Read Online Autumn Trail by Bonnie Bryant - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bonnie Bryant
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They knew from experience that although her schemes sometimes got them into hot water, they almost always turned out to be a lot of fun.
“What was that all about?” Carole’s father asked her as he opened the oven to peek in at the turkey.
“That was Stevie,” Carole replied. “She’s up to something, but don’t ask me what. All she would tell me was to show up at Pine Hollow by four.” She noticed that Veronica’s face had fallen. “She wants you to come, too, Veronica,” Carole added.
“Oh, all right,” Veronica said, looking pleased. Carole suspected that she was even happier about being included than she was letting on.
Carole found herself wondering once again what Veronica’s life must really be like. It seemed as though her parents weren’t interested in spending very much time with her. Maybe that was why Veronica always tried to make people think she was better than everybody else. It could be that her superior attitude was a way of hiding how inferior she felt. Carole thought that was very sad. It was no wonder Veronica didn’t seem to have any real friends. All she had was a clique of acquaintances who thought she was perfect and never had any problems.
But if nobody ever knew Veronica had problems, nobody could ever try to help her with them. Carole wondered briefly what
that
would be like, but it was too difficult to imagine. After all, she and her best friends in The Saddle Club were always ready to help each other with any problem they had, whether it was with horses, parents, school, or anything else.
“Come on, Carole, the movie’s starting,” her father said, interrupting her thoughts. “No popcorn for us today, though. We don’t want to spoil our appetites.”
Carole followed her father and Veronica into the living room. She had seen
Miracle on 34th Street
many times, and she loved it more every time, but today as she watched, she found her thoughts occasionally returning to Veronica. She was beginning to understand that what Veronica really wanted more than anything was to be included. That was why her parents’ leaving her behind had upset her so much. And that was also why she was so glad that Stevie had invited her to come along this afternoon. After all, Carole mused, everyone liked to feel wanted. She was glad she’d had the opportunity to help Veronica. Somehow, despite her earlier fears, Carole thought that Veronica’s presence would end up making this year’s Thanksgiving extraspecial.
A FTER CALLING C AROLE , Stevie had gone upstairs to find Lisa. She found her in her bedroom. Lisa was rearranging the ribbons she had won since she’d been riding. She’d had them hanging on the bulletin board above her desk, but she had been wondering how they would look on the wall beside her window, so she was holding them up there to see. Since she had won many of the ribbons while riding Pepper, she was also thinking about him. She was just wondering if she should call Red and ask him to check on Pepper, when Stevie burst in.
“Oh, there you are,” Stevie exclaimed. “Listen, you’ve got to meet me at Pine Hollow this afternoon. Be there a little before four.”
“This afternoon?” Lisa repeated. “But it’s Thanksgiving!”
“I know that,” Stevie replied, rolling her eyes. “That’s the whole point. Now, look, I have to get going. Just promise me you’ll be there, okay?”
“But, Stevie,” Lisa said, “you can’t go now! We’re going to be eating soon.”
Stevie shook her head. “Sorry. I can’t be there. It’s all right, though, I cleared it with your parents.”
“Cleared what?” Lisa was used to being confused around Stevie. Most people who spent any time with her at all spent a lot of that time being confused. And it was a good thing Lisa was used to it, because she was definitely confused right now. “Where are you going?”
“Pine Hollow,” Stevie told her, a bit impatiently. “I told Red he could take the whole day off to be with his
“What was that all about?” Carole’s father asked her as he opened the oven to peek in at the turkey.
“That was Stevie,” Carole replied. “She’s up to something, but don’t ask me what. All she would tell me was to show up at Pine Hollow by four.” She noticed that Veronica’s face had fallen. “She wants you to come, too, Veronica,” Carole added.
“Oh, all right,” Veronica said, looking pleased. Carole suspected that she was even happier about being included than she was letting on.
Carole found herself wondering once again what Veronica’s life must really be like. It seemed as though her parents weren’t interested in spending very much time with her. Maybe that was why Veronica always tried to make people think she was better than everybody else. It could be that her superior attitude was a way of hiding how inferior she felt. Carole thought that was very sad. It was no wonder Veronica didn’t seem to have any real friends. All she had was a clique of acquaintances who thought she was perfect and never had any problems.
But if nobody ever knew Veronica had problems, nobody could ever try to help her with them. Carole wondered briefly what
that
would be like, but it was too difficult to imagine. After all, she and her best friends in The Saddle Club were always ready to help each other with any problem they had, whether it was with horses, parents, school, or anything else.
“Come on, Carole, the movie’s starting,” her father said, interrupting her thoughts. “No popcorn for us today, though. We don’t want to spoil our appetites.”
Carole followed her father and Veronica into the living room. She had seen
Miracle on 34th Street
many times, and she loved it more every time, but today as she watched, she found her thoughts occasionally returning to Veronica. She was beginning to understand that what Veronica really wanted more than anything was to be included. That was why her parents’ leaving her behind had upset her so much. And that was also why she was so glad that Stevie had invited her to come along this afternoon. After all, Carole mused, everyone liked to feel wanted. She was glad she’d had the opportunity to help Veronica. Somehow, despite her earlier fears, Carole thought that Veronica’s presence would end up making this year’s Thanksgiving extraspecial.
A FTER CALLING C AROLE , Stevie had gone upstairs to find Lisa. She found her in her bedroom. Lisa was rearranging the ribbons she had won since she’d been riding. She’d had them hanging on the bulletin board above her desk, but she had been wondering how they would look on the wall beside her window, so she was holding them up there to see. Since she had won many of the ribbons while riding Pepper, she was also thinking about him. She was just wondering if she should call Red and ask him to check on Pepper, when Stevie burst in.
“Oh, there you are,” Stevie exclaimed. “Listen, you’ve got to meet me at Pine Hollow this afternoon. Be there a little before four.”
“This afternoon?” Lisa repeated. “But it’s Thanksgiving!”
“I know that,” Stevie replied, rolling her eyes. “That’s the whole point. Now, look, I have to get going. Just promise me you’ll be there, okay?”
“But, Stevie,” Lisa said, “you can’t go now! We’re going to be eating soon.”
Stevie shook her head. “Sorry. I can’t be there. It’s all right, though, I cleared it with your parents.”
“Cleared what?” Lisa was used to being confused around Stevie. Most people who spent any time with her at all spent a lot of that time being confused. And it was a good thing Lisa was used to it, because she was definitely confused right now. “Where are you going?”
“Pine Hollow,” Stevie told her, a bit impatiently. “I told Red he could take the whole day off to be with his
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