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Post by Lucy Maggie Stevens on Jul 22, 2010 4:14:44 GMT -5
She felt herself being pulled into him, and for a second, she didn’t mind. She would have kissed him, but she quickly realized what had happened. They weren’t even boyfriend girlfriend; they were going to go out on a date. Basically to just try it out, they couldn’t possibly be kissing already. She felt scared. She wasn’t ready to move fast. She had to move slow. She didn’t know the right pace. She hoped he hadn’t only asked her out because of her past, because he knew what she had done. Because he knew she wasn’t a virgin and he was hoping to use that. She felt scared and almost drew herself back into her shell. She didn’t want to be used. She couldn’t handle that. She tried to keep her breathing calm, but she knew it was nearly impossible. Somehow, she managed. She didn’t want to upset him, because she did care about him. So, she didn’t want to show him that he had scared her by what had almost happened. She just wasn’t ready for that kind of stuff. She didn’t want to be treated like dirt again. She needed to stand up for herself somehow.
He looked scared by what had happened. It was obvious to her that he hadn’t met what he was about to do, it was just instinct. She couldn’t hold it against him, she had nearly kissed him too. If not for her being snapped back into reality, she would have kissed him. He pulled away though, not her. She didn’t need to be mad at him. It wasn’t like he wanted to use her, it was just a feeling of the moment, something that felt right. She tried to understand him and not look scared to him. She really didn’t want to stress him out.
As he mentioned horses, she felt like that was her way out. She nodded her head quickly in agreement and started heading toward the door. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she wasn’t sure what to think of it. She hadn’t ever been touchy with a man before. Only her father, who touched her in all the wrong ways. She liked being close to him, she just wasn’t sure exactly how much she liked his arm around her. After what had happened she was scared, she couldn’t be used. Not again. She glanced up at him quickly, then faced forward again as he led her out of the office and locked up. She wasn’t sure what to say to him, but wanted to not talk about anything that had just happened or her emotions right now. She didn’t want to talk about how nervous or scared she was. So she picked the topic of horses. ”So, do you have any ideas as to what horses we can take for a ride into town?” She asked him after they were out of the office.
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Post by Markus Martins on Jul 22, 2010 14:13:41 GMT -5
Well his stupid instinctive moment had certainly created an awkward moment. Awkward turtle as he heard some of the students around the camp call it. Great. Just great. If anyone was stupid, it was Mark for making such a dumb move. He didn't want to do anything that would ruin the trust she had in him. She wasn't all that comfortable or trusting around men, and Mark was probably one of the very few to that exception. He didn't want to ruin that.
He looked to her when she asked about horses that we could take to town. "Well, I usually take Dotty, but I was thinking that I would get Dad's horse and take him." He said gently. Dotty was an easy enough horse to handle, and she wouldn't mind all the noises of Brooke Haven while she was tied to the diner's hitching post. The old mare had been donated to the school about a year ago. Her owners had to give her up because their son went off to college. Dotty was his responsibility and when he left the state to go to medical school, their parents decided they couldn't keep Dotty. So they found her a nice home here at Willow Brooke. And Storm had been abandoned and left to fend for himself as a foal. He was a very nice horse though, and he kept Jared company when he was in the stables.
They came to Dotty's stall first, and the Appaloosa mare poked her head out, giving a soft whicker in greeting. Mark smiled and stroked a hand along the soft, velvety muzzle of the mare before he looked to Lucy with a smile. "You take her. I'll go get Storm tacked up." He said gently as he released the old around her shoulders. Storm was just a few stalls down from Dotty. He handed her the mare's lead rope and then went down to get Storm. "Hey, big guy." He murmured to the horse as he stepped into the stall and clipped a lead rope to the stallion's halter. He led the very proud stud out of the stall and tied him up before he went to get his tack. Mark came back a few minutes later and worked deftly and with years of skill to tack up the stallion efficiently.
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Post by Lucy Maggie Stevens on Jul 22, 2010 14:44:24 GMT -5
Lucy hadn’t wanted to make the awkwardness noticeable, but she could tell that he felt awkward in it as well. At least he hadn’t kissed her she thought. That showed self control, he didn’t want to move to fast with her. She tried to rationalize everything in her mind of why she shouldn’t run away. In her mind, she needed to get away and go find a closet or dark small place to hide like she did everyday of her life as a young child after daddy had his way with her. But something kept her stationed under his arm. Something in her told her to not leave and made her want to stay close to him and with him. She didn’t really want to leave. Mark wasn’t like Daniel had been. She just needed to make sure she knew that. She needed to be sure she knew that Mark was different, as much as she trusted him, she had also trusted daddy. She had thought what he was doing to be natural and regular. It wasn’t, it was abuse, or at least that’s what she had found out afterward. People were dangerous.
