Summer Horse

by Bonnie Bryant

  Lisa shrugged away Stevie’s arm. “I care. This was an accelerated math class. That means it will go on my permanent school transcript. When I apply to college in a few years, that B-plus is going to be there for everyone to see.” She ran a hand through her light brown hair. “Besides, if I can’t handle the work I’m doing now, how am I going to manage the kinds of advanced courses I’ll be taking in the next few years?”

  “Nobody says you have to take advanced courses,” Stevie said.

  “Yes, I do,” Lisa replied. “If I want to do well on the SATs, I have to learn the material.”

  Carole’s eyes widened. The SATs? Those were the standardized tests people took before applying to college. They were years and years away. Why was Lisa getting so worked up about them now? Suddenly she thought of one possible reason. “Lisa,” she said hesitantly, “was your mother upset about your grade, too?”

  Stevie glanced quickly at Carole, then waited for Lisa’s response. Mrs. Atwood sometimes put a lot of pressure on her daughter. She had made Lisa take classes and lessons in everything from painting to ballet, and she could be unreasonable when Lisa said no. Lately things had seemed a lot better between Lisa and her mother, but maybe this was a sign that they were taking a turn for the worse.

  But Lisa shook her head. “Mom didn’t think a B-plus was so bad. She just doesn’t understand.”

  Carole and Stevie again exchanged confused glances. Lisa was obviously upset, and they wanted to help her. But they didn’t really understand, either.

  “Let’s go for that trail ride,” Carole suggested tentatively. “Maybe it will make you feel better.”

  Lisa shrugged. “All right, let’s go,” she said glumly. “But I don’t think anything will make me feel better right now. My perfect A average is ruined forever.”

  THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY morning, Lisa tucked her riding boots on top of the clothes in her suitcase and zipped it up. She carried the suitcase downstairs to the front hall and set it by the door. Two other bags were already there.

  “What time is Red picking you up, dear?” Mrs. Atwood asked, hurrying toward her from the kitchen.

  Lisa glanced at her watch. “He should be here any minute.” Red O’Malley, Pine Hollow’s head stable hand, was driving The Saddle Club and Belle to camp.

  Mrs. Atwood held up a bulging package wrapped in aluminum foil. “Here are some homemade cookies,” she said. “I thought you and your friends would like to have them for all your late-night chats.”

  Lisa rolled her eyes. “They do feed us at camp, Mom,” she said. Mrs. Atwood had already tucked several bags of candy and other treats into Lisa’s bags.

  Mrs. Atwood didn’t pay any attention. She hurried over and unzipped Lisa’s blue duffel bag. “I’ll just put them in— Oh, my!” she said, taking a closer look at the contents of the bag. “How many books are you taking to camp, Lisa?”

  “I told you,” Lisa said. “They’re the books on my summer reading list.” Lisa was taking an accelerated English class in the fall, and the teacher had sent the students a list of suggested titles for summer reading. There were twenty books on the list, and Lisa had packed all twenty in the duffel bag.

  “I didn’t realize you were bringing all the books with you,” Mrs. Atwood said. “You’ll never have time to read them all.”

  “I’m going to be there for a whole month.” Lisa took the bag from her mother and zipped it closed again. “And there’s always lots of free time at camp. I’ll have plenty of time to read.”

  Mrs. Atwood looked uncertain. “Well, if you say so …”

  Lisa unzipped the bag again and rummaged around inside. “Actually, I should probably get a book out now,” she said, talking more to herself than to her mother. “Red will probably put my bags in the back, and I want to get started on my reading on the way to camp.”

  At that, Mrs. Atwood burst out laughing. “Oh, come now, dear,” she exclaimed. “You must be joking. You know as well as I do that from the minute you set foot in that van until the time you get to camp, you and your friends are going to be gabbing a mile a minute about your horses and your riding and so forth.”

  Lisa frowned. It was true that The Saddle Club generally did a lot of talking when they got together. But the least her mother could do was be a little more supportive of her desire to try to get some work done. She made it sound as though she thought Lisa had no willpower at all, as if she almost wanted her to fail. “Not this time,” Lisa replied firmly. She pulled her copy of The Scarlet Letter out of the bag and tucked it under her arm. “I want to get a head start on this class so I won’t end up with a bad grade like I did in math class.”

