"You're never going to win." Sandy said, laughter in her voice which only serves to spark to life my anger. I scrunch my nose at her declaration and she chuckles all the while keeping her eyes wide open. "Just admit defeat already."

"Never!" Despite the determination I feel within me at needing to win this little competition a strong breeze blows my long, black strands of hair into my face, tickling my nose and causing me to sneeze. Just as my eyes close I hear Sandy yell,

"Oh yeah! I told you that you'd lose." The breeze dies down then and my hair moves back out of my face as I rub my nose. I watch as Sandy does a little victory dance while sitting on her cement front steps

"It was a fluke. If the wind hadn't come then I would have totally won." Sandy stop her little dance and tosses her long, brown hair over her shoulder. There's a haughty and victorious look dancing around in her eyes.

"Geez, your as sore a loser as your brother." As if knowing he's being spoken about, Chris walks around the fence and up the walkway a huge smile plastered on his face. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear." Sandy mumbled a large smile on her face at my brothers approach.

"Hey." He said as he bends down and places a gentle kiss on the top of Sandy's head.

"Hey yourself. I just wiped the floor with your sister." Chris laughs and looks towards me. My cheeks heat up in embarrassment and I just cross my arms over my chest.

"Like I said, it was a complete fluke. Next time I'll totally wipe the floor with her. I mean, honestly, if you can do it Chris it's probably not that hard. You're not all that awesome."

"I'll let you know, I'm the most awesomest person you'll ever meet." I raise an eyebrow at that.

"Awesomest?"

"Yeah, awesomest. See, you're not even awesome enough to recognize the awesomeness that I am and that I bring with me." I roll my eyes at that and strand from the steps.

"More like I don't recognize idiocy." My brother and I hold each others eyes for a long time. It's not until Sandy breaks down in a fit of giggles beside us do we look away.

"Oh man, you guys are great. It's hard to believe I only just found you have a twin sister." Chris and I sigh at the same time before exchanging another round of glares.

"You say twin, but it's used rather loosely. I take after our mother and Morgan takes after our dad." Chris said as he takes the seat I'd just given up leaving me to stand alone.

"I'd say you both resemble each other in the personality department." Sandy looks between us and snorts once more. "You really do." Chris and I clash eyes once more and neither of us can stop the small smiles we get.

I only met my brothers girlfriend a few days ago. I'd known he was seeing someone for a few months but he'd never told me anything about her so I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and follow him to her place. Of course, I'd had the help of his best friend, Mikey, who also didn't know anything about this chick.

We we're both surprised when we met her but we quickly came to like her. Even Mikey's girlfriend, Annie I think is her name, likes Sandy. It's kind of hard not to. She's a pretty awesome person.

The awesomest. I guess it's to be expected since my brother chose her. She's definitely better than that Kaley chick.

"So, when are you going to get a boyfriend?" I blink at the sudden question directed at me. Both Sandy and my brother are looking at me expectantly.

"What?"

"Boyfriend. When are you going to get one. We're in our senior year after all." My brother waves his hand in the air, dismissing the question his girlfriend had just asked me.

"There's no way Morgan will ever be able to get a boyfriend. She's too much of a tomboy." My cheeks heat up at that in anger.

"I am not too much of a tomboy! I do horseback riding! That's a thing girls do."

"Jocky's too." 

"So do prince charmings!" My brother bursts out laughing at that.

"What are you, five? Don't tell me you're seriously waiting for a prince charming on a white horse to come sweep you off of your feet." Thankfully my phone rings just then and I can escape this humiliation. Chris only laughs more.

"I've got to go home. Mom wants you back in about an hour." I said as I start walking away, glad to have a reason out of that whole conversation.

As I'm leaving I glance back over my shoulder and towards my brother and Sandy. They're laughing about something and sitting super closer together. A small smile tips the corners of my mouth up at the image they create together.

I look away and back down at my hands before gripping them into tight fists.

It's not childish.

***

"Who is that?" I asked the next day at my horseback lesson. My coach, Natalie, follows my line of sight and where I'm pointing to a guy tending the horses. I've never actually seen him here before which means he must be new. Recognition tingles slightly in the back of my mind, though.

