Blue Ribbon Summer

by Catherine Hapka

  “Yeah, I’d much rather be near the horses,” Paige added, waving a hand at the barn just a few yards away, across a narrow strip of lawn.

  Hannah shrugged, patting her dark hair. “I don’t know—I wouldn’t mind having a bathtub.”

  “You’d need the tub if you were in Bunk A,” Livi said with a giggle. “Because if you were that close to the house, your horrible off-key singing in the shower would totally wake Robin up!”

  That made all three of them laugh. Brooke forced a smile. It was pretty obvious that these girls were good friends. Where did that leave her?

  The cabin was basically one large room with four bunks. Suitcases, clothes, and other things were strewn across all four of the beds.

  “Oops, guess we’d better move our stuff off Brooke’s bed.” Paige quickly grabbed a couple of shirts and tossed them onto one of the other bunks.

  Hannah picked up a pair of breeches. “Yeah, sorry,” she told Brooke. “Like we said, we didn’t know you were coming at first.”

  Livi giggled. “We were figuring we’d use Lauren’s bunk as our closet this year.”

  “But there—now it’s all yours.” Paige grabbed one last handful of clothes, then kicked a pair of tall riding boots out of the way.

  “Hey, those are my new customs!” Livi protested, swooping in to rescue the boots.

  Meanwhile Hannah dumped Brooke’s saddle on the bed. “You should probably unpack later,” she said. “Come show us your horse!”

  “It’s a pony,” Livi informed the other two. “A Chincoteague pony. Like the movie.”

  “You mean the book?” Paige said. “Misty of Chincoteague. I read that when I was younger—it takes place near here. And it’s totally based on a true story. Morgan told us she went to watch them swim across the water once, remember?”

  Brooke had no idea who Morgan was. Probably another good friend she didn’t know. “Right,” she said. “That’s where I got Foxy. We went to the pony penning and bought her at the auction.”

  “Really? I never heard of anyone doing that.” Paige smiled. “Well, except in the book, I mean.”

  “Chincoteagues are kind of a rare breed, right?” Hannah put in. “Was your pony really expensive?”

  Brooke hesitated, not sure how to answer that. Foxy had seemed expensive to her, but she had a feeling these girls might have a different definition of the term.

  “Um, not really,” she said.

  Luckily, the others didn’t seem interested in the details. They headed out of the bunkhouse and back over to the barn, arriving just in time to meet Robin as she led Foxy inside. Brooke was relieved to see that her pony seemed calmer. Foxy was walking obediently at Robin’s side, looking with interest at the stalled horses on either side of the aisle.

  “Perfect timing,” Robin said when she saw Brooke. “Foxy is feeling better about things now, I think. You can take her to her stall and let her relax for a while.” She glanced at Paige. “Show her the empty stall next to Snow.”

  Foxy was going to stay in a stall? Somehow Brooke hadn’t been expecting that. She took the lead from Robin, who hurried off down the aisle.

  “Cool, Snow is my horse—we’ll be neighbors!” Paige said brightly. “Come on, it’s this way.”

  Brooke bit her lip and glanced at her pony. Foxy had never been shut in a stall in her life. The only time the mare had ever spent the night indoors was the previous fall, when a hurricane had passed over the peninsula and she’d gone to stay with the neighbors’ draft horses in their big, open barn. How would she handle being stuck in a small stall, all by herself?

  Maybe it will be fine, Brooke told herself. She didn’t mind being in the trailer, and that’s even smaller, right?

  Paige led the way to an empty stall. Next door was a tall, elegant gray mare with a short mane. “That’s Snow,” Livi informed Brooke.

  “She’s pretty.” But Brooke wasn’t focused on Paige’s horse. She held her breath as she led Foxy into the empty stall beside Snow’s and let her loose. Foxy stood there for a moment, and Brooke quickly let herself out and shut the door.

  “Want us to give you a tour of the rest of the farm?” Paige suggested. “We could show you where—”

  She was interrupted by a loud whinny as Foxy leaped forward, stopping just short of the stall door. The pony shoved her head out into the aisle, her eyes rolling and her nostrils flared. Brooke reached out to pat her, but the mare whirled away.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Hannah wondered as Foxy spun in a circle before returning to the door.

