Megan and Mischief (5 page)

I'm waiting for midnight so we can have our secret feast! We all made a pact to stay up till exactly twelve o'clock, but it's only ten past ten and Millie and Gabrielle are both fast asleep. Still, I don't mind waiting by myself because I've got lots to write. At midnight I'm going to wake them up so we can have the rest of my sweets and the strawberry laces that Gabrielle brought and talk about ponies and maybe even tell ghost stories. Millie says she knows a great one about a headless horseman (eek!).

Well, I did phone Mum and Dad tonight, and I told them all about how well the beach ride had gone and how pleased Sally was with my riding. Mum got a bit worried about us cantering on the beach and I had to convince her that it was all perfectly safe and that I had my body protector on and my chin strap done up and long sleeves and my proper boots and everything.

My stomach churned up a bit when I put the phone down, like it did when Jade pulled her “What are you staring at?” face at me on the beach. I've hardly thought about Mum and Dad since I've been here but speaking to them made me miss them so much.

I cheered up during the Evening Activity though, which was a table tennis tournament. Millie was ace and me and Gabrielle were rubbish, but it didn't matter because it was so much fun! Millie's dad pretended to be joining in
just because he was the grown-up who had to organize us, but we could tell he had practised loads and was really trying to win. Karen beat him in the final though, and we all cheered, and she won a cool pony pencil case with all new things in it.

It's only the second day of Pony Camp and I've already learned about bandaging and grooming and been cantering on the beach, and made some completely fab friends and met Mischief, my star pony – this really is a dream holiday!

Oh, I just had a big yawn. Maybe I'll close my eyes for a minute or two.

I can’t believe we all slept straight through midnight – again! Today is really exciting because we’re learning the games we’ll be playing in the gymkhana on Friday. Well, some people know them already so it’s just practice for them, but I don’t! There was this one gymkhana at our stable that I was going to be in, but at the last minute I got scared and wimped out and just ended up watching with Mum. But this time I am going to do it!

I’m really looking forward to riding Mischief after we did so well yesterday on the beach. He came straight up to the gate this morning and let me clip my lead rope on to his head collar without any problems at all. I’m sure everything will go brilliantly from now on and Sally will see that I’m a good rider and Jade will be AMAZED and start liking me.

After the lesson 

Oh, dear. I've had the worst morning ever. I'm trying really hard not to cry but my hand is shaking loads. The others are having their break downstairs but I didn't feel like eating anything so I'm lying on my bed writing this.

Things started off okay-ish with the relay race. I'm really getting a better position in canter now, although I still couldn't turn smoothly at the top so I lost lots of ground for the way back. But when we were doing the egg and spoon race I had to put both reins in one hand and Mischief suddenly swerved off his track and ran across the other ponies' lanes for no reason. Jade got cross with me because she had to slow Shine down to keep from crashing into us. When I finally managed to halt she shouted, “If you can't control that pony you shouldn't be on it!”

Even though she made me feel really shaky I knew I had to defend Mischief. “Mischief is not an ‘it', he's a ‘he',” I said, trying not to let my voice wobble. “And anyway, ponies are unpredictable. You can't always tell what they'll do.”

Jade made that harrumphing sound she always does and said, “Don't blame that nag for your mistakes!” Then she turned Shine and trotted back to the start line, her egg perfectly balanced on her spoon.

Huh! How dare she call Mischief a nag! I rode back to the start line too, still grumbling, and Millie said, “Don't worry about her, she's just really moody. It's nothing personal.”

But I think it IS personal. Jade doesn't seem to pick on anyone else. Why is it always me? I was upset about Jade for the rest of the lesson, so I wasn't very brave for the other races, like the apple bobbing and the bending. And when
we practised the Chase Me Charlie I was only half concentrating because of trying to avoid Jade's eye, so I got knocked out on the first hole. Also, in a lot of the races we had to turn when we reached the far end of the ménage and then canter back, and I just couldn't get it right. Mischief kept going along on the track, like in a normal lesson, and the harder I tried to pull him round the more wrong it seemed to go. Sally kept telling me to relax my hands and use more leg, but I just couldn't get it together. So then she told me to put the reins in one hand and hold on to the pommel if I felt unsteady. That's what you do when you're just beginning!

I really want Mum and Dad to be proud of me on Friday at the gymkhana but at this rate I'm never going to win anything!

After we'd dismounted, Sally called me over for a “chat”. Except it wasn't really a chat 'cos I let her do all the talking. I knew if I opened my mouth to say anything I'd start crying. Sally explained that she might have to swap me off Mischief for the rest of the week. She said, “Megan, it's very difficult for you to enjoy yourself or learn new skills when you're having such basic problems with control.”

She doesn't understand that it's not just about the riding, Mischief is my pony and I love him so much I couldn't stand for us to be apart. And I am enjoying myself, mostly. All the grooming and tacking up is so much fun and the beach ride was brilliant. But when I opened my mouth to say that to Sally, nothing came out except “But I love him!” in a teary, croaky voice.

Sally said, more softly, “I'll have to talk to Johnny and Jody about it, and I'll let you know after lunch, okay?”

All I could do was nod, but inside my thoughts were racing. What will the others think if I get swapped off Mischief? What will Jade say? Will Mischief think I don't love him any more?

Oh, Millie's calling up the stairs for me. At least we have our Stable Management lecture next, about feeds and pony health, so I can do my Practical Learning with Mischief. He's definitely mine till after lunch and I want to spend every second I can with him, before the worst might happen.