Rocking Horse (5 page)

Veronica looked up, and for a moment Carole thought she saw total comprehension in Veronica’s eyes. But the other girl just answered innocently, “I
don’t know what you’re talking about, Stevie Lake, but you’re starting to get on my nerves.”

“And mine!” boomed Max. “Really, Stevie, if you’d spend half as much time studying the course as you do making jokes, you wouldn’t have anything to worry about. Veronica’s planned for this competition, and she’s been a help to everyone. Furthermore, her conduct, unlike yours, has shown real Pony Club spirit.”

Stevie, her face burning red, was silent. She was embarrassed to have Max yell at her, but beyond that, she was so furious she couldn’t speak for a moment. Max nodded at her, then began walking toward the next jump. “It’s spirit, all right,” she whispered. “Creating all the trouble you can for other teams, that’s real spirit—real
Veronica
spirit.”

“What are you
talking
about?” Meg asked again.

“Don’t pay her any attention,” Veronica said, lifting her nose into the air. “It wasn’t my fault Belle got mud in her tail,” she said to Stevie. “Maybe you ought to spend a little less time assigning blame to other people and a little more time taking care of your poor horse.”

“
My poor horse!
What about you, who always lets everyone else take care of Danny?” Stevie was so upset she leaned right into Veronica’s face. Veronica stepped backward to the edge of the stream.

“Really!” Carole added, rushing to Stevie’s defense.
“You didn’t even know how to wrap Danny’s legs—or else you were too lazy to do it.”

“I ought to push you right into the stream! How’d you like a bath?” Stevie said.

“Stevie!” Max roared. “Carole! Veronica! All of you girls,
I am ashamed!
”

Stevie dropped her arms to her sides. Carole went still. Only Veronica continued to speak. “I don’t know what they’re talking about,” she told Max.

“Unfortunately,” Max said, “I do. But that’s irrelevant to the current situation. Hear this, all of you: Any rider who says anything—I mean
anything
—during the rest of this walk not directly connected to this course and how it should be ridden will be expelled from this event and suspended from Horse Wise. Don’t test me to see if I mean it. I don’t want to hear a single word until we get back to the stabling area and you six are on your own again. Understood?”

“Yes, Max,” they all mumbled. Lisa had never seen him so furious. Max didn’t often lose his temper, but when he did, it took him a while to find it again. They were all very quiet for the rest of the course walk. Even when the last jump turned out to be another coop, Stevie only patted it sadly and said nothing.

Back at the stalls, Carole grabbed Stevie’s arm and
hustled her into their tack room before she could get another shot at Veronica. “Not a word,” she said. “Not to Veronica, Meg, or Betsy, for the rest of the weekend, from any of us. I was never so embarrassed, Stevie. Max shouldn’t have had to talk to us like that.”

Stevie hung her head. She sat down on her tack trunk and looked up at Carole. “I know,” she said. “But this is going to be an awful day. There are too many coops out there. Belle’s going to be eliminated, and then we won’t even get a team score.”

“She’ll be fine,” Lisa said, sitting down next to Stevie. “Remember how much she loves you. She’ll jump anything if she thinks she’s jumping it for you.”

“I just don’t have the guts,” Stevie said. “I look at those jumps and I think,
Wow, that’s big
, and as soon as I’ve thought
that
, I’m as good as finished. Plus, I’m really angry that someone would do that to Belle. It couldn’t have been comfortable for her to have mud drying in her tail all night.”

“I know,” Lisa said soothingly.

“We don’t have proof that Veronica did it,” Carole reminded them.

Stevie’s eyes grew wide with sudden realization. “Yes we do! Remember what she said—that it wasn’t her fault Belle got mud in her tail? I didn’t
tell anyone what happened except for the two of you! How would she know if she hadn’t done it herself?”

Lisa shook her head. “She might have looked into the stall in the morning and seen it,” she said.

“She woke up after us,” Stevie said. “Remember?”

“At least,” Carole said, “she gave the impression that she woke up after us. But I agree with you, Stevie. I think Veronica probably did it.”

