Best Enemies

by Jessica Burkhart

  We smiled at each other, then I turned Charm and led him to the stable. I shook my head—maybe it was just a misunderstanding—or even bad advice. But I couldn’t help thinking that Jacob had lied to me on purpose.

  A couple of hours later, Heather, Callie, Jasmine, and I were sitting outside Mr. Conner’s office, showered, changed, and waiting for him to call our names. No one had said a word about cross-country. It was our little secret about how we’d done.

  “Jasmine,” Mr. Conner said, walking up to us. “Mr. Nicholson is ready for you now.”

  She walked into Mr. Conner’s office and closed the door. I stared ahead, not able to look at anyone. Fainting seemed like a definite possibility. Beside me Callie was all business in black pants and a gray and white striped shirt.

  A few minutes later the door opened and a smiling Jasmine emerged. She flounced by us without a word and disappeared down the aisle. Heather was called in next.

  Callie leaned her head against the wall behind her and looked at me. “I’m exhausted.”

  “Me too. But I don’t think it was just the riding. We’ve been stressing about this for months and now it’s over.”

  “Except for that,” Callie said, tipping her head in the direction of Mr. Conner’s office.

  “True, but it’ll only take a few minutes. And we are sparkling conversationalists,” I said, laughing.

  “Why yes,” Callie said. “We are.”

  We cracked up, then stopped laughing when the door opened and Heather walked out. She nodded at me and kept walking.

  “You’ll be fine,” Callie whispered.

  I stood and rubbed my sweaty hands on my gray and pink striped skirt. I walked into the office and sat across from Mr. Nicholson, who was seated behind Mr. Conner’s desk.

  “Hi, Sasha,” Mr. Nicholson said. “Thanks for talking with me for a few minutes.”

  “Thank you for watching me ride,” I said, my voice shaky.

  Mr. Nicholson glanced at a file, then took off his rimless glasses and placed them on the table. “You did a respectable job today. I’m most impressed with your connection to Charm. The work you did at the creek was impressive.”

  “That’s where you were?” I blurted out.

  Mr. Nicholson chuckled. “Yes. Mr. Conner told me what areas each of you were struggling with. I wanted to watch you and Charm at the creek to see how you handled whatever situation arose.”

  “I’ve been working with him for weeks on that,” I said. “I’m just glad he went through it.”

  “Your hard work was evident, Sasha. Charm trusted you to get him through the water.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Now, I’ve got a few questions for you.” Mr. Nicholson sat back in his chair. “Why do you want to ride for the Youth Equestrian National Team?”

  “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,” I said. “I wasn’t sure how I’d get there when I lived in Union and rode at Briar Creek. I knew I needed to come to a place like Canterwood, but I was scared to leave home.”

  Mr. Nicholson nodded.

  “But I if I wanted the best shot at becoming a professional equestrian, leaving home was necessary. I came to Canterwood at the beginning of the school year and I don’t regret that decision. I’m growing every day as a rider and I know I’d do that on the YENT as well.”

  Mr. Nicholson folded his hands. His face gave away nothing. “What specific skills would you bring to the team?”

  I met his eyes. “I don’t have as much formal training as the other riders, but I work hard. I’m strongest in cross-country and am practicing dressage. I’ll work hard every day that I’m on the team.”

  “And what are your riding goals for your eighth-grade year?” Mr. Nicholson asked. He slid a manila file in front of him.

  “I want to become a more well-rounded rider,” I said. “I need to work more on dressage. And honestly, I’m still trying to find the balance between obsessing about riding and focusing on other things too.”

  Mr. Nicholson smiled. “If you figure that out anytime soon, please let me know.”

  “Okay,” I promised. “I will.”

  “Sasha, that’s about it. Thank you for answering my questions and for working so hard. I will be phoning Mr. Conner tomorrow with my decision. I am giving every rider serious thought.”

  “Thank you, sir,” I said. We both stood and I shook his hand. I left the office and let out a giant sigh when I saw Callie waiting on the bench.

  “He’s so nice!” I said. “You’re going to do great.”

  Callie stood and clenched her hands together. “Okay. Breathing.”