  Paige shrugged. “She’s new here, that’s all.”

  “Maybe,” Brooke said. “Um, or maybe it’s because she’s not used to being in a stall.”

  Livi turned to stare at her. “What do you mean?”

  Brooke chewed her lower lip as she watched her frantic pony. “She lives in a field with a run-in shed. I never shut her in. I never had a reason to before.”

  “Really?” Hannah sounded surprised. “Huh. Vegas would die if I forced him to live outside. He loves his cozy stall.”

  Foxy whinnied again and kicked the wall. Several of the other horses nickered or snorted in response. A moment later Robin returned, looking concerned.

  “Everything all right?” she asked.

  “I’m sorry. She’s not used to being inside.” Tears welled up in Brooke’s eyes. “I didn’t know she was going to have to stay in a stall, she’s never done that before, and—”

  Robin interrupted. “I see. Never mind, I have an idea.”

  She stepped forward, grabbing Foxy’s halter the next time the mare leaped forward. Foxy shook her head and tried to back up, but gave up quickly when Robin hung on. The stable owner snapped a lead rope onto Foxy’s halter and led her out of the stall.

  “Where are you taking her?” Hannah asked.

  “She can stay in Hero’s stall.” Robin glanced at Brooke. “Hero is one of my horses. His stall has a large attached run so he can move around more—he’s older and has arthritis. Do you think Foxy will like that better?”

  “I’m sure she will,” Brooke said. “But is that okay? If your horse has arthritis, doesn’t he need that stall?”

  “It’s fine,” Robin assured her with a smile. “Hero is mostly retired—he can live outside for a couple of weeks.”

  “Really?” Livi said. “Won’t he freak out?”

  “Absolutely not,” Robin replied. “He’s lived out before. Most horses actually like being outside, you know.”

  Paige giggled. “Not Vegas. Hannah’s trainer says he’s a hothouse flower.”

  “Hmm.” Robin didn’t really respond to that. She led Foxy down the aisle to a different stall. It was larger than the other one, and had a wide doorway at the back leading out to a narrow paddock overlooking the riding ring.

  As soon as Robin released Foxy into the stall, the pony headed toward the paddock with her ears pricked. She trotted out through the door, head raised and ears swiveling in all directions.

  “One of my boarders has the other run-out stall.” Robin waved a hand at a large bay horse that was standing in an open doorway, looking out into an adjoining paddock. “So Foxy will have company whether she stays in or out.”

  “Thanks,” Brooke said, relieved that her pony seemed much less upset already. “Sorry for all the trouble.”

  “No trouble at all.” Robin’s smile was wide and genuine. “Now let’s go into the house for a snack and leave her to get settled. We can come back and check on her later.”

  Later that evening, Brooke lay on her bunk and stared at the wooden ceiling beams. The other three girls had been chattering nonstop since returning to the cabin. They didn’t even stop talking when one of them went into the tiny shared bathroom to shower and change into pajamas; they just talked louder so nobody would miss anything.

  Once in a while one of them—usually Paige—made an effort to include Brooke, but mostly they seemed to forget she was there. From listening to the three-way conversation
, Brooke had figured out that the other girls had been coming to this camp for the past three years, and that Camp Pocomoke was where the three of them had met. Hannah was from a fancy suburb of Baltimore; Paige lived in Virginia, south of Washington, D.C.; and Livi had come all the way from Pennsylvania, where her mother was a U.S. congresswoman. The three of them only saw one another at summer camp and the occasional horse show, which meant they had a lot of catching up to do.

  Brooke yawned, wondering if the other girls were going to talk all night. Sleeping through their conversation couldn’t be much harder than sleeping through one of Ethan’s tantrums or Emma’s screaming fits, right?

  The windows were open to let in the evening breeze, and Brooke smiled as she heard the faint sound of a horse nickering somewhere in the night. A second later another horse responded.

  “I think that was Foxy,” she said.

  The other three girls turned to look at her. “What?” Livi said.

  “That nicker.” Brooke was starting to wish she’d kept the thought to herself. “I think it was Foxy. She has this really deep nicker, even though she’s so small.”

