Scandals, Rumors, Lies

by Jessica Burkhart

  Julia cantered her to the other side of the arena. She patted Trix’s neck, but frowned. I’d seen this superintense side of Julia before. If she didn’t rein it in she’d get overstressed and mess up at YENT trials—I just knew it.

  “Alison,” Mr. Conner called. “Go ahead.”

  Out of all of the horses, I adored watching Alison’s palomino Arabian move. Sunstruck almost seemed to dance across the arena. His slender legs moved as if he was dancing. Alison, the quietest of the Trio, was the perfect match for her hot-blooded horse. She had the ability to almost predict his spooks and calm him when he became flighty. The seventeen-hand high gelding trusted Alison, and it showed. Not many riders at Canterwood would be able to keep him calm, much less ride him well.

  Alison let Sunstruck into a floating trot that moved into a canter. His hoofbeats were barely audible as they hit the dirt arena. Sunstruck and Alison approached the center of the arena. And, just like the two riders before her, Alison pulled off a beautiful flying lead change.

  I started away from the area before Callie, Julia, and Alison knew I’d been watching their lesson. There was no rule that I couldn’t, but I understood that they’d want privacy when doing such an important practice. I knew I would.

  As I walked back toward Orchard, I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jacket. All three girls were amazing riders. But I had a gut feeling who would make the YENT. I just knew.

  NOW OR NEVER

  “READY TO GO, SASH?” BRIT ASKED.

  “One sec,” I said, heading for my nightstand. “Need my phone.”

  Brit and I were dressed in regular clothes—not riding clothes—and it felt weird to be on our way to the stable in jeans and sneakers instead of our gear. But we weren’t riding. We were going to watch. And after testing, I’d be back in our room to get ready for my date with Jacob. Thankfully, there was YENT testing to watch other-wise I’d be counting the seconds till seven when Jacob was picking me up.

  Wednesday was finally here and in minutes, Callie, Julia, and Alison were going to be in the arena in front of Mr. Nicholson. Callie had already experienced riding in front of him and had been distracted by Jacob. He’d been dating her then and Callie had lost focus in the weeks before testing—not practicing or focusing on work that needed to be done with Jack. But after what I’d seen yesterday, I knew she was ready.

  Unfortunately for my ex–best friend, so were Julia and Alison. I’d texted them an hour ago to say good luck. Alison had written back THANK YOU!! and I hadn’t heard from Julia. Not that I’d expected to—she’d probably already been practicing or had her phone turned off.

  Brit and I left Orchard, heading for the stables. There was a cool breeze in the air and I wrapped sweater-clad arms across my chest. Brit shivered and zipped her PINK hoodie with a white heart on the back.

  “I remember exactly how I felt before my YENT test,” Brit said. “I was freaking out. Mr. Nicholson and the rest of the scouts were so nice, but I couldn’t stop being nervous.”

  “How many riders were testing with you?” I asked.

  “Six,” Brit said. “And we already had one YENT rider in my grade, so I thought my chances were really slim.”

  The wind blew strands of hair out of my ponytail and they stuck in my Urban Decay XXX Shine gloss.

  “Well, you obviously did a great job,” I said. “Because you made the team.”

  Brit, modest, shrugged. “I did the best I could and I guess it was enough for Mr. Nicholson. He told me the next day that I made the team and, oh my God, it was so embarrassing.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I started crying!” Brit laughed, covering her face. “Seriously embarrassing.”

  We laughed together as we walked down the sloped hill to the stables. Students were everywhere. Everyone wanted to watch YENT tryouts, even though Mr. Conner had already posted a note that anyone who wasn’t already on the YENT couldn’t watch from inside the arena. They’d have to watch in the stands by the outdoor arena for the jumping round. No one but YENT judges were allowed on the cross-country course.

  I flashed back to my YENT tryout with Callie, Jasmine, and Heather. My parents and Eric had been in the stands cheering me on. Jacob had been there too, cheering on Callie—or so I thought. But he’d really been there for me. Charm and I had sweated our way through dressage, raced over the cross-country course, and jumped through a good round in the arena.

