Summer Horse

by Bonnie Bryant

She was looking annoyed, so Carole let the subject drop. The last thing she wanted was to get Stevie started about Phil. It was all she had talked about at the campfire the night before.

  Carole picked up her fork. “You know, after yesterday I really had hopes for Ditto,” she said, returning to the subject that had occupied most of her own thoughts lately. “But he was worse than ever today. Having that breakthrough—or what I thought was a breakthrough—makes it even harder to deal with him somehow.”

  “At least you only have five more days until Starlight gets here,” Stevie pointed out.

  Carole groaned. “Ugh, five whole days. I don’t want to think about it. Let’s change the subject.” She turned to Lisa. “How’s your reading going?”

  Lisa shrugged. “Not as well as I’d like,” she said, stifling a yawn. She had been staying up late every night, doing her best to work her way through her bag of books. “I started Huckleberry Finn last night, but I’ve only read a few chapters so far.”

  “Wow,” Stevie said. “I can’t believe you’ve read so many of those books already. I haven’t even finished the magazine I brought with me.”

  “I really haven’t read that many. I still have a lot to do.” As Lisa thought about all the work still ahead of her, she felt a familiar knot of anxiety form in her stomach. She poked listlessly at her half-eaten dinner, which suddenly looked less appetizing. “Actually, I think I’ll go try to read a few more chapters now before I meet Piper and the other girls for our dance rehearsal.”

  Carole glanced at Lisa’s plate. “But you’ve barely touched your food,” she said. “At least stay and finish eating.”

  “I’m full,” Lisa said. “I had a big lunch.” She stood up and hurried away before Carole or Stevie could protest any further.

  Stevie shook her head as she watched Lisa depart. “I don’t know how she does it,” she said. “With everything else going on at camp, I can’t even imagine worrying about doing schoolwork.” She sighed. “Speaking of things that should be going on, we really have to figure out what to do for the talent show.”

  “I know,” Carole said. “If we don’t come up with something soon, we might as well forget about entering.” She paused to take a sip of water. “The problem is, what can we do that everyone in the cabin will agree to?”

  “We’ll just have to talk some sense into Helen and Bev and the others,” Stevie said firmly. “Why don’t we have another cabin meeting tonight? We’ll just make them all sit there until we can agree on something. Even if it turns out to be baton twirling.”

  Carole shook her head. “That’s a good idea, but we can’t do it tonight,” she said. “We promised to help mix grain after dinner, remember?”

  “I forgot,” Stevie admitted. She frowned. “Why did Barry have to pick this year to start turning into Max?” Just as Betty had said on the first day, campers were expected to help out this year, and The Saddle Club had volunteered to mix the grain rations for the coming week.

  “I guess Lisa forgot, too,” Carole said.

  “We can swing by her cabin and pick her up on our way to the grain shed,” Stevie said.

  Carole paused, remembering how tired Lisa had looked. “Maybe we shouldn’t,” she said. “She seems awfully worried about her reading. Maybe if we let her be she’ll catch up a little and feel better. We can mix the grain without her.”

  “Okay,” Stevie said. “Besides, that way we can talk about the talent show without boring her to death.”

  The girls continued to discuss ideas for the show as they finished eating. Then they got up and headed out of the mess hall. As they passed Phil’s table, he called out their names. Carole automatically paused, but Stevie grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her forward.

  “Don’t say a word,” she hissed through clenched teeth.

  Carole obeyed, but Phil got up and hurried after them. “Hey, Stevie,” he called. “Todd and I were talking about playing some tennis after dinner. How about it—are you and Carole up for another game of doubles?”

  But Stevie continued toward the door without answering, and a moment later she and Carole were outside in the warm summer night. Phil didn’t follow them. “Come on, let’s cut through the stable on our way to the grain shed,” Stevie said. “I want to stop in and say hi to Belle.”

  Carole agreed, figuring that after the encounter with Phil, Stevie could use a calming influence. The two girls hurried through the quiet stable to Belle’s stall.