  “Seriously. Go. And I’ll see you at the Sweet Shoppe in a few minutes.”

  I stepped out of the stable and into the sunshine. My exhaustion evaporated and I almost wanted to skip to the Sweet Shoppe. I felt lighter than I had in weeks. I stopped, opened my purse, and pulled out the lip gloss I’d bought last week and had saved for today. I twisted open the top and pulled out the wand. Lip Sparkler in cotton candy clouds—yum! I applied some and put it back in my purse. It was the perfect “Happy Summer!” treat.

  I pulled the door to the Sweet Shoppe open and inhaled my favorite scents—warm cookies, frosting, and chocolate. I looked over and saw Mom, Dad, and Paige sitting together. At the back of the room, Jasmine and her parents were eating éclairs and sipping something in tiny cups.

  Heather and Mr. Fox weren’t here yet—I hoped everything was okay. Callie’s parents had a table a few feet away and were chatting as they waited for her to finish the interview. Eric wasn’t here yet—he’d probably gotten held up by Mr. Conner.

  Mom, Dad, and Paige smiled at me and clapped as I sat down.

  “Guys!” I said, blushing. “Stop it.”

  “But you were so great,” Paige said.

  “Fine, fine!” I said, laughing and holding up my hands. “I was awesome. There. Happy?”

  Everyone laughed.

  “Not quite,” Dad said. “Not until you have a treat for your special day.”

  He caught someone’s eye at the counter and a barista walked over. She gave everyone a Coke in a glass bottle— so cool—and passed out plates.

  “What did you order?” I asked.

  Mom shook her head. “Just wait a sec.”

  Two baristas came over, carrying a giant tray. They lowered it onto the middle of the table. I gasped when I looked at it. It was a huge square chocolate cake with white frosting. But in the center, a girl in green and gold jumped a gorgeous chestnut horse over a vertical. Congrats Sasha & Charm! was written in hot pink icing along the top of the cake.

  “Mom! Dad!” I said. “I don’t even know if I made the team.”

  Dad reached over and put his hand on top of mine. “It’s not about the team, sweetie. It’s about you working hard all year to get to this point. We’re so proud of everything you’ve done.”

  “Thanks,” I said, trying not to get all sniffly. “It’s perfect.”

  Dad stood and walked up to Mr. Harper, holding out his camera. “Would you mind?”

  “Not at all,” Mr. Harper said. He came over and held the camera to his eye. Paige slung her arm across my shoulders and Mom and Dad leaned in. Mr. Harper snapped a couple of shots.

  “Congratulations on a great year, Sasha,” he said. “I know Callie’s proud to have you as her friend.”

  “I feel the same about her,” I said. “Thanks.”

  I texted Eric once I sat down.

  R u coming? Got cake.

  Dad got a knife and cut the cake. He handed me the first piece and I dug into it. Mmmm. I checked my phone, but Eric still hadn’t texted back. We were about to have a second piece—special occasion, hello!—when Callie walked in. She motioned for me to come over.

  “Be right back,” I said, getting up. I walked over to Callie and she pulled me beside the counter. “What’s wrong? Did something happen at your interview?”

  Callie shook her head. “No, that went great. It was Mr. Fox and M
r. Conner.”

  “What?”

  “When I left my interview, I heard two people arguing in the side aisle. Mr. Fox told Mr. Conner that he didn’t think Heather had been prepared enough for the YENT tryout and he wanted to know exactly how many hours she’d been riding every day.”

  “Omigod. What did Mr. Conner say?”

  “He was maaad. He told Mr. Fox that Heather rode more than most students and she was one of the hardest-working riders on the team. He basically said that Mr. Fox was pressuring Heather too much and it wasn’t going to help her become a better rider.”

  “Whoa. I bet Mr. Fox loved that.”

  Callie shook her head. “I left before I got caught. But I’m glad Mr. Conner stood up for her. Mr. Fox did say he was going back to his hotel, so I think Heather will be fine.”

  The Sweet Shoppe door opened and Jacob walked over.

  “Hey,” he said to Callie and me.

  “Hi,” I said. “You better celebrate with Callie. She’s sooo already a YENT member.”