  It felt so weird to be going to sit in the indoor skybox to watch the dressage round. It felt like I should be the one who was being tested. Half the time, I still didn’t believe I was on the YENT.

  Brit and I walked through the back entrance of the indoor arena and up the stairs to the skybox.

  “I’m nervous and I’m not even riding,” Brit said.

  “I know, me too.”

  We opened the door and Heather was already seated. Mr. and Mrs. Harper, Mr. Robb and Mr. and Mrs. Myer were all in the front row, peering down at their daughters. Alison had said Mrs. Robb had the flu, and I didn’t see her there. Callie’s parents looked up at me and gave me a brief smile. They’d been nice whenever I’d met them, but Callie had obviously told them about our nonexistent friendship. I gave them a polite smile back.

  Brit and I took a seat next to Heather, whose eyes followed two-thirds of the Trio warming up in the arena.

  “How does everyone look?” I asked her.

  “Good,” Heather said, her eyes not leaving the arena. “Sunstruck was a little jumpy at the beginning of the warm-up, but Alison anticipated that. She started working him early to wear him down a little.”

  “And Julia?” Brit asked.

  I looked at Heather’s lap, noting that her hands were clasped together and her knuckles were almost white. Testing hadn’t even started yet.

  “Julia’s tight,” Heather said, keeping her voice low. She probably didn’t want any of the parents to hear. “She’s got to relax. I told her before that she needed to chill or she was going to make Trix nervous. There are only a few minutes of warm-up left, so I hope she calms down by then.”

  I settled my gaze on Callie and Black Jack. Callie’s boots gleamed against white breeches. She wore her best black show jacket and a white collared shirt. Black Jack looked just as put together—his shiny trimmed coat made him look supersleek and his movements were loose.

  “How’s—” I started to ask.

  “Callie’s amazing,” Heather said, knowing what I wanted to ask. “She’s been cool the entire warm-up. I was grooming Aristocrat when she got here and she tacked up Black Jack outside Aristocrat’s stall. You couldn’t even tell she was testing today by watching her.”

  But I knew Callie. This day—the next few hours—meant everything to her. It was her chance to reclaim what she really did deserve—a spot on the YENT with Brit, Heather, and me. My stomach tightened and I took a deep breath, wondering if I’d done the right thing this afternoon.

  All through today’s classes, which had been let out early for YENT testers, I’d thought about contacting Callie. Texting or e-mailing to say good luck. During Ms. Utz’s math class, I’d even thought about talking to her before testing to wish her good luck.

  But I hadn’t. I’d been too worried that approaching her might make her upset and throw her off her game before testing. I didn’t want to take any chance at ruining this for her. I was sure some of her friends from Orchard and the stable had been there to give her a pep talk before her ride. Looking down at her and the way she handled Jack, it looked as if I’d done the right thing.

  The arena’s main door opened and Mr. Conner ushered Mr. Nicholson and two other scouts inside. They took seats along the arena wall, clipboards in hand, prepared to watch the three advanced riders. The dressage markers were in place and the arena was raked clean and smooth aside from the hoof prints where the girls had been warming up.

  “Callie’s definitely got the edge in dressage,” I whispered to Brit. “You’ve seen her. She’s amazing.”

  Brit
nodded. “She’s so precise. I learn something every time I watch her.”

  Mr. Conner motioned for Callie, Julia, and Alison to come to him in the center of the arena. The three girls rode their horses toward him, stopping them in a line before him.

  I gripped the sides of my chair. It was time.

  “Julia, Callie, Alison,” Mr. Conner said. “Thank you all for coming. Please give a nod to the Youth Equestrian National Team Scouts who have traveled here today to watch you ride.”

  The girls dipped their heads and the scouts reciprocated.

  Mr. Conner turned his head toward the skybox. “And to those of you watching, I am pleased to see you here. I ask that you remain silent during testing.”

  Mr. Conner smiled at the riders, probably trying to get them to relax. “By random drawing, the order for dressage has been selected. Alison, you’re up first. Followed by Callie and then Julia.”

  The three girls nodded.