  “Hey there, girlfriend,” Stevie greeted her horse with a smile. She pulled out a couple of carrot pieces she had saved from her salad at dinner. “Here’s a little something I had the chef whip up especially for you.” She held the carrot pieces out and let the mare nibble them from her hand one by one.

  As Carole watched Stevie with her horse, she felt a pang of homesickness—or, to be more accurate, horse-sickness. She missed Starlight more than ever. She wanted to be able to ride without worrying about whether her horse was going to understand her next command. Suddenly she didn’t care whether she and Ditto had made a breakthrough during the no-hands race on Saturday or not. All she cared about was Starlight’s arrival on the following Saturday.

  A few minutes later the girls were in the grain shed, hard at work measuring and mixing feed. Betty had been there to show them what to do, but she had left to do some other chores.

  As they worked, the girls tossed more talent show ideas back and forth. Nothing seemed quite right, and half an hour later they still hadn’t come up with anything that they thought everyone in their cabin would like. In fact, they hadn’t even come up with anything they liked.

  Deciding it was time to give their brains a rest, Carole told Stevie what she had been thinking about back in the stable. “I just don’t want to waste any more time figuring out what’s wrong with Ditto,” she said. “I only hope I can survive for five more days until Starlight gets here. Riding Ditto is so exhausting. I never know what he’s going to do next.”

  Stevie had finished her part of their task and was resting on a pile of empty bags. Suddenly she sat bolt upright. “That’s it!” she exclaimed.

  “What?” Carole asked, looking up from the bag of rolled oats she was weighing.

  “You just gave me a great idea,” Stevie said. “I know the perfect kind of skit we can do for the talent show!”

  Carole looked confused. “You do? What did I say?”

  “It was what you just said about never knowing what’s coming next from Ditto,” Stevie explained. “Come on, hurry up and finish those oats and we’ll be done here. I’ll tell you about it on the way back to the cabin. It’s time to hold that meeting!”

  TWO DAYS LATER Stevie, Carole, and their cabin mates finished the first rehearsal of their new play. It had a simple title, Cabin Three: The Play, but the story was anything but simple. That was because it had been written by the entire cabin. Stevie’s idea had been to pass a notebook around the cabin, with each girl contributing three lines at a time. That meant, for instance, that when Carole began the play by casting herself as a princess, Helen could—and did—add a plot twist wherein the princess just happened to be booked into a luxurious suite on the Titanic. And when Stevie took over, she cast herself as a powerful witch who rescued the princess from drowning in the icy sea when the ship went down and bestowed on her the gift of magical powers.

  “That was great, guys,” Stevie cried as soon as Bev, who played a baton-twirling congresswoman, had given her final speech.

  “I don’t know,” Carole said. “I still think we need a better way to end it. An appeal for boating safety doesn’t seem that exciting somehow.”

  Helen, who had written most of the final speech, pretended to pout. “Oh, come on,” she protested. “It’s thematic, isn’t it?”

  “I think Carole’s right,” Stevie said. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “We should have something more dramatic. I’ll try to come up with something to tie up all the loose ends.”

  Carole wasn’t sure that
was possible, since more ends were loose than otherwise, but she nodded. “Great,” she said. “Now let’s go eat. All that great acting made me hungry.”

  Carole and Stevie said good-bye to their other cabin mates and walked to Cabin Six to pick up Lisa. “I really think this play is going to be terrific,” Carole said. “It’s so silly, it’s sure to make everyone laugh—Barry included, even though he’s been such a grump lately. It may have taken you longer than usual, but you definitely hit on a great idea this time, Stevie.”

  “Thanks,” Stevie said. “But like I said, it was your comment about never knowing what Ditto would do next that made me think of it.”

  “I’m glad he served some purpose,” Carole said, rolling her eyes.

  The two girls had reached Cabin Six. They knocked, but there was no answer. Stevie opened the door and peeked inside.

  “Lisa? Are you in there?” she called. “It’s time for dinner.”

  There was no answer. “Maybe she went for a swim,” Carole suggested. The two girls headed down the path through the trees toward the pond. Soon they could hear voices. When the pond came into view, they saw several campers splashing around in the shallows. They also saw Lisa, who was swimming laps across the deeper section of the pond.

