I don’t care if Kurt wanted to see me. Why do I have to move? I wish I was walking through the forest right now with you. I have to go see what’s for lunch. I hope when you email me back I will still be living. My index pushed the enter button. I spun around; the ancient wood floor against plastic wheels. I stood up balancing my feet. I turned back to my dell laptop. The red cover showed its face to me as I closed it. I strolled over to the thick wooden door.
It was only a week ago I was running out of the door in Slinger High School. Now I stand on the edge of my new room for the summer. It was the first day of summer when my mom gave me the news. She said my dad wanted to spend some time with me. I hadn’t seen him since I was eight. I remember the day he left. I was in the middle of the night. I heard yelling from my bed. I slipped on my slippers and headed down stairs. There I found my mom crying and the bottom stair. I looked over to see the back door closing. I rushed past my mom and looked through the back window. There backing out of my drive way my dad in his ford. The next couple of months were worse. My mom had called a therapist. I took two hours a day talking about how I felt. But every time I sat in a chair and looked out the window to my right. I looked out of the same window for hours. The same tree stood; strong and stable.
Now I stood my hand on the door knob. The only thing I wanted to do this summer was hang out with my friends back in Wisconsin. But now I’m stuck with Kurt. I didn’t consider my biological father my dad. I didn’t have a dad. So I refuse to call him dad, pa, papa, daddy, or father. I turned the handle. The vast stair cast stood before me. The wood ended and a long strip of wine colored carpet started. The only thing that I was looking forward to was the land of the vineyard. I love spending my time walking around; exploring new places. In Italy the adventures were endless. I feel like a princess walking down a grand stair case. With my hand gliding down with every step I took.
“Sophie” I turned my head to the right. There he stood the dirt bag who didn’t give s*** about me or my mom. “Where have you been?”
“I’ve been up stairs. Trying to forget what you did to me and mom.” I said walking forwards towards the kitchen.
“Don’t eat anything we’re going out on a picnic in like five minutes.” Kurt said looking down at his watch. Great not only do I have to life with him for the summer I turn sixteen, but I have to go on a picnic.
“I don’t feel like a picnic,” I said hoping he would change his mind and would just go make some wine and get even richer. That was another thing I hated about Kurt was that he moved to Italy and started a wine bisnuess. And there he began a journey that made him really rich. He bought 400 acres from a local farmer. Under the soil of the land Kurt found oil. He then started in the oil bisnuess. And here we are today. Me standing four feet away from the person who turned my life into living hell.
“Well come on,” he said opening the pantry and pulling out a basket. “It’ll be bonding time for us,” Bonding time!
“You missed your bonding time seven years ago!” I started to run. I ran left to the front door. I jumped the two steps going down. I ran as fast as I could. I ran up a hill towards the grape vines. The green grass under my feet made me remember the great memories of mom and me running through the trees of Wisconsin. I could feel the tears well in my eyes’. All I wanted was to spend my time with my mom. She was my best friend beside Grace. We shared secrets me and my mom. I stopped running my heart felt like it was going to burst open. I landed down into the grass. I could imagine myself walking through the mall with Grace. We would have just looked at the things in the windows. We both knew that we had no money to spare. And with the plane ticket to Italy I won’t be going shopping anytime soon. I opened one eye to see a boy standing over me; a very cute boy. He’s dark hair made him look older, but the blue eyes’ were like a new born baby. I lifted my hand to cover the sun from my face.
“Hi,” said the boy. “I’m Nathan.” I took the warm handshake.
“I’m Sophie,” I said getting up.
“Your dad sent me,” Nathan said handing me my pair of shoes I had left by the front door.
“Of course he did,” I replied slipping on the sneakers.
“Are you okay?” It was an odd question but I liked Nathan for that. “I just saw you laying here with your eyes’ closed I thought you had passed out.”
“I’m fine, but thank you.”
“Are you hungry?” Nathan said walking over to the horse that was standing about eight feet away. “Your dad said that you didn’t eat lunch yet;” Nathan layed out a quilt on top of the grass.
“I’m a little hungry,” I said as my stomach started to make groaning sounds.
“Ha-ha,” laughed Nathan. I plopped down onto the blue and yellow quilt. I pulled out a sandwich. I unwrapped the tin foil. Inside sat a turkey and Swiss shushed between two pieces of white bread. I snuck a peek inside the basket. “There,” Nathan said tossing me a pear. I failed to catch it.
