing off after all.

River would hate to tell her mother, who had been hoping that River's calm would infect Zoe that the opposite had occurred. It sparked a

smile from the mere thought.



The rider said something, River realized after a sound rose from the never-ending sounds of the waves. She finally took a good look at the

person who sat on top of what looked like a Quarter Horse mix. She knew her face looked surprised the moment she glanced at the rider. He

was unlike what she was expecting to see. He looked intelligent; but not nerdy. A lip ring protruded from his lip. The sight made River drift to

the memory of Zoe demanding for another piercing, which their mother promptly denied. But River was always intrigued by people who

actually done it. His hair went every which way, but it looked good. Especially on him. River blushed at the thought.



After the words stopped flowing from his lips, River waited. And waited. And waited. She wasn't used to talking to strangers without her twin.

But as much as she was crippled by shyness, she didn't want to act like a loon after he had smiled at her. Her first attempt at an introduction

failed. I'm, um, River... Deths. River Deths. The embarrassment at her name flared up and she chose to look at the ground instead of at the

boy. Nice to meet you too. She paused. The forgotten introduction of Serenity seemed to bring River out of her shyness. She was never too

quiet when showing off her horse. Oh! This is Serenity. The mare perked up at the sound of her name but, seeing nothing involving a treat,

let her head drop to the sand to see if there was anything edible covering the ground. River quirked her mouth to the side in laughter at the

horse's antics. But she turned back to Carver once she realized her attempt at not acting like a loon was failing. Sorry I was blocking your

path. I got distracted. I do that sometimes. She smiled and watched to see if her craziness was forgotten. But in the moment before he

responded, River realized something. Is she a Mustang mix? Because she's absolutely gorgeous.

[sky+]

You were hanging in the corner
With your five best friends
You heard that I was trouble
But you couldn't resist


Carver watched the girl as she delicately moved the bay mare to the side. Thank god someone was attentive enough to avoid a collision. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he shifted his gaze to the horse he was perched on. Some little demon was in fact, NOT getting their treats tonight. As if CiCi heard his thoughts, the mustang mix turned to glance at him, mischievous eyes overlayed with a mixture of guilt and a puppy dog sort of cuteness quality. Sighing inwardly, the boy stopped squinting his eyes at the Quarter Horse mix. Damned mares had the cutest little eyes. Especially CiCi. When she looked at you just right, with her eyes widened in mock innocence; well, you could almost believe that she was an innocent little girl.

Which, in fact, was not the case.

He noticed that her horse was breathing hard; damn it, CiCi strong willed actions must have scared the crap out of her. Carver was about to open his mouth to apologize , again for his horses rude behavior, but he noticed that the girl had beat him to it. He looked up a her, from his previous gaze of CiCi's head, and his smirk grew more pronounced as he saw her facial expression. Surprise. That was most people's. He didn't exactly look like the 'champion horse riding' type. At all. But, he shoved that aside as she continued to speak.

Oh, so her name was River? That was a cool name. It seemed to fit her; she was calm. If someone had almost ran into his horse, Carver would have most likely yelled some revolting profanities. She seemed almost embarrassed at her name-which she shouldn't be at all. It was really pretty. It suited her. As she introduced her horse, Serenity, he almost smiled. The mare was pretty, and looked like she would be perfect for the dressage ring. So did the girl. The two went well together. His eyes landed on her shiny looking saddle, but then the drifted back to her face. Her apologies were nice; but totally unnecessary.

"River, huh? That's a pretty name. It suits you." He said, smirk fading slightly as CiCi danced around. All of this standing around was making her anxious. "And your horse; she's really pretty. I'm guessing you two are into dressage?" He prodded, lifting an eyebrow. "Yeah, this is Pyromaniac Tendencies. CiCi for short, though. Heh. Yeah, she is. Half mustang, half quarter horse." He stopped his chuckle as CiCi moved underneath him, lurching forwards; then backwards.

He could tell that she was blowing herself up. Crap balls. "Hey, River, do you wanna race to that rock," He extended his arm to point to a rock about 150 feet away from the pair. "Real quick? This mare's going to start bucking soon if she doesn't get going. His eyes were locked on her face, where he noticed that her eyes were very pretty, trying not to roam anywhere else. Maybe Carver could be a good boy-just this once.

