“You can go first,” I said.
Eric nodded. “Works for me.” He took a breath and let Luna into a trot. A few strides later, she broke into a canter. Eric circled Luna before lining her up with the first three-foot vertical. Luna jumped easily over the red and white poles and Eric sat quietly in the saddle. Four strides later, Luna left the ground and hopped another vertical. Eric wobbled on the landing and his hands slid up her neck.
“C’mon,” I whispered.
But Eric didn’t recover in time. Luna reached the first half of a combination and took off a second too late. She tucked her forelegs under her body and her back hooves barely missed the top rail. Eric didn’t have time to correct her before the second half of the combo. Luna was late again as she went into the air and she didn’t tuck her forelegs enough. Her knees knocked the rail and it tumbled to the ground.
Eric collected Luna and got her over three more verticals and the final jump—an oxer—without another problem. Eric patted Luna’s neck as he rode her over—the disappointment showed on his face.
“It’s okay,” I said. “Her timing was off, but that happens.”
Eric halted Luna, nodding. But I noticed that he didn’t say anything.
“Don’t even worry about it,” I said.
Eric smiled half-heartedly. “Your turn.”
I settled into the saddle and let Charm into a canter. His even strides got us to the first vertical in seconds and Charm floated over the jump, landing softly on the other side. I pointed him at the next vertical, which was a few inches higher, and let him speed up enough to make it over. Charm, invigorated by the jump, tossed his head and sent his mane flying. Learning from Eric’s mistake, I did a half halt and Charm flicked an ear back at me.
Three, two, one, and now! I got into the two-point position and Charm leaped into the air, the black rails flashing beneath us. My eyes were already on the second half of the obstacle before we even landed. When Charm hit the ground, I sank my weight into my heels and tried to keep Charm from rushing to the next jump. Two strides later, he rocked back on his haunches and propelled over the second half of the combo. He didn’t come close to nicking the rail.
Charm eased into the turn and I gave him rein to let him increase his speed a notch before the next vertical. But Charm’s ears went forward and he slowed, tossing his mane playfully. I squeezed the reins and tightened my legs against his sides. Charm took four strides at a lazy pace before listening to me and focusing. He cleared the next three verticals and soared over the spread on the oxer without a problem.
I rode him back to Eric, shaking my head. “He stopped paying attention,” I said. “Usually, I have to hold him back when we’re on a course.”
Eric looked at Charm, thinking. “Do you think he got bored in between jumps? Maybe work on keeping his attention, especially on longer turns and stretches with no jumps so that he doesn’t lose interest and then scramble when he realizes there are more jumps.”
“You’re totally right,” I said. “Good idea.”
We let the horses walk out of the arena and I turned in the saddle to look at Eric. “I feel bad even asking you this, but would it be cool if we went to work at the creek instead of doing the cross-country course?”
“Why would you feel bad about that?” Eric asked. “It’s a few days before the YENT—of course you want to practice as much as you can. We can do cross-country anytime. Let’s go.”
“Thanks.” I said.
We walked the horses side by side down the dirt path through the woods. I let Charm wander on a loose rein and kicked my feet out of the stirrups, enjoying the quiet of the woods.
“This weekend’s going to be crazy,” I said.
Eric nodded. “Packing to go home and attempting to keep my parents from doing anything embarrassing while they’re here.”
“Ugh, don’t say ‘packing.’ Paige and I have been doing that all week. Her stuff is in neat containers and mine is shoved into boxes and spilling everywhere.”
Eric laughed. “So Sasha.”
“When are your parents coming?” I guided Charm away from a patch of grass he was eyeing as he walked by.
“Sunday morning. I’ll show them around campus— we didn’t have much time to tour when I transferred, so they’ll like that.”
I considered asking Eric if he wanted to meet my parents. But I decided I’d wait for Paige’s opinion before I pulled the trigger on that one.
We walked the horses closer to the creek. “Okay, I’m going to try to get Charm to go through the water,” I said. “Will you pony us over if I can’t get him to go?”
