“you look very nice.”
“Thank you, Aunt Eleanor,” Amelia said politely. “Could you please wash my other jodhpurs for me? They got a little dirty on Saturday.” She slid into her chair and reached for the cereal.
“Of course. I must say, it’s a pleasure having someone around who takes as much care with her appearance as you do.” Lisa’s mother gave Lisa a sideways smile, and Lisa sighed. She’d been wearing the same pair of breeches for three days now, and she hadn’t cleaned her boots in more than a week. But she was wearing clean socks and a fresh shirt, her hair was clean and combed, and she’d brushed her teeth. She wasn’t dirty. Besides, no one around the stable cared what she looked like. The only person who really fussed over her appearance was Veronica diAngelo.
“Do you think I look okay, Lisa?” Amelia asked shyly.
“Sure. Pass the orange juice, will you?”
A smile had started on Amelia’s face, but it faded under the scornful tone in Lisa’s voice. Amelia pushed the orange juice carton sullenly across the table, and it spilled a little.
“Be careful!” Lisa said.
“I’m
trying.
”
Something anxious in the tone of Amelia’s voice made Lisa look at her more closely. Was it possible that Amelia was worried about how she looked? Suddenly it occurred to Lisa that Amelia was just trying to look right, to fit in. She wanted to be liked. Unfortunately, Lisa thought with a sigh,she also wanted to get her own way a hundred and six percent of the time.
On the way to Pine Hollow, Lisa thought sadly about the broken hobbyhorse. Her parents had still not said one word about it, so neither had she. She’d avoided going into the garage, because she didn’t want to see the beautiful piece of art sitting on top of the trash.
Amelia didn’t speak to Lisa after the exchange at the breakfast table. When they got out of the car at Pine Hollow and waved good-bye to Lisa’s mother, Amelia turned to Lisa. “Can I ride Prancer today?” she asked.
“Don’t be stupid,” Lisa said crossly. “You’re not going to ride her at all this week. I’m sure Max will give you Delilah again, and you ought to be happy with her. You got along fine with her Saturday.” She didn’t understand Amelia’s obsession with riding Prancer, especially given how much fun she’d had with Delilah.
Amelia’s eyes filled with tears. “But I don’t want to ride Delilah. I want to ride Prancer.”
Lisa shrugged. “Too bad.” There were six more days until Amelia went home, and she was counting.
“Ohh!”
Amelia stamped her foot and headed into the stable. Lisa went in search of her friends.
As she headed down the aisle, she saw the Pony Tails all vigorously grooming their ponies. “Hey, guys!” she called to them.
Corey looked up from currying Samurai. A funny expression passed over her face, and she went back to her grooming without saying a word.
“Hi, Corey,” Lisa said again. “Is something wrong?”
Corey stared at a spot on Samurai’s flank. “No,” she said.
Lisa frowned.
What was that about?
As she continued down the aisle, she heard May saying, “I’m telling you, Corey, Lisa never said anything bad about Sam …”
She sighed. Amelia again, she was sure of it. She started to turn back to talk to the younger girls, but Stevie poked her head out of Starlight’s stall and called for her.
“What’s wrong?” Lisa asked. Both Carole and Stevie were standing anxiously by Carole’s horse.
“Nothing,” Stevie said. “We just wanted your opinion. Feel here.” She lifted Starlight’s lame foot and pointed to a spot on the hoof.
“That’s strange,” Lisa said, feeling carefully. “It feels hot.” She bent and felt the same spot on Starlight’s other front foot, for comparison. The gelding nuzzled her hair. “It definitely feels hot.”
“We think so, too,” Stevie said. “See, Carole, it is an abscess. That spot’ll open up, drain, and heal.”
Carole patted her
“Thank you, Aunt Eleanor,” Amelia said politely. “Could you please wash my other jodhpurs for me? They got a little dirty on Saturday.” She slid into her chair and reached for the cereal.
“Of course. I must say, it’s a pleasure having someone around who takes as much care with her appearance as you do.” Lisa’s mother gave Lisa a sideways smile, and Lisa sighed. She’d been wearing the same pair of breeches for three days now, and she hadn’t cleaned her boots in more than a week. But she was wearing clean socks and a fresh shirt, her hair was clean and combed, and she’d brushed her teeth. She wasn’t dirty. Besides, no one around the stable cared what she looked like. The only person who really fussed over her appearance was Veronica diAngelo.
“Do you think I look okay, Lisa?” Amelia asked shyly.
“Sure. Pass the orange juice, will you?”
A smile had started on Amelia’s face, but it faded under the scornful tone in Lisa’s voice. Amelia pushed the orange juice carton sullenly across the table, and it spilled a little.
“Be careful!” Lisa said.
“I’m
trying.
”
Something anxious in the tone of Amelia’s voice made Lisa look at her more closely. Was it possible that Amelia was worried about how she looked? Suddenly it occurred to Lisa that Amelia was just trying to look right, to fit in. She wanted to be liked. Unfortunately, Lisa thought with a sigh,she also wanted to get her own way a hundred and six percent of the time.
On the way to Pine Hollow, Lisa thought sadly about the broken hobbyhorse. Her parents had still not said one word about it, so neither had she. She’d avoided going into the garage, because she didn’t want to see the beautiful piece of art sitting on top of the trash.
Amelia didn’t speak to Lisa after the exchange at the breakfast table. When they got out of the car at Pine Hollow and waved good-bye to Lisa’s mother, Amelia turned to Lisa. “Can I ride Prancer today?” she asked.
“Don’t be stupid,” Lisa said crossly. “You’re not going to ride her at all this week. I’m sure Max will give you Delilah again, and you ought to be happy with her. You got along fine with her Saturday.” She didn’t understand Amelia’s obsession with riding Prancer, especially given how much fun she’d had with Delilah.
Amelia’s eyes filled with tears. “But I don’t want to ride Delilah. I want to ride Prancer.”
Lisa shrugged. “Too bad.” There were six more days until Amelia went home, and she was counting.
“Ohh!”
Amelia stamped her foot and headed into the stable. Lisa went in search of her friends.
As she headed down the aisle, she saw the Pony Tails all vigorously grooming their ponies. “Hey, guys!” she called to them.
Corey looked up from currying Samurai. A funny expression passed over her face, and she went back to her grooming without saying a word.
“Hi, Corey,” Lisa said again. “Is something wrong?”
Corey stared at a spot on Samurai’s flank. “No,” she said.
Lisa frowned.
What was that about?
As she continued down the aisle, she heard May saying, “I’m telling you, Corey, Lisa never said anything bad about Sam …”
She sighed. Amelia again, she was sure of it. She started to turn back to talk to the younger girls, but Stevie poked her head out of Starlight’s stall and called for her.
“What’s wrong?” Lisa asked. Both Carole and Stevie were standing anxiously by Carole’s horse.
“Nothing,” Stevie said. “We just wanted your opinion. Feel here.” She lifted Starlight’s lame foot and pointed to a spot on the hoof.
“That’s strange,” Lisa said, feeling carefully. “It feels hot.” She bent and felt the same spot on Starlight’s other front foot, for comparison. The gelding nuzzled her hair. “It definitely feels hot.”
“We think so, too,” Stevie said. “See, Carole, it is an abscess. That spot’ll open up, drain, and heal.”
Carole patted her
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