Rival Revenge

by Jessica Burkhart

  I was as confused as they were that I’d been extended an invite back, especially after I’d just slept over.

  I sat across from Julia, Heather, and Alison. We gave each other half smiles before we started eating. Julia took giant bites of her turkey-and-lettuce sandwich, and Alison had chosen mac and cheese with bacon bits and it smelled delicious. Heather had gone for veggie soup.

  “Did you get a bad math grade?” Heather asked, looking over at me. “You looked like you wanted to strangle Utz.”

  I took another bite before answering her. “I studied so hard and my grade was awful.”

  “You can get tutoring or something,” Alison said. She pushed back her skinny black headband. “The semester just started.”

  “What’d you get, anyway?” Julia asked.

  I leaned down, grabbed the mangled paper and handed it to her. I was too mad to be embarrassed.

  Julia glanced at the paper, then started laughing. “You’re serious. For real?”

  “What?” Alison leaned over Julia’s shoulder and looked. “A B+? You’re upset about that?”

  “I should have gotten an A.”

  Julia snorted and thrust the paper back at me. “If you’d gotten an F and you’d studied hard, you could have been upset. But not over a B+. That’s just sad.” Julia stood, shaking her head. “I’m going to get another soda.”

  Alison turned to me, her face full of sympathy. “A B+ isn’t bad.” She looked at Heather. “Want to see the drawing I spent all summer on that I got back today with a B in art class?”

  Heather nodded. “Show me.”

  Alison pulled her art portfolio out of her bag and flipped through several drawings. I’d seen her horse sketches from last year and the ones in her room, but these were new and even better. Alison had lots of drawings of Sunstruck and I loved how proud the Arabian looked in some drawings and how gentle and calm he appeared in others. He was definitely hot-blooded, but he clicked with Alison and she knew just how to handle him.

  Alison stopped on a page and turned the sketchbook sideways so both Heather and I could see. Three horses—Trix, Sunstruck, and Aristocrat—grazed in Canterwood’s field. It was dusk outside and Alison must have spent hours shading every tree and fence rail to look as if the sun was hitting it just right.

  “Alison, wow,” I said. “You should be upset that you got a B on that. It’s really, really amazing.”

  Heather nodded. “I agree. This is one of your best sketches. Did your teacher say why?”

  Alison rolled her eyes. “She said I need to start ‘expanding my options’ and drawing other things besides horses.”

  “But you are, aren’t you?” I asked. “Didn’t you say you’re working on a graphic novel?”

  “Yeah, but it’s about horses too,” Alison said. “So my teacher will get mad if I submit it.”

  Heather sighed. “That’s dumb. Can you sketch horse-related things? Like stables or riders or something?”

  Alison sat up straighter. “Oooh, I haven’t drawn people before. My teacher would love that—I could totally get away with it if I drew riders.”

  Heather, Alison, and I half-smiled at each other and I realized just how much one sleepover had kind of changed everything among all of us.

  AIRBORNE

  CLASSES FINALLY ENDED FOR THE DAY AND when I got to my room, I dropped off my stuff, changed, and headed for the stable. All day, I hadn’t been able to shake the B+. I knew it was dumb and Alison was right—it was just a B+. But what if that B became a C? Or a D? Then, I’d go back to old Sasha from last fall—the girl who struggled with her grades.

  That couldn’t happen. I’d finally found my footing at Canterwood and I wasn’t about to lose it. After this lesson, I’d go back to my room and study until lights-out.

  I gathered Charm’s tack, groomed him, and felt like I was going through the motions of tacking him up. I was on total autopilot. Not as if I needed to pay such close attention when tacking up a horse—I’d done it a thousand times—but I still needed to focus.

  I tried to shake off the worries about grades and everything else going on and fastened my helmet. I felt a little dizzy and nauseous. But I was riding no matter what. I couldn’t afford to skip even one lesson before Mr. Conner taped a class for Mr. Nicholson. Charm and I walked to the arena and I paused before I mounted. I took a long breath, squeezing my eyes shut for a second.

