“Okay,” Juniper said. This was it. She and Able were going to do their first stunts on Castle McAvoy.
“You’re going to be great,” Juniper whispered into Able’s ear. She hoped she’d be great, too. Able snorted. He was ready for some action.
Juniper and Able followed Marcus and Zombie around the made-up courtyard, through archways and over boxes. They started slow but quickly picked up the pace. Zombie was a good teacher to Able, encouraging him with nickers, and Able was happy to follow.
Juniper couldn’t have been happier if someone was feeding her a lifetime supply of chocolate cake. When Marcus brought them to a stop, she couldn’t get rid of the broad smile on her face.
“That was great,” said a girl sitting cross-legged on the ground just outside the rehearsal area. A boy was standing next to her, and they were both watching Juniper and Able. Juniper sucked in a nervous breath. How long had they been there?
“Hey, Leigh.” Marcus jumped off Zombie. “Hey, Pablo. This is Juniper and Able.” He glanced at Juniper and added, “Leigh and Pablo are on the stunt team, too.”
“Hi,” Juniper squeaked, hating how small her voice sounded.
No one seemed to notice, though. Leigh jumped up to pet Able’s nose, and Pablo said, “You guys are naturals. That was a good run.”
The stampede inside Juniper’s tummy turned into a fluttering, and she hoped she wasn’t blushing.
“He’s beautiful,” Leigh said, smiling at Able. “Have you tried the costumes on him yet?”
“My plan next.” Marcus grinned.
“Good. We got here in time.” Leigh smiled even wider at Juniper. “This is my favorite part. The horses look so good in their costumes.”
Juniper liked Leigh immediately.
Marcus rummaged through a box on the side of the rehearsal area, pulling out rump covers, chest pieces, saddles, and more.
“I recognize these.” Juniper picked up a bright blue blanket with yellow edging. “They’re Lady Penelope’s from a couple seasons ago.”
“Wow. You must be a big fan to remember that,” Pablo said.
“Who isn’t?” Juniper asked. “You know you guys work on the absolute best show, right?”
Leigh nodded her head. “And now you do, too. It’s so fun!” She lifted up an ornate metal headpiece with turquoise stones. “Let’s put these on Able.”
Juniper, Marcus, Leigh, and Pablo dressed up Able and Zombie, and the horses didn’t mind the attention one bit. They nickered, and Able lifted his hooves, ready to run again.
“Are you guys horsing around?”
Juniper turned and gasped. A group of kids had walked up, and at the front were Caleb Donovan and Alicia Hernandez. Caleb was laughing.
“Very funny, Caleb,” Marcus said, but he didn’t sound like he found it funny at all. “This is Juniper Brown, new to the horse stunt team. And this is her horse, Able.”
He introduced all the actors, and Juniper nodded to each one, her voice stuck in her throat. She had been watching Sir Gregor, Lady Penelope, and the other characters on Castle McAvoy for so long, she felt as though they were old friends. She had to remind herself that she was meeting these kids for the very first time.
Finally, Juniper squeaked out, “Hi. I’m such a big fan. I can’t believe I’m meeting you. I love everything about this show. When you killed that giant beetle troll at the end of last season, I cheered so hard. The bug guts you got on you were so gross.” Juniper realized she was rambling and clamped her mouth shut. It was hard not to gush, though. She felt like excitement was bursting under her skin.
Alicia scrunched up her nose. “Ugh. I was finding that stuff in my hair for days after we shot that scene. It really was gross.”
“It probably didn’t help that I kept putting it in your hair when you weren’t looking.” Caleb stayed serious for about a second, then bent over laughing.
“That was you?” Alicia play-slapped Caleb’s arm, but laughed, too. “Watch out for Caleb, Juniper. He hasn’t yet found a prank he doesn’t love.”
Juniper grinned. She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of being at the other end of one of Caleb’s pranks, but she definitely liked being friends with her favorite actors.
“So, can you do all the twirling and jumping and things these guys can do?” Alicia asked, pointing at Leigh, Marcus, and Pablo.
