Read Online Best Enemies (Canterwood Crest) by Jessica Burkhart - Free Book Online
Authors: Jessica Burkhart
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me away.
“It’s a deal,” Callie said, holding out a pinky finger. “If Jas is the only one to make it, Wellington here we come.”
I linked my pinky to Callie’s, desperately hoping we’d never call Wellington our home.
We reached a wide part of the creek and I pulled Charm up.
“C’mon,” Callie said. “You have to get him over his water fear before the YENT cross-country.”
“I know, but he
really
hates it. I feel bad making him get in the water when he doesn’t want to.”
Callie walked Jack toward the creek. “Don’t get soft on me, Sasha Silver. Let’s go!”
“Okay. Let’s walk them side by side.”
I let Charm catch up with Jack and the horses bobbed their heads, relaxed and content, as they walked toward the creek. Strides before we reached the water, I tensed in the saddle, expecting Charm to balk. Jack, not even looking at the creek bed, stepped into the water. Charm leaned back and dug his heels into the soft dirt.
“Charm, c’mon.” I tapped him with my heels and tried to push him forward with my seat.
Callie turned Jack around and walked him back across the creek to us. She steadied him beside Charm and leaned over, taking the left rein.
“I’ll pony you across,” she said. She clicked to Jack and she led Charm. Charm’s ears flicked back and forth and he trembled as he stepped into the water with his right foreleg. Then he bounded ahead, taking huge strides to get out of the creek as fast as possible. He jerked the rein out of Callie’s hand and I snatched it up.
“Easy,” I said, gripping his mane so I didn’t slip backward.
He trotted up the bank and shook his head, his chestnut mane flying. Callie and Jack followed us calmly.
“That was awful!” I said.
Callie shook her head. “It wasn’t awful. He’ll get over it—we’ll help him. But…” She stopped.
“But what?” I adjusted the stirrup I’d almost lost when Charm had made his mad dash.
“I think Charm would have gone over the creek, but you tensed before he hit the water. I think he could feel your nerves.”
“Oh.” I nodded, thinking. “You’re right. I did tense up. I knew he was scared and I should have made him feel confident.”
Callie leaned forward, adjusting Jack’s mane. “You’ll get it. No worries.”
But I couldn’t stop worrying as we finished our ride. I
had
to help Charm get over his water phobia before the YENT trials. There was no way we’d make it if Charm refused to go through a creek.
14
TEAM ERIC
IT WAS BARELY SEVEN WHEN I GOT TO THE stable. I walked down the aisle, swallowing back a yawn and looking for Eric.
A few stalls down, Mr. Conner stood in the aisle and looked at his clipboard. “Sasha,” he said when he saw me. “Come into my office for a second?”
“Okay.” I followed him, trying to think if I’d done something wrong. Jasmine was already sitting in front of his desk. She smirked at me as I took my seat. She’d done something. Something bad. I just knew it.
Mr. Conner sat behind his big wooden desk and leaned back in his chair for a second, looking at both of us. My heart thumped uncomfortably. If Jasmine got me in trouble for something I didn’t do…
“Sasha,” Mr. Conner said. “I asked to speak with you because I have news about the YENT. News I’m sure you’ll be excited to hear.”
I nodded. Maybe this
wasn’t
something bad…
“I’ve already told Jasmine and she said that you were both best friends now and that you’d want her here when I told you.”
I tried to speak, to say that Jasmine and I were not even
close
to best friends, but nothing came out.
“Sasha, you’ll be glad to know that your best friend is the most wonderful rider,” Mr. Conner said. “When Jasmine arrived at Canterwood, I felt as though I’d finally gotten the perfect equestrian. Jasmine is the best rider Canterwood has ever had. And unfortunately, she makes you look even less experienced than you already are.”
I almost fell off my chair.
“It’s a deal,” Callie said, holding out a pinky finger. “If Jas is the only one to make it, Wellington here we come.”
I linked my pinky to Callie’s, desperately hoping we’d never call Wellington our home.
We reached a wide part of the creek and I pulled Charm up.
“C’mon,” Callie said. “You have to get him over his water fear before the YENT cross-country.”
“I know, but he
really
hates it. I feel bad making him get in the water when he doesn’t want to.”
Callie walked Jack toward the creek. “Don’t get soft on me, Sasha Silver. Let’s go!”
“Okay. Let’s walk them side by side.”
I let Charm catch up with Jack and the horses bobbed their heads, relaxed and content, as they walked toward the creek. Strides before we reached the water, I tensed in the saddle, expecting Charm to balk. Jack, not even looking at the creek bed, stepped into the water. Charm leaned back and dug his heels into the soft dirt.
“Charm, c’mon.” I tapped him with my heels and tried to push him forward with my seat.
Callie turned Jack around and walked him back across the creek to us. She steadied him beside Charm and leaned over, taking the left rein.
“I’ll pony you across,” she said. She clicked to Jack and she led Charm. Charm’s ears flicked back and forth and he trembled as he stepped into the water with his right foreleg. Then he bounded ahead, taking huge strides to get out of the creek as fast as possible. He jerked the rein out of Callie’s hand and I snatched it up.
“Easy,” I said, gripping his mane so I didn’t slip backward.
He trotted up the bank and shook his head, his chestnut mane flying. Callie and Jack followed us calmly.
“That was awful!” I said.
Callie shook her head. “It wasn’t awful. He’ll get over it—we’ll help him. But…” She stopped.
“But what?” I adjusted the stirrup I’d almost lost when Charm had made his mad dash.
“I think Charm would have gone over the creek, but you tensed before he hit the water. I think he could feel your nerves.”
“Oh.” I nodded, thinking. “You’re right. I did tense up. I knew he was scared and I should have made him feel confident.”
Callie leaned forward, adjusting Jack’s mane. “You’ll get it. No worries.”
But I couldn’t stop worrying as we finished our ride. I
had
to help Charm get over his water phobia before the YENT trials. There was no way we’d make it if Charm refused to go through a creek.
14
TEAM ERIC
IT WAS BARELY SEVEN WHEN I GOT TO THE stable. I walked down the aisle, swallowing back a yawn and looking for Eric.
A few stalls down, Mr. Conner stood in the aisle and looked at his clipboard. “Sasha,” he said when he saw me. “Come into my office for a second?”
“Okay.” I followed him, trying to think if I’d done something wrong. Jasmine was already sitting in front of his desk. She smirked at me as I took my seat. She’d done something. Something bad. I just knew it.
Mr. Conner sat behind his big wooden desk and leaned back in his chair for a second, looking at both of us. My heart thumped uncomfortably. If Jasmine got me in trouble for something I didn’t do…
“Sasha,” Mr. Conner said. “I asked to speak with you because I have news about the YENT. News I’m sure you’ll be excited to hear.”
I nodded. Maybe this
wasn’t
something bad…
“I’ve already told Jasmine and she said that you were both best friends now and that you’d want her here when I told you.”
I tried to speak, to say that Jasmine and I were not even
close
to best friends, but nothing came out.
“Sasha, you’ll be glad to know that your best friend is the most wonderful rider,” Mr. Conner said. “When Jasmine arrived at Canterwood, I felt as though I’d finally gotten the perfect equestrian. Jasmine is the best rider Canterwood has ever had. And unfortunately, she makes you look even less experienced than you already are.”
I almost fell off my chair.
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