  When I reopened them, the dizziness was gone. Phew. My stomach still felt gross, but maybe I’d eaten something bad at lunch. I mounted and started Charm in slow circles. Mr. Conner had set up the camera at the far side of the arena, so I walked Charm past it a few times. He didn’t even look at it once. He loved having his picture taken, so I hadn’t worried about him being freaked by the camera.

  “Move, loser!” Jasmine said, cutting between Charm and the camera. She cantered Phoenix past us, and Charm, annoyed at Phoenix moving faster, tried to break into a canter. But I held him back to a walk. He fought me for a few seconds before listening.

  “Is that as fast as you’re going to warm up?” Jas asked, riding back over to us. She slowed and walked Phoenix by Charm and me. “If that’s true, then we won’t be starting the lesson for hours while we wait for you.”

  “Omigod, you’re not going to start at all if you don’t stop talking because I’ll make you want to leave the arena,” Heather said, riding over to us.

  I’d had enough. I let Charm into a trot and got him away from Jasmine and Heather. We warmed up without another word from Jasmine and I was glad when

  Mr. Conner finally entered the arena. All I wanted was for the lesson to be over so I could go back to my room and study. Maybe I’d ask Mike or Doug to cool and groom Charm for me just this once. I’d never asked them for a favor and I was sure they wouldn’t mind.

  “Hi, girls,” Mr. Conner said. “If you’re all ready, let’s start with a sitting trot.”

  Heather, Jasmine, and I let our horses into trots. I sat to Charm’s smooth gait and tried to keep my eyes between Charm’s ears. It kept me from looking at Jas or Heather. I needed to stay focused on my riding and not think about anything else. But the B+ started nagging me again. Stop, I told myself. You’re going to study after riding.

  “Reverse directions,” Mr. Conner said. I pressed my leg against Charm’s side and guided him away from the wall.

  We turned our horses and started them in the opposite direction. Charm felt a little stiff going this way, so I made a mental note to work with him more.

  “Halt,” Mr. Conner called.

  Heather, Jasmine, and I brought our horses to halts.

  “Trot,” Mr. Conner said.

  We let the horses move forward and within two strides, Charm was trotting. I posted and even though I knew Charm’s trot was smooth, it made me feel nauseous as I posted.

  Mr. Conner made us canter, work through a few

  circles, and then he held up a hand. “Bring your horses over,” he said.

  I rode Charm up to him and stopped. Rain was just starting to fall and it pinged lightly against the roof. It darkened outside by the second and it was my favorite kind of weather to curl up in bed with a book. Maybe I’d relax tonight and get up early and do my homework tomorrow.

  What are you thinking? I argued with myself. I had tons of work to do. The fact that I’d even considered taking the night off was ridiculous. It had been bad enough that I’d spent the night before goofing off with the Trio when I should have been doing homework.

  “We’re going to take a few jumps,” Mr. Conner said. “Heather, I want you to go first. There are two verticals and then a triple combination.”

  Heather nodded. “I’m ready.”

  She trotted Aristocrat toward the course and Jas and I followed at a walk. We stopped our horses next to Mr. Conner and we all watched as Heather urged Aristocrat forward and over the first vertical. He jumped it easily, not even looking at the blue-and-white rails. The second vertical, a couple of inches higher, didn’t m
ake him pause for a second.

  Heather gathered him before the triple. They took the first jump, then two strides later Aristocrat launched into the air for the second. Their timing was perfect and Aristocrat was ready for the third obstacle. He jumped, landed cleanly, and Heather slowed him to a trot, then a walk. She rubbed a gloved hand down his neck and the dark chestnut arched his neck. He knew he’d done well.

  “Collecting Aristocrat before the triple was exactly what you needed to do,” Mr. Conner said. “Great job.”

  Heather smiled.

  Mr. Conner nodded to Jasmine. “Go ahead.”

  Jasmine and Phoenix made it over the verticals without a problem. As she approached the triple, Jas gave Phoenix more rein and he rushed the first jump. The gray made it easily over the jump, but landed only a stride away from the second. He wasn’t prepared to take off and neither was Jasmine. Phoenix jumped too late and his knees knocked the rail. His focus was broken and his ears flicked back and forth, waiting for a signal from Jas.