She was happy when they made their way to the stalls. Something else to distract her. He led her to the Appaloosa mare and she took a good long look. The mare seemed so calm; she hadn’t ever seen the mare before. She had a nice coat on her, and was a beautiful magnificent creature. Of course, Lucy said that about most horses. They all seemed so majestic. She took the lead rope from Mark as he handed it to her. She was nervous, horses had been the kindest creatures to her, so she had no reason, but she was still a little nervous as she entered the horse’s stall. Some horses were temperamental when strangers entered uninvited. She would have replied to Markus, but she wasn’t quite sure what to say, so all she said was a simple ”Ok,” as he left her to go tack up the Stallion.
The mare seemed gentle and calm, something Lucy was used to with horses. She had gotten her case of kickers and buckers, ones that didn’t want to be messed with, but she had been in these stables for quite a few years now. She didn’t have much confidence, but she was confident with horses. She knew she could take care of them, she was a good rider. If she wasn’t she wouldn’t still be working at the stables, teaching others how to ride their horse and gain confidence in that area. ”Easy sweetie.” She said as she backed around the mare, she had been facing the wall opposite of Lucy. Lucy tried to be as calm as possible as she walked around toward the mare’s front. She clipped the lead rope onto the halter that all the equines in the stables were equipped with.
She led the gentle giant out of her stall and stationed her outside of it. Never having experience with this particular horse, she didn’t know if she rode better English or western so she glanced over at Mark who was already setting up Strom for the ride into town. ”Hun, what should I tack her up with?” she asked him. It was a question she once felt stupid for asking, but not that she was more confidence with horses, she knew Mark would know her context of the question and not think of her as stupid. Or at least she hoped so. Lucy did come off as stupid often.
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Post by Markus Martins on Jul 22, 2010 15:09:06 GMT -5
He looked up to her as he untangled the bridle a little. He didn't have to ask what she meant when she asked. He knew. He wasn't sure if she had ever even seen Dotty before. "She rides better with western." He said as he managed to straighten out the bridle. Dotty was the perfect example of a gentle giant. She was very tolerant of the students and she was a hard cookie to spook.
"I'll go get her tack for you." He said gently as he draped the bridle over the saddle that was strapped to Storm's back. He went to the tack room and came out several minutes later with the tack that she would need and he came over to Lucy. He went ahead and carefully situated the saddle on Dotty's back. He looked to Lucy and gave a soft smile before he turned back to Storm.
The stallion gave a bit of a fight taking the bit, but after a little bit of bribery with some oats the horse gave way and allowed the bit into his mouth. He chomped on it for a minute as Mark strapped the bridle to his head. Mark made sure it was secure, but not to tight and then he moved to the saddle and made a quick second check on the saddle. Mark would really hate if the saddle slide tot he side and threw him to the ground on their ride.
He led the stallion over to Dotty and Lucy and tied him down while he moved to the mare and gave Dotty some oats to. The older mare was a very friendly one. She always made a very nice horse for beginners. At the moment she didn't have a student assigned to her, so Mark would take her out on one of the trails since he couldn't ride Ace at the moment.
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Post by Lucy Maggie Stevens on Jul 22, 2010 17:37:20 GMT -5
She was glad that he knew exactly what she had meant. Western, Lucy was more accustomed to English riding, but she had taken a few shots at western before. She felt more comfortable in western gear, as she was accustomed to riding in that gear and doing those events. Of course, if she had to teach a student to ride on a western accustomed horse, she needed to know how, so Lucy had knowledge of how to ride western. When taking a student out on a trail, Lucy usually enjoyed picking out one of the unassigned horses with a western saddle. She found western riding more relaxed type of riding. She was happy as he went back to get her the tack. ”Thank you darling,” she said as he walked back into the room with the tack in hand.