  “Oh. That’s cute,” Paige said with a smile. “Snow pretty much sounds like every other horse when she nickers.”

  “Hmm.” Brooke smiled back, but she was glad when the other three returned to their conversation. She could tell they were trying to be nice to her, but it was pretty obvious she didn’t fit in, and neither did Foxy. Had coming here been a mistake?

  CHAPTER

  5

  “RISE AND SHINE!” ROBIN POKED her head into the bunkhouse. “Breakfast starts in twenty minutes.”

  Brooke was already dressed. She’d slept fitfully and woken early. After creeping into the tiny bathroom to pull on jeans and a T-shirt, she’d been tempted to sneak over to the barn to check on Foxy. But she wasn’t sure what the rules were here, and she was tired of sounding clueless to the others. Besides, Livi and Paige were still asleep, Livi snoring softly from beneath her pillow. Hannah was awake but still in bed. She’d mumbled a greeting to Brooke, then immediately pulled out her cell phone and started scrolling through her messages. Her dark hair was loose and sticking out around her head in soft curls that Brooke thought looked nicer than Hannah’s usual sleek but severe ponytail, though she never would have dared to say so.

  At Robin’s voice, Livi’s eyes opened and she rolled over. “Wha time is it?” she mumbled, spitting a stray strand of blond hair out of her mouth.

  “Time to get up,” Hannah replied. “Dibs on first shower.”

  “No!” Paige sat up too, suddenly wide-awake. She shoved a strand of tangled red hair out of her face. “Don’t let Hans in the shower first, or she’ll use all the hot water!”

  Livi gasped. “Oh no, you’re right!”

  She leaped out of bed, tripping over her own slippers. Hannah was laughing as she grabbed a towel from the cubby at the foot of her bed and dashed toward the bathroom. Livi and Paige lunged after her. There was a brief tussle, which Livi won, slamming the door shut behind her as she disappeared inside.

  “Cheater!” Hannah complained. “I called dibs.”

  Paige laughed and collapsed on the foot of Brooke’s bed, which was nearest the bathroom door. “You had the right idea,” she commented. “There’s always a fight for the bathroom in the mornings. I just can’t stand getting up any earlier than I have to.”

  “I usually like sleeping in too,” Brooke said. “I guess I had a little trouble sleeping in a strange place.”

  Paige smiled sympathetically. “I was the same way when I first came here. Don’t worry, before long Camp Pocomoke will feel like your home away from home.”

  Brooke returned the smile, but it felt a bit forced. So far, she couldn’t imagine ever feeling at home in this place. But who knew? Maybe Paige was right. Maybe Brooke and Foxy would settle in sooner or later. Brooke hoped so, anyway.

  Fifteen minutes later, all the girls were dressed. Brooke followed the others out of the cabin, expecting them to turn left toward the house. Instead, they headed across the narrow patch of grass between the bunkhouse and the barn.

  “Aren’t we going to breakfast?” Brooke asked.

  “Yeah.” Livi ran her fingers through her damp blond hair. “The horses’ breakfast.”

  “Oh, right, we didn’t tell you about that part, did we?” Paige said. “See, at Camp Pocomoke we’re supposed to take care of our horses ourselves.”

  She, Livi, and Hannah gazed at Brooke as if expecting her to react somehow. “Okay,” Brooke said cautiously.

  Hannah rolled her eyes. “I know, right?” she said. “I mean, this place is great and all. But I could do without picking up horse poop before breakfast.”

  Paige giggled. “Don’t let Robin hear you say that or she’ll make you clean the whole barn instead of just Vegas’s stall.”

  “Do you know what Foxy eats?” Livi asked Brooke. “If not, we can check with Robin—I’m sure your barn gave her all the details.”

  “My barn?” Brooke was confused. “Um, Foxy lives at my house. I feed her breakfast every day.”

  “Oh!” Paige nodded. “That’s right, you said something about that yesterday. Well, then never mind—you’ll be an old pro!”

  Brooke could tell she was trying to be nice. So how come her comment—and the way Livi and Hannah were staring as if Brooke had three heads—made her feel like such a freak?

