Carole (27 page)

“Not exactly,” Lisa said. “It turns out that the judges for the schooling show are going to be there watching.”

“You’re kidding. Isn’t that illegal or something?” Stevie asked.

Lisa shrugged. “Normally it would be kind of questionable, but since it’s only a schooling show, it doesn’t matter. They can even give us advice and help us out with problems. And it gives them a chance to get to know the lay of the land at Pine Hollow.”

I was excited at the news, especially since Starlight had done so well on Saturday. “I think that’s great,” I said. “We’ll have two chances to ride well for them, instead of one.”

“How did you find out the judges were coming?” Stevie asked Lisa.

Lisa explained that she’d gone to Pine Hollow early Sunday morning to put in some extra jumping practice with Prancer, and she’d run into Max. Stevie and I were a little surprised at that. Not the running-into-Max part, of course. The part about Lisa practicing on Sunday. She hadn’t mentioned it until then.

“I wasn’t trying to be secretive about it,” she explained. “But I did like the idea of working on my own for a while.”

“I understand,” I told her. “Sometimes it’s better to work with just your horse, with no one else around. I love schooling Starlight by myself.”

“That was my plan, anyway,” Lisa went on. “It turned out to be mostly a waste of time, because about fifteen minutes after I got here, who shows up but Veronica.”

That was really a surprise. At first we could hardly believe it—Veronica diAngelo, putting in extra practice time?—but when Lisa started telling us how much Veronica had been
showing off in front of her, being totally condescending and annoying, we knew it was true.

“Basically,” Lisa said, “she told me that if I worked hard for about a hundred years I might be good enough to kiss her feet.”

I had to laugh at that. Stevie laughed, too. But as we kept talking about Veronica, it became all too clear that Stevie was more annoyed than amused by Veronica’s attitude. She really wants to beat her. Veronica has always been able to rub Stevie the wrong way (even more than the rest of us, I mean), and it seemed to be happening again.

And class today didn’t help that situation one bit. Stevie and Veronica sniped at each other a couple of times when Max wasn’t listening. And then after class, Stevie sort of grimly suggested we get together tomorrow afternoon for an extra practice. “If Veronica shows up,” she added, “we can scare her off with our great equitation over fences. Okay?”

Wait a minute. This entry started off talking about riding. How did it end up talking about Stevie’s endless feud with Veronica???

What a weird day! I’m so worried about both of my friends, and I’m not really sure how to help either of them.

I guess Lisa’s problem is a little easier, since at least I have some idea what the problem is there. But Stevie … I’m still feeling confused about that, especially after what just happened at TD’s.

Today’s Horse Wise meeting started out well. Everybody worked hard to groom their horses (and themselves) for the judges, and everybody looked great. Stevie, especially, looked fantastic. She’d arrived early to get Belle ready, and it showed.

First, Max asked us to line up with our horses so that the judges could walk around and meet all of us and familiarize themselves with the horses. The judges seemed very nice, and I was proud of Starlight for behaving so well.

Then, after that was over, we gathered at one end of the ring and waited to get started. All except Veronica, that is. She remained right in the middle of the ring, deep in an especially animated conversation with one of the judges.

“Look at her!” Stevie whispered fiercely. “She’s trying to get on that judge’s good side. Not that it’s a surprise, considering it’s Veronica, but she could at least be a little less obvious about it!”

Then Max happened by and mentioned that Veronica and the judge, Mrs. Gorham, know each other. Mrs. Gorham belongs to Mrs. diAngelo’s bridge club.

It was right after that that it happened. The judges gave the order for us all to mount. Everyone quieted down, except for Veronica, who was still talking with Mrs. Gorham.

Finally she started to mount, too. Veronica put her foot in Garnet’s stirrup, grabbed the pommel, and started to hoist herself up. But a second or two after her right foot left the ground and she started to swing it up over Garnet’s rump, Veronica let out a wild, terrified shriek and tumbled hard to the ground. Then she started to cry hysterically. There was a
huge rip all the way up one side of her breeches, and her chin was bleeding.

We all turned to watch, stunned. Mrs. Reg rushed over to help Veronica while Max rounded up Garnet, who had panicked and taken off. By the time he got back to her, Veronica was sitting up, holding her bloody chin.

“What happened?” Mrs. Reg asked her.