“Thanks,” I replied picking up the pear and wiping it on the quilt. After three minutes of shoveling the sandwich into my mouth. I asked the question that was drilling in my mind. “So how do you know Kurt?”
“I work in the horse stables;” the way he said it just made me want to hear more from him.
“Cool,” I answered him standing up and walking to the horse nearby. “Who is this?” I lingered my fingers across the horse’s shining brown coat.
“Emma,” Nathan answered me walking behind me. I looked into Emma’s eyes’. The deep brown eyes’, could feel the pain she had have. I looked down to her lower stomach. There a huge patch of skin open.
“What happened?” I reached for the patch of open skin, but Nathan caught my hand.
“She doesn’t like it when people touch that. We found her about a month ago. She was lying down on the side of the road. You dad stopped the car and jumped out. I was sitting down in the back. We took her to the stable and that became her new home. But only about two weeks ago we found out that she was being whipped.” I could see the pain in Nathan’s eyes’ when he said Emma was whipped. I slowly moved my hand from her head to the back. “Want a ride back?”
“Sure I,” I replied. “But I’ve never rode a horse before.”
“That’s okay,” Nathan said stroking Emma. “I’ll help you.” I poked my feet in to the foot hole. Nathan grabbed my waist. Which made me want to fallen into his arms and never let go. I spun my leg over and sat on the edge of the sattle. Nathan got up just as quick as lighting. “Hold onto me.” Nathan said over his shoulder and he pulled the rains of Emma. I quickly rapped my arms around Nathan. The warmth from Nathan ran through my clothes to my skin. I layed my head on the back of Nathan; his red plaid shirt smelled like grapes and axe the body spray for guys. I closed my eyes’ to remember the moment; the smell of grapes, Emma, Nathan, and me.

The next thing I knew was Nathan had Stopped Emma. I opened my eyes’ a crack hoping we weren’t back yet. But we were standing no front of the stables. I released my grip on Nathan. He swung his leg over and jumped off of Emma. He walked over to the edge of barn. He bent down and picked up a small stool. He walked back towards me. A smile stretched along his face. He dropped the stool next to Emma. I swung my left leg over the brown horse. Nathan took my left hand; a vision of a princess walking out of a cartage pop in my mind. I tripped on the stool and fell into Nathan’s arms.
“Are you okay,” Asked Nathan holding me in his arms?
“Yea,” I said standing up. I dusted off my blue jeans. “I’m fine.”
Nathan reached behind me. My face moved with his arm like a pulley system. “Owe,” I said when I saw what he was reaching for. I could feel my face rising like the sun in the morning.
“What to help me?”
“With what,” I questioned?
“Emma needs a bath.”
“Sure,” I replied following them into the barn. The smell of s*** and hay filled my nostrils. After getting us to the smell I could really look at the inside of the stable. I had only been at Kurt’s house for three days and never have I thought to come in here. My head turned from left to right and again.
“I can’t believe it,” I whispered to myself. There were eight horses eating hay and two getting a bath. I had never realized how big to stable was. I looked down at see the floor was cement, but the walls of the stable were wood painted red.
“Come on,” yelled Nathan who was already filling a bucket with water. I walked down the hall. To my right stood a bulletin board, on it hung red, blue, and white ribbons; to the best jumper, cleanest horse, and for the most jumps in a minute. They went on forever.
“Sophie,” Nathan cried. I looked over to see Emma jump above Nathan.
“Nathan,” I screamed as I ran over to his side. Emma had run down the hall.
“Thanks,” Nathan said out of breath. A gasp of air filled Nathans’ lungs.
“Are you okay,” I checked for any bleeding.
“Just give me a minute.” Nathan sat up and leaned against the red wall.
“Do you want me to go get something for you?”
“No it’s fine,” Nathan’s realest a wave of air.
“Hey,” I turned to see Kurt standing to the left of me. “Nathan are you okay?” I was in shock that my dad cared about something other than himself.
“Yea I’m fine. Just I need a minute to catch my breath.”
“We’ll take you to the house.” Kurt said as he picked Nathan up like a baby. I remember when Kurt would hold me like that when I would cry because I had a nightmare. I followed right behind them to the house. The house stood about one-eighth of a mile from the stable. I ran ahead to open the door. As I did so a cool breezes from the ac spun my hair all around my face. Nathan looked helpless the way Kurt was carrying him. Kurt strolled over to the black leather cough. He gentle layed Nathan on the black leather.
“Do you need anything,” Kurt asked Nathan?