“Sure,” Eric said.
I circled Charm away from the creek, then urged him into a trot. Charm trotted to the bank, slowed at the incline, and started to weave. I squeezed with both legs and tapped him with my heels. Hesitating, he started to lean back to slide to a stop. I deepened my seat and tried to push him forward. Charm shuddered, then bounded into the creek. Water splashed up his legs and I gripped with my knees to stay in the saddle. Charm plowed through the water, eager to get through it.
In two strides, Charm was out of the creek and scrambling up the bank. “Good boy!” I said, patting his neck.
“That was great!” Eric cheered.
Eric urged Luna through the creek and she barely made a splash.
“Show-off,” I said, sticking out my tongue.
Eric reached over to squeeze my hand as we walked Charm and Luna through the woods.
After our ride we groomed and cooled the horses. Eric left for Blackwell and I walked back to Winchester. I went through the courtyard, lost in my own thoughts about the YENT, Eric, and what the summer would bring.
“Sasha?”
Jacob walked toward me, carrying a giant plastic cup of soda and a bag of Doritos.
“Marathon studying session food?”
Jacob nodded. “Absolutely. I want to go to a videogame tournament this summer in Boston and there’s no way my parents will let me go if I don’t get good grades.”
“I’m sure you will,” I said. “Are they picking you up Sunday?”
“Yeah. When do your parents get here?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. I was thinking about…”
Oh, no. Did not want to talk to Jacob about this.
“About what?”
But it was too late and I was the worst liar.
“Oh, uh, just maybe inviting Eric to lunch with them. With my, um, parents. I haven’t decided.”
Jacob shook his head. “Wow. It must be superserious if you’re taking that step.”
“It isn’t that big of a deal,” I said. Was it? And even if it was, why was I trying to convince Jacob about anything?
“You haven’t been going out that long,” he said.
“Oh. Yeah… I guess.” How long was I supposed to wait?
Jacob shrugged and took a drink. “It just seems fast. Like it might freak out a guy to meet his girlfriend’s parents so soon. But do whatever you want, obviously. Whatever. I’ve got to go.”
I nodded, dazed. “Okay. Bye.”
I hadn’t even thought about how it would make Eric feel to meet my parents. We really hadn’t been dating that long—maybe it would make him nervous.
26
LOOK WHO CAME TO LUNCH
“WE’RE SO DONE!” I CHEERED. IT WAS JUST after ten on Friday morning. Seventh grade was officially over.
“I know!” Paige said. We practically skipped out of the history building. “See ya, seventh grade!”
“Finals are done. No more tests. Or essays. Or homework. Or projects. Or anything school-related, all summer. Omigod.” I shifted the pile of books and papers in my arms.
Paige shook her head as we walked down the cobblestone path and under the archway and started toward Winchester. “I can’t even believe it. I’m in shock. We’re going to be eighth graders next year!”
“That sounds so much older,” I said. I took a deep breath and looked up the sky, enjoying t
he gold warmth of the sun on my face.
“Totally.”
We laughed, but my smile slipped when I saw Jasmine and the Belles walking in our direction. The girls stopped and looked at Paige and me.
“Sasha,” Violet said, fake smiling. “Ready for summer?”
I nodded, not having anything to say to Violet. When I kept walking away, Violet held up her hand. Brianna, Georgia, and Jasmine blocked the sidewalk behind her.
Violet ran a French-manicured hand through her light brown hair. “So, what are you doing this summer?”
“Riding at YENT camp,” I answered.
The Belles and Jasmine burst into laughter. Paige and I glared at them.
“Or,” Jasmine said. “You could tell the truth. You know, how you’re going back to Union where you’ll ride Charm in circles in a tiny pen for three months.”
Georgia smirked. “Why so glum? Isn’t that what you’re accustomed to?”
I stepped off the sidewalk and into the grass, staring straight ahead as Paige walked alongside me. I could have made a comment how none of the Belles had even been asked to try out for the YENT, but it wasn’t worth it.
