Welcome to Hickstead, home to both Seven Oak Stables, and Blue Acre - two rival stables. Both offer opportunities for their clients to reach the highest level of excellence. Each stable differs from the other, so choose wisely and never forget, loyalty is everything... Meanwhile as the stables battle it out, there's trouble brewing at the university. Be careful, if you don't pick a side you may get caught in the cross-fire...
This is an chilled out rpg with a super friendly and relaxed atmosphere! Remember to sign up with your characters full name in all caps and don't forget to do your claims! Thank you and Welcome, we've been established since 10th March 2009 but unfortunately have had to close guest view of our boards due to multiple sites ripping off our hard work, such a shame! Come chat to us in Discord before joining if you like!.
After finishing at the barn, her father had sent her a text message with specific instructions to do another drug run. The buyer was to meet her behind the Lounge - as most people tended to do. With a quick text in return, she headed into the car where her driver was waiting for her. It seemed Lorenzo had received the same instructions so the two were off towards town.
It had been another difficult lesson with Stephanie. She seemed to be kicking her ass lately and the brunette wasn't sure if it was because of her attitude or if something else was going on behind the scenes. She knew the two of them were eventually going to benefit from it come show season, but for now it was a real struggle. As Kennedy sat in the back seat, she changed into something a bit more appropriate for a drug run and fixed her hair with dry shampoo and a hair brush, glad for the divider between herself and her driver.
The two chatted away as they drove towards the Lounge, the car coming to a stop as they arrived. He signaled to her that they had arrived just as Kennedy slid her feet into her sneakers. She nodded and got out of the car, picking up the black duffle bag as she left. The interaction was quick, a simple drop and switch of bags. Kennedy glanced inside to make sure the amount was correct before she got back in the car. She buckled her seatbelt and felt her stomach grumble. Lorenzo raised his eyebrow at her before he spoke. Miss Kennedy, did you not eat lunch today?" The brunette shook her head, she had been too busy looking after Rosso and cleaning her tack to eat.
Without another word, the driver drove off towards an unknown location. Kennedy shook her head knowing that her driver wouldn't take her anywhere weird or unsafe. In a few minutes, they arrived at the Pizza Express. "Now go in there and get yourself a pizza. Maybe make a friend too. Text me when you are done." She swore the driver was more of a father to her than her own, he always checked in on her. Kennedy admitted defeat with a sigh, getting out of the car - taking her purse with her before closing the door. She walked inside the restaurant and grabbed a booth to herself. It seemed the place was packed, so she was lucky to get the last booth to herself. It felt nice to sit down after a long day, hoping no one would bother her.
It wasn't long before she was indeed interrupted. She could almost sense someone approach her table. "Can I help you?"
It was just another day in the life of Eva Garnet. She had just finished a hard shift at the Yard where everyone appeared to have been feeling their oats that morning. Since she was still very much a beginner when it came to riding horses, Auggie and Brandon didn't tend to allow her to partake in exercising the horses yet but it was clear to Eva that one didn't even have to be on top of a horse for them to be high strung. Spring must be coming, the young woman was certain that the horses could feel a change in the air that the humans could not. Still, regardless of how the horses were today, or how many stalls she shoved manure out of, it didn't change the fact that Eva was ravenous.
Since Brandon had to pull a double shift, leaving the Yard to go straight to the Fire House, and Jessie was indisposed with her business, it left Eva to fend for herself. There was nothing wrong with that in here mind, given that it just meant that she could have cheesy, greasy pizza. And it was the evening, it felt appropriate for her gremlin like hunger. Eva managed to hitch a ride from one of the other Yard hands into town, where they dropped her off at High Street since she insisted that she could walk the rest of the way. The chilly air might do her some good - at least clear off the scent of horse before she sat down in a restaurant.