[/blockquote][/center]

[{jacyy}]

oh, but if i take my heart's advice
i should assume it's still unsteady
i am in repair
i am in repair

It was odd how well the conversation flowed so easily, especially since River's safety blanket was gone. She watched as his eyes observed

everything; from the saddle she sat upon to the blush that was still stuck on her face and wasn't intending on being removed. But as much as

he watched her, River watched him right back. It unnerved many people, her unabashed staring, but she seemed almost psychic because of

her preparations from both people's and horse's behaviors and body language. She didn't like being caught off guard if she could help it.

Times like the one she was in were embarrassing. It was strange to be unprepared for a situation. It made her feel.... average. And she was

definitely not used to being average.



His speaking gave her something to analyze, letting her resettle into the familiar comfort of observing. The ever constant blush deepened from

a light dusting of pink to a deeper shade that flushed the apples of her cheeks. Nobody said her name suited her. It was almost as big of a

compliment as him saying that her name was pretty. She ducked her head for a moment, letting the praise wash over her like warm water after

a long, stressful day. It was a relief to not worry that he thought she was weird. The rest of his statement was expected, though it didn't make

the words that her horse was pretty any less important. River loved showing off her horse like a mother who showed off her first grade child

who aced their first test. Thanks. We are. And I know dressage isn't the best circuit in the world, but she's built for it so well that

it'd be a shame to waste it. That was true. Dressage, and its many competitors, were often a handful and preppy. Zoe often commented that

River didn't need to worry about becoming like them because if she was her twin acting like those "prancing ninnies" she'd be smacked to the

last millennium. It was a Zoe statement.



As he introduced his mare, whom River was excited that she guessed correctly, she noticed the horse's light movement. It would have been

hard to see if she wasn't watching Carver's horse. The dancing in place would be normal if they had been standing there conversing for a

while, but the extent of the conversation was maybe two minutes. It wasn't until the mare rocked back and forth in a great movement that

River realized she was gonna bolt. Carver noticed to, his eyes showing his worry right before he spoke. She glanced in the direction of the

way he pointed, trying to gage how she wanted to get Serenity going. But the horse was already ready to go, the tension coming from CiCi

preparing her that she was going to run soon.



Sure. The words were clipped as she calculated the race. But just because I'm in dressage doesn't mean I can't race. Which was true.

Aunt Naomi excelled in racing before she became an equine vet. River turned Serenity around towards the direction of the rock. The mare's

muscles were tensed and ready to go. If you don't mind, I'll count it down. She paused as she readied herself. Three. Serenity

twitched, ears forwards. Two. River scooted forward into the saddle, butt elevated. One. A tense second passed. Go! Serenity shot forward.

[sky+]

You were hanging in the corner
With your five best friends
You heard that I was trouble
But you couldn't resist



As Carver felt CiCi move under him, he suppressed a smile. This right here part of him getting so involved with horses in the first place. The fact that practically three fourths of the pretty girls in the world rode horses had nothing to do with it. Okay, well it was part of the reason he enjoyed it so thoroughly, but that wasn't the case when he was younger. The thought that someone could control a wild animal basically eight times their own size with nothing but a few pieces of leather and some rope had always amazed him. Even now, as CiCi was antsy underneath him, he was the only thing keeping her from bolting down the beach. Usually the boy tried to stay away from over thinking things like that; but it seemed perfectly appropriate here.

Her was jerked out of his thoughts as the girl spoke, and as his gaze traveled to her face, Carver realized he had been staring at her horse this whole time. That probably looked a little strange. Nonetheless, he dropped his smirk, and a serious facial expression took over as he listened. Oh, so he was right. The 18 year old would have never guessed her discipline if he hadn't seen her horse. The long, lanky mare screamed dressage. "Oh, yeah. If something fits; go for it." He mused, winking at the slight girl as he ended his sentence.

