Broken Hearts (2 page)

“We already paid for your horse,” Melissa said quietly. Her blue eyes burned into Erica's, as if trying to determine if Erica was telling the truth.

“I'll go get the money back. Then I'll wait for you here,” Erica said.

Josie started to protest, but Rachel interrupted her. “That's fine,” she said, coming to Erica's defense. “You don't have to ride if you don't want to.”

“My stomach really does hurt,” Erica lied, holding her stomach for better effect.

“Do you want me to stay with you? Or drive you home?” Rachel offered with genuine concern.

“Rachel, she's just a chicken,” Josie muttered, staring accusingly at Erica.

“No, I'm not,” Erica insisted. “I want to ride. I really do.”

“Erica, none of us is any good at it, if that's what you're worried about,” Melissa said, glancing at Josie. “Josie and I have only been riding once before. Don't tell Chuck. We lied to him the last time and said we were experts.”

“We'll go slow,” Josie offered.

“Maybe I'll feel better in a little bit,” Erica told them. “Then I'll catch up to you.”

She hated being so frightened, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. Also, the smell from the stable really was making her feel sick.

Josie started to argue some more, but Melissa stopped her. “We're using up our whole hour,” Melissa complained, glancing at her watch.

“You're right,” Josie quickly agreed, turning away from Erica. “Come on. Saddle up. Hurry.” She made her way over to claim the black horse. “See you later, Erica,” she called.

A jumble of feelings swept over Erica. She felt relieved. And disappointed in herself. And angry that she hadn't tried to overcome her fear. And grateful
that her sisters hadn't insisted she come along. She slumped down on a wooden bench against the wall, crossed her arms over her chest, and tried not to inhale the pungent aromas.

Rachel's horse, a big chestnut-colored gelding with one brown eye and one blue eye, pawed the dirt floor restlessly as Rachel attempted to fasten the saddle's girth. “Could you help me?” Rachel asked Josie, taking a step back. “I'm not sure I'm doing this right.”

Josie finished with her horse, then, slapping a fly off her arm, shoved Rachel out of the way to fasten her sister's girth. “I think you pulled it too tight,” she said, showing Rachel the girth. “Steady, fella. Steady. What's your problem?” She put a hand on the horse's neck. “You're as nervous as Erica.”

“I heard that!” Erica called from the bench.

“Are you feeling better?” Rachel called to her.

“A little,” Erica said. “I'll catch up in a little while. Maybe.”

“Yeah. Sure,” Josie muttered sarcastically. “Did I do Rachel's saddle right, Melissa?”

Melissa had already led her horse outside and mounted it. It was a dappled white and brown Appaloosa with a weary expression. “Looks okay from here,” she called in. “Hurry. We're going to spend all our time in the stable yard.”

Rachel led her horse out, put her left foot in the stirrup, grabbed the saddlehorn, and started to pull herself up. Her horse shivered, then flicked its tail with a violent
snap.
“Whoa!” she cried out in surprise, slipping back to the ground. “Why'd he do that?”

Josie and Melissa laughed.

“Don't take it personally,” Josie teased.

“He was probably bitten by a horsefly or something,” Melissa said.

Rachel grabbed the saddlehorn, pushed her foot into the stirrup, and tried again. This time she managed to pull herself all the way up.

“Ta-daa!” she sang out, smiling. With a toss of her head, she sent her long red hair sailing behind her shoulders.

“Where's your helmet?” Melissa asked Rachel.

“Shh! Don't say anything. I hate to wear them. I want to get out of here without anyone noticing.”

“Let's go then!” Josie urged, lowering her heels, the reins secure in her hands. Her horse led the way as they trotted along the dirt path toward the trail behind the barn.

“I feel bad about Erica,” Melissa said, glancing back toward the stable.

“She's still such a kid,” Josie said, shaking her head disapprovingly.

“Give her a break.” Rachel bounced awkwardly as her horse pulled ahead of the others. “She just gets frightened sometimes. Whoa. Whoa,” she commanded the horse. “What's your hurry?”

“You're right. I shouldn't be so hard on her,” Josie said, catching up to Rachel.

“Ninth grade is tough,” Melissa said, appearing even tinier and skinnier than usual as she bobbed on top of the horse. “Changing schools and everything.”

“Yeah. She's so excited about being in the same
school with us,” Josie replied. “Like she doesn't see us enough at home.”

“Whoa!” Rachel said to her horse. “What's this horse's name, anyway, Speed Demon?”

“No. Granny Lady!” Josie joked.

All three of them laughed.

Rachel tossed her long hair as her horse trotted ahead of the others.

The narrow dirt trail led through a meadow of tall grass, which swayed gently in the soft breeze. Crickets sent out a steady electric whistle. A small brown animal, a chipmunk maybe, scampered across the path in front of Rachel's horse.

The meadow ended in a line of tall, blue-green evergreens. The path narrowed as it curved through the woods. The tall trees blocked most of the sunlight. The cricket sounds suddenly stopped. The air smelled piney and sweet.

Rachel's horse slowed to a walk. It set its own pace, as if it were entirely in charge. Josie and Melissa slowed their horses to keep pace with hers. “It's so pretty here,” Rachel said, her eyes exploring the shadows from the gently shimmering trees.

“I can't believe summer is over,” Melissa said, pulling back on her reins.

“It's definitely over,” Josie groaned. “I was at the mall yesterday, buying new jeans for school. Half of Shadyside High was there.”