Juniper nodded, pushing down the twinge she felt in her tummy. She had done well in their audition and knew she could do lots of good tricks at home, but now, being on the set, she was starting to get nervous she wouldn’t be good enough.
“Wow,” Alicia said. “Don’t get me wrong, I think horses are really cool, but I hate when I have to get on them. It’s so high and scary. You can do all the action parts any day.”
A loudspeaker crackled outside the studio building, and Alicia grabbed Caleb’s sleeve. “Come on, I’m not going to be late to costume again because of you.”
“Ooh, I wonder if Anne has found the cockroach I left in her thread drawer yet.” Caleb cackled again, and Alicia shook her head.
“See you around, Juniper,” Alicia said, then dragged Caleb away.
“I had no idea Lady Penelope was scared of horses,” Juniper said, watching the actors head back to the studio. “She does all the best stunts.”
Leigh laughed. “That’s because when Lady Penelope’s on a horse, she’s played by me.”
“Yeah, Leigh makes Alicia look really good on a horse,” Marcus said. “Right, Zombie?” He rubbed his horse’s shoulder.
Juniper gave a small smile but couldn’t stop wondering if she was going to make an actor look really good on a horse like Leigh did one day.
“All right, let’s give Able a run with all this gear on, make sure he’s comfortable,” Marcus said.
Able looked amazing with the costume on. And riding him, Juniper felt like a princess, but a warrior princess who was protecting her castle, just like in the show. Pablo, Leigh, and Marcus watched from the side, cheering them on.
When Juniper’s father walked up, he was smiling from ear to ear.
Juniper pulled up alongside him. “Able loves the costume. Pablo says he’s a natural.”
“Of course he is!” her father said, waving at Pablo and Leigh. He turned back to Juniper. “And you look good up there, too. You having fun?”
“The most fun,” Juniper said.
“Good.” Her father looked over Able protectively, checking for any cuts or other small injuries. “He looks great. I’m proud of you, Junie.”
Juniper’s heart swelled. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Just be careful and don’t—”
“Do anything dangerous,” Juniper finished. “I know.”
“Let’s get lunch,” Marcus said, bringing Zombie over. “You’ve got costume fittings at one.”
“Costume fittings,” Juniper’s dad said. Then he tweaked her ear when she was back on the ground. “It sounds like you are a star already. Lunch sounds great. It will be my treat.”
“Isn’t food free on the set?” Juniper asked.
Her father winked. “That’s why I’m treating.”
Juniper and Marcus laughed as they walked the horses to the stable.
Juniper’s afternoon was busy. In the costume department, every part of her body was measured and recorded so costumes for multiple characters could be tailored to fit her. Able was fitted for his costumes, too. Then Marcus and Zombie showed them all the different sets the show used, the tricks they filmed most often, and tips on doing stunts for the camera.
Doing tricks with Able for Castle McAvoy was very different from training in their pasture at home. On the set, not only did she have to do the trick right, she had to make sure Able was where the director wanted him for the camera shot. If he wasn’t in the right place, or she wasn’t in the best position, they’d have to do it aga
in. And if they had to do it too many times, they’d mess up the schedule. Marcus had told her this over and over: “Don’t slow down the production schedule!” Juniper had spray-painted it on a billboard in her mind so she’d never forget.
That evening, as her father drove her and Able home, Juniper was so tired, she fell asleep in the truck. Her energy picked up when they got home. Her mother and Rose came running out of their house and smothered her in a big hug.
Rose was full of questions. “What were the actors like? What stunts did you do? Did you get to wear those awesome dresses?”
“Let her take a breath,” their mother said as Juniper hurried to answer. But Juniper didn’t mind all the questions. They made her bloom inside. She’d missed Rose’s attention, and she was getting it now all thanks to Castle McAvoy.
Juniper had to make sure it stayed that way.
While the sisters readied Able for bed, Juniper answered all of Rose’s questions.
