I pulled the door shut behind me and tiptoed down the hallway. I barely allowed myself to breathe until I’d stepped outside. The freezing air made me shiver. I stuck my hands in my pockets and started across campus. I avoided the streetlamps and darted across the courtyard. Being alone in the dark made me jumpy.
I wasn’t used to the stable yard being so dark. It felt miles away from Winchester and the stable seemed to loom in front of me—magnified by shadows. I flicked open my phone and used it as a flashlight.
“Give me that!” a voice hissed. Someone snatched my phone from my hand.
“Hey!” I turned to see Georgia’s face illuminated by the moonlight.
“Are you trying to get us caught?” she asked.
“I was trying not to trip!”
“Fine,” she said, handing me back my phone. “Keep that off. As soon as everyone else gets here, we’ll get started. Violet and Brianna are waiting.”
We stood in the frigid air. Soon, Callie, Julia, Alison, and Heather had joined us.
Callie gave me a half smile, but it vanished when she saw Heather walk over to stand by me.
“Ready?” Georgia asked.
We nodded.
“Then follow me.”
We crossed the stable’s driveway and walked around to the side that faced away from the campus. As we rounded the corner, I saw the glow of a warm light. Three battery-powered lanterns were placed along the ground. Beyond the lanterns, five horses were saddled and waiting. Black Jack. Aristocrat. Trix. Sunstruck. And Charm.
My. Horse. These girls had taken my horse from his stall and had saddled and bridled him. Beside me, Heather scoffed out loud.
“Excuse me,” Heather said. Her loud voice seemed to shake the quiet of campus.
“Shhh!” said Brianna. She concentrated on holding Trix, Jack, and Sunstruck. Violet held Charm and Aristocrat.
Our horses were not happy. Their heads were up and nostrils flared. Sunstruck danced in place and Brianna murmured something to him. None of the horses liked being in this strange place in the middle of the night. Neither did Callie, Heather, Alison, or Julia—I had a feeling.
“You took my Thoroughbred out of his stall without my permission,” Heather said. “What gave you the right to do that?”
Empowered by Heather’s attitude toward the older girls, I stood beside her and crossed my arms.
“You shouldn’t have taken Charm out, either,” I said. My voice was a little quieter than Heather’s. “You didn’t know how he’d react to strangers.”
Violet handed Heather and me our horses’ reins. “Relax. We know what we’re doing. Your horses were lucky to be handled by us.”
“Oh, really? Well—” Heather started.
“Hello. I think I’m talking now,” Violet interrupted. Her gunmetal gray eyeliner made her eyes look colder somehow, steely.
Heather snapped her mouth shut, either in shock or fury, I wasn’t sure which. I stood between her and Callie. “Mount your horses and we’ll get started,” Violet said.
Callie’s eyes shifted to me for a second. Julia and Alison looked at each other. Heather shook her head ever so slightly.
Callie was the first to move. She looked straight ahead, took a step back, and gathered Jack’s reins in her hand. Then, she mounted. Julia and Alison followed her lead.
I looked up at Callie in disbelief. She’d gone way too far. I tried to ignore the wave of nausea in my stomach as I watched the three girls.
Heather looked at me, and I saw that look in her eyes—she wasn’t going to back down. She wasn’t going to let these girls bully her.
“No,” Heather said. “I’m not getting on Aristocrat out here in the dark. It’s dangerous for our horses.”
Violet smiled, stepping forward until she was almost nose-to-nose with Heather.
“Really?” she asked, her tone sweet. “I think you will. Because if you don’t, I don’t know, I’ll have to anonymously text your charming father and send him the loveliest photo of you. It’ll show him how you’re spending your time these days. I’m sure he’d love to know what’s distracting you from riding.”
“Whatever. Like you even have his number,” Heather said.
Violet opened her phone, scrolled to a number, and shoved her phone in Heather’s face. “School directory,” she smiled.
Heather faltered. “Fine. But what picture could you possibly send him? My focus on riding is just as strong as ever.”
Violet grinned and pressed a button on her phone before holding it up to Heather. “But I wonder, Heather, if your dad will believe you when he sees this picture of you and your boyfriend, Ben.”
