"Mum! Mum!"

I tore down the hallway, waving a piece of paper wildly.

"There you are!" I stopped, gasping, in the kitchen and looked at my mother, who wore an expression of mixed confusion and concern.

"What is it?" She was staring at the paper in my hand. I began grinning manically as I held out the tiny, neat rectangle that had changed my life in an instant.

"I did it! I got accepted!" I was jumping up and down, barely containing the squeal that threatened to burst out. My mother's eyes widened. Then she pulled me into a rib-crushing hug, closing her eyes tightly against the tears of pride trying to escape. She knew how much I had wanted this.

I eventually wrestled free and we read the letter together. The black words swam on the creamy paper, making me dizzy.

Dear Autumn,

We congratulate you on being accepted into Crescent Bay Riding Academy and it is with the greatest warmth and enthusiasm that we welcome you.

As a student at Crescent Bay, you shall engage in a number of activities encouraging the growth of your riding ability as well as a broader understanding of the subjects we offer on campus. This education will equip you with everything you need to make an impact in the equestrian world.

At Crescent Bay we greatly value friendship and respect, and during your stay here you will meet a diverse range of students who value these also. We hope that you will follow their example and become a proud and respectful member of our Academy.

I briefly skimmed over the rest of the message, which told me about opportunities and events throughout the year, and urged me to get in contact with them to confirm my admission.

I stared at the scrawled signature of the secretary. Thank you, I thought silently. Because this person, typing this letter on their computer, had just changed everything for me.

I ran outside to tell my horse the good news.

***

"We're going to a riding academy!" I squealed, making my horse look up in alarm. Her coat gleamed red in the sun as she grazed, the colour matching my hair perfectly. She trotted up to the fence with grass still hanging from her muzzle.

"I got a scholarship to Crescent Bay, Robin! How amazing is that?"

She snorted.

"You won't be saying that when we arrive," I said. "I hope you settle in quickly." I allowed my mind to drift a little, to the enormous building and grounds I had seen on the Crescent Bay website. I imagined riding under the sweeping cherry blossoms, and hacking through cool woodland to the private beach that gave the academy its name. A beautiful half-moon of soft white sand, stretching down to an aquamarine sea...

"Autumn!"

The call snapped me out of my reverie. I tangled my fingers in Robin's mane as my mother strode across to meet me.

"I've emailed your confirmation and they've just replied. You're to leave as soon as possible, preferably tomorrow. So you'd better pack quickly."

***

I didn't have much to pack. I had more riding clothes than normal clothes, but I stuffed both into a large bag with a horse printed on the front. I had all of Robin's tack to load into the truck too, but it wasn't much.

I finally finished packing and flew out the door to Robin's spacious stable. It was cool inside, providing relief from the relentless sun.

The door to her tack room opened on silent hinges and I inhaled the smell of leather and saddle soap. This was one of my favourite places and I would be sad to leave it.

Slowly, I ran my hands over my all-purpose saddle. It was the oldest, and the scruffiest. My other two saddles, one for jumping and the other for cross-country, were slightly newer but almost as well-used. I loved to jump.

Each one was annoyingly heavy and I had to carry them one by one, placing them on built-in saddle racks in the horse truck. Just seeing them ready for a journey made me excited all over again.

Robin's bridle and stash of different bits followed the saddles, then her rugs, boots and bandages. I would load everything else tomorrow.

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A/N

Hi! Thank you for taking a chance on my book, Crescent Bay Riding Academy. It's just a random little thing inspired by similar books here on Wattpad. Since I'm still in the process of writing I won't be editing this for a while so please point out any errors!

This chapter will be much shorter than the others and I need to get all the boring stuff like introductions out the way :/

Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading CBRA!

Until next time,

Chloe :)