Okay, it didn't work like that. But Eva could hope. Outside of Pizza Express, the teenager slung off her backpack and quickly disposed of her yard shoes and swapped them for her vans. With that done, she headed inside. Apparently, she had not been the only one who had been craving pizza at this time since it was packed. Hazel eyes looked around, trying to find someone without a family before settling on a young woman. She looked older than her, maybe five years, but it didn't matter to Eva. There was nothing she was afraid of. Heading over, the young woman didn't even give her a chance to speak, "Can I help you?" It took everything in Eva's power to not make a face. Can I help you? What a pretentious way to inquire. Guess it matched her blazer and business like attire, "It's packed. I need a place to sit and quite frankly, you look like the coolest person in this joint." What? It was true. So not waiting for a welcome, Eva dropped her bag besides the booth and slid right in, "I'm Eva."
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
Kennedy didn't recognize the blonde, though she seemed like the type not to hang around the same crowd as she did. She glanced over at her menu as the younger woman spoke, wondering what she would order. Kennedy was used to people cooking for her, though she had managed to beg their chef at home to start cooking healthier - those burlesque dance moves weren't going to learn themselves.
"Alright fine. Have a seat, but only because you said I was the coolest one here." Lorenzo did say she had to be better at making friends anyway. Though she would be the last person to admit she didn't have any friends to begin with - her lifestyle was a bit too secretive for that. "I'm Kennedy. I don't think I've seen you before. Been in Hickstead long?" Thankfully though, she wasn't socially awkward. The woman quickly waved her hand up, sending a signal to a waiter that they would need a second menu.
Once the interaction was finished and the second menu was delivered, she gently pushed the menu towards Eva. "I thought this was the last place people would hang out. Seems like it's more popular than I thought."
The girl in the booth certainly kept her waiting, that's for sure. But Eva wasn't going to fidget, she would do nothing but stand still and stare at the young woman with her big hazel eyes. For all she knew, this could be a power move that the girl was pulling off, a move that Eva knew all too well given her history. But she was stronger and far more capable of dealing with such things. Her silent waiting also pulled it off, because finally, the young woman relented, "Alright fine. Have a seat, but only because you said I was the coolest one here." A smirk played across Eva's lips: Jack Pot. Tossing her bag into the booth, she soon slid in and found herself sitting across from the brunette now, "Thanks."
After settling in, the young woman identified herself as Kennedy. 'Just Kennedy'. Just like she had been 'Just Eva'. Nothing wrong with that though. This wasn't Hickstead Secondary where everyone needed to tag on their last name for association. This was the real world, where people had to earn that extra big of information. Eva supposed it was no different from when she had been hanging out with the street kids all of those years ago, "I guess I'm kinda new. I've been around for a few months. Most of my time is taken up by school and work right now. Not much time to fool around." She almost felt bitter about that, but at the same time, Evan knew she wanted to make Jessie and Brandon proud, which made up for the lack of shenanigans' in her life.
The menu was shoved towards her now, "I thought this was the last place people would hang out. Seems like it's more popular than I thought." Eva reached out, her finger tips hitting the menu surface and pulling it back towards herself now. Hazel eyes cast a glance around them again, reconfirming that it was just that crowded, "Well, it's hard to say no to pizza." Truth be told, Eva always thought this place was fairly popular. She took another good look again at Kennedy with her blazer and chiffon shirt, "I assume this isn't your typical place that you like to hang out and eat at?" It was a valid question, most of the clientele here appeared to match Eva's style of dress verses Kennedy's.
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
Kennedy nodded, not bothering to say thank you. It wasn't something she said normally anyway. Her parents were too snobby to raise her with any sort of manners. Her eyes glanced back to the menu - Pizza wasn't on her usual diet, though she really didn't have any other choice.
"Your still in school? I thought you were older. Are you in Secondary?" She was glad that her school days were over. The subjects she learned weren't anything up her alley, though thanks to her driver - she was able to graduate all the mandatory schooling necessary. "Oh come on, there is always time to fool around." Sometimes she felt that's all she did, though more with her burlesque dancing job which her parents still didn't know about. It gave her the chance to express herself without any outside pressure.
"I can't remember the last time I had pizza. Any suggestions on what kind to eat?" She was bougie like that, usually sticking to salads and healthy things. Though it was time for her to break the diet. The cheese pizza was sticking out to her, though that seemed too simple for someone of her status. "Not really no, I usually eat at home to be honest. Do you eat here often?" She wasn't the one cooking though, and her parents were out on a late Valentine's Day date - leaving her on her own for dinner.
