Out of his League: Prelude Series - Part One

by Meg Buchanan

  It looked like they were ready to start practicing. But if they found the music room daunting, try a whole shed. Menacing. A huge empty space filled with cobwebs and muteness, and sunlight filtering through the cracks in the old wooden doors. Dust sat on the windows, just a curve on the glass, like curtains.

  Then Luke did this rock star thing. He bounced, knees bent, boots apart, back arched, half turned then flicked his head and played a few chords on an air guitar. His own guitar still leaned against the workbench.

  Interesting to see Luke intimidated by the shed too. Not much stopped him. Then he sat on the edge of the pallet stage.

  “What are we called?” he asked. There had already been a bit of discussion about this.

  “Arena?” Cole suggested again. For some reason he wanted Arena.

  “Nah, already taken. I checked.” Adam, as dark-haired and dark-eyed as he was, played a few chords on his guitar and checked the tuner on his phone.

  “What about Stadium?” asked Noah. Tall like the rest of them, Noah had freckles and a shock of red hair that seemed to stick out all over the place if he didn’t tie it back. “It’s the same sort of thing.”

  Luke nodded. “That’ll work.”

  “Yep,” says Cole. “I can live with that.”

  They practiced a couple of numbers and then got onto Stardust. Isaac and Collins had written it. As music teachers go, Collins wasn’t a bad guy. Over the last few months Collins had taken Isaac under his wing and had been teaching him how to write lyrics and set them to music. This was the first one Isaac had been willing to let them try.

  Isaac played the introduction on the violin then Luke came in with the vocals. He sounded the way he always did to Cole, but Isaac stopped playing and made that cut it gesture with the bow.

  “Nah,” he said to Luke. “Come in under the violin and then I’ll fade back.”

  “I thought I did,” said Luke.

  “Nah, do it like this.” He handed the violin to Noah, one of those kids, like Isaac, who could play anything. He’d been taking lessons from the age of six and was one of Natalia’s protégés. Cole couldn’t figure out why so many of the boys in his class wanted to do the violin, until he saw Natalia. He might even have considered it himself if he could afford it.

  “Play me in,” Isaac said to Noah, then took the microphone off Luke. In a brown-haired, grey-eyed way, he looked as good as Luke did.

  The violin wailed. Isaac came in with lyrics not sounding a hell of a lot different to the way Luke sounded but with a few changes. Then Luke tried it.

  This could go on forever.

  Cole put the drum-sticks down. “Just getting a drink,” he said.

  He went over to the bench and got his water bottle, and then joined Tessa on the sawhorse and watched Luke, Noah and Isaac try to get the introduction the way Isaac wanted it.

  Tessa had been watching too. “Nice scenery,” she said and nodded at the stage.

  He snorted. Trust Tessa to say something like that.

  Tessa grinned. “Do you think Collins picked you all for the way you play music or for the way you look?”

  He took the lid off the bottle, had a drink and thought about it. Everyone in the band looked good, but different. Maybe Tessa had a point.

  “And who do you think Noah is getting so buff for?” she asked.

  “What do you mean?” Noah looked like he always did to him, a mane of red hair, freckles.

  “Look at him properly,” said Tessa. “He looks like a viking now.”

  Cole studied Noah again. Okay, he’d gained weight, heavier shoulders and chest. He looked bigger all round, even his thighs. The other three just looked skinny beside him. Small waist and bum though, that triangle shape some guys get from working out.

  “Must be going to the gym. Getting fit?”

  “No. He’s trying to impress someone,” said Tessa, “but I’ve never seen him with anyone.”

  “He’s always with Adam.”

  Tessa shook her head. “No, Adam likes girls. And he’s really nice to them.”

  “How do you know?”

  Tessa raised her eyebrows at him.

  “Jesus, Tess.” He knew Luke cheated on Tessa. He didn’t know about the other way around. “If he’s so nice, why aren’t you still with him?”