He gently set the saddle on the old mares back and smiled at her. She couldn’t help but respond with a smile in return. This man was the best man she had ever met in her life. After coming from her life, she thought all men were the devil’s work. He walked off and she quickly got to work tacking up Dotty. The old mare stood still and didn’t put up any kind of fight as she tightened the cinch around her. She made sure it was tight enough that she wouldn’t fall over, that had happened before and had been quite embarrassing, and she didn’t need it happening in front of Mark.
Giving the old mare her bit was probably the easiest part, for as soon as Lucy held up the bit the mare opened her mouth and Lucy just slid it into her mouth. It was much easier than many of the other horses Lucy had experiences with. She loved her job for this reason; she had a relationship with most of the horses in the stables. She knew the horses and how they responded to things. Meeting new horses was the best part of the job. She loved horses as companions, horses hadn’t ever hurt her. They were all gentle giants.
As she finished tacking up Dotty and Mark came over to her she gave him a smile. He gave the mare some oats which she was glad to take. Lucy only hoped the oats didn’t have the same effect on Dotty they had on Justice, or they may gas out nature as they walked on by. ”Mark, what trails are we going to be taking today? Going the long way or just straight to town?” Lucy wasn’t really sure what she wanted, therefore she was giving Mark the option. As much as she would love to spend more time with him, she also wasn’t sure how well she could react being in a very lonely place with a male. She trusted Mark, but being alone with a male could lead to flashbacks quick. Most of the time they spent together was either close to camp or on the grounds. But she did want to show him she trusted him. She needed somebody to be close to her. She wanted female friends.
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Post by Markus Martins on Jul 22, 2010 18:36:02 GMT -5
She called him darling. He didn't know why, but the way she called him those little pet names that most couples called each other made him shiver. It was cute, and sweet and he liked it.
He smiled at her with that big goofy grin of his when she asked what trail they would take. "I kinda figured we'd just follow the road down to town. I made Dad promise me that he would stay in or around the cabin today and get some rest. I wouldn't want him thinking I left him to rot at home while I went out and had all the fun." He explained gently. It was true. Jared spent most of the day at the Martins' cabin today and he would probably think that Mark left him to rot in the cabin while he went out and had fun, but Mark was sure he wouldn't have minded when he learned of the circumstances.
His dad knew about how Lucy and Mark felt about each other, but he didn't do much more than some careful nudging because of Lucy's need for delicacy. The other night in the hospital however was a big ole shove that Jared gave Mark when they discussed the matter. He looked to her again before he swiftly lifted himself up by a stirrup and swiftly swung his leg over the horse's back to settle in the other stirrup. He looked to Lucy with a playful grin and trotted Storm out of the stables to the driveway that led up to the stables.
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Post by Lucy Maggie Stevens on Jul 22, 2010 18:56:36 GMT -5
Lucy didn’t know whether or not to be relieved when he said that they were just going into town. She honestly didn’t want to be stuck in the wilderness, completely open. He was stronger than her, and no matter how well she trusted him, they were just friends. What life had taught her was that people were unpredictable. One minute you could be smiling and having fun, with one wrong word, you could be pushed into a wall and being forced to do stuff you never wanted to do. People were highly unpredictable and she didn’t want to be left somewhere with him where nobody would be able to hear her if she did need to scream. Sure, the past few years she had opened up to Mark, and he seemed like a nice guy, but she honestly didn’t spend all her time with him. She wasn’t sure if he had a weakness point where he would snap on her though. She knew herself well enough to know she wasn’t mentally stable and wouldn’t handle him attacking her well.
”That’s fine by me.” She smiled at him; she completely understood his situation as well. He did love his father, his father was the only part of his family he had left, and he wouldn’t want to leave his dad to die. Even though he didn’t show it too much, she bet he was dying to go see his dad after a longs day of work and check up on him. Lucy wasn’t stupid. Even if she had a very weak, nonexistent relationship with her parents, she knew that to some people, family was everything. Some people would give everything up for their family. She knew that her dad had stolen a lot of stuff from her, which isn’t how it should be. He had stolen her innocence at age 5. It wasn’t till sixth grade when she heard that if they want that from you, and they say if you love me you will, they don’t really love you. But Lucy was too much of a worthless pile of crap to be able to stand up for her.