“Don’t listen to them,” Paige said. “We know you’re going to make it.”
“I don’t care what they think,” I said. “I’m not going back to Union.”
“Good. Because you don’t have time to worry about them. You’ve got to get ready for your parents.”
Inside our room I stepped around boxes, plastic trunks, and suitcases. I was mostly packed except for the clothes I needed for today and tomorrow.
We changed into jeans and T-shirts and started emptying everything but the essentials from our bathroom drawers and closets. I grabbed my stack of DVDs off the TV stand and walked over to Paige.
“Here,” I said, holding them out. “You can give them back this fall.”
Paige’s eyes landed on the DVDs. “Sasha, no way. I can’t take those. My mom won’t let me watch anything that’s not on PBS, you know that.”
Ignoring Paige, I opened her suitcase and started layering the DVDs between her clothes. “You’re taking them. And watch them in your room on your laptop or something. You need City Girls, Paige. Don’t argue.”
Paige clutched one of the DVDs to her chest. “Okay, okay. I would have died if I hadn’t been able to watch that episode where Josh finally kissed Ara.”
My phone buzzed.
Dad and I are waiting in the parking lot!
I put my phone back in my pocket. “They’re here. My last moments of freedom.” I sighed dramatically and Paige giggled.
“Oh, go already,” she teased, waving me out the door.
“Sasha!” Mom called from the parking lot. She waved and clutched Dad’s arm. Dad, beside her, held up his camera and started snapping photos.
“Dad! You promised—”
He put his camera down so I could hug him with one arm and Mom with the other.
“We missed you, honey,” Mom said. She ran her hand over my hair.
“I missed you guys too,” I said. “But soon, you’ll be stuck with me. For just a little while, hopefully.”
“We’ll take as much time as we can get,” Dad said. A gurgle came from his stomach and he put a hand over it.
“Oops,” he said. “I skipped my usual pancake breakfast this morning.”
“Daaad.” I hugged him. “Let’s go get lunch.”
“We’re ready,” Mom said.
We walked the long way to the dining hall, which was run like a restaurant during special occasions. Since parents were in town, Canterwood had hostesses and waiters on staff for the weekend to make the atmosphere even more impressive. I kept an eye out for Eric—even though he was supposed to be back at his dorm—remembering Jacob’s advice.
The hostess seated us and, after Dad spent fifteen minutes convincing Mom that having a salad with his steak did make it a healthy meal, we ordered our food. The hall felt like a five-star restaurant. Sunshine spilled through the windows and made the hardwood floor gleam. Fresh orchids were in crystal vases on every table and there wasn’t an empty seat in the room.
“This is wonderful,” Mom said, taking a bite of her white grilled cheese sandwich. We’d both ordered the same thing.
“Totally,” I said. “So, are you guys ready for me to come home?”
Mom and Dad smiled at each other. “Your mom has been making sure the kitchen is stuffed with all of your favorite foods and she…”
But Dad’s voice started to sound fuzzy when I glanced across the room and saw Callie, her parents, and Jacob walk into the dining room. Jacob stood next to Callie’s dad and laughed at something he said.
The hostess led them to their table and Jacob pulled out a chair for Callie. He sat next to Callie, who looked very girly and pretty in a simple black spaghetti-strap dress accessorized with a skinny silver belt.
I couldn’t stop watching. They were all so comfortable with each other. Jacob didn’t seem at all freaked out to be dining with Callie’s parents. I couldn’t figure him out— it was like I didn’t even know him anymore. But I didn’t care that he was eating with Callie’s parents, right?
“Sasha?” Mom touched my arm. “You okay?”
I tore my eyes away from Jacob and the Harpers. “Yeah, sorry. I just saw some friends. What were you saying?”
“Do you want to go talk to them?” Dad asked.
“No!” I said.
Oops. That was a little loud.
“I mean, I can talk to them later,” I said. “What were you saying?”