  “It’s like being wrapped in a blanket all the time. I like a bit more excitement than that.” Tessa grinned.

  “Does Luke know?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “He suspects, and that’s good, because the only way to keep Luke interested is to make him jealous.”

  “Crazy.” If he bothered with a girlfriend, he wouldn’t stick around if he suspected she cheated on him.

  Finally, the others were happy with the introduction to Stardust and they could get on with the practice.

  “Now,” said Luke, after they finished. He was hanging all over Tessa again, hand on her waist, bodies touching, in that he’s entitled to because he’s having sex with her way. “We need a look.”

  Cole watched Tessa. She seemed happy about being hung on, but then she was pretty much as out there as Luke.

  Tessa was different to Milly. Milly was small and slender and a bit shy, with dark hair, and eyes that looked like chunks of amber with a few dark flecks. Tessa was curvy and had blonde hair that always seemed be over her face or being flicked back over her shoulders, and she was noisy and bouncy like Luke.

  Luke liked her, she liked him. Even if they were both cheating it seemed to work.

  “I’ve got a look.” He never bothered much about what he wore. Boots, jeans and black t-shirt suited him. Who looked at the drummer anyway?

  “Not me, I’m not dressing up either,” said Noah.

  “No,” said Adam.

  So basically, Luke’s idea got shot down by everyone, except Isaac. But Isaac never tended to say much.

  They spent the rest of the day practicing.

  “Now we need a gig,” Luke said, when they had finished.

  “There’s the school ball.” Noah got a collective groan for that.

  “They’ve got a band booked already.” Luke gave the impression he had hoped for something cooler anyway.

  Noah shrugged. “They’re not going to let us play the Vector Arena until we’ve played somewhere else and at least we don’t have to cart instruments anywhere, except the drums. We might have to take them back.”

  “Nah, we’ll get Collins to buy another drumkit.”

  “Okay,” said Luke. “I’ll see if I can swing it. Do you want to practice tomorrow?”

  “No. Got to work,” said Cole. Brilliant. Tomorrow he got to spend the whole day with Milly and get paid for it.

  When he got home, he started to get dinner ready. His dad wouldn’t be in until late. He had to cook dinner if he wanted to eat tonight. Before he left for work he’d got sausages out. Not very exciting but not much left in the freezer. While the sausages were cooking he hung out the load of washing that he put in the machine in the morning, peeled the spuds and got some peas out of the freezer.

  By the time his dad turned up he had it all ready to eat.

  “Are we sitting at the table?” The two plates were on the bench. He dished up the food.

  His dad opened the fridge and hauled out a six pack.

  “Nah. We’ll turn on the TV see what the world is doing.”

  He looked even more tired than usual. This new truck driving job took it out of him. How long would he stick with it this time?

  Cole handed his dad his plate and knife and fork. They both went into the lounge and settled in front of the TV.

  His dad opened the first can. He’d be through all six by the end of the meal and would move straight onto the next six.

  It would have been good if he’d had the chance to grow up the way Milly did, having everything he needed without having to work for it. Luke, Noah, Adam and Isaac had that. They had parents who worked, who cared if things were clean and tidy, who lived in nice houses, and who did the
looking after instead of the other way around.

  3. Chapter Three

  “Ready, finally.” Milly led Wildfire out of his loose box up to the truck. Cole led Hunter out. Milly, dressed in jeans and little ankle boots, looked cute as usual. Her hair was braided and tucked up like a horse’s mane. Not too sure about the hairnet though. It went with the outfit, he guessed.

  It had taken them a couple of hours to get the horses brushed and their manes plaited, and they looked great. Tom Gaisford came out of the house, carrying a chilly bin.

  “Sustenance.” He opened the small door in the front of the float and put it in. Then he unbolted the tailgate and lowered it so it formed a ramp.

  Milly stood back holding Wildfire. “Cole, you load Hunter first and then Wildfire will go in more easily.”