  Instead of trying to steady him, she checked him to slow his stride to give both of them more time. But Phoenix was off. He made a huge effort to clear the last part of the triple, but this time his hind legs brought down the rail. They landed and I watched through one eye—afraid that Jasmine was going to yank him in a circle and make him take the course again.

  But instead, she rode him back to us, her face red. If Mr. Conner hadn’t been in the arena, she would have made Phoenix take the course a half dozen times after that round. But she knew better now—Mr. Conner wouldn’t tolerate her rough handling of Phoenix.

  “I don’t have to tell you why he knocked two rails,” Mr. Conner said. He looked at her expectantly.

  Jasmine’s eyes flickered to Heather and me, then she looked at Mr. Conner. “I gave him too much rein because I wanted to let him out more, but I should have kept him collected.”

  “I agree,” Mr. Conner said. “Remember to keep working on not rushing him.”

  “I will,” Jasmine said.

  Mr. Conner looked at her for a second before turning to me. “Sasha, whenever you’re ready, please begin.”

  I squeezed my legs against Charm’s sides and urged him forward. He moved from a trot to a canter and we started toward the first vertical. I rose into the two-point position at just the right second and Charm cleared the jump. My legs shook a little on the landing and I tried to grip the saddle tighter with my knees. But my head started feeling weird again—like everything was rushing by me way too fast.

  Charm’s hoofbeats pounded in my ears. I grasped Charm’s mane to keep my balance. Just four more jumps, I told myself. Then I would be done. Charm cantered to the second vertical and I swayed in the saddle, almost falling off the side. He leaped into the air and my hands slipped off his mane. His launch threw me backward and my fingers couldn’t hold onto the reins. I felt like I was sailing through the air.

  There was a thud.

  And everything went black.

  BLACKOUT

  “SASHA? SASHA?”

  My eyes fluttered opened and dozens of black spots swam in front of my eyes as I stared at the ceiling of the indoor arena.

  I shifted my gaze and Mr. Conner, Heather, and Jasmine were kneeling beside me. I’d never seen Jasmine look like that—worried. Her eyes were open wide and she’d lost the color from her face. Heather’s fingers were shaking as she held her cell up to her ear.

  “Don’t move, Sasha,” Mr. Conner said. “Heather’s calling the nurse.”

  I sucked in a breath—the wind had been knocked out of me, but I didn’t think I was hurt.

  Jasmine looked down at me. She started to touch my arm, then pulled back her hand. “Um, want me to take off your helmet or something?”

  “No, thanks,” I said. I eased up on my elbows, undid my chin strap, and put my helmet beside me. “I’m fine, really. I just got dizzy and fainted, I guess. No big deal.”

  Mr. Conner touched my arm. “Sasha, it is a big deal. Don’t get up yet. Does anything feel broken or sprained?”

  I moved my arms and legs. “No,” I said. “I’m fine.” Mr. Conner watched as I rolled my shoulders and tilted my head from side. Jasmine disappeared and came back a few minutes later with a soda. She handed it to me.

  “Thanks,” I said. I sipped it and the bubbles made my stomach feel better.

  “I promise that I’m okay,” I said to Mr. Conner. “Really, I was feeling sick before the lesson and I shouldn’t have ridden, but I did. Is Charm okay? Where is he?” I looked around and Doug held Phoenix and Aristocrat by the exit, but Charm was gone.

  “Mike took him to cool him out and put him away,” Mr. Conner said. “He’s completely fine.”

  Phew. At least Charm wasn’t hurt because I’d been dumb enough to ride when I’d been sick.

  “The nurse is expecting Sasha,” Heather said, closing her phone. “I can walk her over when she’s ready.”

  I didn’t have time to see the nurse. There were a million things to do on my list. “I don’t need to see the nurse,” I said. I started to stand and Mr. Conner grabbed my elbow, helping me up.

  “Sasha,” he said, frowning. “This isn’t optional. Either I’ll walk you over or Heather will.”

  “I’m—” I started to protest, but the look on his face told me I had no choice.

