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by Jessica Burkhart

  “Thanks, Bri. It helps to hear that from you. What about you? Any boys?”

  “Nah,” Bri said. “And if I keep getting grounded there never will be!”

  I giggled. “You’ll find a guy. You always do. Talk to me next week and we’ll see what your status is then.”

  We talked for a few more minutes, then Brielle had to hang up. I checked to be sure I hadn’t missed any BBMs from Khloe and put down my phone. Talking to Brielle had calmed me down from my earlier altercation with Riley, and I settled into homework, waiting for Khloe to come back.

  Our door opened just as I finished a science worksheet. I jumped off my bed, staring at Khloe, who stood in the doorframe. Her eyes met mine, and it felt as though we held our breaths at the same time.

  “Khlo?” I said.

  “Itwasthebestdateever!” Khloe screeched, racing toward me. She grabbed me in a hug, almost knocking me over.

  “Omigod! I knew it! Yaaay!” I hugged her back.

  “He was so great! Oh, my God, Lauren. I even forgot to check my teeth after dinner because I was having so much fun.” Khloe hung up her purse and kicked off her shoes.

  “Ahhh! Tell me!”

  I shut our door and sat on Khloe’s bed next to her.

  “We ordered pepperoni and mushroom pizza,” Khloe said. “At first, I kept wiping my mouth after every bite and being extra careful not to get sauce on my clothes. Zack was being neat too, but he was eating. After my first slice, I relaxed. We talked about classes and stuff we like to do in our free time—he loves doing anything outdoors—and he asked lots of questions about me.”

  “That’s such a great sign!”

  Khloe’s cheeks got flushed as she talked. “He actually listened to my answers and remembered what I told him. We talked for so long that we almost missed the beginning of the movie.”

  “Who ended up picking?” I asked.

  “We both did,” Khloe said, smiling. “There was a comedy we both wanted to see. Zack got us giant Cokes and lots of candy.”

  Khloe held up her left hand. “He held this hand during the movie!”

  I laughed. “Khlo, that’s so cool! You better not wash it.”

  She laughed. “Never. The movie was really funny and we laughed a lot. After it was over, he walked me back and took my hand. He asked if I wanted to go out again.”

  “And?”

  “I said yes! Obviously!” Khloe had never looked this happy.

  “I’m so excited for you! It sounds like the perfect date. You did great, just like I knew you would.”

  Khloe shook her head. “You kept me as calm as possible before he got here. I probably would have canceled at the last minute because I was scared.”

  “No, you would have gone. But maybe your nails wouldn’t have been as pretty.”

  We smiled at each other.

  “I’m glad you had fun, but I’m also happy you’re back.”

  Khloe got up, rummaging through her pajama drawer. “Lonely without me?”

  “Very,” I said. “Want to watch a movie?”

  Khloe nodded, changing into green capri-length sleep pants and an oversize white T-shirt with a faded CANTERWOOD CREST ACADEMY logo on the back. I put my books away. Tomorrow would be busy at the stable, and practicing for the show was only going to get more intense. But right now, all I wanted to do was watch a movie with Khloe.

  25

  IOU

  SUNLIGHT STREAMED INTO OUR OPEN BLINDS on Saturday morning. Khloe and I had slept in, and she’d just gone to get us tea from the common room.

  “Here you go,” Khloe said, putting a steaming mug in front of me. “Think of me like your personal assistant all weekend. I owe you big-time for everything you did for me yesterday.”

  “No way,” I said. “Thank you for the tea, but like I said yesterday, I did that stuff because you’re my friend. You would have done the same.”

  “I would have. You’re right.” Khloe smiled. “So, does that mean I don’t have to drop off your laundry bag like I was going to?”

  The look in her eye made me laugh. “Hmm. No, you can do that. But just that one thing.”

  Giggling, we sipped our tea, each of us sitting on our unmade beds.

  “I’m so glad it’s the weekend,” Khloe said. “Is there anything we have to do?”

  “I have some homework, but that’s it. I was thinking about riding in a little bit.”

  Khloe looked out the window. “It looks beautiful out. Riding sounds perfect. The schooling show isn’t that far off, and Ever and I have some work to do.”