“Able was the real star. You should’ve seen him on the set. He knew he belonged there. He looks really good in his costume, too.” She kissed Able on the nose and whispered, “Good night, sweet prince. You’re going to be great again tomorrow.”
“Do you think I could bring my friends to the set?” Rose asked as they walked back to the house.
“We can’t tell anyone until Able and I are on the show, remember?” Juniper said. “Dad says it’ll jinx it. Like that time he announced that Lucky would be in A Sunday Horse, and they cut all her scenes. We can’t tell anyone about Able and me, even though I want to.”
Rose nodded, but she didn’t look happy about it.
By the time they got to the dinner table, Juniper had just enough energy left to wolf down the black bean chili her mom had made. Then she climbed into her own bed, waved at Able’s stable through her window, and was asleep before her head dropped onto her pillow.
Chapter 4
Camera Time
Juniper’s days did not get easier. Between all the different stunts, the sets, and the costumes, there was so much to learn and get right. And that was just for the show.
She also had classes every day with Mr. Vela and the other kids from the studio. Juniper held in a secret laugh when Mr. Vela opened his desk drawer and a bunch of plastic flowers popped out. Caleb must’ve rigged it.
Finally, after weeks of rehearsal, Marcus told Juniper she’d be riding for the camera. She and Able would be in a scene that would be in an episode—of her favorite show ever!
The night before her on-camera debut, the stampede raced in Juniper’s stomach all through dinner. To celebrate, her mother had made her favorite veggie tacos, with baked apple doughnuts for dessert, but Juniper couldn’t even enjoy them. She was too excited—and nervous.
“You’re going to be okay, you know,” her mother told her as they put away the leftovers.
Juniper glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. “What are you talking about?”
“You think I don’t notice when my daughter’s nervous? You ate one bite of one doughnut, when I usually have to keep the plate away from you because you’ll devour the whole stack. Plus, you just put the salsa in the dishwasher.”
Juniper opened the dishwasher door, and sure enough, there was the jar was sitting there. She sighed, pulling the jar out and placing the salsa where it belonged in the fridge.
“Sorry.” Juniper hadn’t wanted to let on that she was nervous. She wanted her parents to think she could do the stunts without any problems. “I just want to do a good job.”
“And you will,” her mother said. “Remember that night when they called your father to hire you?”
Juniper nodded.
“Rose said you are a great rider, and she’s right. You’ve got it in your blood, just like your father.”
“He is a really good trainer,” Juniper said.
“Not only that—he used to be one of the best trick riders around. But that’s a story for another time.” Her mother took the dish towel out of Juniper’s hands. “You need to get some rest for your big day. I’ll finish up here.”
“Okay, Mom. Thank you.”
“And Junebug . . .”
“Yeah?”
“I’m so proud of you.” Her mother enveloped Juniper in a big hug. “You will be the star of the show.”
Juniper smiled.
Tucked into bed that night, Juniper tried to sleep. She was tired, but her mind kept racing with all the rules and tips Marcus had given her. Finally, when sleep wouldn’t come, she logged onto the Hoofprints Horse Riding Forum. It was the first time that she’d logged on since she’d started working with Castle McAvoy. She’d been too tired every night before, but now she needed some inspiration.
Juniper giggled at CutesyHorse’s picture of her horse, Shadow, in a Cat in the Hat hat. She posted a “yay” sticker under the video of HrseGrl25 finally jumping without falling. And she put a smiley under JessicaRides4Ever’s painting of her horse Willy. Finally, she went to Claudia Rains’s thread. Claudia’s latest post was a picture of a horseshoe and the words “Don’t forget: The world is lucky to have you.”
Juniper smiled to herself. “The world is lucky to have me,” she whispered, quieting the stampede in her stomach. Lying back down on her pillow, she glanced out the window at the stable across the pasture. “The show is lucky to have us, Able. We’ll be fine. Better than fine. We’ll be great.”
At last, Juniper drifted off to sleep.
