Best Friends (2 page)

“Hold it, Carole,” Stevie said, smiling. “We know this stuff, remember? It’s Veronica who needs that lecture!”

Carole smiled in response. “Right. Sorry,” she said. She knew a lot about horses, and she was always happy to share. The problem was that her sharing sometimes turned into a lecture. Stevie had once told her that she was inclined to give twenty-five-cent answers to nickel questions. In this case, she hadn’t even been asked anything!

Fortunately their ice cream arrived and they could change the subject to
Mmms
.

Stevie took two bites and realized something was
missing. “This needs a cherry,” she said. “And maybe some whipped cream. They don’t charge for that stuff, do they?”

“I don’t think so,” said Lisa. “You could ask.”

Stevie picked up her dish and went to the counter to negotiate an upgrade on her ice cream.

“Stevie always knows how to get the most for the least,” Lisa remarked, admiring her friend’s powers of persuasion.

Carole winced.

“What’s up?” Lisa asked.

“Oh, I don’t know,” said Carole.

“Carole!” Lisa said, genuinely concerned.

“Well, I didn’t want to upset Stevie. She’s going to do wonderfully at the CI, but I’ve got a problem. It’s Starlight’s new bridle,” said Carole.

“Starlight seemed just fine with it,” Lisa told her, confused.

“He is fine with it, but I had to spend every last penny I had on it. Now I don’t know if I’m going to be able to pay the entry fee for the CI!”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have bought the new one—” Lisa protested.

“Like I could ride in a show with a bridle held together by duct tape?” Carole reminded her.

“Oh, right, that,” said Lisa.

“And even the duct tape was getting worn out.”

“I remember,” Lisa told her. “Look, I’m sure things will
work out. It’ll be all right. I bet you’ll get some money for Christmas.”

“Not that much,” said Carole. “And Dad has told me tons of times that since he pays Starlight’s board and vet bills, all the other expenses are on me. I know that’s fair. Right now, though, it doesn’t feel fair.”

“You
can’t
not ride in the show,” said Lisa. “For one thing, it won’t be any fun if you’re not there. For another, you’re the best rider of all of us, the most likely to bring home blue ribbons. Um, not that that’s what counts.… On the other hand, blue’s a nice color.”

That made Carole smile. “You’re right. Something will work out.”

Stevie returned triumphantly, bearing a dish of newly adorned strawberry ice cream.

“How’d you do it?” Carole asked.

“I convinced the guy behind the counter that strawberry sauce on strawberry ice cream is really an extension of the ice cream itself and so it isn’t really a sundae. Once he’d bought into that idea, the chocolate sauce and the marsh-mallow fluff were a breeze!”

Halfway through Lisa’s own sundae, her pager went off. It was her mother calling.

“I’ll be right back,” she said. “Don’t anybody touch my ice cream.”

Stevie looked at Lisa’s very ordinary hot fudge on vanilla—no nuts, no whipped cream, no cherry. “No problem,” she assured her friend.

“So, when do you get the dressage test?” Carole asked. Competitors received the test they’d have to perform before the show so that they could memorize and practice it.

“I don’t know,” Stevie said. “And to tell you the truth, I really don’t even know if I can go.”

“Why not?” Carole asked, surprised to find Stevie in her own boat.

“It’s my new boots,” she said.

“You don’t have new boots,” Carole reminded her.

“I know,” said Stevie. “But I have to have new boots. My old boots don’t fit me anymore.”

“Want to borrow my old ones?” Carole asked.

“Wouldn’t do any good,” said Stevie. “I’ve grown two boot sizes, and that makes my feet
three
sizes bigger than yours. So I can either compete barefoot, or … well, you get the picture.”

“Oh no,” said Carole. “What about Christmas money?”

“You mean the eight dollars I’ve saved up to buy presents for my brothers and my parents?”

“Well, that, too,” said Carole. “I meant, what if you get money from family for Christmas?”