Lucy watched him as he got onto his father’s horse. He had muscles, most riders had muscles. She didn’t quite know what it was, but watching his muscles could bring a smile to her face. She cocked her head slightly as he mounted his horse for the night then gave her a grin. She smiled back at him while trotted out of the stables. ”Hey, Markus!! Wait for me!” she called after him as she lifted herself onto Dotty. She usually rode without stirrups, so she was use to getting onto a saddle without using the stirrups for support. She lifted herself onto Dotty and quickly grabbed the reigns as she trotted the mare out of the stables following Mark’s path. Once out of the stables she patted her mare on the side as a sign to pick up speed coming up to Mark’s side. She giggled at him, something she hardly ever did, for she didn’t have a reason to. For some reason though, he brought out the more playful side of her, the side of her that had yet to be explored till now. She reached over and gave Mark a shove on the arm. ”Hope you fall.” She joked before once again tapping the mare to get it to pick up a little speed as she headed toward town.
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Post by Markus Martins on Jul 22, 2010 21:54:01 GMT -5
He looked over his shoulder when he heard her catch up. He gave a little grin at her. "Hey!" He exclaimed as she pushed him. He almost did fall out of the saddle. He righted himself and grinned playfully before he urged Storm after her. Mark positioned himself low against the stallions neck as they chased after Dotty and Lucy. He gave a playful whistle as they caught up with the two.
"You don't have the best horse for racing, Lucy!" He exclaimed before he urged the stud forward. The two raced on forward, past the old mare and Lucy. Mark loved this. He loved the feeling of the wind in his hair. It gave him a sense of freedom. Like he was a wild horse running with a whole heard. Like he was flying. God it felt so good to feel Storm's mane brush against his face and the wind in his hair. It all felt so great. He hadn't realized just how much he needed this ride after being stuck in the office for several days.
He looked over his shoulder to Lucy and Dotty with a big grin before he slowed Storm down. Dotty was a bit too old to be racing her too hard or too fast, so he slowed down and waited for the two to catch up with a big, happy grin spread across his face. He definitely needed this. He owed Lucy a big thanks for making the suggestion. That was definitely for sure.
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Post by Lucy Maggie Stevens on Jul 23, 2010 0:47:52 GMT -5
She smiled as she saw him catch up, but he was gone as quick as he came. His comment made her smile. In all her years of living, she hadn’t ever had fun. Sure she enjoyed her time with the horses, but even then she was more business oriented, and now, it was just all fun and games. She was having fun with her best friend, racing each other on two majestic giants that just needed to be out. She wished she had brought Justice; she could have won this race on her mare in an English saddle, but was having a much rougher getting used to the high speed of a horse in a western saddle. It just didn’t feel right to her. Dotty wasn’t the fastest mare around either, her age had definitely taken a toll on her.
She saw him look back and her and smiled, even though she had been trying to catch up, Dotty was pretty sure it was time to slow down and had already slowed from a gallop to a trot. She was glad he slowed down, she gave the old mare a little kick and she hurried to catch up the stallion ahead of her. When finally at his side, Lucy gave him a flirtatious grin. She wasn’t sure exactly what had gotten into her, but she wanted to live. He just was her little love potion all by himself and brought out a completely different side of her. ”Ok, you win this round. But one of these days I’ll really race you, on my Justice and then we can really race.” She said as she gave him another shove. This time she restrained from taking off, not that the old mare would anyway. She seemed pretty beat.
She smiled at him as she took another look at him, he seemed happier. Not that fake happy that she could see right through either, just naturally happier. She gave him a friendly wink and a smile. It made her happy to see him happier. She did care about him, he was a good friend of hers. Her best friend, and he was the only one that had been able to coo her out of her shell. She had been at Willow Brooke for nearly six years, and only one guy ever could even talk to her as a human being. He was definitely her best friend. Maybe if she came out of her shell that would change, but she didn’t want to come out of her shell. It took him enough time to get her to open up to him. Even know she was still not sure how much she could trust him.
She walked the tired mare alongside him as they grew closer to the town. She didn’t know really what to talk to him about, she had went into his office to get his mind off things. He had asked her out on a date, almost kissed her, she got scared, and they tacked up their horses then raced. She didn’t know what there was to talk about with him, but she wanted to talk. She didn’t want to bring up his father though, thinking of his father almost dying made her think to hard about what to do with her father. She didn’t want to talk about work, cause she was trying to get his mind off things. So she decided to talk about the one thing he enjoyed most. ”So, is your big boy doing ok? She asked him as she looked at him with a friendly smile.