"Oh, that's Taylor. He's the new stable boy. Joe hired him a week ago since the boy was look for work over the summer. I guess you wouldn't have seen him before today since you've been off studying for exams." Natalie smiles down at me and leans forward as she whispers. "He's pretty cute, right? Maybe you guys'll hit things off." I blush furiously at that and my horse whines when I unknowingly pull the reins.

"Sorry, Remy." I coo as I pet the side of his face. Natalie only laughs and walks off to gather some things before our lesson. My eyes glance back to the new guy and I gasp when I clash with his dark brown ones. Recognition flickers to life within me once more. "Um, do I know you?" Taylor scrunches his nose and a look of disgust flashes over his features. He doesn't say anything and instead just turns around and continues with his work. I stand, stunned.

What the hell was that?

I questioned furiously as I lead Remy outside and towards the inner training area.

Throughout my training I catch glances of Taylor and, every time our eyes meet, he gets a look as if he'd just eaten something foul. As the day goes on my annoyance increases and follows me all the way home.

"The nerve of some people! I didn't even do anything to him!" I growled as I slam the front door behind me. Chris peaks is head from the living room and raises a questioning brow.

"Something happen?" I explain everything to Chris and he only laughs it off like it's the best thing to ever happen. As he continues to lose himself in a fit of girlish giggles I steal the potato chips from him.

"It's not that funny." I mumbled over a mouth of chips.

"It's completely funny. I never thought I'd meet a kindred spirit who would get so grossed out by looking at your face." I toss a chip at Chris and he easily dodges it. "What's this guys name anyway?" 

"I think it was Tayler or Taylor or something like that." I shrug because, honestly, what does it matter? I doubt I'll ever talk to the guy.

"Taylor? As in the Taylor who literally just lost both his parents in a freak drunk diving accident?" I drop the chip I'd been about to chew on and it all clicks into place.

Of course I'd recognized him. He's been all over the news and we go to school together. He's been the talk of the town.

"When you asked that question it probably ticked him off. Something along the lines of 'I've already completely forgotten about the terrible tragedy you've faced, but do I know you?' that type of thing." My stomach twists painfully and I bite down on my bottom lip. I can feel tears threatening to fall from my eyes and my brother can instantly sense the shift in me. "Hey, hey it's not that big a deal. Okay, well, yeah it is because the dude just lost both his parents in one go, but it's not that big a deal."

"You're really not helping." I said as I angrily wipe at my eyes.

"Listen, sis, just explain things tomorrow. Say you're sorry and that you hope he's doing well. It'll all work itself out. Somehow." I look up and into Chris's eyes and he just smiles goofily down at me.

"You really are an idiot."

"Hey!" I smile widely as I continue.

"But you do say some pretty great things every once in a while."

***

"Taylor." I said, my voice cautious and wary as I approach him in the stalls. He looks up from his work and gets that disgusted look once more.

"So, you do know my name." He looks back towards his work his blonde hair falling into his face. Without thinking I reach out and brush it back behind his ear.

"You're hair is pretty long from how it usually is." Taylor bats my hand away from him and I'm instantly reminded of a cat. "That's exactly what you are." I muttered under my breath and he looks at me from the corner of his eye.

"Is there something I can do for you?" I chew on my bottom lip for a moment as I gather my thoughts before opening my mouth.

"Why are you working here?" Taylor looks at me with a blank expression and I mimic it because that wasn't what I wanted to say at all. He sighs and looks away from me as he continues working.

"My mom really loved horses and she always used to come up here." He gets a small smile at that. "Sometimes, when I was younger she'd bring me with her. She always looked so pretty riding her horse." He gets a far away look in his eyes now as he remembers the past.

"Her horse?" I asked, my voice quiet so as not to pull him from good memories. My arms wrap around myself for comfort. I'm not sure why, though.

"Yeah, my dad got her a horse one year for her birthday. She always wanted one and the both of us knew it. She never asked for one, though. My mom, she never asked for anything, always content with what she had."

"She sounds like an amazing person." I can feel the tears from last night come to life within me again. One escapes as Taylor nods.