  “Not good for Julia,” Heather whispered to Brit and me. “She’s only going to get more nervous.”

  “I hope not,” I said. Julia wasn’t my favorite person, but I knew what testing felt like. The stress level was insane and it wasn’t fun to go last and have to watch the competition before you. Unless they tanked.

  “It could go to her advantage if Callie and Alison don’t ride well, though,” Brit said.

  It was almost as if she read my mind.

  Heather shot her a look. “And do you really think the odds of that are high?”

  Brit pressed her Too Faced glossed lips together. She knew Heather was right. We both did.

  Callie and Julia rode off to the side of the arena, stopping Jack and Trix to face the arena.

  The girls had memorized their tests before today—I’d seen them practicing—so Mr. Conner wouldn’t be calling out instructions. It would score them extra points with the judges for memorizing the tests.

  Alison rode into the arena at a working trot, halted, and saluted the judges. I took a deep breath. Even though my start at Canterwood had been rocky with Alison, I didn’t want her to mess up. She’d been the first of the Trio to make an effort to be friendly toward me.

  Sunstruck’s pale ears flicked back and forth—he was nervous. Alison knew him well enough to know he needed an extra second before they started. Instead of starting immediately, she waited, letting him settle. It made me feel that she was less nervous if she took her time instead of feeling pressured to start right away because the judges were watching.

  After a few more seconds, Alison urged Sunstruck back into an extended trot and his long legs carried him across the arena. His espresso-colored saddle and bridle gleamed. Alison must have spent hours cleaning his tack and it made them look like a more professional pair, if that was even possible. Alison’s attire was flawless and her crisp white shirt made her look like the perfect YENT candidate.

  She guided Sunstruck toward the next marker and they switched to a working trot. Alison’s posture was relaxed as she turned Sunstruck into a twenty meter circle. His curved body was beautiful to watch. He looked looser than he ever had over the past few weeks—a direct result of the hours Alison had worked with him.

  As I watched Alison, I thought back over the past couple of weeks of practicing that she and Julia had done. Heather had offered to help both girls, but Alison had been the only one to say yes. Julia had acted as if her own practice sessions were some big secret. She’d ridden by herself most of the time and had spent looong hours in the indoor and outdoor arenas. It was weird that she’d been so unwilling to ride with Alison, especially since they’d always been inseparable.

  But the YENT changed people.

  Alison eased Sunstruck out of the circle and they made a smooth transition into a working canter. The gelding seemed to have gotten over his nerves and he was listening to every cue Alison gave him, but still looked fresh and not robotic as if he’d done the routine a zillion times.

  I wondered if Julia’s routine would look like the last one she’d done late yesterday evening. Trix had seemed bored with the movements—likely from over practicing. She and Heather had gotten into arguments about it when Heather had tried to remind her about the difference between working hard and working too much. I’d excused myself from the arena when Julia had snapped at Heather.

  That was something you didn’t do unless you wanted to be tortured by the Canterwood Queen. Charm and I had been halfway down the aisle before red-faced Heather had responded.

  I shuddered, my attention back on Alison, because I couldn’t even imagine the verbal smackdown Heather had given Julia.

  Alison finished a couple more circles, only slightly off on one, and headed at a trot back to the center of the arena down the center line. She slowed Sunstruck to a free walk and he seemed to sense they were almost done. An extra spring made him almost bouncy. Alison halted him at X, saluted, and the test was over.

  Heather, Brit, and I looked at each other.

  “Amazing!” I whispered.

  “She deserved that ride,” Heather said.

  Brit nodded, looking back and forth from us to Alison and Sunstruck. “They both looked great. I’m really happy for her. She deserves a great score for that test.”

  I looked back at Mr. Robb and he was half out of his chair as if he wanted to clap and cheer for Alison but knew he couldn’t. The smile on his face said everything—he couldn’t have looked more proud of his daughter. His smile made lines around his eyes crinkle. And even though all three girls were competitors, Mr. and Mrs. Harper and Julia’s parents all turned to Mr. Robb and whispered congratulations to him on Alison’s ride.