“No I’m fine,” Nathan answered back. My mouth I noticed was as dry as the Sahara Desert. I quickly walked over to the kitchen. I took a small cloth from a dorm and held it under cold running water. I carefully walked to Nathan my hand under the cloth.
“Here,” I said placing the cloth on his forehead.
“Thanks,” Nathan replied.
“Are you feeling okay?” I turned to look at Kurt. I could see the loving look of a parent I hoped to get one day.
“I’m feeling fine. I don’t know what the big deal is.” You could hear the annoyance in Nathan’s voice.
“I was just worried about you.” When Kurt said that I was going to explode! I didn’t want to run away because there was no chance in Nathan following me. “I heard you yell and I then I saw Emma run.”
“Why were you down there.” I asked in a suspicion way.
“I wanted to know that you got back safe and sound,” Kurt said looking at me. Did he really think that I believe this s***?
“Are you comfortable,” I gestured to Nathan.
“I’m fine,” Nathan said sitting up. I knew Nathan saw the worried look in my eyes’, but he didn’t say anything. “Kurt can I go back to the horses,” Nathan said standing up.
“Are you sure you will be okay,” Kurt put his hands on Nathan’s chest to help him stand.
“Yea, I’m fine I just needed to catch my breath. Sophie can you walk with me to the stables?” The red must have risen from my feet. My back started to warm. And I know I was blushing.
“Sure,” I said running to open the day.
“I will see you later then Mr. Wilson,” Nathan spoke over his shoulder on his way out the door. I closed the door with a slam. I had never heard someone call Kurt Mr. Wilson. Only when I was about five and we were at the bank.
“Would you like to make an account for her, Mr. Wilson?” asked the girl over the very high desk.
“No,” my dad at the time said in a raspy voice. Go figure he didn’t want to spend a penny on me.
“Are you sure your okay,” I questioned while walking over the dry grass.
“I’m fine,” Nathan said walking faster. I had to jog to keep up. “I just need to give Emma a bath and then I can go home.”
“I wonder where his home is,” I thought to myself. We walked into the stable in silence the smell of poop filled my nose again. I realized that the doors’ of the stable were all open. We walked in the north end and were walking out the south end. I turned to look at the horses on our way to the other door. There was one that was white with brown spots. Above the door to all the horses’ area was a metal name plate. We exited the south end to the stable. Nathan walked right over to a large pen sitting outside the stable. There running around was Emma; a wave of brown flashed by as she ran pat us. I didn’t understand how we’re going to get her out. Nathan stepped up to the little over waist high fence. The drift woods were intertwined with each other. Nathan caught his foot on one of the boards. He then lifted himself up. In one swing he was over the fence.
“Nathan,” I yelled to him. “What are you doing?” Nathan turned towards me.
“I’m getting Emma.” The next couple of minutes were a blur. All I knew was Nathan had Emma out of the pen.
“Now what are you doing?” Nathan had brought Emma to the edge of the fence.
“I’m getting on her,” Nathan said swinging his legs over Emma.
“With no stall,” I said walking in their direction.
“Sophie,” Nathan said grabbing the long chocolate hair of Emma. “You don’t want to get the stall wet do you?”
“No,” I said feeling embarrassed.
“Right, now come on.” I walked over on the side Nathan had gotten on. I wedged my foot into the drift wood fence; then hosted myself on the horse. “You better hold on to me it’s going to be a bumping ride.” Nathan said over his shoulder. I’m so lucky I got to wrap my arms around one of the hottest guys I have seen. The smell for the second was more inviting. A sticky feeling warmed my mind to think about the new friendship I’m making with Nathan.
“So,” I began. “Where are you from?”
“I was born in Commerce, Michigan, when I was three my dad brought me here to Italy. After a couple of years working long days in a local bakery my dad dropped me off on the street. I walked for a long time then I found your dad. He brought me in and then I started to work for him. Now I pay for a cottage in the woods over there.” Nathan gestured over to a large patch of woods. I was very surprised at the story of Nathan’s life. The struggles of the life he has. He was dragged across the world to be worked then kicked out of the home of his. The woods looked to a scary place. A shiver ran down my back. Because of the chill my grip became tighter.
“Are you okay,” Nathan said over his right shoulder?
“Yeah, I said laying my head on his back. We rode for five more minutes than Nathan pulled on Emma’s hair. We walked slowly into the woods. All different trees; pine, oak, spouse, est.; lined a dirt road that we followed for about a mile. Then we turned off on to a clearing. There in the distance was a bubbling creek.