"She really was. So was my dad. Her horse, Remington, is here which is the reason I'm here. I made a deal with the owner that, if I work here, I can keep having Remy boarded here. It's either that or I have to sell him and I can't...I just can't..." He closes his eyes and breathes deeply before opening them again and looking at me. I can't help but stand a little straighter. "I can't lose him." I nod in understanding and then what he said dawns on me.

"Wait, Remy? You mean the Remy I always train with?" Taylor crosses his arms and narrows his eyes at me.

"Yeah, that Remy. See, the thing is I started working here a week ago for that ungrateful little shit and he doesn't even let me get within two feet of him. Yet, he lets you train with him." I can't stop the snort that escapes me and I have to cover my mouth with my hands.

"Is that why you've been looking at me in disgust since yesterday? It's not because I didn't recognize you?" Taylor furrows his brows in confusion at that.

"Why would I get angry over you not recognizing me? I mean, sure we go to school together and even have a few classes together so I was slightly surprised, but I know how much of a ditz you are. Plus, there's your brother too, so I've come to have high expectations for you."

"Hey! You don't have to be a jerk."

"Then give me my horse!" He sounds like a two year old throwing a temper tantrum and I can't stop the laughter that bubbles to life within me. I actually double over from it.

"He's your moms horse and he clearly likes me more." I look up at Taylor and find him smiling as well.

"Clearly." He said and there's a small amount of sadness in his voice. Taylor looks away from me then and out to where the training area leads. "That horse never seemed to like me. Even when mom was alive." He chuckles and looks down at his hand. "Funny, isn't it?"

"You're pretty pitiful." I slap my hands over my mouth at that. Taylor looks over at me the smile still on his face but nowhere in his eyes.

"I guess I am."

"No, um, that's really not what I wanted to say." Taylor sighs and looks forward once more. His shoulders seem to hunch forward slightly and, rather than being someone who looks the same age as me, he looks more like a child.

A child who just lost his parents.

"I know." He said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I know I'm pitiful. My parents are dead, what do you want me to do about that? It's not like anything I'll do or say will bring them back so what's the point? They're gone." His hands grip on tightly to the wooden stall door in front of him and I can practically feel the waves of pain he must be feeling now. My stomach twists painfully and I grip my own hands into tight fists.

There's nothing I can do.

Despite the thought I find myself walking towards and, before I can think, my hands are moving on their own and pulling his hair back into a sad excuse of a ponytail. Taylor jumps, not expecting me so close.

"What're you..." His sentence dies down as I smile up at him.

"That way it won't get in your way while you work and while I train you."

"Train me? Train me in what?!" He asked and I just laugh as I pull him out of the stalls.

"Obviously to ride Remy!" I stop walking then and Taylor rams into my back.

"Hey, don't just stop like that." I look back up at Taylor, his dark brown eyes clearly visible now that his hair is pulled out of his face. My smile widens even more.

"I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Morgan." I hold my hand out to Taylor for him to take and his cheeks seem to turn a pale pink in embarrassment. He rubs the back of his head with one hand as he takes mine with his free hand. He looks away, unable to meet my eyes as he says,

"I'm Taylor."

"Nice to meet you, Taylor." He looks back at me then and his smile from earlier comes back and my smile falters as I'm struck by how hot he actually is.

My prince.

"Nice to meet you, Morgan." He drops my hand and starts walking towards the training area where Remy already is with Natalie. Taylor stops walking when he notices I'm not following. "Are you coming?" He asked, holding his hand out to me.

"Absolutely!" I hurry towards him, happily taking his outstretched hand and smiling up at him.

"You better not let me fall during my training." I chuckle as I swing our hands back and forth.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

So, this story differs slightly from the image since it's not during winter, but rather spring. Trust me, I have a final image over all that I want for this story which is why I slightly veered off path from the image. I hope you still enjoyed it all the same, though. I'm super excited that we're now only four days away from the conclusion of this short story collection! It's kind of hard to believe that it'll be wrapping up soon. Look forward to it!

If you enjoyed this story don't forget to hit that star button and give it a vote! Also, drop a comment on your favorite part or just your overall thoughts in general. I love hearing from you. Until tomorrow!