  Alison joined Julia at the sidelines with the biggest smile on her face I’d ever seen. Callie held up her palm and the girls did a quiet high five. Alison, still grinning, looked at Julia. But Julia looked way less than thrilled. She gave Alison a tight half smile, then stared straight ahead. Alison’s smile disappeared and even from the skybox, I could see her shrink down in the saddle.

  Brit and I looked at each other.

  “Whoa,” Brit mouthed.

  I shook my head.

  Unbelievable. Yeah, it was Julia and YENT testing was superstressful, but Alison was her friend. Julia had just treated her like a competitor. That’s when riding stopped being fun.

  Mr. Conner motioned to Callie, signaling her to start whenever she was ready. Callie didn’t need another minute to collect herself—she was ready this time. I could tell by the look on her face. When she stopped in the center of the arena and saluted, I knew her ride was going to be amazing.

  And I wasn’t wrong.

  The test seemed to be over in seconds. Callie and Jack hadn’t missed a step. When Callie was this focused, there was no stopping her. Even though we weren’t best friends anymore, I still wished I could tell her what I thought of her ride. But I was still afraid of throwing her off when she still had two more rounds of testing.

  Callie, patting Jack’s neck, rode him over to Julia and Alison. Alison smiled at her and both girls were visibly relaxed now that one test was over. I’d wanted to see them both ride, but the test I’d been waiting for was seconds away.

  Julia’s.

  Brit, Heather, and I were silent—not taking our eyes off Julia. She had the reins tight in her hands and Trix’s neck was bowed from the pressure. Even though the bay mare had been stationary while Alison and Julia had tested, her bay chest had darkened from sweat. She’d been calm until Julia had become more and more tense.

  Julia put the reins in her left hand, giving Trix a little reprieve, and brushed at her jacket and breeches as if she was swatting away a bug.

  If she didn’t calm down, this was not going to go well.

  Mr. Conner waited for Mr. Nicholson and the other scouts to finish scribbling notes about Callie and Jack before he motioned Julia forward.

  Julia, not wasting a second, asked Trix to move forward. The mare jumped as if she’d been stung by a bee and trotted quickly to X. Julia halted, di
d a fast salute to the scouts and Mr. Conner, then started her round.

  Her posture toward the first marker was stiff and she kept Trix on an unnecessarily tight rein. Trix’s movements to the first marker were tense—probably in response to the pressure from Julia. Glancing over, I caught Heather rubbing her right temple. Julia had to loosen up. Like, right NOW.

  Trix and Julia moved to the next marker and, almost as if she’d heard my thoughts through ESP, Julia’s body started to relax. Her shoulders dropped, she loosed her legs from the grip they’d had on Trix’s sides, and she seemed to breathe again. In return, Trix responded and began to move like the well-trained horse she was.

  Heather let out a not-so-quiet breath. This was the type of ride Julia needed. The type of ride that could get her onto the YENT. Brit, Heather, and I watched from our spot in the skybox as Julia and Trix kept up the beautiful steps from marker to marker.

  Minutes later, a very different Julia and a calm Trix rode down the center of the arena, came to a smooth stop and Julia saluted.

  She rode back to Alison and Callie on the side of the arena, easing Trix beside Sunstruck. Callie and Alison both smiled at Julia—not being influenced by the way she’d acted before her ride. Julia smiled, but there was still a narrowed look in her eyes. I wondered if she was unhappy about some part of her ride or if she was thinking that show jumping and cross-country were still left.

  Mr. Conner stepped back into the center of the arena.

  “Thank you all for your hard work,” he said. “I appreciate your effort. You all have the next half hour to yourselves before you need to head to the outdoor arena. We’ll start the show jumping round then.”

  The girls nodded once, then dismounted at Mr. Conner’s gesture. Single file, they led their horses out of the arena.

  The parents left the skybox, eager to get to their daughters. Heather, Brit, and I waited, letting them out first.

  It was so time to break down what we’d just seen.

  “Julia kept Trix at even pace,” Brit said. “But I’m worried about her bad start. I don’t know if the scouts will look past that or not.”