  I took a sip of tea, nodding. “Same. Whisper and I have a lot of things to work on. Dressage needs work, for sure, but I’ll have to take her out on the trails for the trail-riding class. Or make up my own obstacles. Wisp and I haven’t done enough trail riding for me to know everything that would spook her.”

  A look—I couldn’t tell what it was—passed over Khloe’s face. She parted her lips as if she wanted to say something.

  “We had some rough transitions during a recent dressage lesson,” I continued. “Also, I want to make sure we don’t ignore jumping, even though I’m not showing in that class.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Khloe said, looking at me like I’d spoken French. “You won’t have any trouble with a schooling show. Not with your past.”

  “I haven’t shown in a long time. Never with Whisper.” Khloe had to understand that I wasn’t the rider with titles that she’d seen on TV. She knew how hard I’d worked to get where I was and how there was no way I’d ever feel calm about the upcoming show. “Still want to ride with me and help with a couple of things?”

  Khloe nodded. “Sure. Of course I do. People should be coming to you for help, though!” She smiled at me.

  My laptop, open on my desk, rang. For a half second, I debated about ignoring it and talking more to Khloe, but I got up to answer the Skype call. Showing was a sensitive topic and I was probably projecting my feelings onto Khloe.

  I hurried to answer when I saw Becca’s icon.

  “Hey, little sis!” Becca said, her face popping up on my screen.

  “Hey!” I said, sitting down so my face was in view of the camera. “What’re you doing up this early on the weekend?”

  Becs stuck out her tongue. “I got up at eleven, thank you very much. I’m meeting some friends at the mall in a couple of hours. Mom said I had to get up and wash Dad’s car before I went.”

  “Ha,” I said. “Remember when you used to pay me to do that for you?”

  Becca shot me an I’m your older sister look. “Yes, Lauren. I do. But without you here, I’ve got more money to spend at the mall today!”

  We laughed. Becca’s shoulder-length brown hair was pulled into a ponytail and she had a skinny pale-pink headband holding back the new bangs she’d gotten. I was so happy to see my sister. It felt like she was in my room.

  “Since you’re not washing Dad’s car, what are you doing?” Becca asked.

  “Riding Whisper soon,” I said. “We’ve got to practice for the schooling show that I told you about.”

  “That’ll be fun. Oooh! Speaking of things coming up, have you started planning for your favorite day of the year?”

  I shook my head. “Too busy. But I will soon.”

  “Laaauren. October thirty-first is not just Halloween. It also happens to be your birthday. Your thirteenth birthday!” Becca was inches away from the camera, getting more and more excited.

  “Lauren!” I looked away from the computer at Khloe. She put down her phone. “Sorry to interrupt, but your birthday is on Halloween? And you didn’t tell me?! Um, say hello to your official party planner!”

  “Introduce me to this party planner,” Becca said.

  I looked back at the screen, laughing. “You guys! Okay.” I picked up the laptop and faced it toward Khloe. “Becca, this is my new bestie and roomie, Khloe. Khlo, this is my sister Becca.”

  “I’m going to throw Lauren a killer party,” Khloe
said to Becca. “Don’t worry.”

  “I’m not,” Becca said. “Lauren’s told me a lot about you and I know you’ll make it an awesome day. You know what, Lauren really likes—”

  “And that’s enough,” I said, giggling.

  “Hey!” Khloe and Becca protested.

  “You,” I said, pointing to Becca, “Skyped me. And you”—I turned to Khloe—“shouldn’t let Becca give you ideas. You’ll wake up to find your inbox full one morning if you do.”

  “E-mail me!” Khloe shouted, looking around me, trying to see the camera.

  “I totally will!” Becca called back.

  “Do I have to separate you two?” I asked, laughing. Khloe made a poor me! face and Becca shook her head. Becs and I went back to talking, with Khloe interjecting whenever she could. Finally, I ended up bringing the computer onto Khloe’s bed, and the three of us talked. As much as I’d teased them earlier, I couldn’t have been happier that my roomie and my sister got along.