  “Okay.” He clicked at the horse and then led it to the ramp. Hunter tentatively put a hoof on the edge of the timber and drew back. “Come on, boy.” Cole gently encouraged him. After a bit of hesitation, the horse walked up the ramp into the float.

  “Good work, Cole.” Her father turned back to Milly. “Now bring her up. She should follow easily.”

  Milly nodded, and Cole watched as she led the horse up the ramp with no hesitation from Wildfire. Cole relaxed. That horse could be flighty.

  Milly fiddled around with the hay net and stroked both horses. “You won’t have to be in here too long. And Cole’s a good driver. It will be a smooth ride.” She waited at their heads while Cole helped his boss shut the back of the float.

  “I hope you’re right.” Still the late model ute should be easy to drive.

  “Have you remembered everything?” asked her father.

  “I think so.” Milly checked the back of the ute. “My riding gear, grooming gear, a change of clothes, food for us and the horses. I think that’s it. Can you think of anything we’ve missed, Cole?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. Haven’t been to one of these things before.”

  Milly’s father gave her a hug.

  “I’ll see you both tonight then. Good luck.” Then he looked over at Cole. “Keep her fed and watered, Cole.”

  “Wildfire?”

  “No, Milly. She forgets to eat and drink when she’s competing. It makes her grumpy.”

  “I’ll give it a try.” But he couldn’t imagine Milly grumpy.

  He drove, and Milly sat in the passenger seat.

  “What happens when we get there?”

  Instead of answering, Milly twisted around and tried to see out the back window into the little window at the front of the float. “I heard a bang. Do you think they’re all right?”

  He flicked a glance in the rear-view mirror. He could just see the tops of the heads of the horses.

  “They’re both still standing. One of them must have just kicked the side.”

  “I guess so.” Milly turned back and adjusted her seat belt. “We’ll go in the showgrounds, see where everyone else has parked and park there too.” She looked at her phone. “We’ve got ages before the vet check. We need to find out what time each of my events are on. Because I’m riding two horses sometimes I’ll have to go straight from one to the other. You’ll need to have the other one ready for me.”

  “I can do that.”

  She smiled at him. “It’s good you could do this.”

  “I’m getting paid.”

  “I’m still really grateful.”

  “Can’t you do this without someone to help?”

  She shook her head. “No. It’s too hard. Some of the older women do it on their own, and they seem to manage, but I couldn’t.” She turned again and watched the horses’ heads. “They look all right.”

  “Are you always this anxious, or is it just my driving?”

  “Sorry.” She bounced back into her seat and managed to talk about normal things.

  “We’re nearly there,” she said after a while. “Turn left at the next roundabout.”

  They found the showground and parked the ute. There were already about fifty floats and horse trucks parked in a line under the trees. Horses, girls in jodhpurs, women, kids, men, flags and tents were everywhere over the paddocks.

  Milly opened the door of the ute and got out.

  “We’ll get the horses out first and get them settled and then I’ll need to go and find what’s happening when.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Just help where you can. I’ll boss you around.” She wasn’t the hesitant girl he’d seen.

  “Go for it.”

  Milly opened the float’s front door. Cole went around the back of the float, slid the bolts out and lowered the ramp.

  Milly untied Hunter and backed him out of the float. “We’ll just tether them at the side of the float in the shade.” She went back in and got Wildfire.

  Once the horses were settled they walked together over to the organisers’ tent.

  “Not too many males here.” Fathers and the odd boyfriend, but mainly females.

  “You’ll be fine then.” Milly grinned at him.

  “Ha ha.”

  “You should hear what Tessa says about you.”

  “What?”

  “You’re the love ‘em and leave ‘em sort.”

  Didn’t know he had that reputation.

  “That’s not very nice of Tessa.” Not far wrong though.

  “I think she tried to warn me. You’re not denying it?”

  He raised his eyebrows at her. He couldn’t really deny the truth.

  They reached the tent. He watched from outside. Milly went in, registered and then moved from list to list working out when she would ride. She came out holding a couple of sheets of paper.