“I c-cut my chin when I fell,” Veronica wailed. “I think I b-banged it on the stirrup iron.”

“Her stirrup leather just broke in two!” Mrs. Gorham said in a shocked voice.

Max raised his eyebrows at that. Stirrup leathers generally don’t just snap in two—
if
you take care of your tack, which Veronica rarely does. I was sure Max was embarrassed to have the visiting judges see that one of his riders was so careless about routine safety.

“Imagine not noticing a worn-out stirrup leather,” one of the other judges commented.

“It is odd,” another said, “especially in a group of horses that are so well turned out.”

I was still watching Max, feeling bad for him. But Stevie was focused on Veronica. “She would never notice what shape her tack is in,” she whispered to Lisa and me. “She hardly ever even puts on her own saddle. Today she even asked me to tighten her girth for her!”

Eventually Mrs. Reg got Veronica calmed down. Her cut didn’t seem to be too serious, but it was still bleeding. Mrs. Reg decided to send her off to the hospital, just in case. First, though, Max reminded Veronica that the stable policy is
that no matter why somebody falls off a horse, they have to get back on if they are physically able.

“You don’t have to ride very far,” he assured her. “Just a few steps.”

“I’ll t-try,” she blubbered. “B-but how am I s-supposed to get on without a s-stirrup leather?”

“Oh, please!” Stevie muttered. “Anybody should be able to get on without a stirrup. What if you were out in the woods and something broke? What would you do then, hang around waiting for your groom to show up and hoist you on?”

Despite what had happened, I couldn’t help giggling at the image of Veronica hopping around in the woods, screaming for Red to give her a leg up. Lisa giggled, too, and so did Stevie.

But we noticed a few of the other riders shooting us dirty looks, so we did our best to quiet down. I guess people didn’t think it was appropriate to laugh at a time like that, which is probably true.

Max told Veronica he would give her a leg up. First, though, he wanted to remove the broken leather so that it wouldn’t be in the way. He lifted the skirt of the saddle and pulled it out. Then he peered at the leather carefully.

I edged Starlight closer and peeked over his shoulder. I could see why he was taking a closer look. The leather didn’t look worn at all. In fact, it seemed practically brand new.

Max held up the leather, looking angry. I gasped as I realized what had happened. The leather hadn’t just ripped. It had been deliberately cut!

“Of all the dirty tricks to pull!” Max exclaimed. His next
words were hard and icy. “I would like to know who, in my stable, could have done a thing like this.”

At his words, everyone turned—and looked straight at Stevie. Her rivalry with Veronica isn’t exactly a secret.

Meanwhile, Veronica started shrieking more loudly than ever. “This is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me!” she screeched. “Who could have done this to me? Why me? Why me?”

Finally Mrs. Reg dragged her off to the emergency room. I guess she and Max decided that making Veronica ride when she was so hysterical wasn’t worth it. Max sent Polly and Simon to put Garnet away. As Veronica left, our classmates called out how sorry they were and stuff like that. Most of them also shot dirty looks at Stevie.

I felt awkward. I glanced at Lisa, who looked equally uncomfortable. But somehow, I didn’t feel like saying anything to anyone just then, not even her. And certainly not to Stevie. She was sitting in Belle’s saddle, staring straight ahead and ignoring everyone. Her expression was defiant.

As soon as Veronica was gone, Max started the class. It didn’t go particularly well—most of us were a little sluggish and distracted. I know I was. Starlight got over the course well enough, but he didn’t seem to enjoy it like he usually does.

Lisa had even more trouble than the rest of us. Prancer refused the first fence—twice. And when she finally made it over on the third try, the rest of the course was messy, with lots of mistakes.

I could tell Lisa was angry with herself afterward. But she
rushed off, not seeming to want to talk it over, so I left her alone.

After the meeting was over, as I was grooming Starlight, I debated with myself. I wondered if I should come right out and say, “Listen, Lisa, it’s obvious you’re having problems with Prancer, but I
know
you can fix them by next weekend.” And what about Stevie? So far she hadn’t said anything about the fact that everyone thought she was the one who’d sabotaged Veronica. Should I bring it up?

I decided the answer to the Lisa question was to keep quiet, at least for now. If she wanted my help, she knew she could ask for it.