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Post by Markus Martins on Jul 23, 2010 1:58:27 GMT -5
He smiled as she finally caught up to him and Storm. He reached over to Dotty and gave the mare a soft stroke along her neck for a moment before he looked back up to Lucy. He chuckled at her and shook his head. "Hopefully I'll have Ace back by then." He looked to her with a grin at his comment before he looked a head. He could see Brooke Haven in the distance. He missed riding with Ace. And he knew the Fresian was getting irritated with being kept in his stall.
He looked back to Lucy and smiled at her warmly as he gently nudged Storm closer to Dot so that Mark and Lucy were a little closer. "Thank you, Lucy, for suggesting we ride horseback down to town... I needed it. I just didn't realize how much." He said gently. He really hadn't realized how much he needed a ride. It did him some good really. He felt more at home on the back of a horse than stuck in that stuffy office. It made him finally realize how his dad felt all these years. He barely got any time to just take Storm out for a ride. He had a much larger appreciation for his dad now. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh air as they came to the town limit.
He sighed and looked around as they made their way through town on the horses when she asked how Ace was doing. He smiled and looked to Lucy. "He's getting better. He's not happy with me about being cooped up in his stall. I don't want to put him out in the pasture or a corral though cause he may make it worse by romping around." He said as he thought about Ace. "To say the least the highlight of his days were when I take him out for his walk." He said, chewing on his bottom lip. Ace was being extra moody about being cooped up in his stall, but it was for the better. He would certainly be a handful once Mark could put a saddle and bridle on him again.
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Post by Lucy Maggie Stevens on Jul 23, 2010 2:16:12 GMT -5
She smiled softly at his comment about Ace. She was pretty sure Justice could keep up with Ace, as long as Lucy had her English saddle she was more than happy. It would be more fun for her to race Mark when she was on a horse that actually stood a chance. She loved racing Justice around the pastures and corrals; just running was a rush that could get Lucy out of the worst of moods. She wanted to ride with Mark every day; this had been too much fun. Lucy wasn’t used to fun, she was 22 years old and hadn’t ever experienced fun. She hadn’t ever had a drink in her life being afraid she would get drunk and some man would take advantage of her while she was too out of mind to do anything about it.
He thanked her, and it caught her off ground. She wasn’t sure why he was thanking her for such a ridiculous thing; she had just wanted to ride. Honestly, she rather walk into town than be in a car. She hated cars with a passion and riding just seemed like the best option. So, to rebut his thanks, she made one of her own. ”Thank you for asking me out on a date, it really means a lot to me.” The red color she had hoped she had gotten rid of poured back into her face and she was half tempted to look away but to afraid it would be rude. She actually was really happy he had asked her out. He made her feel wanted, in a good way. So far, other than the maybe possibly kiss, nothing had showed her that he was going to use her. She kept trying to get rid of the thought. Mark wouldn’t ever use her, would he?
She let out a small giggle as he spoke of his giant best. Ace really wasn’t somebody she enjoyed messing with. He was a huge beast and could easily take down anybody that got into his way. But, he could be a gentle giant if he had his days, right now, Lucy would not be one to get into his stall. Ace loved to run, and he would not be happy about the situation at hand. She was convinced even if he had broken his leg he would still throw a fit until somebody let him out into the pasture to run. ”Yeah, Ace pouts, I think it’s funny. It’s funny how horses can resemble…” she cut herself off. Horses did not resemble humans. Humans were horrible creatures that hurt, killed, and stole things that one could never get back, like innocence. Horses were in no way such monsters. She tried to shake the ideas out of her head, she had been reminded too many times of her father the past few days especially. Jared at times had reminded Lucy of Daniel, which is why she was so timid around him. He just had something about him; maybe it was the power he held, the way he walked, or the color of his hair. Something about him put her at unease when she was around him for too long.
She tried to change the subject. Hoping that her unfinished sentence wouldn’t be brought up, but she couldn’t think of anything to bring up instead. She looked around her settings, trying to find something to point out or something to say. ”The sunset looks pretty,” she finally blurted. Yes, it was corny, but it got her mind off her father. For now at least.
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Post by Markus Martins on Jul 23, 2010 2:52:41 GMT -5
He looked to her, smiling. He was debating on if he should admit to her just how long he had been trying to ask her out. He wasn't sure if it would do him any good, but surely it wouldn't hurt. "To be honest... " He licked his lips, looking over her face thoughtfully. "I've been wanting to ask you out on a date for a long time." He admitted gently, his blue eyes looking for a reaction. Hopefully a good reaction. He wouldn't want to screw up before they even had their first date.