“I’m going to kill her,” Stevie said.

“Not until after the competition is over,” Carole said. “Max means it—he’ll kick us out. Promise me, Stevie.”

Stevie looked at her friend’s solemn face. “Oh, I promise,” she said. “Don’t worry, Carole. I won’t get us eliminated for any other reason than Belle’s refusal to jump coops. Beating Veronica would still be the best revenge. But when we get back to Pine Hollow, look out!”

They had only an hour to get ready for their horse inspection and cross-country ride. They began by giving their horses a thorough grooming. Lisa had just stepped out of Prancer’s stall when she saw Phil, A.J., and Bart walk past with water buckets in their hands. Lisa latched Prancer’s door and went after them.

“Hey!” she said. “Wait up!” When they stopped
and turned around, she smiled at them. Bart had the cutest eyes and a really nice nose, she decided. As soon as she thought that, she felt butterflies begin to hatch in her stomach.

“Hey,” she said again. She took a deep breath. This was so hard! She made herself look at Phil, since he seemed safest. “Our school’s having this great dance next Friday,” she said. “It’s going to be held outside, so we can invite anyone we want. Would you all like to come?” She gave Bart a quick smile. Carole was right, she thought gratefully, it was much easier to invite all of them than Bart alone.

“I’ll be there,” Phil said with a quick wink. Lisa grinned at him. She already knew he was coming.

“Hey, me too,” said A.J. “Sounds fun. What about you?” He gave Bart a poke.

Bart turned slightly pink and looked over at the stalls next to Lisa. “Um, maybe,” he said at last. “I might have to go visit my cousin that night. I’m not sure.”

Lisa tried to keep the smile firmly on her face until they were gone. It was all she could do not to show how hurt and embarrassed she was. Might have to visit his cousin! What a lame excuse! Bart might just as well have said he wasn’t interested in the dance or Lisa, either.

Carole came up to Lisa’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

Lisa blew a deep breath. “This day just has to get better,” she said. “It can’t get a whole lot worse.”

“G
OOD LUCK
, B
ETSY
!” Lisa called. Across the aisle Betsy, completely outfitted for her cross-country ride, led a gleaming Coconut out of the stall. Even though Lisa devoutly hoped that The Saddle Club would beat Betsy and Team Veronica, she really did wish Betsy well. Cross-country courses were nerve-racking. Lisa herself was dressed for her ride; she had just started to saddle Prancer.

“Thanks,” Betsy said a little nervously. “I wish we had a good-luck horseshoe here like we do at Pine Hollow.” She smiled at Lisa, and Lisa smiled back. She watched Betsy lead Coconut down the grassy slope beside the stables to where the formal inspections
were taking place. Before being allowed to start cross-country, each rider and horse and their gear were thoroughly evaluated for safety, suitability, and cleanliness. Betsy looked great, and so had Meg, who was already riding the course.

Lisa wasn’t very worried about her inspection. It was something every careful rider should be able to pass with ease. At the same time, since all the competitors ought to be able to do well, if they got any penalties during inspection, they had reason to feel ashamed. Lisa vowed not to disgrace herself or Prancer. She settled her saddle over Prancer’s back, being especially careful to smooth out any folds in the pads.

“Lisa? How do we look?” Carole brought Starlight out into the aisle. She would ride first for The Saddle Club. Veronica would ride right after Carole, then Lisa two riders later, then Stevie.

“Fantastic!” Lisa said with true admiration. Starlight’s coat gleamed with the shine that could only come from regular grooming. His tack was in perfect condition. Carole looked as neat as her horse. “Only …” Lisa flicked a spot of mud from Carole’s boot.

“Thanks,” Carole said. “Can you look us over again once we get outside?”

“Of course,” Lisa said. She followed Starlight into the sunlight, then took a towel from Carole and
carefully smoothed the dust from the horse’s flanks. “Professional,” she said to her friend.

“Carole Hanson and Starlight,” came a voice over the PA system. Lisa gave Carole a quick hug. She would have liked to stay and watch her friend get started on the course, but she knew her turn was coming up fast. She’d be in trouble if she wasn’t ready in time.