When her father rapped on her bedroom door the next morning, Juniper was already up, dressed, and ready to tackle the day. The herd in her stomach was still busy, but now the horses were prancing with excitement as well as nerves. She was going to be on Castle McAvoy!
Able was ready, too. He snorted when he strode into the trailer and nickered when he walked out to the studio lot. This was their big day, and he knew it.
As they walked to the stables, Juniper’s mind whirled with all the tips she had been telling herself to not forget. Her phone pinged in her backpack.
“That might be Mom,” she told her dad. “Go ahead with Able. I’ll catch up.”
She pulled out her phone, but the message wasn’t from her mother. It was from her friend Cali.
Cali: OMG! You’re on Castle McAvoy! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. I want to hear everything.
Juniper’s eyes widened. How had Cali found out? She had told her she was tutoring at home for a bit to help her dad. She texted back.
Sorry! I’m not supposed to say anything. It’s so awesome. I’ll fill you in as soon as I can.
Stuffing her phone into her backpack, Juniper ran to catch up with her dad and Able, hoping her father wasn’t right that telling people would jinx it.
Soon, Juniper and Able were both costumed and standing at the side of the set for their on-camera debut.
Her dad gave her a big kiss on her forehead. “Go get them, Junebug. Just breathe, and remember everything we’ve been working on.”
Juniper nodded.
“And be careful,” her dad said.
“We will,” Juniper said, tamping down her nerves.
“Places for the catch scene!” Tomas, the production assistant, shouted.
Ben sauntered over to Juniper and Able. “Are you guys ready to go out there?”
Juniper tried to ignore the stampede in her belly.
“Do everything like you’ve been doing it in rehearsals, and we’ll have this wrapped up quickly.” Ben smiled big, then helped Juniper lead Able to his starting position on the other side of the courtyard entrance.
They had rehearsed under all the lights and in costume, but Juniper didn’t remember it being as hot as she felt now. Sitting on Able’s back, she took in a deep breath and glanced at her dad on the sidelines. He gave her a smile and a thumbs-up.
The trick wasn’t difficult. It was something she
and Able had done lots of times in their pasture at home. They’d also done it fine in rehearsal.
But now, Juniper could see that every eye was on her and her horse. Marcus and Pablo were hidden in the set, ready for their parts, and Leigh was on the edge of the set, waiting to shoot a scene of her own immediately afterward. Even Alicia, Caleb, and the other actors were watching. Alicia gave Juniper a wave, and she smiled nervously back.
Suddenly, there was no more time to think about how she’d do. The director, Sadie Aprell, shouted, “Action!” and Juniper spurred Able forward.
Through the courtyard entrance they galloped, then around the pathway marked out on the ground. Other actors leaped from behind walls and hay bales, reaching out as though they wanted to pull Juniper off. Like she’d practiced, she leaned this way, then that, acting like she was trying to get away.
When they got close to the courtyard exit, Marcus stuck out his arm and caught Juniper’s boot. Her leg flailed on the side of Able, stopping the horse. Juniper pulled and got her boot away. Then she swung her leg over Able’s back so she was sitting with a foot in one stirrup as Able rode her away to safety.
“Cut!” Sadie shouted, and as if the whole set had been holding in their breath, everyone started chattering again.
Marcus and Juniper’s dad applauded, and soon, everyone else had joined in. Leigh let out a “Whoop!”
Juniper brought Able back around to the front of the set, grinning from ear to ear. They had survived their first on-camera stunt. Now they just had to hear from the director if it was good.
Rubbing Able’s shoulder, Juniper turned toward Sadie, who was watching the footage on a screen next to the camera.
Sadie’s eyes were narrowed, and Juniper waited anxiously. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a big smile broke out on Sadie’s face. “Great job, Juniper and Able. Tomas, that rock isn’t in the best position for the shot. Let’s move it forward. Juniper, can you guys do that again?”
Juniper felt like her heart might explode with happiness. They were doing the stunt again, but not because of her—not because she and Able had messed up. Sadie had even said they did a great job. She nodded quickly. “Sure!”
Hollywood: Juniper and Able Page 3