“Unfortunately I’m not related to Fort Knox,” said Stevie. “The boots and the show each cost about seventy-five dollars. I have enough money set aside in my special horse account for one but not the other.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Here comes Lisa. I don’t want to tell her. She’s still upset about her parents’ split; she doesn’t need anything else to worry about.”

Carole felt a twinge. She should have thought of that before she emptied her problem on Lisa. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I won’t say a thing. You shouldn’t worry, either. Something will work out. I’m sure.”

“I hope so,” said Stevie.

Just then one of the other Pine Hollow riders came over to their table. It was Joe Novick. He was licking the remains of an ice cream cone off his fingers.

“Can I ask you something, Carole?”

“Sure,” she said.

“I’ve been having trouble with Calypso,” he said. “It’s like she’s getting lazy.”

“I noticed,” Carole said. “She’s taking those short little steps all the time.”

“Any suggestions?”

Stevie hid her smile. That was the sort of question Carole loved. Did she have a suggestion? She had several.
The first was to work Calypso on a longe line, and when she got good with that, Joe should add some cavalletti.

“If you space them properly—and that’s a matter of fine judgment …”

Forty-five minutes. That’s how long Stevie was sure Carole could and would go on with Joe.

“Why don’t you
show
him what you mean?” Stevie suggested.

Carole nodded. “Good idea. Come on,” she said. Without pause, she put some money on the table to cover her ice cream and took Joe by the arm. They were out the door before Joe knew what had happened.

Stevie thought it was great that Carole had helpful answers for Joe. She just didn’t want to listen to them right then. She returned her attention to her sundae and waited for Lisa to come back from the phone.

When she returned, Lisa looked quizzically at Carole’s empty seat.

“Joe Novick needed to know about longeing and cavalletti,” Stevie said. Lisa needed no further explanation. She knew exactly where Carole would be when they went to Pine Hollow for their lesson.

“Isn’t it wonderful to have a friend who knows so much?” Lisa asked.

“Absolutely,” Stevie agreed. “But sometimes I would
rather eat ice cream than hear about proper ways of spacing cavalletti.”

“Me too,” said Lisa.

“Your mom okay?” Stevie asked.

“Yeah, but she wanted me to know that she’d be working late today. It seems like she wants every extra minute of work she can get. She’s worried about money all the time.” Lisa paused. She looked unhappy, and Stevie wasn’t surprised. Lisa’s parents’ separation was hard on her—even though she tried not to show it. Lisa swallowed. Stevie waited, wondering what was on her mind. “You know, Stevie,” she began, “I hate the idea of asking her for money to enter the CI. It’s so expensive!”

“I know,” Stevie said, dismayed for Lisa. Worrying about her parents was one thing, but it wasn’t any fun to worry about money on top of that.

“Ever since Dad left, it’s been difficult for Mom. And Dad, too.”

“And you?” Stevie asked.

Lisa sighed. “I guess,” she admitted. “Not that it would be a hardship for me to skip the show, but …”

“Don’t worry,” Stevie said, recalling Carole’s words to her. “Something will work out.”

Lisa smiled. Something
would
work out. She just didn’t see how it was going to be something good.

“I didn’t want to say anything in front of Carole,” she said. “I don’t want to complain to her about my mom and dad. After all, I’ve still got two parents.”

“Something will work out,” Stevie repeated reassuringly.

“Sure,” Lisa said, but she wasn’t sure at all. “We should probably get over to Pine Hollow before Joe suffocates under the ton of information Carole’s loading on him.”

It seemed like a good idea to Stevie. They paid and headed out the door, following their friend to the stable.

“I
T
’
S OKAY
, C
AROLE
, I’ve got the idea,” Joe was saying as Lisa and Stevie approached Pine Hollow’s indoor ring.

“Well, the angle of Calypso’s hoof should be—”

“I know. She has to lift it properly, right?”

“He needs help,” Lisa said to Stevie, recognizing a person who was filled to the bursting point with Carole’s knowledge.

