Octobers Paridise (part 1)

The trees were making her queezy. Maybe it was because she was looking at them through a car window. Or, maybe it was because she had looked at them so many times before when she went to visit her mother. Oh god her mother. How the hell could this happen? Her mother was a strong happy woman. She fought the cancer, got rid of it. How? She jumped when a cold hand clamped over her bare shoulder. Talon was staring at her, sympathy written all over his face. He used his thumb to wipe a tear from Octobers cheek. She hadn't relized she was crying. Great. Another thing for the guys to laugh about when they got to the hotel room that night. She reached up and pulled down the visor. October almost grimaced at her reflection. Her black eyliner was almost completly gone from her eyes and currently running down her cheeks. She had put on absolutly no lipstick and her black shoulder length hair was knotted and messy. She settled with running her fingers through the black travisty and using a tissue full of water to wash off her cheeks. She didn't bother to reapply her eyliner. She didn't particuarly think her grandmother would appreciate her half goth makeup anyway. She wasn't completly lost but she was still a little on the dark side. Talon pulled the van into her grandmothers driveway. Grief flooded through Octobers blood stream. She caught a glimpse of the older woman floating through the back door of the ranch house. The van rolled passed the north pasture. Some of the horses looked up from their grazing to whinney at them but most didn't bother to avert their attention to the blue machine. October let a small grin spread across her lips. The horses always seemed to bring a smile to her face. She could here Aaron and Fin let out exhausted sighs when Talon stopped the vehicle.

" My God dude! You drive like an old man. I think I just aged 3 years." Fin whined swinging the back door open so he and Aaron could get out and stretch.

" I agree. I personally say we let Tobe drive to the hotel." Aaron joined in. October smiled at her friends complaints. It was true. Talon had a tendoncy to drive like a 90 year old. Her smile grew wider when she over heard Talon mutter something about having bad eye sight and not wanting to hit a deer. God she would have never made it through this trip if it hadn't been for these 3 guys. They always lightened up the mood. Stepping out of the car she smoothed off her black cargos before straighting her posture and putting on a bright face.

" Shall we boys?" She asked, extending both arms out for two of them to take. Fin and Aaron took the limbs in theirs while Talon just strode along quitly.

Inside the small farm house people bustled in and out of rooms, grabbing food or a drink as they mingled with nieghbors. Inside October was bored to tears. She hated things like this. These gatherings people have after a funeral. Everyone of the guests in up tight black suits, a look of remorse plastered on their faces.Talking about how great the deceased person had been. The time Jake did this or the time Sally had broken that. It was so simply boring and sad. Then they casualy make their way over to you to express there concern and sarrow for your death. October hated that! Why couldn't they just leave her alone and let her grieve in peice for christ sake. They always seemed to force her to talk about her mothers death. Did they like to watch her struggle against the tears that so often threatened to fall? Her perverted uncle was currently expressing his pitty for her by running his hands up and down her arms. Outside she smiled and made small talk but inside her mind was screaming to kick him in the shin and run away. What was it with this man? As she chatted with him she wondered if he was naturaly this creepy or if he had to work at it. He had said something to her. Crap! She hadn't been listenig. Oh and he had that damn expectant look on his face which meant he had asked a question. Well, there goes the brilliant plan to just smile and nod. A hand on her shoulder brought October back from the internal argument she was so far losing. It was Fin. He had this mischivious look on his face." You mind if I steal her for a sec." he asked looking at the older man. Octobers uncle just smiled and winked at Fin before turning away to go make a move on her cousin.

" Oh thank you so much! I was dieing inside my head. Litteraly I felt my brain cells depleting... it was scary."

"Yeah, I noticed your 'get me the hell away from this guy' look and rushed in to help you." He paused to flex his muscles, well what muscle he had, before flashing a macho smile and continuing, " No need to thank me. It's just another day in the life of Fin the next Superman!"

October giggled. A rare thing for her. She picked up a mini hot dog and stared at the different people while chewing. She didn't think she could take much more of this. Aaron and Talon looked like they wanted to kill themselves. Then she saw cousin Lucy was the one currently occupying them and immediatly new that was exactly what they were thinking. She turned back to Fin and whispered in his ear," Go save Tal and Aar then meet me outside by the North pasture."

He just stared at the black haired 19 year olds back as she retreated from the crowded room. Great. Cousin Lucy.They owed him big for this. The woman could drive a statue mad.

She hadn't noticed how old the pasture was. Had it truly been this long since she had visited the ranch? October fingered a peice of wood jutting out from one of the fence rungs. She figured it had. Funny... it seemed like yesterday she had been climbing the fence like a monkey trying so desperatly to get to the horses behind it. The horses. For a moment she was that little girl again. Placing one of her black boots on the bottem rung she drug her body up and over the splintering wood. It smelt good in the feild. That wet grass smell after a hard rain. It was sweet to Octobers nose. Such a treat from the big city smog and coffee grounds. For a split second her mind wondered back to her coffee shop/ game house she ran in The Big Apple. She wondered how the substitute manager was holding up. If the customers missed her. Probably not. In a big city nobody new anybody even close to enough to miss them. Although the older customers did know her by name and always asked how she was doing. A couple had even said if the shop was taken over by anyone else it wouldn't be even close to what it is now. That comment had filled her with such pride at the time, almost as much as it was now. Her small boil of confidence simmered away when Justify decided to stride up and nibble on her hair. " HEY!!!" She screeched flicking the bay gelding gently on the nose.He gave a playful whinney and tossed his head. " Is that your way of saying you missed me?" The animal just snorted at her. October smiled and sighed, " I'll take that as a yes," she paused to stroke Justify's muzzle, " I missed you too buddy."