Heather tilted her head up, sneering. “My dad doesn’t care if I have a boyfriend.”
But we both knew he would. Even if Heather did break up with Ben, the way she claimed she would, Mr. Fox would still freak that she’d spent any time with a boy when he thought she should have been riding.
“All right,” Violet said. “Let’s see now.” She started to punch in a number and I could almost feel Heather’s heartbeat from a couple of feet away.
“Okay, okay!” Heather said. “I’ll get on.”
“Super!” Violet said. She clicked the phone shut and watched us. I didn’t even want to know what dirt Violet had on me.
I stuck my foot in the stirrup and mounted. Charm shifted underneath me and tensed.
“Easy, easy,” I soothed. “It’s okay.” But I didn’t believe my own words. I had to find a way to stall until I could find a way out of this.
Heather slid into Aristocrat’s saddle and the five of us looked down on the Belles from our horses.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Violet asked. She picked up a lantern and held it in her hand. The light threw shadows on her face and Sunstruck snorted. Alison’s Arabian was the spookiest of the group. I crossed my fingers that she’d be able to control him.
Julia’s face paled as Trix started to strike the ground with her hoof. “Um, she’s getting scared,” Julia said. “Do I need to stay on?”
“Yes,” Georgia said. “She’s fine.”
“Let’s get started on your task, shall we?” Violet asked. “It’ll only take each of you a couple of minutes. I don’t think I need to remind you that if you don’t do as we ask, your position on the seventh-grade advanced team will be in jeopardy.”
Sunstruck shifted sideways and bumped into Jack.
“Sorry,” Alison told Callie. But Jack, the steadiest of the horses, didn’t even blink.
“Want me to help hold him?” Callie asked.
Alison shook her head. She couldn’t even look up. She was too busy circling Sunstruck. The palomino gleamed under the moonlight. He snorted and half-reared.
“Need help?” Heather called. She edged Aristocrat in front of Charm so she could see Sunstruck.
“No,” Alison said. “He’s fiiiinne!” Alison’s last word turned into a shriek as Sunstruck trembled and threw himself backward. He rocked back on his haunches and his forelegs lifted off the ground.
“Lean forward!” Callie screamed.
Alison grabbed for Sunstruck’s mane and tried to keep herself from sliding backward as he reared. My breath stopped as his hooves sliced through the air and he seemed to reach the sky.
Alison threw her weight against his neck and tried to force him to the ground. Heather urged Aristocrat forward and darted around Sunstruck’s striking forelegs. She reached out and grabbed a rein. She yanked on it and Sunstruck finally thudded to the ground.
“Oh, my God, thank you,” Alison said to Heather. Her face was ghostly white.
“I’m not letting go yet,” Heather soothed. Sunstruck nosed Aristocrat and Heather’s sometimes snobby gelding seemed to tell Sunstruck to calm down.
“You’re so lucky we didn’t see that happen before we asked you here,” Violet groused.
I couldn’t believe her indifference. She couldn’t at least acknowledge that Sunstruck could have flipped on Alison and crushed he
r? He could have thrown her and galloped off in the dark!
“Let’s just get this done,” Violet said.
I gripped Charm’s reins, wishing I’d never come.
“You’re each going to ride your horse from here to the admissions building,” Violet said.
We looked at her like she was crazy.
“You’ll brush the main door with your fingers and canter back,” Violet added.
“We’ll get caught!” Julia said, her voice small. “There are cameras and streetlamps everywhere.”
“If you ride on the far left side of the sidewalk,” Georgia said. “You won’t get caught in the light, and the cameras won’t pick up the image.”
That was it—I couldn’t keep my mouth shut any longer. Violet could do whatever she wanted to me, but Charm was off-limits.
“I won’t risk Charm on a dare,” I said. “He could wrench an ankle or slip in the dark.”