Then I turned my attention back to Stevie’s problem. It sort of annoyed me how quickly everyone had assumed that Stevie was guilty. Of course, Stevie’s rivalry with Veronica had been escalating all week. Everyone had probably overheard at least one of the insulting remarks Stevie’s made about her lately.

But I
know
Stevie. I know she wouldn’t pull such a dangerous prank, no matter what. But then who had done it?

I decided it was time for a Saddle Club meeting. Maybe if we put our heads together, the three of us could get to the bottom of it. I found Lisa and Stevie and we headed outside.

Bad timing. As we reached the driveway, we saw the Pine Hollow station wagon returning from the hospital. Veronica emerged, wearing a bulky bandage on her chin.

She was immediately surrounded. Mrs. Gorham and a bunch of people from class flocked around her asking how she was feeling.

Veronica shakily explained that she wasn’t sure she’d be able to jump next weekend, but she wanted to get back on a horse today. Everyone seemed terribly impressed with her bravery. I couldn’t help thinking that she probably loved being the center of attention. But I felt bad for her, too. Missing the schooling show would be tough for anyone, even Veronica.

When I looked over at Lisa, her face was sympathetic, too. But Stevie’s face was hard. “What are you guys looking at?” she demanded, noticing that Lisa and I were glancing at her. “Do you honestly think I care whether she rides next weekend?”

“Stevie,” I said timidly, “aren’t you at all sorry for her?”

“Hardly.” Stevie’s face was flushed. “How can I be? Veronica’s blaming me for cutting her stirrup leather. I had nothing to do with it. So why should I pretend to care who did?”

I didn’t have an answer to that. A few minutes later, we continued on to TD’s. Some of the other riders from Pine Hollow were there, too, and they kept staring at Stevie. She did her best to ignore them, but even I couldn’t help feeling a little like a criminal under their accusing stares. I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, and I was sure Stevie hadn’t, either.

When Stevie got up to go to the ladies’ room, Lisa and I held a quick consultation. Just like me, she really wants to believe that Stevie is innocent.

“We have to look at the evidence, though,” she reminded me. “Stevie
is
the world’s biggest practical joker.”

“But isn’t slashing someone’s stirrup leathers a bit more than a practical joke?” I pointed out.

“Maybe she figured Veronica would see it right away,” Lisa reasoned. “Or that the judges would find it and criticize Veronica during her inspection. Then Veronica would either have had to admit that she didn’t clean her own tack, or she’d have had to take the blame for missing such an obvious problem.”

I hated to admit it, but she had a point. “It was just a fluke that the judges didn’t inspect us more carefully,” I admitted. “If they had, we all would have thought it served Veronica right.”

We continued to discuss it. I felt terrible—as if we were putting our friend on trial without her even knowing it. Lisa and I couldn’t even touch our ice cream when the waitress brought it.

When Stevie returned, she grabbed her spoon. “Let’s dig in!” she said enthusiastically.

Then she caught our eyes. I guess we’re not too good at hiding our feelings, because she set her spoon down again with a clatter, suddenly looking very upset.

“Listen, you guys,” she began, her voice quavering.

Just then, Veronica entered the restaurant. She stood in the doorway, scanning the crowded tables. The look on her face made my stomach flip nervously. It was obvious that she hadn’t come in because of a hot-fudge craving. She had come to make Stevie pay.

She marched over to our table and took a deep breath. I cringed, waiting for her to erupt.

But before she could say a word, Stevie sprang up. She looked Veronica straight in the eye. When she spoke, her
voice was perfectly calm. “You are going to be very sorry if you make any kind of accusation about anything at all,” she said loudly enough for the whole restaurant to hear. “In case you’ve forgotten, my mother and father are lawyers. If you start telling stories about me, I’ll slap a lawsuit on you so fast you’ll wish you lived in Abu Dhabi!”

Veronica glared at her, but she backed down. A moment later, she had swept out of TD’s again.

Stevie sat down. “Well, that might have kept her from talking, but it sure didn’t make her change her mind about me. I know she still thinks I did it.” Then she saw Lisa and me staring at her silently. I guess our questions about the whole incident must have showed in our eyes, because her face immediately lost its angry look. Tears gathered in her eyes, and she stood up again quickly. “I can take anything from Veronica,” she said in a choked voice, “but I can’t stand my two best friends in the world doubting me!”