The Perfect Distance

Chapter Two-3

THURSDAY SOON ROLLED around, and the team meeting came even more quickly than anticipated.

Lucy was nervous as she made her way to the classroom where the meeting would be held, Harley walking by her side.

"Even if you don't make the team, you can still ride," he reminded her.

"I know," she said.

"Hey, if I made the team it'll be a miracle," Harley said, trying to lighten the mood, "Everyone else is so advanced."

"Right," Lucy played along, "Because everyone else has grown up riding sophisticated horses, and you've been trying to train a reindeer how to jump."

It was a very long-standing joke that the two shared.

Blitzen, Harley's own horse, who he boarded and was currently leasing out to another rider while Harley spent the school year in college, would participate every winter in the annual holiday parade in their hometown. Blitzen would be dressed up as a reindeer with antlers and all, pulling a carriage, in order to defray the cost of boarding fees.

"You know, Lucy, one day I'm going to enter him in a show and make him wear them," Harley said.

And at the thought of this, Lucy actually laughed. Harley always knew how to bring her back down to earth; make her feel better no matter the circumstance.

Spending the entire rest of the walk debating on whether or not Blitzen would look ridiculous or endearing, Lucy barely realized that they had reached their destination until they walked into the room that was filled with anxious faces that Lucy either recognized vaguely, or didn't recognize at all.

"Good evening," Maria's voice filled the room at seven on the dot, not wasting a single second, "We have you here tonight to discuss many things—one of which being the team assignments. However, first, I want to talk to you about what your obligation to the team entails. I want to begin with lessons. If you are on the team, you are expected to lesson twice a week, with your team. If you miss more than two lesson, you will not be able to participate in the show team for the rest of the semester, which is why, as you will see on the assignment sheet, we have picked reserves.

"That being said, reserves also lesson twice a week, and it is critical that they attempt to make all of their lessons, because it isn't always known when they will be needed for shows. And for anyone who has not made the team, you are still allowed to ride, and will be considered part of our club. There is always room to improve and try out again next year to join the team.

"There is a complete show schedule, and all show team participants are expected to attend every show. Emails will be sent out to team members detailing the show schedule, the lesson schedule, and when lessons will begin. If there is a conflict Flynn, Sydney, or I need to be made aware of this as soon as possible. As far as dues go, there is a ten dollar fee per semester to be part of a club on campus, and the combined cost for membership and showing is a fifty dollar annual fee. Lessons are forty dollars each. If there is—"

Forty dollars!?

Lucy didn't even think that with her job she'd be able to afford that when she was helping her parents pay the thousands of dollars for tuition, board, books, and her meal plan. What was she going to do—especially if she made the team? That would be forty dollars twice a week!

Lucy sighed inwardly, and turned her attention back to Maria, who she realized she had been tuning out for the past few seconds.

"And now, before I release the team assignments, I would like to introduce you all to someone who some of you may already know, but most of you don't. This is Elise Kyon, and she will be the one dealing with all of the paperwork and finances for the team. And I believe that she also has some points to discuss with you."

Lucy didn't even notice the blonde's presence in the room until she looked to the left of Maria, where none other than Elise was sitting by the podium, next to Flynn and Sydney.

Elise got up to speak, her hair in that perfect braid, not a crease in her clothing, and Lucy didn't even hear a word she said. All she could think of was how quickly Elise could silence the entire room.

While Maria had been talking, some students had been having side conversations, whispering or talking to one another—probably about the chances they had of making the team—or texting with their phones in their laps.

But when Elise had stepped up to that podium to speak, the room had fallen silent, and the blonde's gaze, an almost icy one, had full command and attention.

Lucy didn't register anything the blonde was saying until the very end.

"...And lastly, please do try to keep everything in order, and put anything that you use back where you found it. During the tryouts there was a misplaced bridle and martingale, which caused some..."

Lucy waited for what Elise was going to say: disorder, miscommunication, problems—

Elise looked straight at Lucy, and said, "Chaos."