Yankee Swap (10 page)

Whirling around, Stevie saw a burly, bearded man wearing a uniform. He paused long enough to rip Stevie’s sign down from the directory, then strode over to the girls.

“What’s this all about?” he asked gruffly. He scanned the sign. “Is this some kind of childish joke?”

“Um,” Stevie thought fast, but for once her inventive mind failed her. She couldn’t think of a single thing to say to talk her way out of this one. “Um …”

“Well, if it’s a joke, I don’t find it very amusing,” the guard growled, crumpling up the sign and tossing it into the same trash can where Stevie had found the gum. “And I’ll tell you at least one other person who won’t think it’s funny—the person who’s going to have to scrape that gum off the directory, that’s who.”

“Oh,” Stevie said meekly, glancing at the pink smear the sign had left on the plastic. “Sorry about that.”

The guard shook his head. “I’m going to let you girls go with a warning—
this time
,” he said. “But just remember, if
you’re old enough to come to the mall by yourselves, you’re old enough to stay out of trouble.”

“We’re very sorry,” Lisa spoke up, trying to sound more mature than she felt at that moment. “It won’t happen again, we promise.”

“It’d better not,” the guard said threateningly. He spun around and strode away without another word.

“Whew,” Stevie said, sinking down onto a nearby bench. “That was close.”

“You’re telling me,” said Lisa, white-faced.

“Sorry,” Stevie said contritely. She frowned. “It’s almost like Veronica got the best of us again, though, isn’t it?”

“No,” said Carole quickly. But she could tell it was too late.

“You know, I’m getting a little sick and tired of Veronica getting the best of me,” Stevie declared heatedly. “It’s about time she had a taste of her own medicine.”

Carole and Lisa exchanged worried glances. They had heard that kind of talk from Stevie before, and it almost always meant trouble.

“She didn’t exactly do anything to you just now, Stevie,” Lisa pointed out.

“That’s not the point,” Stevie grumbled. Before anyone could ask what
was
the point, she went on, “I’ve just got to think of some way to get back at her. Maybe something like tying all Danny’s leathers in knots.”

“No good,” Carole reminded her. “Veronica would just make Red untie them all.”

“Hmm. Good point,” Stevie said.

“Come on,” Lisa said, trying to change the subject. “We’d
better get started on our shopping. The mall closes in less than two hours, and this could be our last chance to look for our Yankee Swap gifts.”

The girls headed back through the mall, glancing into stores on their way. Stevie was still muttering about Veronica, but the others did their best to ignore her, chatting instead about the day’s class.

“Let’s go in here,” Carole suggested, stopping in front of a novelty store. “They have all sorts of crazy things.”

They went inside. Stevie leaned against a rack full of stuffed animals while the others flipped through some posters. “I know,” she said suddenly. “What if I hid Danny’s saddle before class on Saturday? Then she wouldn’t be able to ride, and Max would yell at her.”

“Where exactly were you planning to hide it, Stevie?” Carole asked drily. “In your cubby?”

Stevie shrugged. “I could put it in the grain shed,” she said. “Nobody would think to look for it there.”

“I hate to say it, Stevie, but it’s hardly up to your usual standards,” Lisa said. “It almost sounds like something—well, like something Veronica might do to one of us.”

Stevie glared at her for a moment, but then her shoulders slumped and she sighed. “I guess you’re right,” she said. “This can’t be any ordinary prank. It has to be something super-dramatic—something new and original—a true Stevie Lake extravaganza.”

“Well, the only new and original thing I’d like to hear about right now is a new and original idea for a Yankee Swap
gift,” Carole said, wandering over to a shelf of windup toys. “I don’t see anything in here.”

“Me neither,” Lisa said. “Let’s go.”

“I noticed a bookstore next door,” Merrill said. “Maybe you could find something there.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Carole said thoughtfully.
Maybe Joe would like a book on soccer.
“Let’s check it out.”

They headed for the bookstore, with Stevie trailing distractedly behind the others. Once inside, Carole headed for the sports section, Merrill began paging through magazines, and Lisa stood indecisively in front of a table full of bargain books.

“So, are you still not telling who you picked?” Stevie asked her with a mischievous smile. “If you tell me, maybe I could help you find something. I’m good at that—right, Merrill?”

“I’ll never tell,” Lisa said, glad that Stevie seemed to be thinking about something other than Veronica.