  26

  NOT-SO-PRIVATE

  PRACTICE

  A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER, KHLOE AND I HAD the horses tacked and were warming them up in the big outdoor arena. Khloe hadn’t made another comment about my preparedness for the schooling show. I chalked up what she said earlier to a misunderstanding. We’d agreed to warm up, then work on dressage and finally trail riding. It worked out well that we’d signed up for the same classes.

  Beneath me, Whisper yanked her head against the reins and crab stepped. She was full of energy since there hadn’t been a lesson yesterday. I pressed my boots firmly against her sides, moving her forward. I couldn’t be distracted for a second today.

  Ahead of us, Khloe trotted Ever in a serpentine. The bay mare’s strides were even and smooth. Khloe was going to knock out the competition at the schooling show. I was unfamiliar with the riders at area schools, but I knew Khloe. Riders like her didn’t come in second.

  I closed my fingers around the reins and sat deep in the saddle. Whisper had to settle down before we got to work. If she kept this up, all of her energy would be wasted on the warm-up and she’d have nothing left for a serious practice. I focused every ounce of energy on her—making sure each part of my body was in agreement and signaling her to ease up. After lapping our half of the arena twice, Whisper’s ears stopped flicking back and forth. She flicked one back to me, listening, and kept the other forward. She stopped fighting me to go after Ever, who was cantering in a graceful circle, silky black tail streaming behind her.

  “Good girl,” I said. I gave Wisp an inch of rein, tightening my calves against her sides. She moved into the free trot I asked for, and soon we’d worked up to a canter. Whisper’s long strides rhythmically pounded the soft dirt, and I glanced over in Khloe’s direction to see what she was working on.

  Khloe had eased Ever to a walk, patting the bay’s neck. The Hanoverian blinked, looking sleepy in the sunlight.

  My tailbone bounced against the seat, and I straightened my head, feeling Whisper’s once smooth canter start to get bumpy. She knew the second that I wasn’t paying attention. I didn’t want to halt on a bad note, so I got her canter back to its smooth, easy gait by the time we reached the halfway point of the arena. I asked Whisper to keep cantering along the wooden fence, bypassing Ever, and not slowing to a trot until I asked for it strides later. We shifted to a walk and I circled her so we walked toward Khloe and Ever.

  Whisper was younger and much less experienced than Ever. I knew it now, and I’d known Whisper didn’t have a strong showing background when I’d gotten her over the summer. I didn’t want to hold her to Ever’s standards, but it was going to be hard not to. Khloe’s mare moved exactly as I hoped Whisper would someday.

  “She had some pent-up energy,” I said. I halted Wisp and she reached her muzzle toward Ever. The two horses sniffed each other, reacquainting, and Khloe and I smiled at them. It was impossible not to.

  “She looked a little jerky through some gaits, but you got her under control pretty fast,” Khloe said. “Wisp is such a nice mover.”

  Even though what Khloe had said about Whisper’s problem was true, it made me defensive anyway. “We’ve got a lot to work on before the show,” I said. “But I think Wisp has come really far since we started here.” I kept the edge out of my voice as it threatened to break through on my last words. Khloe and I were riding together to call each other on problem areas and give constructive criticism. I couldn’t be a poor sport about it.

  “So,” I said, wanting to hurry past what I’d just said, “what do you want to work on first? Dressage or trail?”

  Khloe leaned back and swatted a horsefly off Ever’s shoulder. “Dressage sound good? Then maybe do some exercises for trail class, like opening and closing the gate, then going out to the field? I want to go back to the stable and grab the fly spray before we go. I sprayed Ever, but the flies are getting her.”

  I made a sad face at Ever. “Bad flies,” I said. “Dressage sounds perfect.”

  “Got any exercises in mind?” Khloe asked. “We can help each other on specific areas.”

  “Hmm. I’d like to work on engaging Whisper’s hind-quarters and improving her balance.”

  Khloe nodded. “Okay. Let’s add bending and straightening exercises to that.”

  “I love it. We’ve got four areas to work on. That seems like enough to me.” Whisper, agreeing with me, let out a tiny snort. Ever snorted back, causing Khloe and me to start giggling.

  “I don’t think they’re as excited to work as we are,” Khloe said, shaking her head at Ever.

  We decided to work on bending first, to loosen up the horses, and took separate spaces in the arena.

