Elite Ambition (20 page)

“Up next, we have number three, Sasha Silver, on Charm,” the announcer said. “Sasha is riding for Canterwood Crest Academy.”

Charm shifted under me, ready to go.

I tried to stay loose in the saddle, waiting for the starting bell to go off.

Diiing!
I didn't let Charm enter the ring the second he heard the bell. I waited a few more seconds, then let him into a canter. When I'd walked the course, I hadn't noticed anything too tricky about the seven jumps. It was a short course and, going with the theme of the show, it was all about easing the rider back into competition.

Charm's canter was even as he moved over the first vertical with black and white poles. He cleared it easily, and we cantered six strides toward an oxer. I gave Charm extra rein to clear the spread and he did without a problem. Wind whooshed in my ears as we cantered forward, Charm's ears pointing forward as he started to get excited.

Nope, keep him focused!
I told myself. I did a half halt and got his attention back on me. We soared over another vertical with red poles and headed for a double combination. Charm leaped the first part of the jump, took a stride and then was airborne again over the second half. He cleared it with room to spare.

We made a sweeping turn around the giant arena, passing what felt like a thousand faces in the crowd. I gazed back between Charm's ears and watched as we approached the next jump—a faux stone wall. Charm rocked back on his haunches, then pushed up off the ground over the fake stone. I loved the feeling of being in the air, and I couldn't hold back my smile when we reached the ground.

Two left,
I told myself.
Two! Left!

The next two verticals were higher than any others on the course. I held my breath as I pointed Charm at the next-to-last vertical—a kind of scary-looking one with polka dots painted on it. But Charm didn't slow. He leaped high into the air and landed on the other side without coming close to touching it.

We were strides away from the final jump, and I started counting strides.
Five, four, three, two, one … no!

Charm rushed forward and took off a second too early.
Caught off guard, I couldn't slow him. His front hooves clipped the top rail and it tumbled to the ground.

Disappointment surged through me, but I didn't let it show.

“Good job, boy,” I said. And I meant it, even if I was upset at myself for not paying enough attention.

But I wasn't going to beat myself up about it. The show was over and I had plenty of time between now and the next show to practice.

“Good job, Silver,” Heather said as I rode over by her.

“Thanks.”

I dismounted and walked Charm in circles. Brit was next and I was excited to see her ride. As I walked Charm, the sadness I felt about knocking the rail disappeared. It was a schooling show, and we'd both learned from it.

I halted Charm as Brit approached the entrance. I crossed my fingers for her, wanting her to do well, but torn at the same time. If she had a clear round, she'd go to a jump-off with Heather and my current standing of third place would be knocked to fourth.

But we were all a team and I wanted her to do well.

“Our final rider for this class is Brit Chan on Apollo,” the announcer said. “Brit is riding for Canterwood Crest Academy.”

Brit sat still waiting for the bell. It dinged and she moved Apollo into a canter. The gelding moved toward the first jump, and I watched him carefully, just now seeing
something
was off.

“Is he—,” I started to say.

“He's favoring his left foreleg,” Heather said. “Oh, God.”

Brit didn't feel it yet—she would have pulled him up if she did—but if she kept jumping him, Apollo could sustain a serious injury.

“Mr. Conner!” I called over to him. But he was already headed for the officials.

Brit and Apollo launched into the air, and I felt Heather grab my arm.

I could barely watch.

Apollo cleared the rail, looking gorgeous, with his mane and tail flowing as he flew over the jump. He hit the ground and looked as if he landed strong, then he wobbled, almost going down on his knees.

“Omigod,” Heather and I said at the same time.

Brit tipped forward, losing a stirrup. But she managed to keep her seat. Apollo, loving Brit too much to quit, tried to keep cantering forward. He tossed his head, ignoring Brit's cue to stop and cantered three strides—hobbling on three legs.

Brit tugged on the reins and, finally, Apollo listened. He wasn't even at a complete stop when Brit flung herself out of the saddle and onto the ground to hold him still. Mr. Conner and an emergency veterinarian jogged toward them and a sobbing Brit buried her face in Apollo's mane.

I didn't hear the announcer or the crowd, I yanked my arm from Heather's grasp and ran toward Brit. Guilt almost knocked me over—if only I'd said something when I'd first noticed what I thought was lameness. None of this would be happening now.

“Brit,” I said. “He's going to be fine.”

Brit grabbed me and cried on my shoulder.

“He's going to be okay,” Mr. Conner said. “Let's step back so the vet can examine him.”

I held Brit's hand and Heather appeared beside her as we watched the vet test Apollo's hoof with tongs. The horse tried to move sideways when the vet pressed on a certain spot.

“What's wrong with him?” Brit asked. “Is he going to be okay? Please, please tell me he's okay.”

The vet turned to us, while gently placing Apollo's hoof on the ground. “He's going to be absolutely fine. It's a bruised hoof, and with rest and icing, it will heal.
You did an excellent job in pulling him up before he could seriously injure himself.”

Brit ran over and hugged Apollo's neck.

“Sasha, you and Heather take Brit back to school,” Mr. Conner said. “Mike will drive you. We'll get Apollo bandaged for the ride home, and Doug will take care of Charm and Aristocrat.”