It didn’t last long. “Well, maybe I’ll go back to the home improvement section,” Stevie said. “I might find a book that tells me how to rig it so the bathroom pipes at Pine Hollow empty into Veronica’s cubby.” She hurried away.

A few minutes later, the four girls reconvened at the front of the store. “Any luck?” Merrill asked the others.

Carole and Lisa shook their heads.

“Me neither,” Stevie said. “I thought I had it when one of those books started talking about setting mousetraps. I thought it would be nice if Veronica stuck her hand into her cubby and
snap
! But then the book said most of the traps you can buy aren’t strong enough for rats.”

Carole sighed. She knew Stevie was just kidding about the mousetrap idea—at least she certainly
hoped
she was—but she still wished her friend would think about something other than getting even. It was getting late, and none of them was having any luck finding a gift.

“Come on,” said Lisa, echoing Carole’s thoughts. “We’d better keep moving.”

They stepped out of the bookstore into the mall corridor and looked around. “Where to next?” Merrill asked.

Stevie was staring into space. “I wonder what Veronica would do if I switched Danny with Nero,” she mused. Nero was an old stable horse who had been at Pine Hollow longer than any of the others. “Better yet, I could swap Danny for a rabid bull. That would be great, especially if Veronica actually tried to ride it and …” Her voice trailed off and a funny look crossed her face.

“What is it, Stevie?” Lisa demanded. She and Carole had seen that look many times before. It meant that Stevie was up to something.

“Oh, nothing,” Stevie said quickly. “Um, I was just thinking that we haven’t gotten Merrill a birthday present yet. We should find her something special, just from The Saddle Club. You wouldn’t mind if we shopped without you for a while, would you, Merrill?”

“Oh, you don’t have to get me anything,” Merrill protested, blushing. “Really, it’s too much trouble.”

“Don’t be silly,” Carole said. “It’s no trouble at all.” She had the funniest feeling that there was more on Stevie’s mind than a gift for Merrill. But for some reason, it seemed that
Stevie wanted Merrill out of the way for a while. “Why don’t you do a little window shopping?” she suggested. “After all, you’ve already found something for the Yankee Swap. We’ll meet you at the entrance in an hour.”

Merrill still looked embarrassed, but she reluctantly agreed. As The Saddle Club walked away down the mall, Lisa turned and saw Merrill heading back into the bookstore.

“Okay, Stevie, she’s gone,” she said. “Now what gives?”

Stevie smiled. “Only the perfect solution to Operation Keep Barq,” she announced.

“Really?” Carole said. “Let’s hear it.”

“Well, as I see it, the main problem is showing Merrill that she can ride and jump just as well on other horses as she can on Barq,” Stevie said. “That way she’ll see that he’s not some kind of magic horse, and she’ll want to shop around a little before she decides to buy.”

“Sure,” Carole said. “
We
all know that. The problem is that Merrill doesn’t. She has no interest in trying other horses.”

“Right. And like I said before, once Merrill has made up her mind, it’s almost impossible to talk her into changing it,” Lisa said.

Stevie was still smiling. “Right. So the solution is not to
talk
her into anything,” she said. “And that’s where my great idea comes in.…” Leaning forward, she began outlining her plan to Carole and Lisa.

A few minutes later, The Saddle Club was strolling down the mall again discussing Stevie’s idea.

“I think it’s our only hope at this point,” said Lisa. “And it just might work.”

“Might?”
Stevie repeated, pretending to be hurt.

Carole laughed. “It’s unanimous,” she said. “Stevie, you make the calls tonight, and we’ll try it tomorrow after school. I’ll get there a little early and clear it with Max. Lisa, all you have to do is show up with Merrill.”

“Got it,” said Lisa. “All right, now that that’s settled, we still have some shopping to do, and quick.” She paused. “And I’m reconsidering what I said about not telling who I picked. I vote that we all tell each other. That way this shopping project can become a Saddle Club project, and maybe we’ll actually get it done tonight.”

“Agreed,” said Carole. “I picked Joe Novick.”

Lisa sighed. “You’re lucky you got someone normal,” she said ruefully. “I got Simon Atherton.” She glanced at Stevie out of the corner of her eye, expecting her to laugh. But Stevie just looked glum.

“Who do you have, Stevie?” Carole asked.

“Vrmhmma,” Stevie mumbled.