He noticed the blush that was spread faintly over her cheekbones-it was getting darker by the minute. At this, Carver's smirk made a reappearance. It seemed that his signature expression couldn't be gone for long. It was nearly always there. He almost said something about it, but again, the girl beat him to it. Her words seemed precise, like she was thinking. Most likely about how she was going to ditch the boy; he thought jokingly to himself. Chuckling, he nodded at her words. She could count down if she wished. "Sure. Whatever floats your boat, babe." He said, digging a foot into CiCi's flank so that she would move over and provide Serenity with an ample amount of room to get going. The cremello mare complied, though not without jerking her head up and snorting.

Three. Carver noticed the girl getting psyched up. His smirk became more pronounced as he himself got ready, gathering the makeshift reins in his hands.

Two. The boy leaned forward a bit, slowly sliding his hands up the mares' neck. CiCi pranced around with her impatience-her tension rolling off of her in waves.

One. At this, the 18 year old hoisted his rear so it barely hovered over the mare's back. Her nostrils flared with anticipation, and she stamped a hoof in the ground.

Go! He saw Serenity shoot forward out of his peripheral vision, and without a moments hesitation, he kicked the mustang cross, making her toss her head up with a snort, and bolt.

CiCi's short strides were fast and determined, and the duo soon came neck to neck with Serenity and River. The boy shot a smile at River, before facing the stretch of beach before them and leaning down. The mare stretched out her neck, nose extended and ears flat. Colors mingled together on both sides of him, and everything became a lur.The rock became bigger and bigger as they neared it, and suddenly Carver saw Serenity stretch her neck out, farther than CiCi's, and move forward a little. The rock came and went, and Carver leaned back against the mare,pulling on the her reins, and putting his weight on her hindquarters. She slid to a stop, hocks rolled underneath her, and muzzle skimming the sandy ground briefly; sand flew up defiantly behind her.

They stopped and the boy looked back to see the two straight, equal lines scored in the sand. Along with small clumps of sand along the way; the whole trail consisted of irregular hoofprints in the damp sand. Turning CiCi around to walk back to the rock, the 18 year old had a smile on his face. His horse seemed to be satisfied at last, because she complied with every cue he gave her, eyes placid and flanks heaving. Reaching River and Serenity, Carver kept his smile. "That was fun, eh River?" He laughed briefly, though it was more of an out of breath laugh than anything else, and went on. "Now that this little girl seems to be tame-would you like to walk along the beach with me?" He asked, eyebrows raised slightly as he started at the girl.

He had to admit. She had the most un-dressage personality for a dressage girl.

[/center][/blockquote]

[{jacyy}]

oh, but if i take my heart's advice
i should assume it's still unsteady
i am in repair
i am in repair

A surge of adrenaline shot through the raven haired girl. The few times she had raced the Trakehner, the horse preferred to stay towards the

back than gain speed. This usually only worked for short distances. Endurance was not Serenity's forte. It was pure luck that Carver didn't

choose a farther finish line. River's idea was for the mare to start at a nice speed than rocket forward at the end. That was the plan, but when

the starting word left her mouth, it was all such mayhem that her plans were forgotten immediately. Everything she thought she knew about

racing went out of her mind. The astonishing power of the galloping horses beside and underneath her was overwhelming, the pounding of

hooves in the sand, the thought of damp clumps of sand flying behind the hind ends was beyond her. Stay on, stay there, stay true; that was

all she could think of.



Her vision tunneled leaving her only with a view of the rock Serenity was aiming for. The mare heaved, breath already deep and airy. The

thought that she needed to finish this up quickly forced River to chance a look to the side she guessed Carver would be on. Nothing. Relief

washed over her. That is, until she looked over at the other side. In the moment that she relaxed, her newest acquaintance had caught up,

nose to nose with her. Worry flushed out relief and River almost choked out a gasp at her hurt pride. She didn't think he would catch up that

easily. There was really nothing more that she could do at this point. The race would belong to the horses. At that moment, it seemed that the

adrenaline that River let go at the start, seconds ago, reached Serenity. The mare snatched up the free bit of rein and surged forward. Her legs

stretched out as far as they could reach, mane whipping out behind her. She was doing it all without River's help now for all her bones had

turned to jelly. She might as well have been dead weight. The two horses rocketed past the goal, locked together. Save that Serenity's long

nose was in front by a head.



