Starlight Stables: Bush Bolts

by Soraya Nicholas

  Half of Poppy wanted to stay to watch her aunt with the new horse, but the other half was bursting to run off with her friends and bottle feed the cute animals. She looked at Aunt Sophie, saw she was already focused on Prince, and decided to let her have some time alone with him. She grabbed Sarah’s hand and they started to run.

  ‘Wait up!’ Katie called out.

  ‘Poppy!’ Milly yelled. ‘Don’t you dare get there first!’

  But Poppy wasn’t slowing down and Sarah was a fast runner. She glanced back and saw Milly’s arms pumping as she tried to catch them, but it only made Poppy want to go faster. They might be her best friends in the world, but she still liked to beat them.

  ‘What do you think we should take?’ Katie asked that night as she and Milly collapsed on their stretcher beds.

  Poppy stretched out on her bed, staring up at the ceiling of the large bedroom. Sarah sat cross-legged at the other end. She was sharing the bed with Poppy so they could all be together in one room, and they were going top and tails. Poppy doubted Sarah would much like her feet in her face, but she hadn’t complained yet, and it wasn’t like they hadn’t top and tailed a million times when they stayed at each other’s houses.

  ‘Your feet stink,’ Sarah said, pushing her away when Poppy flexed her toes.

  ‘Do not,’ Poppy muttered, pushing them further toward Sarah.

  ‘Eww! They’re like rotten eggs!’

  Milly burst out laughing and Sarah joined in. Poppy reluctantly pulled her feet back and decided to find some socks, although she was secretly happy that Milly and Sarah were joking together.

  ‘Are we going to be gone the whole day?’ Katie asked, not even bothering to join in with the teasing.

  Poppy had been thinking about the beautiful colt Prince, not about their next ride. It was almost impossible not to think about her aunt’s new horse, imagining him floating around the arena doing dressage with Aunt Sophie schooling him. She wanted to make Crystal move like that, to teach her all the fancy dressage moves she’d seen her aunt ride.

  ‘Pops?’ Sarah said, nudging her in the side with her elbow. ‘Your feet aren’t that bad. Sorry.’

  ‘Bet she was dreaming about Prince,’ Milly said with a snort. ‘Poor horse had better hope she doesn’t ride barefoot!’

  Poppy grinned at Milly, laughing off her silly jokes. ‘Ha ha, but yes, I was.’ She giggled. ‘And Crystal. I’m always dreaming about Crystal.’

  ‘Prince was amazing,’ Katie said.

  ‘Better than amazing. He was just . . .’

  Sarah laughed. ‘Amazing,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘I get that he was beautiful to look at, but I don’t get what you all go ga-ga over.’

  ‘You’re kidding, right?’ Milly teased, rolling her eyes. ‘Have you taught her nothing about horses, Poppy?’

  Poppy leaned back on Sarah. ‘Yeah, once you learn how to ride on your own, to canter and jump and do all the crazy fun stuff that makes you feel invincible, then you’ll get it.’

  ‘Imagine you’re dreaming about being a princess riding a magical unicorn,’ Katie said, her voice all dreamy. ‘Because that’s how it would feel riding a horse like Prince once he’s trained by Mrs D.’

  Sarah looked at them like they were crazy and they burst into giggles. Poppy was just happy that they were all laughing, that Sarah wasn’t being left out.

  ‘When I have a cool dream, I’m always flying. I don’t think I’ve ever ridden a unicorn in my dreams,’ Sarah told them when they’d stopped laughing.

  ‘Oooh, that’d be fun,’ Katie said.

  ‘My cool dreams are always on horseback,’ Poppy said. ‘So maybe that’s telling you something.’

  ‘What, like she should strap on a pair of wings and learn how to fly?’ Milly asked.

  ‘I actually want to be a pilot when I grow up. All I’ve ever wanted is to go in a helicopter,’ Sarah said in a quiet voice.

  Poppy glanced at Sarah, giving her a quick smile. She knew what Sarah dreamed of being – whenever they had a sleepover at home, Sarah always woke up telling her about a flying dream, and Poppy was always telling her about her Crystal dreams.

  ‘That’s a really cool thing to want to be,’ Katie said.

  ‘Yeah, that sounds awesome actually,’ Milly agreed reluctantly.

  ‘Hey, so back to tomorrow,’ Poppy said, thinking about the day ahead. ‘Should we ride out early before it gets too hot? Or do you want to go in the afternoon?’