  Carole frowned. “What’s she doing? It’s not like she needs any more exercise after a hard day of riding.” It didn’t make sense. Suddenly Carole realized that a lot of things Lisa had been doing since arriving at camp didn’t make a whole lot of sense—or at least they weren’t much like Lisa’s usual behavior. Carole glanced at Stevie. “Do you—do you think Lisa’s all right? I don’t think I’ve seen her relax since we got to camp.”

  Stevie shrugged. “Lisa has always been kind of intense.” But Carole’s words made her think. Maybe Lisa had been even more serious and hardworking than usual lately, especially considering that camp was supposed to be fun. Maybe she was pushing herself a little too hard. Stevie glanced over and saw her own worry reflected in Carole’s brown eyes.

  The two girls walked over to the edge of the pond. Just then Lisa raised her head to take a breath and spotted them. She waved and swam over to the beach.

  “Hi,” she said breathlessly, wiping water from her face. “Is your rehearsal over already?”

  Carole nodded. “It went pretty well. I think the play will be a big hit at the talent show.” She hesitated. She couldn’t help wondering if she and Stevie should say something about how hard Lisa was pushing herself. If she couldn’t even relax enough to enjoy a pre-dinner swim without turning it into a workout, maybe there was something wrong. “Um, why were you swimming laps just now?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

  Lisa laughed and rubbed the back of her neck. “Don’t make fun of me, okay?” she said. “My neck was stiff from reading in the same position for too long. I thought doing a few laps might stretch out the muscles. So far it seems to be helping a little.”

  Carole almost laughed with relief. Obviously, her worry had been ridiculous. Lisa was fine. “Oh. Okay. Good. I—we were just kind of worried. You’ve been working so hard, what with your reading list and all.”

  Stevie nodded. “You know what they say about all work and no play, right?”

  Lisa laughed again. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I remember how to play. And to prove it, I have an idea. How about hitting the arts and crafts room after dinner? I’ve been dying to try the calligraphy set they have there.”

  Stevie and Carole traded relieved glances. This was the Lisa they knew and loved. “You’re on,” they said in one voice.

  “Speaking of dinner, we’re going to be late if we don’t hurry,” Carole said. “Hurry up and get changed—we’ll wait for you.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” Lisa said. “Just save me a seat, and I’ll meet you there.” She rubbed her neck again. “A few more minutes of swimming and I’ll be as good as new.”

  CAROLE AND STEVIE were almost finished with their spaghetti and meatballs by the time Lisa arrived, looking fresh and clean in shorts and a white T-shirt. “Sorry it took me so long,” she said. “The hot water in the shower just felt so good. I couldn’t resist staying in for a few extra minutes.”

  “That’s okay,” Stevie said. “We’ll wait for you to eat.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Lisa grabbed a roll and a handful of carrot sticks from the platter in the center of the table. “I’ll just eat this stuff as we walk. If we don’t get there early, someone else will grab the calligraphy set.”

  The girls were the first ones in the arts and crafts room. Lisa took out the calligraphy set and sat down at one of the small, round tables in the room. Stevie picked up some colorful leather strips to weave herself a bracelet, and Carole decided to try watercolor painting.

  “This really feels like camp, doesn’t it?” Stevie commented after the girls had been working in silence for a few minutes. “This arts and crafts stuff, I mean. I’m glad they added it.”

  “Yeah,” Lisa said. “Listen, have either of you ever read Of Mice and Men?”

  “No,” Stevie said, and Carole shook her head.

  “Is that the next book on your list?” Carole asked.

  “It’s the one I’m reading now,” Lisa said. She bent closer to the paper in front of her to examine the letters she had just inscribed with the calligraphy pen. The last one was a little smudged. She crossed out the line and started again. “I finished Huck Finn last night.”

  “I have read that one,” Stevie said. “It’s one of my favorite books. I love the part when Huck dresses up like a girl. Did you like it?”