  “I know she is,” Jacob said. “I’m thinking cake.”

  Callie and Jacob went to sit with Mr. and Mrs. Harper and I returned to my table. I watched them out of the corner of my eye and saw the relief on Callie’s face that Jacob was finally acting like his old self.

  The door opened again and Heather walked in. She slowed as she walked past our table, but didn’t look at us.

  “Heather?” I called.

  She stopped and turned back, folding her arms. “What?”

  “We have tons of cake if you want some.”

  There was a hint of a smile. “Sure,” she said. “While I wait for my friends.”

  She ate a piece of cake and Mom asked her questions about her ride. The more Mom asked, the easier it was to get Heather to talk.

  After Dad took cake to the Harpers and the Kings (eww), the parents grouped together and stood in front of us.

  “As much as we’d like to think that you want to hang out with the old people all night,” Mrs. Harper said. “We know better. We’re going back to our hotel now, just in case you kids want to—oh, I don’t know—have some fun without us on your last night here.”

  “Smooth, Mom,” Callie said.

  Everyone, even Jasmine, smiled at that.

  We all said good-bye to our parents and they left the shop.

  “I love my parents,” I said. “I really do.”

  “But… ,” Paige prompted, grinning.

  “But she sooo wanted to hang out with her friends tonight!” Callie finished.

  We laughed. “What should we do?” Paige asked.

  “Definitely pizza,” Jacob said. “Anyone else?”

  “Definitely,” I said.

  I looked up when Eric came inside. He walked over to our table and sat beside me.

  “Sorry I’m late,” he said. “Mr. Conner asked me to help with a chart and I got stuck at the stable. Did I miss your parents?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “But it’s okay. You’ll meet them another time.”

  I couldn’t stop smiling, looking around at all of my teammates and friends. Tonight wasn’t about the YENT. It was a celebration of making it through one of the craziest school years ever. And that deserved some pepperoni pizza.

  31

  SLEEP WELL!

  WHEN PAIGE AND I LEFT FOR THE NEW PIZZA place on campus—The Slice—we couldn’t stop giggling. It felt like summer and we’d dressed in T-shirts, jeans, and flip-flops.

  “Why are we laughing again?” I asked, trying to breathe.

  Paige shook her head. “We’re laughing at nothing. It’s called ‘delirium.’ We’re so tired because we just finished finals. But we’re also insanely excited because they’re over.”

  “Sooo over!”

  I pulled open the door and inhaled scents of melted cheese and yummy sauce. The shop was adorable with red and white checkered table cloths and old-fashioned lanterns that gave off a warm glow. Behind the giant white counter, a man in a white apron tossed dough high in the air, then spun it on his fingers. Troy, Andy, Ben, and Nicole were already sitting at the biggest table in the center of the room.

  Paige and I grabbed seats by Nicole.

  “Pizza was the perfect idea for tonight,” Nicole said. “We all had to hang out one more time before summer. But how lame that Canterwood didn’t open a pizza place until the last week of school.”

  “Totally,” I said. “And, plus, I’m kind of starving.”

  Heather, Julia, and Alison came in and snagged three chairs at the end of the table. They started whispering and Heather looked around, probably checking to see if her BFF Jas was here yet.

  Eric walked in and sat across from me. “We’re doing dessert again tonight, right?” he asked.

  “Do you know me at all?” I asked. “Of course!”

  Callie and Jacob stepped inside, holding hands and laughing. Jacob whispered something in Callie’s ear when he pulled out a chair for her.

  Everyone said hi to each other and then we all started talking at once. The table quieted, though, when Jasmine and the Belles walked in. The girls walked to the opposite end of the table from the Trio and sat down. I watched them, waiting for them to glare or make a joke about what losers we were and why they’d really come to eat with us. But they only started talking to each other and ignored the rest of us. Maybe everyone was really here just to have fun for once.

  Callie caught my eye and pointed to the bathroom. Eric was talking to Nicole about how he worked Luna over cavaletti yesterday, so I just motioned to him that I’d be right back. Callie and I walked to the bathroom together and the second the door shut behind us, Callie turned to me, her eyes wide.

