Hot Potato

by Alyssa Brugman

  'But at least all your friends come over every day, anyway. Shelby's lost her saddle,' Erin said. 'And I'm not allowed to vote on Australian Idol for a whole year! My dad even confiscated my phone.'

  The girls sat in silence. In the paddock across the driveway the two Arabs stood near the water trough taking it in turns to drink. Beyond them Shelby could make out Blue and Hiccup standing under a tree, dozing nose-to-tail.

  Shelby leaned back, slipping off her gumboots and wiggling her toes.

  'Hey, I've got those exact same socks!' Hayley said. 'Twins!'

  Shelby smiled.

  'So, what are you going to do with CC anyway?' Erin asked.

  'Mum's getting her registered. She's found some imported Riding Pony stallion she wants to put her to.'

  'I knew she was good quality!' said Shelby. 'I'm telling you, I have an eye for it.'

  'Sorry, Hales,' Lindsey said, 'she's not my cup of tea. I don't like the little ones.'

  'That's OK – neither do I, really.' Hayley smiled. 'But she is well put together and quite distinctive. We'll have no trouble getting papers for her.'

  'Hey, we should start a business where we buy horses from the sales, do them up, and then sell them,' suggested Erin, sitting up straight.

  'I'm only buying this one,' Hayley said, quickly.

  Erin was getting excited by the idea. 'We all have different skills; we could train some brilliant all-rounders. People would call it The Erinshelindhale Method.'

  'Didn't you just hear the part about how we all lost out on this fantastic scheme?' Lindsey asked.

  'I think it's a great idea, Erin, but we'll have to wait till we're older and have our own money,' said Shelby.

  'OK, you're on. Are you two in?'

  'No way!' said Lindsey.

  Hayley shrugged.

  'Fine! It will have to be The Erinshel Method then. You'll be sad when we're famous, and everyone in the world is wearing an Erinshel tee-shirt except you. Then when you come to one of our clinics and bring all your friends, and we go, "I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?" you will be sooo embarrassed. That's if we speak to you at all. You'll regret this day for the rest of your life. You have five seconds to change your mind. Five, four, three . . .'

  'I'm willing to take that risk,' interrupted Lindsey.

  'Two, two and a half, two and three-quarters . . .'

  'You do realise you're counting upwards now?' added Hayley.

  'One, zero! Errrr! You've just missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime.'

  Neither of the girls looked particularly distressed.

  'So what are you going to call her?' asked Erin. Lindsey and Shelby glanced at each other and then looked quickly away.

  'We're been thinking about Quicksmart,' said Hayley. 'She'd be Smarty for short – unless we find she has a registered name already.'

  Shelby liked it.

  'So who's this stallion?' Lindsey asked.

  Hayley waved her hand. 'Mum is so excited. Apparently he's won everything everywhere. They even take him to the UK to do a season there every year. Hotty will stay agisted at the owner's stud until she's foaled.'

  'Oh no!' groaned Lindsey. 'Instead of having one little chestnut horse you don't want . . .'

  Hayley put her hands over her face. 'I know! I'll have two.'

  Erin giggled. 'Well, at least you have a year – two, really – before you can do anything with either of them.'

  'And by then you'll be even more too big for her!' added Shelby.

  They watched while Hotty refused to get on the float – kicking and squealing her heart out near the tailgate. Jill Crook stood at the end of the lead rope kicking and squealing right back.

  'I know what you're all thinking,' Hayley said. 'It's a match made in heaven!' Shelby couldn't help but laugh. 'Yes, I think you're right. She wasn't the horse for me after all.'

  'Not the horse for us, don't you mean?' teased Erin.

  Shelby put her arm around Erin's shoulder and smiled. 'Yes, of course! That's what I meant.'

  About the author

  Alyssa Brugman's first novel, Finding Grace, was shortlisted for the New South Wales Premier's and Queensland Premier's Literary Awards and the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year (Older Readers). It was a Commended Book in the 2002 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards and has been translated into Dutch (for which it was shortlisted for the 'Gouden Zoen' Award), Danish and German.

  Walking Naked, Alyssa's second novel, was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier's Literary Award and awarded Honour Book in the 2003 CBCA Book of the Year (Older Readers). It is distributed in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium. Alyssa's third novel for young adults, Being Bindy, was released in 2004. It was a Notable Book in the CBCA Book of the Year Awards, and shortlisted for the Children's Peace Literature Award.

  Hot Potato is the sequel to For Sale or Swap and Beginner's Luck, which were published in 2005.

  Alyssa lives in the Hunter Valley, where she writes full-time and keeps four horses. Shadow, her first pony, is a bay mare in her early thirties. Istana Khazra is a chestnut Arab mare. Greenwood Elizabeth is a six-year-old grey Riding Pony mare. Reddy is a bay thoroughbred gelding who belongs to Alyssa's sister.