“Okay,” I said.

“No,” Brit said. “I'm not leaving without him. I can't go.”

“Brit,” I said. “He'll be right behind us. Let's go back to school, get out of our show clothes, and then we'll be waiting for him when he gets home. Okay?”

“It's the best thing,” Heather said. “The vet can work faster without the owner there—trust me. Apollo will be back in his stall within an hour and then you can stay there with him all day.”

Brit wiped tears off her pale face. She stared at me, and when I nodded, finally said, “Okay.”

With an arm around her shoulders, I led Brit back to the truck with Heather by my side.

 22 

AND … SEND

WHEN MIKE DROPPED US OFF US, HEATHER and I walked Brit back to Orchard. We'd talked her down on the ride over and had done the best we could to convince her that she'd done nothing wrong. Heather didn't mention once that she'd won or that I'd come in third. It didn't matter. We were both doing everything we could to calm Brit.

Heather pulled open the door to Orchard and I followed Brit inside. She reached her room and unlocked the door. Brit sat on the edge of her chair, her head in her hands.

“I should have felt it in the warm-up,” she said. “What kind of rider doesn't feel it when their horse is that lame?”

“Brit, don't,” Heather said. “It's not your fault—don't
make me tell you that again. You pulled him up the
second
you felt something was off. If you would have had even the slightest feeling that something was wrong, you never would have shown him. Right?”

Brit nodded. “Right.” She took a shaky breath. “And thankfully, it's a bruise. I know he's in pain and I
hate
that, but it could have been something serious.”

“You're right,” I said, sitting at the edge of her bed. “Callie's horse bruised his hoof last year and he made a full recovery. Apollo will too. Trust me. Mr. Conner will be right there supervising his recovery all the way.”

That seemed to comfort Brit. She pulled off her show boots. “I can't thank you guys enough. I would have been a disaster if I'd had to ride back alone or with people I didn't know.”

“Of course we want to help,” I said. I got up and hugged her.

Heather nodded. “We'll do whatever we can to help Apollo get better.”

Brit gave us a tiny smile. “Thanks, guys. I'm going to change and go put extra sawdust in his stall so it's extra padded when he gets here.”

“I'm going to change and I'll be right down,” I said.

“Me too,” Heather added.

We left Brit's
room and I headed to Winchester.

When I got to my own room, I opened the door and Paige was texting.

“You're back superearly,” she said. “Is everything okay?”

“Brit's horse went lame on course,” I said, tugging off my boots.

Paige covered her mouth. “Omigod. Is he okay?”

“It's a bruise, so it hurts, but he'll heal,” I said. “I'm going to the stable to help Brit get him settled.”

“That's really nice of you, Sash. I'm sure she appreciates it.”

Paige's phone buzzed, and she read the text, then snapped it shut. Her fair cheeks turned pink.

“What's up?” I asked. “Is everything okay?”

Paige played with the ring around her index finger. “Yeah. Well. It was just Callie. We're going to the movies in a few.”

I stopped pulling off my boot. “Oh. That's good. But.”

“But what?”

I took a long breath. “You need to hear this from me. Callie's probably not going to have a great night tonight.”

Paige looked at me, not saying anything. The way she was staring at me made me nervous. And words just started coming out.

“Paige, when I got back to school, I saw Jacob. And I didn't tell you. I saw him the first day I got back, and I was so afraid that you'd think I was losing focus again or jumping too fast from Eric to Jacob. I met him in the courtyard, and we decided to try getting back together.”

I watched Paige's face, waiting for her to look shocked or angry or
something.
But her expression was blank just like Callie's had been whenever she'd talked to me this week.

“Jacob and I never got a chance to be together,” I said. “Heather messed it up for us and then Callie happened, which wasn't her fault. And I did care about Eric—I still do—as a friend. But I have to try with Jacob, Paige. I have to.”

I took another quick breath, wanting to say everything before Paige could get out a word.

“And that's why Callie's going to be upset tonight. She's going to need you as a friend because Jacob's going to tell her the truth about my birthday party. He's going to tell her that he tried to kiss me and I made him lie to protect her from being hurt. I can't even imagine what Callie's going to feel.”

I stopped, unable to take another breath or say another word. I just couldn't.

Paige stared at me for what felt like hours. “Sasha,” she
said. I braced myself. Waiting for her to tell me it was a bad idea. Waiting for her to say I had to stop Jacob from telling Callie.

“What?” I managed to get out.

“Callie already knows.”

Paige said the sentence without any emotion. Just … calm.

No. No-no-no.
I said to myself. I had to have heard Paige wrong.

“You didn't—you said—no. Callie doesn't—no.”

“She knows,” Paige said. “Because I told her.”

I looked at my best friend as if I'd never seen her before.

“What?” I almost screamed. “How could you do this to me?”

“I'm her friend too,” Paige said. “She needed someone.”

“But you kept this from
me
. I'm your best friend. I-I don't even know how you could do something like this and just not tell me!”

Paige half smiled. “Kind of like how you kept your meeting with Jacob from me.”

I almost fell off my bed. This couldn't be happening. I couldn't be losing another best friend. It was too much.