“What?” Lisa said. “Speak up. Who do you have?”

“I said, I have Veronica,” Stevie snapped. “Just go ahead and laugh, okay?”

Carole and Lisa did. “Of all the people for you to have picked!” Carole exclaimed.

“Ha, ha,” Stevie said sarcastically. “Now stop your giggling and help me think of what to do.”

“That could take some thought,” Lisa said, still chuckling. “But I do have some ideas for Joe, Carole. Isn’t he a big soccer fan?”

Carole nodded. “I thought about getting him a soccer
book, but the only one they had was a big expensive photo book.”

“Well, there’s just one solution,” Lisa said sensibly. “Let’s try the sporting goods store.”

Moments later The Saddle Club emerged from the sporting goods store. Carole was clutching a bag that contained a World Cup soccer T-shirt. “It’s perfect,” she said happily. “Now let’s work on Simon. What do you think he would want?”

Lisa shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “I really don’t know much about what he likes to do outside of Pine Hollow.”

“I don’t either,” Carole admitted. She smiled. “I’m not even sure what he likes to do
at
Pine Hollow, other than bumble around and make a fool of himself.”

“That’s it!” Stevie exclaimed. “I know what you can get him. Remember the other day when he stumbled over, looking for a currycomb because his sister’s cat chewed on his?”

“You think I should get him a new currycomb?” Lisa asked. She shrugged. “It’s not very exciting, but I guess it could work.”

“Not just a new currycomb,” Stevie corrected with a grin. “You should get him a new currycomb
and
a cat’s chew toy!”

Carole burst out laughing. “It’s perfect!” she said.

Lisa agreed. “And the best part is, it’s personal without being too personal—if you know what I mean.”

The others did. They headed for the tack shop, The Saddlery, to purchase a currycomb. While Lisa was picking one out, Carole and Stevie wandered around the store, looking at the merchandise.

“Don’t forget, we still have to get something for Merrill, too,” Stevie said. “Maybe we can find her something in here.”

“I was thinking the same thing, actually,” Carole said. “Even if we can convince her not to take Barq, she’s going to have a horse of her own soon enough. We could get her something she’ll need. Since this is her family’s first horse, they won’t have anything.”

“Well, we can’t afford anything like a saddle or bridle, even if we all chip in,” Stevie said. “And grooming tools are okay for Simon, but they’re a little boring as a birthday gift. What else will she need?”

They thought for a minute, still walking around the shop. Carole stopped in front of a stack of stable blankets.

“Of course,” she said, calling Stevie over. “Merrill lives way up north in Maine. Her horse is going to need to keep warm, right?”

“Right,” Stevie said, reaching forward to finger the soft wool. “It’s the perfect gift.” She checked the price and groaned. “Well, who needs an allowance anyway?”

Carole laughed. “It will be worth it,” she said. “I’m sure Merrill will love it. It’s just too bad we don’t know her horse’s name—otherwise we could have it monogrammed.”

“Why don’t we monogram it with her initials?” Stevie suggested. “Then later she can add her horse’s name herself if she wants to.”

“Sounds good,” Carole said.

“What does?” Lisa asked, walking over from the cash register holding a bag.

“We’ve found the perfect gift for Merrill,” Stevie said. She showed Lisa the blankets. “Do you know what her favorite color is?”

“Blue,” Lisa said. She smiled. “What a great idea. She’ll love it. And I’m sure my parents will chip in on the cost.”

“Oh, good,” Stevie said with relief. She had been in the process of figuring out how many more weeks she would have to borrow ice cream money from Red to pay for her share of the blanket.

The girls picked out a blue blanket and carried it to the counter. They asked the cashier about monogramming and learned that it could be sent out and done overnight.

“I’m sure my mother can stop by tomorrow and pick it up for us,” Lisa said. “Do we have to pay now, or can we pay when we pick it up?”

“You need to put down a deposit now,” the cashier said. “Twenty percent.”

Digging deep into their pockets, the girls managed to come up with the necessary amount. Stevie was left with just five dollars.

“I don’t really want to spend any more than that on Veronica anyway,” she said. “This is a much better cause.”

The girls thanked the cashier and left the store.

“Now to Pretty Puppy for the second part of Simon’s gift,” Lisa said. They headed for the pet store across the aisle and found a whole shelf full of cat toys.