Violet lifted up the lantern and smiled at me. “Sasha, if you’re worried, you can leave. No one’s keeping you here. But I know things about you, too.” She walked by and whispered something in my ear, so quiet no one but I could hear it. Something that I couldn’t quite decipher at first. But then, slowly, it dawned on me. At first, I’d thought she’d asked me if I’d read any good mail lately. But that wasn’t it. What she’d said was, Written any good e-mails lately?
Violet’s eyes roamed over Julia, Callie, and Alison. “I have secrets to spill about all of you.”
But she couldn’t. How could she know about my e-mail to Jacob? Think! I screamed to myself. Come up with something—anything!
“Let me ask each of you again,” Violet said. “Are you going to do the dare—yes or no?”
All three girls stood in front of us. “Callie, yes or no?” Violet asked.
Callie hesitated and I felt her eyes on me for a second. She was actually considering risking Black Jack for this. Callie was smart, but she was also supercompetitive.
“Yes,” Callie mumbled.
I shook my head in disbelief. I didn’t even know my own friend anymore.
“Julia?” Brianna asked.
Julia nodded. “Yes.”
“Alison?” Georgia asked.
“Yes,” Alison said.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a second. I didn’t know if Alison could control an already excited Sunstruck.
Charm strained his neck toward the stable and I had to hold him back. He wanted to go back in his snug stall and get out of the cold.
“Heather?” Violet’s voice was calm.
“No,” Heather said. She didn’t even think about it. She was going to let Violet text her dad to save Aristocrat from potential danger.
Violet turned to me. “Sasha?”
“No,” I said. Violet could tell people whatever she wanted about me—I didn’t care. Nothing was worth risking Charm.
Heather threw me a relieved smile.
“Fine,” Violet said. “We have three smart girls and two who chose to be miserable for the next few months. Too bad. I’d hoped we could all be friends.” She turned and pointed to Alison. “You’re up first. Your horse needs to blow off some energy.”
Alison didn’t move.
“C’mon!” Brianna said. “We don’t want to be out here all night.”
Alison gathered Sunstruck’s reins and he pranced under her. The reins seesawed against his neck as he jerked his head up and down. If she was going to do this, I had to say something. Alison couldn’t ride Sunstruck around in the dark. If he spooked, he could run off campus and head for the road. Alison would never forgive herself if something happened to him.
“Wait—” I started.
But Alison steadied herself in the saddle.
Suddenly, a giant beam of light flooded over us. “Everyone freeze. Now.”
Someone walked toward us and one of the Belles’ lanterns lit his face.
Oh, my God.
Mr. Conner.
We were so dead. Half of me wanted to hug him for stopping us before something serious happened. But the other half was terrified because I knew we were in huge trouble.
Mr. Conner lowered his flashlight from our faces and stepped up to us.
“Dismount right now,” he said.
My legs shook as I got out of the saddle. My knees almost buckled under my weight.
No one said a word. We had no excuses for this and we knew it.
“You three,” he pointed to Brianna, Violet, and Georgia. “Go straight to my office. The rest of you get those horses untacked and then join us.”
He folded his arms and waited. The Belles started toward the stable. One by one, we led our horses past Mr. Conner.
I felt sick with embarrassment and anger. I should have said no the second the Belles had approached me. If I’d done the right thing, Charm and I wouldn’t be in this mess.
The sound of the horses’ hooves striking the ground was almost deafening in the still stable. I wondered if I’d be allowed back inside after tonight.
25
BANNED
THE WAIT OUTSIDE MR. CONNER’S OFFICE TOOK longer than forever. He hadn’t emerged since he’d joined the Belles inside. Heather was slumped against the wall a few feet away from me. Julia and Alison stood by Callie, who rubbed her tear-streaked face with her hands.
I had a feeling none of us had ever been in this much trouble before.
Mr. Conner’s office door opened. “Come in,” he called.
For a second, none of us moved. But it was Heather who walked in first and the rest of us followed her. I could feel my heart beating in my throat. Mr. Conner’s office, a place I’d been a million times by now, looked totally distorted and different through my complete and utter anxiousness. The Belles, who stood in front of Mr. Conner’s desk, shifted to the side so we could stand beside them.
Mr. Conner didn’t offer anyone a chair—I knew he wanted us to stand in front of him.