  “Let’s go,” Heather said. “Do you want to sit at the stable for a while or go over now?”

  Ugh! She wasn’t going to let me out of this either.

  “Let’s go now,” I grumbled. I took a couple of steps and the spots faded. I took another drink and Heather walked close to me, like she was afraid I was going to faint again. “I’m fine, really.”

  “If you’re gonna pass out, at least aim for the grass and not the sidewalk,” Heather said. “I’m not catching you.”

  That made me smile. “Deal.” At least it had stopped raining when we stepped outside—everything was slick and the sky was still gray.

  Heather and I walked down the sidewalk to the infirmary. Heather pulled open the door for me and pointed to a hard plastic chair. “Sit. You’re walking at snail speed, so let me go sign you in.”

  I rolled my eyes, but sat down. Heather actually cared. Just a tiny bit.

  Heather told the receptionist I was here, then sat beside me.

  “You can go,” I said. “I’m fine.”

  Heather pulled out her phone and started texting. “Like I want to be here? But if I leave and you pass out in your chair or something, Mr. Conner will blame me. So shut up and just sit there, fainter.”

  We waited for a few minutes before a nurse in blue scrubs walked over with a chart in her hand. “Sasha, come with me and we’ll get you checked out.”

  “Okay.” I got up and looked back at Heather.

  She sighed. “I’m staying till you get back. Get over it.”

  I hid my smile and followed the nurse. I already felt so much better in the AC and the soda had made my stomach less queasy.

  She took my height, weight, blood pressure, and all of that normal stuff. She asked me a ton of questions about what I’d been eating, drinking, and what my schedule had been like. After a few more tests, she finished marking on her chart and looked up at me.

  “You’re suffering from mild dehydration and exhaustion,” she said. “I want you to go back to your dorm room and slowly drink a few glasses of water. And rest. I’m going to give you an excuse from classes tomorrow. You need a day to recover. Keep drinking fluids. That should make you feel better. And if there are ways for you to slow down your schedule, please try.”

  “Okay,” I said. “But can I go to my riding lesson tomorrow? I really can’t miss it.”

  The nurse shook her head. “I don’t think that’s wise. I want you to rest the entire day. If you still feel dizzy tomorrow, you need to come back, all right?”

  “I will,” I said. “Thanks.”

  The nurse wrote something in illegible handwriting

  and handed me
a tiny slip of paper. “Give that to the receptionist for your excuse from classes. Feel better and please call us if you don’t.”

  I smiled at her and walked out of the room. I opened the door to the waiting room and saw Heather still sitting where I’d left her. And pacing by the door was Jacob.

  His hands were jammed in his front pockets and his eyebrows were pushed together. He and Heather both looked up at me at the same second.

  “Sasha,” Jacob said, walking over to me. “I heard that you fainted. Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

  Heather was off her chair and between us in two strides. “Calm down, Jacob. God, you’re going to make her faint just by being in her face.”

  “I’m fine,” I said, trying not to look at Jacob and just concentrating on Heather. “Just mild exhaustion and I need to drink water or something.”

  I stepped around them and handed the note to the receptionist.

  “You sure?” Jacob asked, his green eyes moving back and forth over my face.

  “I’m sure.”

  The receptionist handed me back a note. “You’re excused from all classes tomorrow,” she said. “Take it easy.”

  I smiled my thanks and Heather, still between Jacob and me, turned to him. “You can go now,” she said. “Sasha’s okay.”

  Jacob didn’t want to leave. I could see it in his face.

  “I … hope you feel better, Sash. You can always text—”

  I shook my head. We both knew better. His eyes lingered on my face for a second, then he walked out of the infirmary.

  Heather looked at me with a knowing glance, but didn’t say anything. “I’ll walk you back to Winchester,” she said.

  I’M FINE.SERIOUSLY!

  When Heather left me at the steps of Winchester, Livvie was there and waiting. She took my arm and led me into her office.

  “Sasha,” Livvie said. Lines of worry showed on her forehead and she looked stressed. She held my arm as I sat down and then went to sit behind her desk. “I got a call from the infirmary that you fainted during your lesson. How are you feeling now?”