  Lisa shrugged. “Sure, I guess so,” she said. “But anyway, I was just thinking it would be better if I knew what was going to happen in these books before I read them. It would help me read faster. All I have to do is find someone who’s already read Of Mice and Men and get them to tell me about it.”

  Carole looked up from her painting. She was doing a portrait of Starlight standing in the back paddock at Pine Hollow. “But that’s no fun,” she said. “Why even bother reading if you already know the whole story before you start?”

  “I don’t have time to read for fun, Carole,” Lisa said, crossing out another row of fancy, swirled letters. “I’ve got too much to do. Piper and I have a ton of stuff to work on before Friday if our dance is going to be any good. We’ve still got a couple of rough spots in the choreography, and we promised to help the others practice their jumps. Some of them still can’t do the harder moves right, and they’re having trouble keeping up with the pace of the music. Plus Piper and I are dancing the lead in the big finale, and I haven’t quite gotten the steps down yet. Besides all that, we’ve hardly even started talking about costumes.” She dropped her pen on the table. “I don’t know how we’re going to get it all done in time.”

  Lisa was starting to look so anxious that Carole decided to change the subject. “Speaking of time, I don’t know how I’m going to stand the rest of my time with Ditto,” she said. “I know all I have to do is wait it out, but he’s driving me crazy. Any advice?”

  Stevie opened her mouth to answer, but Lisa stood up. She didn’t seem to have even heard Carole’s question. “Listen, this has been fun, but I’d better get going,” she said. She hurriedly scooped up the calligraphy set and returned it to its place. Then she dumped the paper she had been practicing on in the trash can and headed for the door. “I want to find Piper and talk to her about those costumes. See you later.”

  “Bye,” Stevie said. When Lisa had gone, she glanced at Carole. “Looks like it’s just the two of us again.”

  Carole nodded. “That’s starting to be an awfully familiar feeling.” She sighed. “Suddenly I’m not in the mood for painting anymore.”

  “I know what you mean,” Stevie said. She stuck her half-finished bracelet in her pocket. “Come on, let’s go.”

  A FEW MINUTES later Carole and Stevie were lounging on their bunks. Their cabin mates had all gone swimming, so they had the place to th
emselves.

  “Do you think we should say something to Lisa about the way she’s acting?” Carole asked. Her earlier worries about her friend were starting to return.

  “You mean, like Superwoman?” Stevie said. She shrugged. “I don’t know. You know how she is when she sets her mind to something. The trouble is, this time she’s set her mind to everything.”

  “I know,” Carole said. “I’m starting to get really worried about her. She didn’t even seem to remember we were in the room just now, not even when I asked for help with Ditto.”

  “By the way, I never got a chance to give you my advice about that,” Stevie said. “I think you should just grit your teeth and do your best to pretend you’re already riding Starlight.”

  “Easier said than done,” Carole said. “Ditto and Starlight are practically polar opposites. Starlight is so wonderful, and Ditto—well, I know Max would probably say I’m crazy, but sometimes I think Ditto goes out of his way to be obnoxious and stubborn.” She rolled her eyes. “In fact, he probably followed me in that no-hands race just to throw me off track.”

  “Wait,” Stevie said. “That’s it!” She jumped up from the bunk and waved her hands excitedly. “You’ve done it again, Carole. You’ve just given me an idea for the perfect ending to our play!”

  “What’s—” Before Carole could finish her question, the cabin door swung open with a bang. Lisa stood in the doorway, wild-eyed and breathless.

  “Piper,” she gasped. “She’s gone!”

  IT TOOK CAROLE and Stevie a few minutes to calm Lisa down. “Now, what’s this about Piper?” Stevie asked. “What do you mean, she’s gone?”

  “I went back to the cabin to talk to her about our dance costumes, like I said,” Lisa explained. She was sitting on the edge of Carole’s bunk, her arms wrapped around her body as if she were cold. “I didn’t see her there, so I went to the stable. She wasn’t there, either, and Tapestry was in her stall. I checked the rec hall, the pond, everywhere I could think of, and nobody I asked had seen her. I figured she must have gone for a run or something, so I went back to the cabin to read and wait for her, and that’s when I noticed her stuff was gone.”