Millie and Magic (5 page)

When we got into the kitchen, all the other girls were gathered by the door, waiting to go down to the yard. They all gasped when Dad burst in, carrying me, and started asking what happened and if I was OK. I winced with pain as Dad put me down in a chair, but insisted that I was fine.

Then Mum examined my ankle. “You’re very
lucky, Millie,” she said gravely. “It’s just bruised. I’ll get you an ice pack. Now, Lydia, could you go and help with Tally, please?”

“Tally?!” Kasia cried. She looked at me in astonishment. “But what were you doing on Tally?”

“Well, I just thought…” I began.

“You didn’t think, that’s the point,” Mum snapped, and I decided it was probably better not to say anything after that. I tried to pretend I hadn’t noticed Irenka and her friends all giving me angry glares.

Sally came in then.

“How is he?” Dad and I both asked at once.

“I think it’s only a strain, but I’ll call the vet out just to be on the safe side,” she told us. Then she turned to Kasia and said, “I’m afraid you won’t be able to ride him this afternoon, and we’ll have to wait and see about the rest of the week. I’m sorry, love.”

Kasia looked so upset. I didn’t think she’d be that bothered about Tally, not when she’d only been with him for two days. But she really was, and I felt even worse.

“I’m so sorry, Kasia,” I said, but she didn’t reply. Irenka put her arm round her sister and suddenly
everyone
was staring angrily at me. Not just Irenka and her friends, but Kasia’s
roommates
Elizabeth and Evie, and Dad and Sally too.

Lydia smiled at Kasia. “Don’t worry, sweetie,” she said, “I’ll go and get Cracker for you. He’s lovely too.”

Kasia tried to smile back, but her eyes were filled with tears.

“Thanks, Lydia,” said Sally. Then she turned to the girls and put on a smile. “Right, everyone, end of drama. Let’s get back on the yard, we’re running late.” And with that she walked out.
Dad gave Mum a quick kiss as she came back in with the ice pack, then he left too. 

“Zoe and Amy, you stay behind for a moment, please,” said Mum, as the others trooped out. Seeing how worried they looked made me feel awful. Even worse, Mum told them off for covering for me. I tried to tell her they didn’t want to and that it was all my fault, but she wouldn’t listen. When she left the kitchen, they were both upset and Zoe was close to tears.

“I’m so sorry,” I told them. “I wish I hadn’t done it, and I shouldn’t have persuaded you to cover for me either.”

They both said it was OK, but I could see that they were still shaken up about it all.

So that’s what happened. I feel AWFUL about upsetting Kasia, and getting Zoe and Amy
into trouble. And I can’t stop worrying about Tally. The vet’s coming later, and all these terrible thoughts keep whirling round in my head. Like,
What if it’s not just a strain? What if
he’s really hurt his leg and has to have an
operation? He’d be heartbroken if he could never
canter again! What if he can’t be ridden any more
AT ALL?
I feel so sick thinking that and my heart won’t stop hammering.

If my ankle’s OK, Mum’s putting me on yard duties all day tomorrow as punishment. “If any of the other girls did this they’d be on yard jobs too and you’re no different, young lady,” she snapped, as she pressed the ice pack to my ankle. “That’s if they were lucky. That’s if they weren’t sent home.”

I feel bad that Magic will be expecting me to come and tack up with the others after the lecture this afternoon. He’ll be left all alone and not know why. I don’t want him to think he’s done anything wrong. Hopefully Lydia will turn him out, so he won’t be stuck in the barn by himself. I wanted to limp down there and turn him out myself, but I know there wasn’t even any point in asking, not with Mum so cross with me.

Oh, she’s got jobs for me NOW, too. Shelling peas here at the table. Better get started. 

Well, the vet’s been, and Tally does only have a strain and some bruising, THANK GOODNESS, though I hate to think of him having any injury at all. He’s had an ice pack on it, same as me, and bute powder in his food to bring down the inflammation. My own ankle’s not too bad now – a bit sore, but I can get my boot on again.

Mum told me Kasia did well on Cracker, but that she was still obviously upset about Tally. Kasia seemed OK-ish towards me at teatime, and so did Elizabeth and Evie, but Irenka and her friends just acted like I wasn’t there. I’m actually quite glad I’m not riding with them tomorrow.

Zoe and Amy were still a bit gloomy at tea, especially around Mum, but during pudding Amy was doing an impression of herself getting loads of stuff wrong in their quiz on points of
the horse and Zoe was laughing. I started laughing too, and soon we were all chatting together normally, and I told them again how sorry I was. Then when everyone was playing volleyball after tea Mum picked them for her team, and that cheered them up even more.

After lights out, I couldn’t get up to Amy’s bunk to share her pick ’n’ mix (we didn’t even bother trying to wait till midnight again!), so she and Zoe both came and sat on my bed instead.

“What are you going to do about Tally now?” Zoe asked.

I sighed. I’d been thinking all afternoon (well, I had plenty of time by myself and a mountain of peas to shell). I’d worked some things out, but I still found it hard to say them aloud. I took a deep breath. “I think Mum’s right, Tally is too small for me,” I admitted. “And
of course
I don’t expect him to never be ridden again, and
of
course
I’d rather he stayed at Pony Camp than
be sold on. But it’s just so hard to let him go. He’s my best friend. We’re a team. I know I have to, though, somehow.”

There, I’d said it. And then I got a surprise because I suddenly started crying (something I
never
normally do). Zoe put her arm round me and Amy gave me the last cola bottle in the bag.

“Oh, I’ve messed everything up, with everyone!” I wailed. “Tally’s injured, Kasia’s upset, the other girls are in a huge mood with me, and I don’t think I’ve ever
seen
Mum so angry.”

“It’ll be OK,” said Zoe.

“Thanks, but I can’t see how,” I sniffled. “I’ll just have to try and put things right in the morning. As best I can, anyway.”

Zoe and Amy stayed with me till I’d calmed down a bit, and then they each gave me a big hug and got back into their beds before Mum could come and tell us off. I snuggled down under my duvet, but I couldn’t sleep and every time I moved my ankle started throbbing again. My mind wouldn’t stop whirring, thinking about everything. I thought writing in this diary might help, and perhaps it has, because…

My ankle still feels a bit sore, but I’m determined not to show it. As soon as I’ve got dressed I’m going to ask Sally if I can walk Tally up and down the lane, before I have to start on my yard duties. If I can get his strained muscle eased off and loose enough, maybe Kasia will be able to ride him later.

I need to see Magic too, to tell him how sorry I am about everything. I realized last night that he’s probably missing his old rider as much as I’m missing Tally, so I should have been giving him lots of extra cuddles, not ignoring him, poor thing. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own problems I didn’t even
think
about that before. Oh, I just can’t believe how uncaring I’ve been! I really hope he’ll give me another chance.