  She forgot about that as they stepped into the barn. It was bustling with activity. Several of the older campers were wandering around, carrying buckets or pitchforks. Robin was leading a horse out of its stall, and a younger woman with a wavy dark ponytail was pushing a wheelbarrow down the aisle.

  “You’re late,” Robin announced when she saw Brooke’s group enter.

  “Sorry. Hannah took forever in the shower,” Livi said.

  Brooke didn’t hear Robin’s response, because at that moment Foxy stuck her head into the aisle and nickered. The mare’s eyes were bright and her ears pricked forward—as if this was just like every other morning.

  Brooke smiled, suddenly feeling a little less out of sorts. “Hey, girl,” she said, stepping over to rub the pony’s nose.

  The young woman with the wheelbarrow stopped nearby and leaned on her pitchfork. “Is that your pony?” she asked. “Is she a Chincoteague?”

  “Yes,” Brooke said cautiously.

  The young woman smiled. “Thought she might be. Had one myself when I was your age—picked him out at the pony penning when I was seven years old.”

  “Really? That’s what I did too.” Brooke smiled back. “Except I was eight.”

  Just then Robin walked by, leading a horse. “I see you’ve met Felicia,” she told Brooke. “She’s our part-time barn worker and she knows how everything works around here. So if you have a question and can’t find me, she’s a good person to ask.”

  “Oh, okay. Thanks.” Brooke shot Felicia a shy smile. Was it weird that she already felt as if she had more in common with the barn worker than with the other campers? Pushing that thought aside, she hurried to the feed room to get Foxy’s grain.

  After the horses were fed and the stalls cleaned, the girls headed inside for their own breakfast. Robin’s house managed to seem spacious and cozy at the same time, with comfortably elegant furnishings and lots of nooks and crannies filled with interesting things—antiques, books, knickknacks, framed photographs of horses and people. The sunny dining room had a hunt theme, with paintings and figurines of foxes and hounds everywhere Brooke looked. Several large windows overlooked one of the pastures.

  “Over here,” Paige said, pulling Brooke toward one end of the long mahogany table. The older campers were already sitting at the other end.

  “Good morning, everyone,” Robin said, taking a seat in the middle. She set a sheaf of papers in front of her. “Welcome to another year at Camp Pocomoke.”

  A cheer went up from both ends of the table. Paige added a loud whoop that made the others giggle
.

  “Now, I know most of you know the deal,” Robin went on. “But we have a couple of new campers this year.”

  “Kayley isn’t really new,” protested one of the older campers, shoving a rosy-cheeked blond girl with her shoulder. “She just skipped last year, that’s all.”

  “Nevertheless,” Robin said. “I want to go over the basics. Even some of our more experienced campers might have forgotten a few things over the winter.”

  “She’s talking about you, Livi,” Hannah said in a loud stage whisper. Everyone laughed, including Livi. Brooke smiled along, even though she wasn’t sure why that was funny.

  “All right.” Robin smiled. “Now, as usual, you’re divided into older and younger groups. You’ll be together at mealtimes and for some non-riding activities, but separate for your riding and horsemanship lessons.”

  The other girls were all nodding along, looking slightly bored. Robin continued.

  “As most of you know, my daughter Morgan won’t be a counselor this year,” she said. “She moved to New York City right after her college graduation last month, and she can’t take time away from her new job.”

  There was a general murmur of disappointment. Robin paused and looked down for a moment, shuffling through the papers in front of her. Was that a look of sadness on her face? Brooke felt a flash of curiosity, but shrugged it off. Of course it made sense that Robin was sad—her daughter had recently moved away from home.

  “Now, I’ve hired a local girl to help out in Morgan’s place,” Robin went on. “Her name is Abby, and I think you’ll all like her. Preston will be coming in a couple of days to help out as well.”

  Paige leaned toward Brooke. “That’s Robin’s boyfriend,” she whispered. “He’s, like, some kind of superstar real estate guy or something. His cousin boards here—that’s how he and Robin first met.”

  “This year’s activities should be fun,” Robin said. “As usual, one of the neighboring estates has graciously agreed to let us use their tennis courts and pool, and we’ll also be setting up a visit to the local golf course for anyone who’s interested. Abby mentioned volleyball and kickball as well, but I’ll let her tell you about that when she arrives in a few minutes.”