“One of you needs to start talking,” Mr. Conner said, directing his comment to the seventh graders.
Violet’s eyes flashed as she looked at us. Callie glared right back and then looked at Mr. Conner.
“Violet, Brianna, and Georgia asked us to meet them here,” Callie said. “They said if we didn’t ride our horses in the dark, they’d hurt our positions on the advanced team.”
“We never—” Violet started. Mr. Conner held up a hand.
“You could have said no,” Mr. Conner said. “You should have come to me if you believed your future on the team was threatened.”
“We should have,” Heather said. “But we didn’t. We didn’t know what they wanted at first and then things just happened really fast.”
“Mr. Conner,” Violet protested. “We never made them do anything. They showed up on their own.”
“With their horses?” Mr. Conner asked.
Violet’s head jerked back a fraction. “No,” she whispered.
Brianna and Georgia’s shoulders sagged.
“The fact that you five even chose to mount your horses saddens me,” Mr. Conner said. “But it concerns me much more that my eighth-grade advanced team dreamed up a dare that involved such a dangerous stunt—with horses. What would have happened had I not shown up?” Mr. Conner asked.
Our eyes shifted to the ground.
“Let me ask again,” Mr. Conner’s voice was cold. “What was the dare?”
The Belles shifted in their seats. Violet’s chest rose and fell as she took in a shuddering breath.
“We dared them to canter their horses from the stable yard to the admissions building,” Violet said. “They had to touch the door and ride back.”
I couldn’t believe she confessed. And, by the looks on their faces, neither could Georgia or Brianna.
“Riding in the dark,” Mr. Conner murmured.
“Mr. Conner, we’re so sorry,” Violet said. Her eyes were pink and there was nothing fake about her reaction. “Brianna, Georgia, and I love horses. It was a stupid dare, and we’re rea
lly sorry. We never intended for anyone—horse or rider—to get hurt. And, if it matters, not everyone agreed to do it.”
Brianna and Georgia nodded while Heather and I exchanged a surprised glance.
“I’d like everyone to step outside my office for a moment,” Mr. Conner said. “Sasha, please stay.”
Me? Why me?
Callie’s eyes widened and she looked at me. I could tell that she was afraid I’d tell Mr. Conner that she’d said yes to the dare. I looked away.
The other girls shuffled out of the office, and shut the door behind them. Mr. Conner sat down at his chair and gestured for me to sit on the chair across from his desk. For the first time tonight, I noticed the sadness and weariness in his eyes. My heart lurched. Mr. Conner was tough, but he was a good coach with a kind heart. I felt disgusted with myself for disappointing him after all he’d taught me.
“Sasha, I need to know if anyone would have actually ridden their horse,” Mr. Conner said. He interlaced his fingers and placed his hands on his desk.
I thought for a minute. Even though Julia and Alison would have ratted me out, I wasn’t sure I could do it to them. Plus, if I gave them up, I’d have to tell him about Callie, too. But maybe, I thought, I couldn’t protect her from her own decision.
“I’m sorry for putting you in this difficult position,” Mr. Conner said. “But these are riders on my advanced team. Rest assured, I won’t reveal to anyone what you tell me. I need to know—did anyone agree to do the dare?”
I looked at the tops of my paddock boots. He wasn’t going to let me leave unless I told him. And what if he thought that I’d considered the dare? He’d never trust me again if I didn’t tell him the truth.
“Sasha, I’m only asking because I need to know for the future safety of the horses,” Mr. Conner said.
I took a breath and closed my eyes for a second. Callie, Julia, and Alison had made their own decisions. I couldn’t jeopardize Mr. Conner’s trust in me.
“Yes,” I said. I couldn’t look him in the eye. “Callie, Alison, and Julia said yes. Heather and I said no.”
I felt nauseated as I said Callie’s name. Even after everything, I didn’t want to hurt her.
“Thank you,” Mr. Conner said. The hard look on his face started to fade. “Please join everyone else outside. I’ll call you all back in a few minutes.”
The Canterwood Crest Stable of Books Page 42