  “Find out what you needed to know?”

  She nodded. “It’s not too bad. Most of the rides have gaps after them. It’s only the dressage, where I have to go from one horse to the next straight away. If you have Hunter warming up while I’m riding Wildfire, I should be able to manage it. Now we’ve got about half an hour before for the vet check.”

  “Where do they have that?”

  “Over there.” Milly waved her arm at a cordoned off area. A few girls with horses were already waiting.

  “That next?” He walked beside her back to the ute.

  “Yes.” Milly watched the vet area. “It’s all very formal. I’ll have to get dressed properly, brush them again, check all their plaits are still in. It takes nearly as long to prepare for the vet check as it takes to get ready to ride.”

  “Lucky you’ve got me to help.”

  “Yes, Mr Love ‘em and leave ‘em.” Her eyes sparkled.

  “That’s pretty unfair.” Flattering that she kept going back to that, but he wouldn’t act on it.

  “Just saying what I’ve been told.” Milly was still laughing when they got back to the ute. Then she got serious. “First, we’ll finish grooming them, then I’ll get dressed.”

  “Okay.” He went around to the back of the ute and lifted out the crate of grooming gear.

  4. Chapter Four

  It didn’t take long to tidy up the horses. Milly went to the back of the ute again and took out the suit bag with her riding clothes, and the box with the long black boots.

  “Back in a moment.” She disappeared into the back of the float.

  Cole finished up, wiping off the last flecks of dust with a rag. Hunter gave a nicker. He was a good horse and much more settled than Wildfire.

  All around them, in ones and twos, girls dressed to the nines in white jodhpurs, black boots and long black jackets were leading horses.

  A bloody sexy look. Another jacket went past, on a girl almost as slim as Milly, the back-vent lifted in the breeze showing a flash of red satin and a perfect rear end.

  Milly appeared out of the back of the float dressed like everyone else, from the black boots to her knees, to the white jodhpurs, the black jacket that fit into her waist, the white stock tied neatly and pinned at her throat with a gold horse shoe brooch, her hair pu
lled back under a net. Riding crop in one hand, her helmet in the other.

  “Do I look all right?” She did that hands at her sides looking down at herself thing.

  “You look great.” Not much else he could say.

  “Thanks.” She nodded at the horses. “They are ready. Thanks for that too.”

  Both horses passed the vet check without a problem. They took them back to the float and saddled up.

  “We’ve got a twenty-minute wait until we have to be at the dressage arena.”

  “Just time to have something to eat and drink.” Like her father said, she forgets.

  She shook her head. “I’m too nervous. I’ll eat something when I’ve finished.

  He went over to the chilly bin and pulled out a drink bottle.

  “At least drink something. I don’t want you fainting from dehydration.”

  She rolled her eyes but took the drink bottle. She perched on the side of the passenger seat, read from a piece of paper and sipped from the bottle while talking to herself and moving her hands.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Going through the test.”

  “Don’t you know it yet?” He’d watched Milly practice the test a hundred times in her arena, on both Wildfire and Hunter. Surely, she knew it. He hadn’t seen her practice like this before though.

  “I’m just making sure.” She went back to the whispering and hand movements. Then she looked at her phone again and stood up.

  “Time to go.” She handed the drink bottle back. Not the flirting, laughing Milly he saw before, but the serious and concentrating Milly. She wasn’t even aware of him.

  He held the bottle up. “I’ll take it with us.”

  “Thanks,” said Milly, still distracted.

  She went over to Wildfire, took off the halter and put on the mare’s bridle. He did the same for Hunter and they walked across to the dressage arena, past the other areas set up for the rest of the day’s events.

  They stood well back from the arena and watched the girl there go through her test. It looked like the horse did the different movements by choice, effortlessly turning and stopping as she got to each point marked by letters of the alphabet. This girl let her horse dance and something beautiful happened with the rider and horse working together.