He smiled when she commented on Ace's pouty nature. If he could really pout, Mark had no doubt that would be what was going on. Ace didn't really trust anyone other than Mark, and with his moody behavior from being stuck in his stall, he was even worse. He actually tried to take a chunk out of Mark as a matter of fact. He had a bite mark on his upper right arm from it. Mark didn't think much of the behavior though. He remembered when Ace had first been brought to Willow Brooke. He had been an older colt then, and he had been down right dangerous. He looked back to Lucy as she trailed off on her next comment. He figured she was going to say humans, but she didn't. Mark thought it was maybe because she thought differently of humans than she did of horses. Mark hated that she went through the life she went through. It wasn't fair. To her or any of the people she spent time around. She was so flighty around people, even people she knew fairly well, and most of that was because of how her father treated her.
He looked up to the sky as she commented on the sunset. He smiled weakly and nodded. "It is." He commented before he looked back to Lucy thoughtfully. "Like you." He grinned but then he realized what he said a blush rose over his neck and cheeks and he looked away bashfully, shifting in the seat of his saddle, using the pommel for leverage before he looked back to Lucy with a sheepish grin.
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Post by Lucy Maggie Stevens on Jul 23, 2010 3:06:31 GMT -5
She bit the left corner of his lip as he commented on how he had wanted to ask her out for a while. Mark actually liked her, for whatever reason, she was unsure, but he really did. It made the butterflies in her stomach got to extreme mode and she couldn’t help but smile at him as a rosy red color flowered over her cheeks. He really was sweet, in no way did he resemble her father. Of course, she still was scared, mainly because of the saying ‘girls grow up to marry men like their daddy’s’. She hoped the Mark she knew was who he was, he wouldn’t be like her daddy. Not that she was going to marry him, they hadn’t even been on their first date once. ”Why?” She wasn’t exactly sure why she had asked the question but she had. She wanted to know what he found so worth liking in somebody like her, she wasn’t anything special.
His next comment did not help with the butterflies at all. She felt her heart skip a beat and she stopped breathing for a little. She looked over at him with a happy grin on her face. ”I’m not pretty though. The sunset looks graceful, elegant, it is just the right mixture of every color. It is strong, but peaceful. I’m just a mess on rollerblades.” She looked at him with a half smirk. He comment was sweet, but she didn’t believe it. Lucy wasn’t pretty. That was one thing her mother taught her the one year she had Lucy in her custody. Lucy was ugly.
Lucy watched as the town grew closer, slowly the started passing housing. It wasn’t all too weird for horses to be found walking around Brooke Haven. It was actually pretty normal, people expected to see it as their daily routine. The two horses fit right into the crowd. Often times the horses fit in easier than their rides. Lucy hoped this wasn’t the case today. She didn’t want any attention to be drawn to Markus and hoped that nobody would talk anything to upset him. She had been trying so hard to get him to relax. ”I don’t come into town very often, you lead the way.” She told him as they got further into town. She only came into town occasionally when it was needed to.
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Post by Markus Martins on Jul 23, 2010 3:54:06 GMT -5
He couldn't help but stare at her when she asked why he wanted to ask her out for a long time. What kind of question was that? No girl had ever asked him that when it came to asking them out. He blinked after a moment and looked to Dotty for a moment thoughtfully. "Because I like you, Lucy... and not just as a friend." He said gently as he met her gaze. "You may not think it, but you're a strong, independent, intelligent woman, and I find that very attractive." He said gently. She was very strong. To go through the things she had and not come out worse than she had been when she first came to Willow Brooke.
He chewed on his bottom lip when she said she wasn't pretty. He agreed on that much, but she meant something entirely different from what he meant. "No.. you're not pretty." He commented as he looked up to her. "You're Beautiful, Lucy. You're a beautiful person with a beautiful heart. You've been through things I can't even stand to think about, and you have the most beautifully kind heart I have ever seen. " He hated that she didn't see what he saw. But after years of being beaten and mistreated, she thought differently of himself. He hated that because she was smart. She was smart and beautiful and she deserved to think of herself in a better light.