Mom stared at me for a second, as if her sometimes-annoying-yet-always-accurate Mom radar knew something was off. “Dad and I are glad to be here and we want to see you,” she said. “But we also know that you have a big day tomorrow and you probably want to practice instead of hanging out with your parents.”
“I don’t want to leave you guys, but yeah—I’ll probably start to feel anxious if I don’t ride soon.”
“We’ll go back to the hotel to unwind and get ready for tomorrow,” Dad said. “We’ll talk to you tonight—we want to wish you luck before you go to sleep.”
On our way out of the dining room, I saw Jacob’s eyes flicker across the room at me. Instead of looking away, I held his gaze—staring at him until I passed the table.
Why would Jacob have made me feel so insecure about Eric meeting my parents when he seemed so comfortable with Callie’s?
27
SASHA SILVER, SHRINK
BY THE TIME CHARM AND I ARRIVED BEHIND the stable, Callie and Heather were already working Jack and Aristocrat at opposite ends of the arena.
“Where’s Jas?” I asked, going for the obvious question.
“She went out on the cross-country course with the Belles,” Heather said.
“Fine by me,” Callie said. “At least she’s not in the arena with us.”
We walked our horses and I sneaked a glance at Callie and Heather. Callie looked calm, as always, and not a hint of nervousness about tomorrow showed on her face. But Heather looked a little pale and she kept fidgeting in the saddle.
“No matter what happens tomorrow,” I said. “We did everything we could.”
Heather rolled her eyes. “You sound like a shrink. More riding, less talking.”
“Do you guys want to critique each other?” Callie asked.
Heather and I nodded enthusiastically. Clearly some nervous energy to burn.
“We’re ready,” I said. “Let’s take turns picking exercises.”
Once I finished warming Charm up, Heather walked Aristocrat next to him and her horse laid back his ears. “Figure eights,” she said. “I want to start with those.”
We distanced the horses and worked them through the pattern. First at a walk, then a trot and, finally, large figure eights at a canter.
Heather slowed Aristocrat and watched Callie. “Watch your leg position. They keep sliding forward when you turn.”
Callie nodded and did the pat
tern again. I wanted to work on transitions next, so we called out to each other when to slow the horses or change gaits. We rode for another forty-five minutes before stopping.
“I’m going for water,” Heather said. “Later.”
Heather walked Aristocrat out of the arena and Callie stopped Jack beside me. “Heather was riding when I got here,” she said. “Aristocrat was sweaty and it looked as if they’d been here awhile already.”
“She wants this so bad,” I said. “But still, she shouldn’t overpractice.”
“I know.” Callie rubbed Jack’s neck. “But it’s hard to stop when we’re this close.”
We were quiet for a minute, letting the horses rest. Callie looked as though she was about to say something, then sighed and picked at a nonexistent tangle in Jack’s mane.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
Callie twirled her fingers in Jack’s mane. “I don’t know. Maybe. Jacob has been acting kind of weird for the past few days.”
“Weird, how?”
“He just seems worried about something. Or nervous, I don’t know. Whenever I ask him if anything’s wrong, he always says no.”
“I’m sure he’s just stressed about finals and getting ready to go home for the summer. Everyone’s under a lot of pressure right now,” I said. But even as I said it, I wasn’t sure I believed it. Jacob had been acting strange for a while. I’d thought it was just weirdness with Eric, but now I wasn’t so sure.
Callie nodded. “I’m sure you’re right. And he is taking me out for a good luck dinner tonight.”
“See, that’ll be fun! Is he coming to watch you ride?”
“He is,” Callie said. “I even told him where the good seats are.”
I was glad to see Callie looking less worried. She definitely didn’t need any more major stress before tomorrow.
“Are you up for cooling them out and braiding their manes and tails?” Callie asked. “It’ll take too long in the morning.”
“Yeah,” I said. “They haven’t been to see their stylists in a while.”
Giggling, we dismounted.
“I think we should glitter their manes and add some highlights,” Callie said. “Thoughts?”
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