It did not go unnoticed by Eva that the other young woman lacked a response to her 'thanks', she didn't offer a simple 'you're welcome'. In fact, she didn't even acknowledge it verbally, just gave her a nod. Eva arched an eyebrow, fighting just about every ounce in her body to come up with some sort of witty comeback or dig on that. She had to remind herself that that she had been the invader of this girl's dinner and not the other way around. Eva had more important things to deal with, such as how people kept on pointing out that she was too old to be in secondary. Now that was getting annoying.
"I had transfer issues," she replied carefully, hazel eyes studying Kennedy from across the table. Hopefully she'd leave it at that, "So I have to finish my last year of secondary again." Something told her that this girl wasn't like Nash Breckah and she could just make the uncomfortable questions go away by holding a hand and saying something sweet or flirty to distract her. Given how indifferent Kennedy appeared to be about her, Eva wouldn't want to flirt with her anyways - it wouldn't be fun. Yet, she still caught her by surprised when Kennedy announced that there was always time to fool around, "Really? You don't seem like the type to do that." Not with her stuffy attitude and business attire, but maybe there was more to her than meets the eye.
But those thoughts took a step back the moment Kennedy announced that she didn't remember the last time that she had eaten pizza. Somehow, that didn't remotely surprise her, "I don't know. I like supreme so I get meat and veggies but that doesn't seem like your type." Mainly because the meats are processed, "You're probably best off with four cheeses or margarita and adding a side salad. I personally like the greek one the best." Man, this girl asked a lot of questions. Eva folded the menu and put it down, pushing it off to the side to signal she was done, "My brother takes me here sometimes," maybe if she had friends she'd eat out more, the yard pays her decently enough, "My mom's head Chef at one of the high end restaurants over at Willow Bridge so we don't eat out too often. Seems a little silly with her skills but every once in a while, she doesn't want to cook."
Kennedy appeared to be pretty independent though, which made Eva wonder if she herself was coming off as a child by mentioning Brandon and Jessie in such casual conversation. Then again, she had already admitted to finishing off her last year of Secondary, so maybe she had already dug herself into a hole, "Do you hang out with your parents much?"
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
"Ugh, complain to whoever you can about holding you back. The quicker you are done the faster you can get into the fun things in life." University wasn't anything that crossed her mind. Her father dragged her into the business as soon as she could - grooming her to run drugs for him. It was the only life she knew - though hiding her job at the Lounge from them proved to be easy so far.
Kennedy scoffed, clearly the business outfit was doing the trick. She usually dressed herself up for a drug run, wanting to show her best side. Granted, no one ever saw her in sweats and a hoodie - unless it was her day at the Gym. "Glad I fooled someone then. Most people who know me, know I'm a great time." The woman tucked her hair behind her ear, giving the younger girl a smile.
Pizza was greasy, which meant there was some more work to be done at the gym. She just got herself into Esther's newest dress for her, though her driver meant well. "That sounds good, thanks for the tip." She closed her own menu and set it over to the side. "Oh? A brother? Is he older or younger?" Was this possibly another opportunity for her to flirt around with. "How fancy. We have someone who cooks for us too, so I also don't eat out much either. Does she make anything specific you like?" Even the Pietrangelo's chef knew about Kennedy's health kick - making all of the family members join her on it.
"I do, still live with them. Though, I'm trying to get a place of my own. They are a little...protective." Kennedy kept it vague and the waitress came back, ready to take their orders.
Kennedy's small outburst made the teenager arch an eyebrow, "Uh...I rather not make a scene." Eva had been caught off guard by the brunette saying those words, then again, looking her over, perhaps she should have suspected that sort of attitude by a girl dressed like that. It made her wonder what she did for a living if she wasn't in school. 'Well, she probably has some much money, she can probably do whatever the fuck she wants,' the teenager thought to herself. Eva felt like she knew girls like this - they had existed at juvie, and they had existed back when she was hanging out on the street but didn't last long unless they had daddy issues or some stupid point to prove, "Define 'fun things' though."