" Are we interupting something?"

October turned to see Fin, Aaron, and Talon leaning against the fence, mocking grins plastered to there faces." Actualy yes. Could you come back in..." she looked at her watch, " About... 10 minutes." All three grins faltered a moment before stupid ass expressions took there faces completly.

" Oh Tobe... thats disgusting." stated Talon , a sickly expression on his own face.

" Seriously man. What the hell is your problem?" Aaron exclaimed, the same expression spread across his features.

" You guys suck. It was a flippen joke for christ sake. My god." defended October turning back to Justify to give him a small rub on the left ear.

" Sure Tobe. You just keep tellin yourself that and we'll go find you some help." As if on que the boys split up and ran in different directions occasionaly screaming out things like, " Docter Phil!" " Opera!" "Please somebody call an exorcist!" She simply rolled her dark brown eyes and continued too rub down the gelding in front of her. As the boys yells increased Justify started to fidget and snort. Silently telling his master that the screeching was hurting his ears.

" Will you guys shut up! Your scaring the horses. Hell your scaring me!" October stated watching her best friends run in circles like a trio of chickens that couldn't seem to decide which one of them they should sacrifice to the farmer first. Fin stopped his frantic ritual to look at October. He put on his best pouty face and forced his lip too quiver." Oh don't even do the puppy dog look to me right now. It aint gonna work this time." One more lip quiver and a teary eye. She sighed. Why did he half to be so damn cute? With that stupid shoulder length curly black hair, freaking gorgous blue eyes, and a pouty face that could make a nun commit adultry. He was a walking weapon of mass destruction and October hated that. " Huh... fine. But at least take it to the tack room where the horses can't here it. Or back to the house... I bet that'll rile the suits up a bit." She watched Fin contemplate it for a moment before he shook his head no.

" What fun would it be unless you were there."

October felt her eyebrow twitch. Why could they not just leave her alone for two minutes! Don't get her wrong, she loved all three of them to death but if they weren't always entertained they tended to become the most annoying things on planet Earth. And most likly Mars. Since they didn't seem to be leaving October began thinking up ideas of what she could possibly do to keep them all entertained. Going for a drive on the four- wheelers? No... hell no. There would be death and she new it. Playing Scrabble with grandpa? No scratch that too. The guys would be asleep before grandpa made his first word. A high pitch squeel brought her back to the real world. Where had that come from? She let her gaze travel over the feild, tracing out all the horses. At the far end she spotted Phenomenon, Desert Rose, and Rapture nipping, kicking, and rearing at each other. She watched the playful flirting for a moment before she turned back to Justify. A gust of wind blew the tack room door open. Justifys' saddle came into clear veiw as the metal completly opened. That was it! It had been years since the horses had been worked and who better to do it than three overly hyper boys and one horse crazy girl.

" Guys!" She yelled stopping thier circle spinning for the second time in the past 30 minutes. She grinned, " Whadda ya say we go for a ride?"

He hadn't had a saddle on him in a long time. She could tell by the way his muscles tensed at the touch of the blanket. Well he would just have to get over that now wouldn't he. October flung Raptures saddle onto his back and let the stirrups out. She would sleep well after this. The plan was great. Get Tal, Aar, and Fin outside and occupied by the headstrong horses. The only deffect to her master plan was that October had to tack up all four horses on her own. Granted the fact that the boys didn't know how too do it themselves, she still found it slightly unfair. Grabbing a hoofpick from the grooming bucket she lifted the roan geldings front right hoof and dug out the mud and rocks. He had a small case of thrush. Probably from all the rain the ranch had been getting lately. She dug at it some more, getting as much of the white mildew as she could. The musty smell could gag a skunk, one of the many downsides to thrush.She stepped back to observe her work. God she missed this sight. A group of horses standing in the barn, groomed and saddled in the oldest leather you could possibly get your hands on. Riders sitting tall and proud, or as proud as 3 equine challenged boys could be, on top of there mighty steeds. Christ she sounded like a god damn book of fairy tails. When really, she was just a srewed up, scared little girl with a talent for animal communication. October shook the thought from her head as she mounted Rapture. Where had that come from? Never had she come to the conclusion that she was any of those 3 things. Wow... maybe she was as screwed as she thought she was. Desert rose sneezed as she trotted out the barn door. October smiled at the old girl. Good horses came in such small packages. 14.2 hands and a bottle of fireworks. Just another fiesty mare. Phenomenon trailed after her, stupid gelding mode kicked into full gear at the sight of a pretty mare. She had to surpress the bubbly laughter that threatened to erupt from her throat. Phenomenon was such a boy! Rapture instinctivly moved to follow the others. What a perfect trail horse. This had been a better day than expected. Whats a death when you have great friends and great animals to help you cope with it?