  ‘We have to muck out all the stables and help feed out the other horses, so maybe we should do that early and head off straight after,’ Katie suggested.

  ‘Sounds like a plan,’ Poppy agreed. ‘We just need to tell Aunt Sophie that we’re going to spend the whole day out riding.’

  ‘Ugh, my legs are already killing me after riding for, like, an hour!’ Sarah protested with a groan.

  ‘I was thinking we could ride, find the cattle, then stop somewhere for lunch,’ Poppy suggested. ‘We could sit under a tree and eat, explore a bit, then ride back when we’re ready. It’ll be fun.’

  ‘Cool, gets my vote,’ Milly said, flopping back on her bed and landing with a squeak. ‘Ow!’

  Poppy laughed and wriggled past Sarah so she could get off the bed. The carpet was soft beneath her toes as she walked over to the light switch. ‘Ready for sleep?’ she asked.

  ‘Yep,’ Katie said at the same time as Milly muttered something that sounded like ‘yes’.

  She flicked the switch and jumped over Sarah to get back to her spot on the bed. It wasn’t completely dark – the light from the hall sent a slither of brightness into their upstairs room through the half-closed door.

  ‘Sweet dreams,’ Poppy whispered. She wanted to stay awake for longer, chatting, but she was so tired. She shut her eyes and saw Crystal in her mind, the way she always leaned over for a cuddle, dropping her head to Poppy’s shoulder, or how she tried so hard to learn new things when they were having a lesson.

  Poppy loved riding Crystal, but one day when she was a grown-up she wanted to be just like her aunt. She wanted to follow in her footsteps and do something she loved, riding the best and most amazing horses. Sarah might want to be a pilot, and that sounded cool, but all Poppy wanted to do was ride. Especially when she saw her mum go off to work every day with a fake smile on her face like she was happy to be working in an office. Poppy knew she hated it, and she didn’t want to grow up and spend the rest of her life doing something that she didn’t like.

  Poppy slurped down the last of her Milo and took one last bite of her Vegemite toast as her friends did the same.

  ‘Do you want me to pack lunch for you?’ Aunt Sophie asked as she loaded the dishwasher.

  Katie stood to help her, collecting up all their plates. Poppy quickly gathered the glasses, not wanting her aunt to have to do too much for them. She knew how special it was that they were allowed to stay so often, and she always liked to help out whenever she could. Besides, it was nothing compared to what it had been like at home when her mum had a kind of breakdown after her dad died. Back then she’d had to do everything just to make it look like life was okay for her and her brother.

  ‘We’re fine, Mrs D,’ Milly said. ‘We can just grab an apple and a bag of chips or something.’

  ‘How about I make lunch while you do your chores,’ Sarah said. ‘I don’t mind, and I can help Mark – um, Mr D, I mean – if he needs an extra pair of hands while giving the little animals their breakfast.’

  Poppy saw the pleading look in Sarah’s eyes and guessed she didn’t want to help out with the horses. Poppy was so used to doing chores, but she could see that they would be boring for someone who didn’t like horses.

  Milly looked up. She knew Sarah didn’t want to be around the ponies and doing all the horsey jobs. But before Milly could say anything, Aunt Sophie smiled.

  ‘Good idea, Sarah. I don’t want you going hungry if you’re out riding. You need to keep your strength up. Make sure you take lots of sandwiches and n
ot just snacks if you’re staying out all day.’

  ‘Yes, Ma’am,’ Milly said, making Poppy giggle as she saluted behind Aunt Sophie.

  Sophie suddenly spun round and flicked Milly with the tea towel she was holding. Milly squealed in shock, and they all roared with laughter.

  ‘Off with you all,’ Aunt Sophie scolded as she held her tea towel up like they were all in danger of being flicked. ‘Have fun and don’t forget to take a phone. And water.’

  Poppy nodded and turned back to Sarah. ‘Meet us in an hour. We’ll get Missy all tacked up and ready to go for you.’

  Sarah smiled. ‘I have no idea what tacked up means, but thanks.’

  ‘It just means we’ll have her groomed and with her saddle and bridle on, so she’s ready for you to ride.’ Poppy was already walking backwards as she explained, feeling like a traitor for wanting to run out the door and bail on her friend so she could get down to the stables. Crystal would seriously be wondering why she wasn’t getting as many cuddles and treats as usual.