Eva could not help but to grown at the scoffing from Kennedy, her jaw tightening. She became even more aggravated at Kennedy's choice words 'glad I fooled you'. Hazel eyes narrowed now, fighting the temptation to interrogate Miss 'I'm Better Than Everyone Else'. She might have been able to cool it off, if it wasn't for that sweet knowing smile she delivered at the end. It took everything in her power to not groan and scoff herself. Instead, she just coolly smiled, "Oh yeah? Do the boys say that about you?" Hopefully that clapback sent a message that she wasn't one to be picked on either. Maybe their food would come fast enough after they ordered so Eva could shove a piece of pizza in her mouth to shut herself up.
Right when Kennedy was beginning to sound bored with her, her interest seemed to pique when she mentioned having a brother. God. Why was everyone suddenly interested in Brandon? She didn't remember girls beginning interested in him prior to being adopted by Jessie - maybe some of the girls in her program had fawned over him at the Yard, but they were fourteen to sixteen - hardly a threat. This felt different, it rivaled the animosity she felt at the zoo just days earlier with that bug lady Lily or whatever, "He's too old for you," Eva replied flatly - okay, maybe he wasn't, but girl's age was hard to suss out between her attitude and the way she dressed.
As for Jessie cooking for them, it felt a little different to what Kennedy was suggesting what she had, "Your mom doesn't cook for you?" Perhaps it was a loaded question, but she set herself up for that. Her thoughts rolled over what she liked that Jessie made though, "I don't know. Homemade pesto and pastas. Stuffed chicken breasts. Everything's delicious. And I eat what is placed in front of me." Anything and everything was better than juvie detention food after all, but she wasn't about to say anything like that. Her brain thought over what Kennedy said about wanting her own place, "Ah...protective so you don't get to have fun?"
She might have gone on with her prodding questions if it wasn't for the waiter showing up, "Oh hi. Yes, may I have water and a veggie pizza? Thank you."
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
Kennedy shook her head - making a scene wasn't something she wanted to do either. "That's a little too intense. You need to cause trouble just until you think you'll get caught." It was the whole point in her opinion anyway. Doing illegal and things that are frowned upon gave her a rush. "Oh come on, you really don't know? Doing something behind your parents back." Her parents always thought she was at the barn or doing a drug run when really she was dancing at the Lounge.
The brunette watched as the other teen's face changed, clearly she had ticked the other woman off. "That's an answer you'll have to wait for. I'm not someone who kisses and tells." The truth was that the boys weren't flocking to her door - though some were desperately trying. "Damn. Is he like old old?" They had the experience but it was also kind of creepy - she was only twenty after all. She shook her head when Eva asked if her mom cooked. "We have a personal chef that cooks for our family, so no one in the house cooks." Even their driver ate meals with them - Lorenzo was really part of the family.
"That does sound good. I'm trying to get my family on a health kick." It wasn't hard to get their chef to agree with her. She was in on her secret after all. "Our chef knows what I like and don't like, so I do too." She nodded and pushed her menu off to the side. "Exactly, it's hard to sneak boys in the front door." They had a doorbell camera now too, so her parents knew who came and left their house. "And I'll get a Hawaiian pizza and an iced tea please."
Eva couldn't help but to frown - she wasn't sure if she liked where this was going. All the things that this young woman was talking about - well, they were exactly the things that Eva used to do on a daily basis. It felt like a snap shot of her life before Juvie, before meeting Jessie and Brandon. All of this was odd, given that before she had gotten caught, she probably would have eaten girls like Kennedy Pietrangleo for breakfast. "Sounds like you have an addiction problem," Eva commented now, hazel eyes watching her, gauging her, "As for my family, I think I like them a little too much to do stuff behind their back." After all, the Garnets had taken a chance on her, and Eva finally was beginning to feel like she could be unguarded around them.
Of course Kennedy wasn't 'the sort of girl who kisses and tells'. Eva didn't bother holding back her eyeroll this time, "Of course you aren't." It didn't keep her from wondering which members of the opposite sex from Hickstead hung out with the likes of the brunette across from her - it was tempting to ask, but Eva didn't want to play her cards on potential crushes yet - not when the conversation was steering towards her brother. Speaking of Brandon, "I don't know, he's like 30." Maybe she should say he has a gimp or something. Although she was distracted by Kennedy informing her that her parents didn't cook, "A personal chef?" No wonder the other girl was afraid of pizza, "Well, that sounds fancy. I'm a little confused why you're here then." Eating with pleebs like herself who earned their money from mucking horse stalls all day in sweat and dirt.