  “Oh, Lisa,” Mrs. Atwood said with a sigh. “Are you still thinking about that B-plus? I really don’t think you—”

  But the rest of her words were cut off by a honk from outside. Red had arrived. Lisa gathered up her bags and hurried out, barely pausing to kiss her mother good-bye.

  AN HOUR LATER, Stevie pointed out the window of the van. “There it is!” she shrieked. “Right ahead of us—the road to Moose Hill. Don’t miss it, Red!”

  Red rolled his eyes as he turned the van onto the side road. “Don’t worry, Stevie,” he said. “I wouldn’t dare miss the turn. If I did, it would mean that much more time trapped in this van with you three chatterboxes.”

  Stevie stuck out her tongue at him, and all three girls laughed. They had been talking almost nonstop since leaving Willow Creek, but they knew Red didn’t really mind, especially since they were talking about horses.

  “I miss him already,” Carole said, returning to their previous topic, namely, her decision to leave Starlight at home for the first two weeks of camp. “But I know I’ll learn a lot, like Max said.”

  “Besides, think about how much your dad appreciates it,” Lisa reminded her.

  Carole smiled. “I know,” she said. “That’s the best part. He never actually came out and said he was worried before, but that didn’t stop him from thanking me for being so thoughtful and responsible.”

  “You’ll probably end up riding Basil again,” Stevie said. “You really liked him, right?”

  “Definitely,” Carole said. Basil was the friendly, well-trained horse Carole had ridden at Moose Hill before she owned Starlight. She decided she wouldn’t mind getting reacquainted with him at all. “He’s the next best thing to Starlight. I hope Barry remembers how much I liked him.”

  “He will,” Stevie said confidently. Barry was the manager of Moose Hill. He was a friendly, caring man who did his best to make his campers happy. And he knew almost as much about horses as Max did. “No matter how much bigger Moose Hill is, you can count on Barry to keep track of everything and everyone, just like always.”

  Carole frowned at the reminder that things at the camp had changed since last summer. “I wonder what else is different besides more cabins,” she said.

  “According to the brochure, they’ve added a lot more recreational facilities,” Lisa said.

  Stevie and Carole grinned. Count on Lisa to have actually read the camp’s brochure—and to use a phrase like recreational facilities. “Like what?” Stevie asked.

  “Tennis courts, volleyball nets—things like that,” Lisa said. “Just about the only thing they don’t have now is an indoor pool.”

  Carole shuddered. “I certainly hope not!” she exclaimed. “It wouldn’t feel like Moose Hill if we went swimming anywhere but in the pond.” The cabins at the camp were clustered around a swimming pond with a small, sandy beach. It was the perfect place to cool off after a long, hot day of riding.

  Lisa glanced out the window. The paved part of the road had ended, and Red was guiding the van slowly over the hard-packed dirt trail that wound its way through a forest of stately maples.

  “The camp may have improved since last year,” he said, clenching his teeth as the vehicle dipped into an especially large rut, “but the road sure hasn’t. If anything, it’s gotten even worse.”

  Stevie glanced a
t the road ahead. She noticed a long, shiny black sedan pulled off to one side. It was so far off the road that it was almost hidden in the trees. “I guess you’re not the only one who doesn’t like the road, Red,” she said, pointing.

  Carole glanced at the car and giggled. “That’s not exactly the car I’d bring to drop my kids off at riding camp,” she said. “It looks like something out of one of those old gangster films my dad likes.”

  “Who says gangsters’ kids can’t be riders, too?” Stevie said.

  Lisa was looking ahead. “Look, there’s the gate,” she said. “We’re almost there.” Red drove through the open horse gate and up a hill. When they reached the crest, Moose Hill Riding Camp lay spread out below them.

  “We’re here! We’re here!” Stevie exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the seat. “Moose Hill, here we come!” When they reached the trail leading down to the cabins, Red brought the van to a halt.