In the stables, Stevie had been about to follow Lisa and Carole outside when a horrendous shrieking stopped her in her tracks. “Help me, help me,
help me!”
the voice cried, each word louder and more anguished than before. It was coming from Team Veronica’s tack room, where Veronica was dressing alone, and from the pitch and volume of the shrieks it sounded as if Veronica was being killed.

Maybe a giant poisonous spider has bitten her right on the nose
, Stevie thought with radiant hope.
Or maybe a rat
. Yes, Stevie
definitely
hoped it was a rat—a big, brown, ugly, obese, vicious one curled up in one of the toes of Veronica’s custom-made boots. It would serve her right.

“Help me!” Veronica cried again. Stevie sighed, dropped her grooming mitt into a bucket, and ducked under the curtain tacked across the doorway of the stall. Max would expect her to help. He would insist on it. Besides, if there really was a rat in Veronica’s boot, Stevie didn’t want to miss it.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. Veronica was hopping up and down in the center of the room, tugging at something on the back of her neck. She was already wearing her boots, so it couldn’t be a rat. Stevie hoped for the spider instead.

“My hair’s caught!” Veronica moaned. “Oh, I’m in pain!” When Stevie tried to look, Veronica swatted her hand away. “You’re hurting me!”

“Quit jumping around!” Stevie said. “Here. Hold still.” The back of Veronica’s hair net and a few strands of her silky black hair had gotten tangled in the Velcro fastener at the back of her shirt collar. Stevie pulled it free.

“Ouch!” Veronica said. “You yanked my hair out.”

“Better than leaving you stuck,” Stevie retorted. She could hardly believe that even Veronica would make such a big fuss over such a little problem.

Veronica sniffed. “I just can’t believe Meg and Betsy would leave me here to get ready all by myself.”

“They’re riding,” Stevie said impatiently. What did Veronica expect? It occurred to Stevie that she hadn’t seen Veronica help either Meg or Betsy get ready.

“I asked Meg to polish my boots for me last night and she wouldn’t even do that,” Veronica complained. “I thought they were my friends. Danny and I are going to carry them through this entire competition,
but they act like I’m still supposed to be
working
around here.”

“Too bad,” Stevie said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Think what a little work would do to your reputation.” She turned on her heel, then saw something that made her pause. “Veronica,” she said seriously, “have you noticed your bridle rack?”

“Of course,” Veronica said. “Daddy bought it for me in Italy. It’s handmade.”

“It’s falling,” Stevie said. “You’ve got it tied up here with a piece of old baling twine, and the twine’s about to break. And look—there’s a great big mud puddle underneath it.” The rack was hung on the outer wall of the stall, right above a low spot where rain had come in overnight. Danny’s bridle, breastplate, and martingale all hung from it.

“You need to put some shavings in that puddle,” Stevie told Veronica. “Then, if you can find some wire or some stronger rope, I’ll help you fix the rack.”

Veronica flicked an impatient hand at Stevie. “Go fix it yourself if you want everything perfect,” she said. “You’re as picky as Betsy and Meg. Now go away. I need to get ready.”

Stevie shut her lips very firmly and counted to ten as she walked out of the stall. She had promised Max she would behave. She had promised Carole she
wouldn’t murder Veronica until they were back at Pine Hollow.

“What’s wrong?” Lisa asked, coming back to the tent.

“Just remind me when we get back home that there’s something I need to do,” Stevie said. “Where’s Carole? I hope she hasn’t left yet.”

“No—she’s in the inspection. I wanted to stay, but I’m only a few riders away. I just heard one of the inspectors ask Carole why Starlight is wearing a double-jointed bit and how she knows that it fits him correctly.”

Stevie grinned. “For Carole, those are easy questions.”

“Yeah,” Lisa said, “but not for me. This looks a little harder than I thought.”

“I want to say good-bye to Carole,” Stevie said. “Do you need any help right now?”

“No, go,” Lisa said. “Just wish me luck first. I’m two riders after Veronica, and she’s right after Carole.”