Eva wasn't sure if her adoptive mother had her and Brandon on a 'health' kick per say, she just liked to cook. But it wasn't worth getting into, "Ah, I see. News year resolutions then." The teenager arched an eyebrow when Kennedy complained about how all of her suitors couldn't come to the front door, "That's what windows and ivy vines are for," Eva replied now, "And sheer determination, of course." She was fairly certain she could speak from experience given that she had done her own fair share of sneaking into homes - and tried to get Nash out of his house that way without his older brothers or dad finding out. The water nodded and left, and once they were out of ear shot, Eva finally said, "You shock me. I was convinced you were getting a salad instead of a controversial pizza."
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
Kennedy held back a scoff. She watched as the blonde frowned at her comment, rolling her eyes lightly. “Addiction? To what, causing trouble?” It was practically her middle name at this point. Her parents let her get away with it. Doing these things was all part of her job, though she hid it well with her job at the Lounge. “Or are you suggesting something else?” Sure she hustled drugs but she swore to herself never to touch the stuff - that was way too dangerous, even for someone like her.
“So you live with a bunch of goody two shoes then. Must be nice?” She was curious to see how the other woman felt about it. Kennedy sometimes wished her family wasn’t in the world of criminals - it would be a lot less stressful for her and her mother. Her Father on the other hand had lived like this all of his life. “Speaking of that, what about you? If I were to guess, I’d say you don’t either.” She shrugged her shoulders before the waitress came back with their drinks - setting both down in front of each female. Kennedy took a moment to open the package containing the straw before putting it in her glass. “Ugh, that’s an old man. But I’m curious, does he have a girlfriend?” It seemed like in Hickstead there seemed to be less people that enjoyed fooling around with multiple partners, but Kennedy didn’t mind being part of the select few.
The brunette took a sip of her iced tea as she continued to listen. “Yeah, we are a super busy family so it’s nice having someone cook for you.” She was at the barn six days a week and worked full time - which allowed no time for her to cook. Kennedy also didn’t know how. “Do you cook at home?” The brunette watched their chef cook when she could - trying to learn. “My driver made me come here. I just finished up at the barn and I need food before I go to work.” Usually, Lorenzo brought her something to eat from home, but he was busy running errands for her parents. She wondered if secretly the older man did this on purpose to make her socialize.
“Yeah, being healthy is something I should have started ages ago.” Her parents weren’t exactly great about it either. Their late nights working meant they used to get takeout and Kennedy often ate at the Lounge, which didn’t help either. “See I should have thought of that but my bedroom is at the back of the house. I’ll have to get myself a ladder then for out the back.” It was too high of a jump to get the guy to jump out the window, unless they wanted a broken limb. “Does this mean you have experience with the sneaking?”
Kennedy laughed, the blonde wasn’t wrong. She was needing a bit of grease in her diet before dancing her butt off at work that evening. “You’ve never heard of a cheat day?” She looked over and saw their pizzas being brought over from the kitchen.
Eva wasn't sure why the other girl thought she might be addicted to anything else other than causing trouble. It's not like she knew what Kennedy was up to outside of what she had said - this was her first time, and maybe only time, talking to her. Still, to be a bitch, Eva let the young woman stew in silent curiosity for a bit more before confirming Kennedy's original thought, "To trouble. I bet you like the rush of not getting caught." That was how the teenager herself had been for a while, or maybe she just liked the attention from a certain girl. It was hard to tell, either way, it didn't matter, the past was dead.
She rolled her hazel eyes at the label of 'goody two shoes', but honestly, it was a little on point. From what insight she had of Brandon and Jessie, they were as straight laced as they came. Eva didn't poke them too much about their past though, once she accidently stepped into something personal that caught the ire of her adoptive mother and well, she decided to not cross that line again. It did nothing to dwell her curiosity, but the teenager knew from her own personality, finding out answers just meant a waiting game, "Yeah. It's nice. I feel...safe." Maybe too safe, but she didn't feel like sharing that detail with Kennedy who seemed to be watching her like a hawk for weakness. An eyebrow arched at the next question, before Eva relented, "No...I guess I don't kiss and tell either." Although if someone tried to fuck her over, all bets were off.