  “First stop,” he said. “Out you get.”

  Lisa and Carole hopped out and headed for the back of the van to get their things. They had promised to carry Stevie’s suitcase to the cabin while she and Red settled Belle in at the stable. As she pulled her duffel bag out, Lisa tucked The Scarlet Letter into it. She hadn’t had a chance to read a single page—just as her mother had predicted, she realized with a flash of annoyance. She would have to do better if she expected to get through the whole reading list by the end of camp.

  Carole was out of breath by the time she and Lisa reached Cabin Three. She was lugging Stevie’s suitcase as well as her own, since Lisa had three bags to carry. “Thank goodness we’re here,” she gasped. “I’m ready for lights-out already.” She rubbed her hands on her jeans, then looked up and noticed that Lisa was staring at a sheaf of papers pinned to the cabin door. “What’s that?” she asked.

  “It’s a list of campers,” Lisa said slowly. “It tells which cabin everybody is in. Your name is listed under Cabin Three, and so is Stevie’s. But I’m listed under Cabin Six!”

  “THERE HAS TO BE some kind of mistake,” Carole said. “Let me see.” But when she looked at the list, she saw that Lisa was right.

  Lisa’s lower lip quivered a little. “I thought we requested the same cabin,” she said.

  “We did,” Carole said firmly. “And what’s more, Barry knows us. He would never separate us. I’m sure it’s just a typo or something.” She opened the door of the cabin and set down her suitcase and Stevie’s. Nobody else was there at the moment. “Come on, put your stuff down and let’s go see Barry.”

  Lisa obeyed. The two girls hurried up the sloping trail to the rec hall, where Barry’s office was located. Luckily, he was there.

  “Carole Hanson and Lisa Atwood!” he exclaimed when he saw them. “I thought you’d never arrive.”

  But Carole didn’t stop to return the greeting. “Barry, we have a problem,” she said. “Lisa’s been assigned to the wrong cabin.” Quickly, she explained the situation.

  Barry rubbed his chin. “This shouldn’t have happened,” he muttered. “I knew I should have checked those lists more carefully.” He sighed. “I’m very sorry, girls. My old assistant left over the winter, and the new one is still getting adjusted. He must have made a mistake in the cabin assignments.”

  “But you can fix it, right?” Lisa asked.

  Barry dug through a pile of papers on his desk until he found a copy of the list. He read it over, then sighed again. “I’m afraid not,” he said. “The camp is completely full this session, and a lot of the other girls asked to bunk together, too. It wouldn’t be fair to start moving people around now.”

  Carole couldn’t believe her ears. “It isn’t fair that Lisa has to be in a different cabin, either,” she cried. “There must be something we can do. Maybe we can talk to some of the others, see what we can work out—”

  “I don’t think so,” Barry said abruptly, cutting her off. He glanced toward the hallway, where a man in a dark suit was waiting. “I’m sorry, girls, but I’ve got a meeting right now. The best I can do is promise to fix this after the first two weeks. Some of the kids are leaving then, and that should free up enough space to work something out.”

  “Two weeks?” Lisa repeated in disbelief. Was she really going to have to spend two whole weeks in a strange cabin, away from her best friends?

  “Two weeks,” Barry repeated. “Sorry, but that’s my best offer.” He stood up, and there was nothing the girls could do but leave the office.

  Stevie was waiting for them at Cabin Three. “Wow, you should see all the horses at the stable!” she exclaimed as soon as she saw them. “I guess I didn’t realize that a lot more campers meant a lot more horses, too. But Belle is all settled in her stall, and.…” Her voice trailed off as she noticed the looks on her friends’ faces. “What’s wrong?”

  Carole told her about the cabin mix-up and Barry’s response to it. “It wasn’t like him at all,” she finished. “He practically threw us out of his office after hardly trying to help.”

  “This is awful,” Stevie declared. She put her arm around Lisa, who was trying not to cry. “Don’t worry, Lisa. You can stay here with Carole. I’ll go to Cabin Six instead.”

  “Or we could take turns,” Carole suggested. “Switch off between this cabin and that one.”