“Oh, Carole! There you are!” Stevie called.

Carole looked up. She had been concentrating so deeply on the angle of Calypso’s hooves going over the cavalletti that she seemed almost surprised to see her friends at the stable.

“Yes?”

“Time to tack up Starlight for class,” Lisa told her.

Carole looked at her watch. When it came to horses—especially her own—she was all business. “We’ll finish this later,” she said to Joe.

There was a genuine look of fright on Joe’s face. “There’s—there’s more?” he stammered.

“I’m sure by now Joe’s got the idea of what he needs to do,” said Stevie.

Joe waved to her gratefully as she and Lisa ushered Carole into the stable.

The first person they saw was Veronica, strutting along the aisle, as far from her own horse’s stall as she could be.

“Shouldn’t you be tacking up Danny?” Stevie asked.

“I don’t want to hover while Red is doing his job,” she explained.

“Might break a nail,” Lisa said sarcastically.

That made Veronica look at her nails. They were perfectly polished, as always. The rest of Veronica was just as spiffy as her nails. She was always immaculately, and expensively, turned out. Her riding coat was tailored and her stock pin was eighteen-karat gold. Even a simple riding class was an opportunity for Veronica diAngelo to show off.

“You see,” Veronica said, “I need to concentrate on riding
skills, not stable skills. That’s how I’ll take all the blues at the CI.”

“Speaking of which …,” a familiar voice interrupted. It was Max. He had a way of knowing everything and being everywhere at once. “You all have received and submitted your applications, right? And class begins in ten minutes. Remember, this is a special class I’m holding for the four of you on your show skills, so be prepared to do your best, as always. Stevie, make sure your reins are smooth this time. Carole, you can’t lean so far forward over the jump the way you did in the last class. Lisa, I don’t want to see your legs flapping. And Veronica, the judges are more interested in your skills than in your clothes.”

Their heads spun as he walked away.

“Do we ever do anything right?” Lisa asked.

“Some of us do,” said Veronica, making Lisa wish she hadn’t asked the question.

“Well, at least we’ve all got our applications,” Carole said.

Lisa and Stevie nodded. Veronica paled.

“You have requested it, haven’t you?” Carole asked. There wasn’t much time left before the deadline.

“Of course I have,” she said. “I’m sure I told Daddy’s secretary to do it about a week ago. She must have done it.”

Veronica slid away, clearly not wanting to discuss the subject any further.

“I think Daddy’s secretary is about to get a piece of Veronica’s mind,” said Lisa.

“If she gives away too many pieces, she won’t have any mind left,” Stevie observed.

Lisa laughed.

“I doubt that Daddy’s secretary is working today anyway, because it’s Sunday,” said Carole.

“I’m surprised Veronica doesn’t hire someone to compete for her,” Lisa remarked. Her friends agreed.

T
EN MINUTES LATER
Max called the class to order. Stevie was the last to arrive, but she was lined up and ready to go just in the nick of time.

He began with limbering exercises for the riders and horses, having them circle the ring first at a walk, then at a trot, and then, when the horses were loose and relaxed, at a canter. He slowed them down and had them change gaits and directions several times. Then it was time for the real work to begin.

It turned out that, for The Saddle Club, the best part of the class was the warm-up, because it was the only time they weren’t making terrible mistakes.

They began with a short jump course. Carole went first.
There were five jumps set up in a simple X pattern.
Nothing to it
, Carole thought as she entered the ring. She circled once, then she and Starlight went over all five jumps smoothly, keeping an even gait and sailing easily over each one. At the end she pulled to a halt in front of Max. She was sure she hadn’t been leaning too far forward and that Max would be as pleased as she was with her performance.

“Disqualified,” he said.

“What?”

“You forgot to tip your hat to the judge before you began,” he told her.

Carole’s heart sank. What a dumb mistake! She couldn’t believe she’d done that—or rather
not
done it.

She walked her horse back to where the other riders were waiting.