River was past talking for the moment. When Serenity at last pulled up, River shook in shock. Blood pounded her ears, barely letting the

sound of Carver's words get through. The impromptu race might as well have been the Grand National. River smiled though, the fact that she

won forgotten by the fact that she was happy and free. For a few moments, she would have done anything at all and nothing would have her

blush or stutter in embarrassment. One by one her limbs returned and the feeling subsided. Happiness flowed through her veins filling her, and

the mare, with contentment. At a lively gait River swung Serenity around to face Carver. His smile matched hers and she noticed that a light

shone that wasn't there before. Or maybe that was just her imagination. The moving of his lips made her pay attention to his words. A walk?

Normally, she'd make up some excuse, but she hadn't felt this good in a while that she was selfishly reluctant to leave the boy's presence in fear

that she'd leave her happiness with him.



I'd love to. She grinned led Serenity, who was too tired to prance, to walk side by side next to the formerly feisty mare. The quarter horse

mix seemed placated by the race. It was one less thing for River to worry about. She sat back, the full reality of the race catching up with her.

She let the reins droop. Serenity would stay on track; River was sure the mare was too worn out to try anything. So... She let the word drift

off before continuing. What disciplines do you do? She'd tried to guess; the horse's haunches eliminated dressage, but she was stumped.

River looked over at Carver as she waited for a response and smiled, innocent and happy.

[sky+]

You were hanging in the corner
With your five best friends
You heard that I was trouble
But you couldn't resist


Usually, with the big western saddle between his butt and CiCi, Carver couldn't really feel all of her movements. Now he understood why some people chose to ride hunt seat. The feeling of being that close to your horse, it was like you could understand them better; now that he was feeling CiCi's every movement, he knew when she was going to buck, and when not. Well, more so than before at least. His mare still had several tricks hidden somewhere.

His smile had been nice, teeth glinting subtly in the light the afternoon sun was throwing down. [[Wow. Does this sound a little like a gay vampire or what. xD]] He took a hand from his the rope that was attached directly to her halter to run it through his hair once. It was a good thing he made it look messy naturally, because any other style would disappear as soon as he hopped on a horse. The experience was thrilling, yes, but his hair most likely thought otherwise. He watched as River slowly melted, seemingly frozen up after their spur of the moment competition.

What he loved was spur of the moment. If anything was planned, it was obviously going to be no fun. Or that's what Carver had found out. So he decided that springing things on people was the best way to preserve their surprised reaction. He nudged his foot into the cremello mare's flanks, and the now settled equine walked forward with eyes narrowed slightly and ears pricked forward. Now that the Mustang mix was complying nicely, the boy took this chance to shift his position so one leg was crossed over her back, in a sort of half indian position. He scooted back slightly so that his seat was broader than right behind her withers.

As River steered Serenity so that her and CiCi were walking close by each other, he saw the girl drop the reins. Carver took his own lead into one hand-his mare neck reined better than she did anything. CiCi would fare well enough leading the way for Serenity. Opening his mouth with a yawn, Carver looked toward the crashing waves of water. They constantly beat against the ever-wet seashore, and pulled away; leaving a blank sheet of sand.

The wind tugged at his tousled blonde locks, and he was sure it was doing the same to River's tresses. He slid his glance over to the girl, who had just opened her mouth to speak. Of course; most people asked him that question. His horses' haunches were not built for jumping, and definitely not for dressage either; neither anything in between either. He smirked lightly, pale blue eyes dancing with his deviously. "Most people who don't ride western don't know what the hell I specialize in." He paused to give a small chuckle before continuing. "I'm into pole bending. CiCi here is still in training; and is a perfectly good bitch most of the time. I do have another horse, Lucifer, and he's really the horse that brought me to the top." He finished, his gaze settled on her, mainly on her face though.

"So, yeah. Heh. Tell me. You have siblings? Oh, and you don't have a huge 290 pound boyfriend who'll beat the shit out of me if I talk to you-right?"

Ah. The wonderful questions of Carver.