  “Serpentines from a walk through a canter?” Khloe called. “And we yell out if we need help or if we see a mistake the other isn’t correcting?”

  “Let’s do it!” I said back.

  I took a breath, sitting deep. I wanted Khloe’s feedback, but at the same time I hoped there wouldn’t be reason for too much of it. Part of me wanted to show Khloe the side of me she hadn’t seen—a rider who’d competed all over the country. A rider who wanted to get that back.

  I guided Whisper through an easy serpentine at a free walk. I kept the first one large, not causing her body to bend as much. When I made the pattern smaller, she stretched through her neck and back. Glancing over, I looked at Khloe and Ever. Khloe had Ever walking through a smaller serpentine, and the mare’s body twisted and bent at beautiful angles.

  I tightened the reins and took Whisper through a serpentine as tight as Khloe and Ever’s. Whisper didn’t have any trouble, so I let out the reins and asked her to trot. We were halfway through the exercise when hoof beats sped up. Whisper turned, and Khloe trotted Ever through a tight serpentine.

  “Khlo,” I called. “Ever’s losing balance through the middle.”

  Khloe nodded, her black helmet bobbing. “Right! Thanks!”

  I eased Whisper to a walk, letting her take a breath before we shifted to cantering. It was as if Whisper wanted to perform well. It’s not a competition, I reminded myself. It’s practice.

  “Laur,” Khloe said. She’d halted Whisper. “I noticed that Wisp looked like she was rushing through the last serpentine.”

  “You’re probably right,” I said. “I didn’t catch it.”

  “Maybe start her again at that pace and then begin cantering?” Khloe suggested.

  “Good idea.” We looked at each other for a second. What was this? Did Khloe feel the same way—that this was not practice? It felt like a two-girl show.

  I turned Whisper away from Ever, mad at myself. This was the side of myself that I’d displayed when I’d ridden for Double Aces, and I hated it. I’d turned everything into a competition and couldn’t take critiques from other riders. Khloe was my best friend at Canterwood, and I had to stop making it seem as though she was pointing out faults where there weren’t any. She was listening to my suggestions, and it was only fair that I did the same.

 
Whisper and I started the exercise as Khloe had suggested and I realized, halfway through, that Khloe had been right. Whisper trotted faster than necessary and her trot became bumpy. I did a half halt and she responded, slowing. Her trotting evened out and we finished the serpentine.

  “Thanks for pointing that out,” I called to Khloe.

  She smiled and we kept working. We moved through stretching, balance, and engaging exercises. With each exercise, we traded critiques more and more often.

  I jerked up my head when I noticed someone sitting on the top fence board at the end of the arena. Khloe noticed at the same time.

  “What are you doing?” I called to Riley. She was dressed to ride in black breeches, boots, and a crimson scoop-neck tee.

  The dark-haired girl raised her hands, palms up, as Khloe and I approached her. “Just watching,” Riley said. “I thought I’d pick up some tips from you two.”

  “It’s kind of a private practice,” Khloe said. “You mind?”

  Riley smiled, resting her hands on the fence. “I won’t interrupt—promise. I don’t think there’s a stable rule about me watching. Or did Mr. Conner add one and I missed it?”

  I felt a heat wave of anger radiate off Khloe. “Fine. Stay there. Next time, bring a notepad.”

  Khloe wheeled Ever around and I followed on Whisper.

  “She’s ridiculous!” Khloe hissed when we were strides away from Riley.

  “It’s all on purpose. Riley wants us to stop so we don’t get in more practice time. Let’s keep going and pretend she’s not there. Like, she’s a giant horsefly that you sprayed away.”

  Khloe giggled. “I like that image. A giant, pesky fly with black hair.” Her brown eyes looked determined. “Leg yields?”

  I waved my arm. “You first. We’ll change it up. One person is instructor, the other is the student. Then we’ll switch.”

  Khloe moved Ever a few strides away from Whisper and me. I watched, calling out suggestions, as Khloe worked through leg yields with Ever. She started with simple leg yields, then progressed to leg yields along the wall and then on the diagonal. Finally, Khloe halted her mare. “Your turn,” she said.