  “Jacob apologized for being weird,” she said. “Finally!”

  “Really? That’s great! Did he say what was wrong?”

  “He wasn’t superspecific, but he said there had been something going on with a friend. But he’s over it now.”

  “See?” I asked. “Told you it was nothing you did.”

  Callie nodded. “I’m so relieved. I bet it was his roommate. I think they were having a fight or something.”

  “I’m so glad that’s over,” I said. “Now you’re going to have a great time tonight.”

  We linked arms and walked out of the bathroom. Someone had ordered the pizzas while we’d been gone and minutes later, we were stuffing our faces with cheesy goodness.

  “What’re you doing this summer?” Eric asked Julia.

  She wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Staying home. Trying to convince my parents to let me at least school Trix.”

  “Same here,” Alison said. “I don’t want to spend all summer at the movies.”

  “You?” Nicole asked Eric.

  “Riding at my hometown stable,” Eric said. “My old instructor said I could help break and train a new horse.”

  “Really?” Troy asked. “That’s cool.”

  “Paige,” I said. “What about you?”

  Paige picked a green pepper off her pizza. “Um, just working. And hanging out in the city.”

  “Paige.” I folded my arms and looked at her. I knew Paige would never want me to mention that she’d also be on the lookout for Ryan.

  Paige blushed, playing with her hair. “What?”

  “C’mon. Don’t be modest.”

  Paige took a breath. “Okay, okay. I’m filming Teen Cuisine episodes this summer.”

  “And you didn’t want to talk about it because… ?” Troy asked.

  Paige took a sip of soda. “Because I don’t want everyone to think I’m a snob.”

  “No one would think that, ever,” Callie said. “We love hearing about TC.”

  “Really?” Paige sat up a little straighter.

  “What happens on set?” Nicole asked.

  As Paige talked, I noticed that even Jasmine and the Belles leaned over to listen.

  We ate and chatted for more than an hour before people started to leave. Soon, Nicole, Troy, Andy, and Ben we
re gone. The Belles and Jasmine got up and headed for the door. Violet, pausing, turned around and looked at us. Her eyes shifted from Heather, to Callie, to me.

  “None of you have a chance at the YENT,” Violet said with a smile. “We’ve been coaching Jasmine for weeks. She’s the only Canterwood rider who will make it, wait and see.”

  “Then you’ll sleep well tonight,” Heather said.

  Violet locked eyes with Heather, almost as if she was going to argue. But she turned and walked out with the other girls trailing behind her.

  “And with that, I’m out of here,” Heather said, standing. “Later.” Alison and Julia left with her.

  I swirled my spoon in my bowl, catching any last remnants of hot fudge from my sundae. “I’m ready to go too. Now I just want to go to sleep so tomorrow gets here.”

  “Agreed,” Callie said.

  Paige, Eric, Callie, Jacob, and I left the restaurant. We walked together until Paige and I reached the fork in the sidewalk where we needed to split up.

  “Fingers crossed about tomorrow,” I said, hugging Callie.

  “You too,” she said. “I really, really believe we made it.”

  Eric and Jacob stared at each other for a second, but didn’t say anything.

  “Talk to you tomorrow,” Eric said, squeezing my hand and giving me a quick kiss. He turned to Paige. “And thanks for distracting Sasha tonight—I know you’ll be doing that.”

  “Anytime,” Paige said. “I’ve got the DVDs ready.”

  Paige and I walked toward Winchester and I thought about how great tonight had been. Everyone—minus the Belles—was getting along. I had my BFF back and we both had amazing boyfriends. Paige was about to have a fab summer as a TV star and Jacob and I were even kind of friends again. My last night at Canterwood couldn’t have been better.

  32

  A YES OR A NO?

  LAST NIGHT HAD BEEN THE OPPOSITE OF what I’d expected. Instead of lying awake all night, I’d fallen asleep right away. Now all I could do was stare at my phone, willing Mr. Conner to call with news.

  “Aren’t you glad you didn’t wake up any earlier?” Paige asked. “’Cause you’ve been watching that phone for two hours.”

  “I know,” I said. “But I can’t miss this call.”