  Minutes later Poppy was yanking on her boots at the back door and racing across the driveway down to the stables. She hadn’t even bothered to tie her hair up and it flew out behind her as she ran.

  ‘What’s the hurry, Pops?’ Uncle Mark called from outside his makeshift wildlife centre.

  ‘Crystal!’ she called back, not slowing for a second.

  The magpies were calling, the sun was shining and a gentle breeze blew against her face. Starlight Stables was the best place in the world.

  Poppy rode Crystal at a walk down the crunchy yellow grass that stretched along the driveway, her friends riding behind her. She was leading Missy so she could take her to Sarah, holding her reins in one hand and the lead rope in the other. Their ponies didn’t wear shoes, as Aunt Sophie preferred to keep them all barefoot, so they were careful not to make them walk on the gravel. Aunt Sophie only had shoes on Jupiter because he was training so much, but she liked the other horses to be kept as natural as possible. The farrier had just arrived to trim the horses’ hooves, and Poppy smiled at his apprentice as he passed them with a bucket of tools. He grinned back.

  ‘You know, there aren’t many cute boys riding around here,’ Milly suddenly said.

  ‘Are you looking for a boyfriend?’ Poppy teased. ‘Or do you like the new farrier?’

  Katie giggled. ‘Boys are yuck. Believe me, I have brothers.’

  Poppy nodded. She was so not into boys. No way. ‘Yep, we’re best with just girls, I reckon.’

  Milly’s cheeks were red, which made Poppy bite the inside of her mouth instead of teasing her again. She hadn’t meant to embarrass her.

  ‘I was just thinking about it, that’s all. You know, how all the top eventing riders are guys, but nearly all of us at pony club and stuff are girls.’

  Poppy could tell Milly was super embarrassed now because she was mumbling, and Milly usually always talked loudly and didn’t care who heard what she had to say. She bet Milly did like the guy who’d just walked past.

  ‘It is kind of weird.’ Poppy had to agree, because she realised it was true. When she watched Badminton or the Olympics, the teams were all made up of men.

  ‘Doesn’t mean we can’t do it,’ Katie said, her voice low but brimming with confidence. ‘Girls can do anything.’

  ‘Of course we can!’ agreed Milly as she threw her hands in the air dramatically, dropping the reins. ‘I wasn’t saying we couldn’t.’

  ‘Can we just stop talking about boys?’ Katie begged as she rode up beside Poppy and leaned low to wrap her arms around Cody’s neck in an adoring hug.

  Milly rolled her eyes.

  ‘I’m with you, Katie,’ Poppy said. She was happy there were no boys around – she saw enough of them at school and at home. She hoped Milly wasn’t about to go all boy crazy on her! Besides, Poppy knew she was just as good as any boy. She had her aunt to look up to, and she was one of the best.

  ‘Over here, guys!’ Sarah was jumping up and down by the front of the house, so Poppy nudged Crystal in her direction. Her friend was hopping on one foot, trying to get her boot on, and flapping with her other hand. Poppy tried not to laugh as she watched her; Sarah was making a huge effort to fit in, but the whole farm thing just didn’t seem to come naturally to her.

  ‘You think she’ll ever come back here again?’ Katie asked as they rode side by side across the grass towards Sarah.

  ‘Dunno,’ Poppy answered honestly. ‘I hope so, but I just don’t know.’

  ‘Okay, here goes nothing,’ Sarah muttered just loud enough for Poppy to hear as she came towards them. ‘My legs are sooo sore from sitting up there yesterday.’

  ‘It’ll be your butt killing you today after sitting in the saddle for hours!’ Milly said cheerily. ‘Unless you don’t want to come?’

  Poppy groaned. ‘Do you always have to do that?’

  ‘What?’ Milly asked innocently.

  ‘We’re trying to make her love riding!’ Poppy hissed.

  ‘Oops,’ Milly said. ‘I’m not used to having to be so well behaved.’

  ‘Oh, that actually sounds like a good idea,’ Sarah said. ‘Don’t I have to come?’

  Poppy glared at Milly, then jumped down from Crystal and brought Missy closer. She bent and cupped her hands together and smiled when Sarah bent her knee, pleased her friend hadn’t been put off riding again. Yet.

  ‘One, two, three!’ she counted, boosting Sarah up in the air so she could scramble into the saddle. Poppy helped her guide her boots into the stirrups, positioning them so she had her weight in the balls of her feet.