He looked away from her after a moment, embarrassed at his outburst. He rubbed the back of his neck for a moment before sighing. When he thought about her father he burned up with anger. The man didn't deserve to live after the things he did to his daughter. His own flesh and blood that he helped to create. He didn't deserve to be called a father in Mark's opinion. He was pulled out of these thoughts of outrage when Lucy said that he should lead the way. He just gave a small nod, keeping quiet as he led the way to Hamburger Heaven. She didn't go to town very often now that he thought about it. She didn't really have much need to unless she was getting a craving for something that the school didn't have.
It didn't take them that long to find the diner. He stopped at the little hitching post area on the side of the building that the owners had set up for students and staff members that felt like riding their horses into town.
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Post by Lucy Maggie Stevens on Jul 23, 2010 4:22:23 GMT -5
She smiled at him, a big, happy, kind, flattered, smile when he said all those sweet things about her. He really didn’t give her much to say. She ran her hand through her hair flipping it over it’s part and onto the other side of her head. How could he say such nice things about her? He really meant them to, she could tell by the way he said them. Either he really meant them, or he was really good at lying. But she agreed he just really meant all the wonderful things he said about her. He really thought she was attractive, intelligent, independent, and strong. Lucy thought she was weak, she frequently broke down and couldn’t bare as much stress as others, but he called her strong. She just took a deep breath to allow a sigh, but it was a happy sigh. One that showed she was having a little trouble breathing after he showered her with compliments. She really didn’t know what so say to him. Nobody had ever said such nice things about her in her whole life. ”Thank you.” She said looking into his deep eyes as hers sparkled with happiness. Why was he so sweet to her?
Compliments were followed with just more. For some reason, Markus really saw a side of Lucy she couldn’t see. She didn’t know if they were talking about the same girl. The way he complimented her just made her happy, but it made her question if he saw somebody different than who she looked in the mirror and saw. Kind hearted, no. Lucy had no kind heart; she was rude and cold and stuck inside her shell. A kind hearted person was the type of person that went out and did charitable things. She would deny what Markus said, but she really didn’t want to. Sure, she didn’t believe it, but he did. He believed it and said it as if God himself had spoken the words to Markus for him to know them to be true. She didn’t really know what to say to him here either. She just sat on Dotty and smiled at him for a long while. What does a woman say to somebody who sees them completely differently then they see themselves? She honestly had no clue. Lucy just smiled and blushed, blushed a lot. They were only going on the way of to their first date, and he was already showing how much he liked her. But why did he see her differently than she saw herself.
As he pulled ahead of her and led her toward the diner she got thinking. How could somebody see her so differently than she saw herself? She was nobody great, nothing special. She was just a girl that tried to survive in a world she wasn’t meant to live on. Her parents had both told her she was something completely other than what Markus had just said. They both showed her how worthless she was. Made her think the world wouldn’t miss her. Markus, if Lucy died, would Mark miss her? She wasn’t really sure at this point. Somebody can only go so long being told stuff until they start to believe it, and when they are told it from birth and nothing different, how are they supposed to believe differently? She hoped Markus could show her the girl that he was talking about, she wanted to meet her.
The diner had a hitching post, just as Lucy would have guessed. She had seen enough students travel in and out of town on their horses. Lucy had probably been into the town ten times in the past six years. So she knew very little about how it was, but figured Markus would know more. He had grown up in this town with his father and mother. He had a family, Lucy envied that. She wanted a family so bad, but didn’t think she would ever get one. She wouldn’t ever find somebody to love and take care of her. She saw other people with relationships, who seemed so happy. That’s what Lucy wanted more than anything. She pulled Dotty’s reigns to get her to halt. Sliding off the horse she tied the reigns around the hitching post. Dotty didn’t seem like a horse that would really need to be tied down, she was mellow. Some probably from her gentle nature, the other from her old age.
Finally Lucy felt like the silence had gone on long enough. ”I’m glad you think that of me.” Lucy said as she stepped over toward Storm and Markus. The man that thought such great things of her. Lucy was still blushing a little as she stepped over toward Mark. There was something about him that was so welcoming, and he gave off a warm kind feeling about him. Lucy actually felt safe with him, safer than she felt alone anyway. Not that she would go up into the mountains and spend a week for him, but here in town, she rather be with him then alone. Lucy slowly slid her hand into Mark’s, not knowing if it were the right move to make or not. She figured if it wasn’t he would let her know though.
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