[/blockquote]

[{jacyy}]

oh, but if i take my heart's advice
i should assume it's still unsteady
i am in repair
i am in repair

Her hair whipped around her face, one minute going one direction and another direction the next. Ususally when her hair was blowing

around, River instantly tied up the messy latte brown tresses. However, the wind felt so good that she had no inclination to tie it up. Besides,

the wind blew her hair behind her, so what harm was it doing? She shook her head twice, trying to shake out any tangled curls. Eventually

her optimism that her hair would remain decent looking drained, leaving River with a vague hope that she looked okay.



Serenity bobbed her head up and down, mane flopping along as well. The mare's muscles tensed as River's fingers danced up and down

Serenity's neck as she listened to Carver talk about what CiCi was trained in. Pole bending? Really? It was definately not what she would

have guessed. Though Zoe might have guessed since Western riding was right up her alley. She watched CiCi once Carver said she was still

working on her disciplines. The mare looked calm at the moment, but River remembered the wild look in her eyes the moment she about ran

Serenity over. Maybe wild wasn't the right word. Free sounded better; although free didn't explain the look correctly. The momentary lapse in

attention forced River to pay more attention to the rest of Carver's sentence. Really? She paused, unsure if her next words would be too bold

or not. Maybe I'll look for you at the next Western show... Um, I mean I'll already be there. But I won't show just cause it's

convientant. But I'm not, like, stalking you or anything. But... I'm also rambling. River quickly stopped and looked up at the sky. Do

you like seeing me make a fool of myself? You could just put me out of my misery.



River ducked her head and wished the wind would stop so her hair could act as a curtain to hide her shame. Show's over. Everyone go

home. But the wind didn't seem to want to comply and River was stuck. Instead, she listened to Carver ask her about her 'relationships'. I've

got a twin sister. Everyone always asks if we look alike, so I'm just gonna let you know now that we do, but we're so different

it's strange. I ride English, she rides Western. I'm a... shy person and she's the party girl extraordinaire. But she's my twin and

we're almost always near each other. It's really weird today though. I haven't seen her since we unloaded the horses. River let

the words trail off into nothing and let Carver finish his questions. A smile escaped her lips as her asked about the boyfriend. And if I say I do

have one? She let out a twinkling laugh. But I really don't. And I think if I had a 290 pound boyfriend, I'd be scared of him myself.



What about you? Brothers? Sisters? Girlfriends who could make the girls on those reality shows look like wimps? River heard the

waves crashing down and she glanced at the shoreline.She was about to look at Carver, but as she turned a light shined off the shoreline. Do

you see that? River grabbed Serenity's reins with one hand and tapped on Carver's arm. A chill rushed up her spine when she touched his

arm. One sec. She tugged once on Serenity's reins, stopping the mare. She stepped off and walked over to where she saw the light, leading

Serenity as she searched the sand. Soon enough, she found what she was looking for. She held up her newfound teasure for Carver to see.

Look at this!

{i thought i'd mix it up and let you choose what she found or you can message me if you want me to choose}

[sky+]

You were hanging in the corner
With your five best friends
You heard that I was trouble
But you couldn't resist


Carver let his gaze slide to where the sun beginning to sink in the sky. It was probably late afternoon already. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and a sort of comical emotion danced into his pale blue gaze. Windsor Academy didn't seem like it would turn out that bad. He knew it had been filled with a bunch of prissy bitches who sabotaged each other just so they could get ahead. Carver had never done that-nor did he have any intentions to ever do that. If you couldn't win because you were good, then you shouldn't be doing it in the first place because you just suck.

So meeting a normal girl was a bonus. Ah, cheeky little monkey, he mentally scolded himself. There were probably more normal people at the Academy. Or, really normal in Carver's book seemed odd compared to most people's standards. He either aimed for the crazy, fun people, or those shy girls that were actually really cool after getting to know.

And guess which category River fell into.

A chuckle rose to his lips and spilled over as he turned his cheek to the sun; which warmed it in return. What brought his attention back to the pretty brunette was her words. Now that he was facing her, he noticed the wind messing with her hair. He smiled at this. She still looked pretty; even with the wind puffing up her curly locks. It gave her a sort of wild streak-which Carver liked. Very much so. After being to juvie twice, he had learned to love the wild in people. And River had some in her.... somewhere.