  ‘You’re really, really good at all this, Poppy,’ Sarah said quietly. When Poppy looked up her friend was watching her intently. ‘I never got it, but this is something you’re really amazing at. You probably don’t even realise, but you are.’

  Poppy smiled. Hearing Sarah say that meant a lot to her.

  ‘Thanks,’ she mumbled. She wasn’t used to praise like that, but she had to admit it felt good for Sarah to see her doing what she loved. At school she did okay at everything, but riding was what she loved and did best.

  ‘So are we going or are we just going to sit around talking all day?’ Milly asked.

  Poppy threw her arms up in the air. ‘She’s going to drive me crazy,’ she muttered out aloud. They usually all got on so well, but Milly was seriously getting on her nerves today!

  ‘Oops, I forgot lunch,’ Sarah said, breaking Poppy’s thoughts. ‘I left it under the shade by the door.’

  ‘I’ll get it,’ Poppy said, happy to stalk off to the house for a moment and get away from the others. Maybe it was because Milly wanted to be off racing around and they were going to have to walk, or maybe she was just being way too sensitive about trying to have fun and keep Sarah happy, but this weekend wasn’t at all like normal.

  ‘Poppy, don’t leave me!’

  Ooops! Poppy spun around. She’d left Sarah all alone on horseback without keeping hold! She raced back to pick up the rope but saw Katie had already jumped down and grabbed it. Sarah didn’t look happy, but luckily Missy hadn’t moved.

  Poppy touched Sarah’s knee, mouthing ‘sorry’, before turning again and quickly jogging back to the house. She collected up the lunches Sarah had prepared, taking her own backpack off and putting a sandwich, apple and small bag of chips in. She already had her own drink bottle filled up.

  ‘Here we go,’ she said, trotting back to the others. She passed food up to Milly first.

  ‘Sorry for being stupid before,’ Milly said. ‘I wasn’t trying to put her off.’

  Poppy leaned into Joe and slung her free arm around him. ‘Don’t worry. Let’s just make today really fun for her. You up for it?’

  Milly flashed her trademark grin. ‘You bet.’

  Poppy walked around the back of Cody, one hand on his bottom so he knew she was there and didn’t get a fright, and took the lead rope from Katie once she was around the other side. She passed Katie her lunch, made sure
her own backpack was on her shoulders firmly and then mounted, keeping hold of the lead rope the entire time. Once she was seated and had her reins gathered in one hand, she looked at her friends.

  ‘Ready?’ she asked.

  ‘Ready,’ Milly answered first.

  ‘Yep, me too,’ Katie said.

  Poppy waited, watched Sarah’s face for her reaction.

  ‘Let’s go before I change my mind,’ Sarah said.

  Poppy didn’t need to be told twice! She pressed her heels to Crystal’s side and headed her away from the house, towards the endless parched grass that would lead them across the farm and out to the back paddocks where the cattle would be grazing. She had wire-cutters in her backpack in case they had any fencing problems, plus her mobile so she could take a few pics of them to show her uncle when they returned. She’d done this sort of thing plenty of times with her aunt and uncle, just never on her own.

  ‘I’m hungry already,’ Milly said as they rode, all spread out four-abreast as they headed north.

  ‘You’re always hungry,’ Katie said with a laugh.

  ‘Yeah, but today I’m super hungry.’

  Joe nickered and made them all laugh. ‘I think your pony’s ready for lunch too,’ Sarah suggested.

  ‘Hey, did you get to help Mark this morning?’ Katie asked Sarah. ‘I’m absolutely dying to bottle feed one of the babies again.’

  ‘Yeah, it was so cool.’ Poppy liked the way Sarah’s whole face lit up, like it was the best thing she’d ever done. ‘He let me try one of the sling things on, and I fed both kangaroos.’

  ‘It’s really sad that he can’t keep them. What if they die after they’re released?’

  Poppy agreed with Katie. ‘Uncle Mark always tells me it’s for the best, that it’s illegal to keep them as pets, but I don’t really get it.’

  ‘What!?’ Milly exclaimed. ‘My parents ate kangaroo one night at a restaurant. How can it be legal to eat it and illegal to have one as a pet?’

  Poppy shook her head. ‘I have no idea.’

  They rode in silence for a bit longer. The idea of eating kangaroo grossed Poppy out, same as the idea of eating horse. Yuck. She glanced at Sarah and smiled. She was gazing around at the countryside, looking like she’d forgotten all about the fact that she was on the back of a horse.