  Lisa shook her head, trying her best to get herself under control. The situation was bad, but it was nothing to cry about. “Don’t be silly,” she said, glad that her voice sounded almost normal. “I appreciate the offers, but I’ll be okay. It’s only for two weeks, right?”

  “Well, if you’re sure,” Stevie said reluctantly. “But I’m going to talk to Barry about this myself the next time I see him.”

  Lisa smiled, feeling a little better. Stevie was an expert at convincing adults to do things they didn’t want to do. If anyone could solve this problem, Stevie could. “Thanks. In the meantime, how about helping me move my stuff to Cabin Six?”

  Stevie grunted as she lifted Lisa’s duffel bag. “What do you have in here?” she asked. “Bricks?”

  “Books,” Lisa replied. She explained about her summer reading list.

  “Oh, is that why you had that book with you in the van?” Carole said. “I just assumed it was something your mother made you bring.”

  “I can’t believe you want to spend that much time reading when there are so many better things to do,” Stevie said.

  Lisa shrugged. “It doesn’t matter if I want to or not,” she said. “I have to—if I want to do well in the class next year, that is. And I do.”

  “Whatever,” Stevie said. “But you won’t catch me doing homework at camp. I guarantee it.”

  Carole laughed. “It’s hard to catch you doing it at home, either.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t want to upset my parents by getting any B-pluses,” Stevie replied with a grin, giving Lisa a sly glance. “They’re totally accustomed to Cs!” She craned her neck, looking around as the three girls approached Cabin Six.

  Carole reached out and grabbed Stevie’s arm just in time to keep her from tripping over a stone in the path. “Watch it,” she said. “What are you looking for?”

  “Phil,” Stevie said. “I was kind of expecting him to be at the stable to meet me. Teddy’s there already, but there’s no sign of his owner.” Teddy was Phil’s horse.

  “I’m sure you’ll see him soon.” Carole stopped in front of Cabin Six. “Well, here we are,” she said, trying to sound cheerful.

  Lisa reached for the door, but it swung open before she could touch it. A very tall, slender girl started to step out, stopping short just in time to avoid running into Lisa. She looked about a year or two older than Lisa, and she was one of the prettiest girls The Saddle Club had ever seen.

  “Oops,” she said. “Sorry. I didn’t know anyone was coming in.”

  “That’s okay,” Lisa said. “My name’s Lisa Atwood. Um, I guess we’re going to be cabin mates.” She stuck out her hand.

  The other girl shook it. “I’m Piper Su
llivan,” she replied with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ll catch you later, okay? I was just on my way to the stable to check on my horse.”

  “Bye,” Lisa said. Then she led the way inside.

  “She seemed nice,” Carole said, as Lisa set her bags on one of the wooden bunks. “Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.”

  “Come on,” Lisa said. “I’ll unpack later. Let’s go check out the stable.”

  When the girls entered the stable, they found another list hanging near the door. This one noted which campers would be riding which horses. Lisa found her name quickly. To her delight, the name next to hers was a familiar one.

  “I got Major again,” she said. She had ridden the steady bay gelding on her first trip to Moose Hill.

  “Do you see my name?” Carole asked. “Did I get Basil?” She searched the list until she found her name. Originally the word outside had been typed next to it, and she guessed that that was left over from when they had thought she was bringing Starlight. But that had been crossed out, and the name Ditto was written in pencil beside it.

  “Ditto,” she said blankly. “I don’t remember any horse here called Ditto.”

  “Must be new,” Stevie said. She was still keeping a watch for Phil.

  Carole shrugged. “I wonder why I didn’t get Basil?” She scanned the list. “I don’t see his name with any of the other campers. If he’s still unassigned, maybe I can request him.” She looked around for someone to ask, but all she saw were a few other campers. “Where are all the stable hands?”

  Lisa looked, too. “I don’t see any,” she said. “That’s strange. Usually the place is crawling with them.”

  Stevie wandered over and glanced down the aisle where Teddy was stabled. Phil wasn’t there, but someone else she knew was. “Hi, Betty,” she called. Betty was one of the senior instructors at the camp. She taught all the jumping classes.