“What are you doing tonight?” Melissa asked Josie, changing the subject. “Going out with Jenkman?”

Josie made a face. “Yeah. Probably.” A devilish grin spread across her face. “Unless Chuck asks me.”

“Give me a
break!”
Melissa exclaimed. “Don't tell me you're breaking up with Jenkman already.”

“Why shouldn't she?” Rachel said. “She's been going with him for nearly a month.”

“Ha-ha,” Josie replied sarcastically. “You're just jealous, Rachel, because I know a lot of guys. You and Luke are like some old married couple.”

“We are not,” Rachel protested. Her horse began to pick up speed again, trotting almost silently over the pine needle-covered ground.

“How long have you been going with Luke? Since you were in diapers?” Melissa teased Rachel.

“Since we were freshmen,” Rachel told her, sticking her tongue out.

“How boring,” Josie groaned. She tightened her grip with her legs as her horse picked up speed to catch up with Rachel's.

“Luke is
not
boring!” Rachel insisted, gripping the reins more tightly as she posted out of time with her fast trotting horse. “Take it back, Josie.”

“Dave isn't boring either,” Melissa offered.

“I can't believe you're still going out with Dave Kinley,” Josie said dryly. “How come you go for all my rejects, Melissa?”

Melissa smiled. “You have so many rejects, Josie. It's impossible
not
to!”

Rachel and Melissa laughed. Josie didn't join in.

“You'll dump Dave too,” Josie said seriously. “Just like I did. You'll see. He's so immature.”

“Everyone is immature according to you,” Melissa replied, her smile fading. “But I like Dave. He's kind of wild, but—”

“Immature,” Josie interrupted.

“There are worse things than being immature,” Rachel called back.

“Name ten,” Josie joked.

“Let's stop yakking and ride,” Melissa urged impatiently. “We can decide who's immature later, okay?”

Josie and Rachel agreed. The three girls rode on in silence, moving single-file along the twisting path, riding between sunlight and shadows under the tall trees.

The only sounds were the whispers of the trees and the steady, gentle thud of hooves. Melissa found herself becoming hypnotized by the rhythmic rocking, the insistent
clip-clip-clip,
the shifting shadows, the darting golden rays of light poking through the dense foliage.

She found herself thinking dreamily about Dave. Josie was wrong about him, Melissa decided. Josie was a good friend, but she was often wrong about people.

Melissa could see why Josie accused Dave of being immature. He had a wild side, an angry side. Dave could be as moody and childish and unpredictable as Josie, Melissa realized.

They obviously couldn't get along because they were too much alike.

They both had their cruel sides too, Melissa thought. Josie had been really cruel to Dave when she had broken up with him.

Dave had been hurt, Melissa knew.

Melissa raised her eyes to glance at Josie, who was
several yards ahead of her on the path. She watched Josie's short dark hair bob up and down in a steady rhythm under her helmet.

Josie didn't seem to care if she hurt boys, Melissa thought. She could be sensitive and caring when she wanted. She had helped Melissa through some bad times, and she was very loving to her sisters Erica and Rachel.

But when she had made up her mind to dump a guy, she dumped him. That was that. As if the guy were some sort of doll or stuffed animal, to be tossed aside.

“Look, a hummingbird!” Rachel called from up ahead, pointing to a low shrub.

Her voice shook Melissa from her thoughts. She turned her eyes to the blue-green blur buzzing above the shrub, its wings fluttering so fast she could barely get the bird in focus.

“It's so tiny. It looks like an insect!” Josie called.

As if insulted by Josie's remark, the hummingbird raised itself up and darted silently away.

The woods suddenly ended and in a flash of harsh afternoon sunlight, the girls found themselves back on flat grassland. The path straightened out and grew wider as it completed its circuit back toward the riding stable.

Melissa saw Rachel, far ahead, yank hard on her reins. “Whoa!” she was calling. “Hey, slow down, horse!”

Rachel turned back to her companions, a troubled expression on her face, her mane of red hair streaming
behind her. “I can't make him slow down!” she cried, alarmed.

“Just keep pulling back on the reins!” Melissa advised, shouting over the thudding of the horses' hooves.

“Whoa! Whoa!”

The dog seemed to appear from out of nowhere. It was a large gray dog, a shepherd of some kind. It ran right in front of Rachel's horse.

Melissa didn't see it until Rachel's horse reared up. The horse whinnied in alarm, a hideous, terrifying sound.

It reared up on its hind legs, then quickly lowered its front hooves, dropping its head.

As it came down, Melissa saw Rachel's saddle fly off.

She and Josie both screamed as the saddle flew over the horse's head. Rachel, her arms thrashing the air in frantic surprise, flew with it.

And as the horse's front hooves came back to earth, Rachel hit the ground with a sickening crack.

The dog began to bark ferociously.

The horse whinnied again, its eyes wide with fear, its nostrils flaring as it took off for the barn.

Rachel lay sprawled facedown on the path. She didn't move.

“She landed on her head!” Josie shrieked. “Melissa, Rachel landed on her head!”

“Josie!” Melissa cried, gasping for breath, struggling to keep her horse steady, the ground tilting up around her. “Josie, go get help! Go to the stable! Get help!”

Josie didn't react. She stared down at Rachel's unmoving body.

“Josie! Get help!”

But Josie didn't seem to hear Melissa.

“She landed on her head!” Josie repeated, her dark eyes wide with horror. “She landed on her head! She landed on her head!”