This talk about her brother made her wish her food was here now, mainly so she could shove it into her face to keep herself from being snappish. Eva didn't like Brandon getting attention. It was selfish, yes, but was it so wrong to be protective of a family she had just gotten a little over six months ago? Maybe it was, "I don't know. He's talking to some lady apparently." Fucking Lilith. Eva was still annoyed how impervious that woman had been to her sass and maneuvered around her every move at the Zoo a few days ago. While they weren't dating, the teenager had felt the vibes that seem to come off of Brandon and Lilith when they were with each other, though she doubted that either adult was smart enough to realize it yet.
"I mean...she is my mom. She's not hired help," Eva replied to the idea of having someone there to cook for her - technically, Brandon did also, but she wasn't going to give Kennedy any more ideas of a desire to poach the 'old man'. As for herself, the teenager merely shrugged, "I help. I can cook for myself - but its more basic stuff verses like, fancy." Everything Jessie seemed to make looked like it belonged on the table of a restaurant. And Brandon knew how to make a mean french toast. She arched an eyebrow, "Made you come here? Were you going to skip otherwise?" Not that Eva knew how to ride a horse, she stuck to the ground at the Sale Yard, but she had seen others ride to test the new horses outa nd it certainly looked exhausting.
A ladder? Damn, how high was this girl's house? Sucks to be the guy or girl dating her. Eva wasn't going to pry any more, given that she hardly cared. But then Kennedy was poking her now again, and the teenager merely cocked her head, staring at her. After a moment, she relented, "Yeah. I guess I have experience in sneaking around. I am a teenager after all." It was more than that, but fuck if this stranger was getting her full story on day one in Pizza Palace. And as for cheat days, Eva merely shrugged, "I don't diet, so I guess I don't really believe in cheat days or restricting myself. I feel like I would just want more of something if I were cut off from it."
“I’m not saying that everything is survivable. Just that everything except the last thing is.” - John Green
Kennedy was starting to get impatient. She was always excited to meet a new troublemaker, not that her parents were looking to recruit anyone. The cover of the Pietrangelo’s running a fancy car dealership was still fooling everyone and if she was the reason their cover was blown - she’d be dead. “I do actually. I’d like to mention that I’ve never been caught.” This caused the brunette to twirl her hair and happily shake her head. Lorenzo had saved her several times, but never by the police.
The woman almost let her guard down. The word safe wasn’t used in her family, though she felt safe with Lorenzo. He was the only one who concerned himself with her security. “Exactly, that’s what I thought. Having a steady boyfriend is overrated anyway.” She enjoyed having her flings - some deep part of her wanted someone steady, but working at the club meant different men every night for her to choose from. As the conversation changed to Eva’s brother, she became more curious. “Oh, well nothing like being a homewrecker. Is she younger than him?” It seemed as if some men preferred to have a younger girl on their arms, which wasn’t something she was interested in. She wanted someone as old as her who could keep up with her evening activities. “Do you like that your brother has a girlfriend? Or does that bother you?” That question could either go one of two ways - though Kennedy was curious.
Kennedy nodded - her mother didn’t lift a finger around the home. That’s what the hired help was for. “Part of me wants to learn to cook, but our personal chef does a great job. I can’t complain.” She secretly thought that her mother was a terrible cook, which led the Pietrangelo family to hire someone to do it for them. “Did someone teach you?” Maybe she’d ask Lorenzo to teach her one day. The brunette let out a sigh - Lorenzo made her realize she had a pretty lame life. “Yeah, I usually grab something at work, but he wants me to make new friends or something.” He really cared about her and due to her lifestyle, having friends was difficult.
“That’s what I thought. I don’t know a teen in our age group that wouldn’t. My parents don’t seem to notice.” She glanced around as the waitress began bringing their food. “Ah, do they make you do enough physical labour at work then?” She nodded as the waitress set their pizzas down in front of them before turning and leaving.
