I sat in the principal's office waiting for him to finish the paperwork in front of him. I knew what I did, and there is no use arguing with anyone here. He finally looked up from the paperwork. "How many times are you going to come into my office this year? This is the ninth time you have been in here in the half-year alone. I did ask Matthew to come down to hear this discussion because I doubt you or your brothers or Katie want to feel your father's wrath." He said. I just nodded, agreeing with him.
The worst one he could call was my dad. A knock was knocked on the door. "Come in." Principal Malcom said. Matthew entered and sat down next to me. "What did you do this time?" Matthew asked.
"What usually gets me in trouble. I was minding my own business and a jock smarted off to me." I said. "And the teacher caught you slapping him as the "clap" echoed through the room." Mr. Malcom said. "He had it coming since last month," I said. "You are lucky I'm not suspending you due to how smart you are, Kylie. I know that these boys most likely need a good talking to, and yes, probably smacked around a little bit too." Mr. Malcom said.
"My proposal is for you to get straight A's the rest of this year and next year, and I will not call your father. Matthew may have to sit in on the talks, but your father will not be taken away from the ranch." I nodded. "I understand," I said. "Wait for the bell to ring, then you can go to your next class." He said. Matthew got up and went back to his class. Dad may not hear about it, but Jax will.
"I would love for you to come up with something creative for the science fair this year. I think it would help keep you busy when you are not busy with homework or on the ranch." He said. "I will do my best, Mr. Malcom. If I need anything from you, I will let you know." I said right before the bell rang. "I want to hear all about it." He said as he went back to his paperwork, as I left the office.
As I walked down the hall, I tried not to be noticed. It's somewhat challenging when the majority of the school population knows you, considering you've visited the principal's office more than once a month already this year. I retrieved the books I needed from my locker before it was slammed shut. My boyfriend appeared on the side that was shut off. "Hello," I said to him.
"Where are you going?" He asked. "I have one more class before the end of the day," I said to him. "Why don't we skip the last class and head away from here?" He asked. "I can't skip class at all for the rest of high school," I told him. "I don't care." He said. "I do care. I care about my grades, and if I let my grades slip just a tiny bit, I'm in trouble at home." I said. "That is not an excuse good enough." He said as we got to the door of my next class.
"I am not skipping class with you. That is final." I said before going into the classroom. He stalked away. I knew he was pissed off due to the way he stalked off. I could not stop thinking about what could happen with him when he is told no. I kept trying to pay attention in class. I tried bracing myself for what was to come if I did not hurry out of the door and to Matthew's truck. As soon as the bell rang, I hurried to my locker, grabbed my homework, and rushed to the truck. He does not come around my brothers for his own reasons.
Matthew reached the truck after I did. He unlocked it, and we both got into the cab. My boyfriend was watching from his truck as we left the school. Once inside the ranch gates, I felt safer. My parents don't want me to go to his house, and so do his parents. As soon as the truck was parked, I jumped out to go to my three-year-old. He whinnied towards me as I set my backpack down. I mucked his stall, changed his water, and gave him some alfalfa hay.
I helped his mother deliver him when he was born. His mother is a grade bucking mare that was accidentally bought. After she started showing signs of late pregnancy, we did daily checks on her, and when she was getting closer to popping, we started watching her in shifts. It was my night at the very beginning of August in the middle of the night. I had been checking on her every one to two hours and finally called Bailie when she was in preactive labor.
I was in the middle of moving her into the birthing pen my uncle Colt had set up for her with straw down. Together, Bailie and I made her comfortable as she chose to stand to push him out. We didn't know how big he was going to be until his head popped out. His legs were long and sturdy, and he was ready for the world. My dad and uncles had come in as I was holding my boy at his chest. As soon as he was out, my older sister joined in wanting to see the new baby.
I could tell he was having some trouble breathing. I cleared his nose and mouth before moving him into the tucked leg position. I grabbed a towel and rubbed him hard, patting his chest to break up the mucus. His first breath came quickly, along with him wanting to stand. I put him up on his legs, and he gained his footing immediately.
I was covered in amniotic fluid and a little blood from his mother. He was nearly as big as me when he was born. Katie had piped up wanting him as her horse. My dad had told her no since I was the one who helped him come into the world. He's my good boy and the sunshine in my life.