His smile became wider as she stumbled over her words. She was pretty shy, wasn't she. "No worries, hun. How about the next show I go to, I'll bring you to? That is, if you would want to. And it's cool. Ramble all you want; I don't care." He finished with a wink before switching the rein-holding hand to his unoccupied one. So she was a twin? He found that unexpected. Not that it would be a problem; they were obviously so different that they were told apart easily. Plus, if that failed, they had different horses. "Oh. Does not being with her make you uncomfortable? But, if you hang out with her, and she's some party girl, wouldn't you fade in the background?" He stopped to chuckle. "I don't think you should fade. Or maybe you don't-you're really pretty." He finished by flashing her a quick smile.

"Okay, good." No boyfriend. Phew. River seemed like the type to have the huge bad ass guy who is agressive. And that was not what he wanted to deal with.

"Actually, no. Surprised?" At this he chuckle, raising both eyebrows briefly before continuing. "Most girls shun me. Apparently after they hear I've been to juvie twice, it's a turn off." His face sort of turned into his more concentrated expression that the boy used while he was thinking. Yeah, I've got a sister. And she's nothing like me. Normal; no tattoos. No piercings. She's in law school-the whole horse thing never worked out for her." His smirk came back, but a little more faded than usual. River also didn't seem like the type to hang out with delinquents. So he was half expecting her to say something awkward and fake something to do.

That would suck.

As she called him, he scanned the horizon in front of them. Nothing caught his eye. What the hell was she talking about? River layed a hand on his arm, and his smiled slightly at her touch. Too bad nice girls were totally turned off by him. Shit.

As River dismounted and led Serenity forward, he slid off of his cremello mare. Taking the lead in one hand, he walked to where River was, leaning in close to her to see what exactly she was holding. Their arms brushed slightly, which would have made Carver blush if he had been the blushing type. At the sight of what was in her hands, he raised an eyebrow. "What the hell is that?"

[/center][/blockquote]

[{jacyy}]

oh, but if i take my heart's advice
i should assume it's still unsteady
i am in repair
i am in repair

Her heart skipped like a elementary school girl playing hopscotch on the beaten down playground blacktop. It was weird for River to get this

much attention from someone, especially a guy. He was more correct than River wanted to admit. Whenever she hung out with Zoe and other

people, nobody seemed to acknowledge "Zoe's twin". She was just a tag-along. Someone to turn to if the conversation dropped below a

certain level of drudgery. And that only happened if Zoe left the room for a moment. River's mom was always saying how worried she was

that Zoe would someday have to learn to stand on her own two feet, but River could tell that it bothered her mother more that River was so...

alone. Being the twin of a socialite made her shyness more awkward. But River was normally able to ignore the looks when people found out

about her quietness. However, it was weird to think that Carver thought that she didn't belong in the background.



As she jogged over to the spot where she had seen the glint of light, she pondered Carver's answer to her question. The no girlfriend part was

good. Check yes for being single. But River wasn't certain what to make of his reasoning for being that way. Not everyone who had been to

juvie was bad. Right? River had waited a couple of times for the cops to call some nights, saying that her twin was being held for destruction of

property. Zoe was a good girl, but she was so random and stubborn that by saying something was off limits you might as well tell Zoe she can

do whatever she wants. Many times, River had talked Zoe out of multiple punishments by mall cops, security guards, or just angry neighbors.

It gave River the shaky feeling in her stomach when she caught that Carver had been to juvie twice. The thought of the boy who was next to

her in jail made her want to fix whatever he did so he wouldn't have to go through any of that again. What'd you go to juvie for?



The solemness of her previous question disappeared as soon as River found what she was searching the sands for. The pile of sea glass, an

assortment of colors from white's to blue's to green's, was scattered and buried within the multiple grains of sand. Hardly anyone knew sea

glass was just old trash that ended up in the water, beaten again and again against waves and sand banks. But after the process broken pieces

of beer bottles, jars, plates, and windows were made into what River's mother called mermaid tears. It was always a big joke when she was little

that they couldn't be mermaid tears because, what did a mermaid have to be sad about? Her mother then replied it was because the mermaid

had just found out that her twin just got in trouble and the mermaid family was banned from going into a Circle K gas station where the

mermaid's favorite slushies were. The story/memory always made Zoe laugh and earn a playful glare from her sister.



River felt Carver leaning over her before he spoke. The hair on the back of her neck raised in nervousness. What do you think it is? She

held the lumps of smooth glass up to his face for him to look at. They're mermaid tears. She giggled, wanting to tell him the story behind it,

but she thought better of it and bit down on her tongue before she could say anything. I've never seen this much. It's so pretty! River

bent down and dug her hands into the sand, lifting out a mixture of grains and glass. Suddenly, a sharp pain erupted from the palm of her hand.

Ow! The sound was more of surprise than pain, but as River pulled her hand from the sand, she saw a crimson line along her palm.

Well, that's not good. She said more to herself than to Carver.

[sky+]

You were hanging in the corner
With your five best friends
You heard that I was trouble
But you couldn't resist

Carver raised his eyebrows and River's answer. Mermaid tears? That was quite the odd statement-infact, he'd probably only heard it once before this. But where...? He stopped for a moment to rack his memory for anything about the subject at hand, but eventually came up empty. Wherever the semi-familiar statement had come from, it apparently wasn't noteworthy enough for him to remember. Eh.

Reaching one hand up to run it through his multi-hued tresses, his smirk became part of his handsome features once more. Randomly, his thoughts drifted to his sister, who was in law school and also trying to keep up a part time modeling job. He chuckled inwardly; only his headstrong sister would want to do the two careers that contradicted each other. It was most likely their mother who gave Celeste that nature. Carver, on the other hand, got his whole don't-give-a-crap demeanor from his father, who was very laid back.

The sun had been taking refuge behind a cloud for who knows how long, but now it came out from it's little fort, shining boldly down on the two. The rays caught the sea glass in River's hands, and lit them up; colors displayed on the girls face from her treasures' reflection. It actually was a very pretty sight. It reminded him of when he would visit his grandmother's house when he was younger, only 8 or so, and she would make the most absurd pieces of jewelry for his sister. He would watch secretly, entranced by how fast her shaky hands managed to move. The colorful glass beads would catch the sunlight streaming in from behind the blinds, throwing it over the entire room.

This memory brought a soft smile to Carver's features; one that he rarely used. His pale blue gaze was gentle as he watched the colors dance across River's face, and he answered her question with a final sigh. He had been to juvie for things that were pretty minor, in his book anyways. "Well, the first time I was thrown in after getting caught breaking and entering. It was a dare. I lost." His brow furrowed in thought as he remembered. Not only had he been taken to juvie, he had also lost 50 bucks. "They put me in there because it wasn't the first B and E I had on my record. I take a lot of dares." He explained, cracking a devious smile.

"The second time, I broke my probation. I stole a cat from the pet store." His smirk became more pronounced as he explained himself. "My sister wanted a cat for her birthday; and the only one she wanted was 130 bucks-some rare breed or whatever. I don't know. But I was 16 then. Stealing is overrated."

He finished, his devious smile making a comeback. He was lucky he had only been put in juvie twice. He had wormed his way out of it 3 other times, and that was miraculous He was about to say something else, but the girls soft gasp of pain drew him from his thoughts. He dropped his smirk as he saw the thin line of blood. Poor girl. Those stupid little cuts always hurt the worst. His expression bounced back after he realized what this meant. One thing about the boy-he took off his shirt at any opportunity he could grab.

So, in one swift movement, Carver took off the thin white tank top he had on, and reached out to grab River's wrist gently. Putting the thin material on the small cut he pressed softly, the red spreading across white slowly. Riding horses had it's advantages, and what would Carver be without working out everyday? Nothing. Thus, the clearly defined abs; and round forearms. The tattoo he had on his chest glinted subtly in the sunlight-he had to have gotten a snake out of all things. Of course.

"You aren't very careful with glass are you?" He murmured softly, looking at the girl, amusement glittering within his eyes.

[/blockquote][/size]