she added, “Well, one of the prettiest anyway.” Thinking about Prancer made Lisa think about the upcoming Starlight Ride. And when she did, another thought occurred to her. “With that silvery coat, I just know you’d be a knockout under the moonlight on Christmas Eve,” she said softly. “I wish you could be part of the Starlight Ride. Maybe I could even ride you. I’m sure Prancer would understand.” Lisa felt a little foolish as soon as the words left her mouth, and she was glad no human ears had been around to hear her. There was no way the mare would be in any condition to be ridden in the Starlight Ride this year. And if the horse was to have any chance of seeing another Christmas Eve,Lisa was going to have to stop dreaming about it and start working even harder to make it happen.
Shaking her head as if to dislodge any thoughts of Christmas and moonlight, Lisa stepped back to check on her handiwork. The mare might not look any healthier, but she certainly looked cleaner. As she gazed at the gleaming sections of silver coat, Lisa absently picked some stray hair out of the plastic mane comb she was holding. Her thoughts drifting, against her will, back to the Starlight Ride, Lisa didn’t even notice when the mare’s ears perked forward again and her dull eyes brightened just a little as she stared at the comb in Lisa’s hand.
C AROLE WAS JUST finishing her cereal on Wednesday morning when the phone rang. Her father picked it up.
“Hello, Hanson residence,” he said in his best military voice. He was a colonel in the Marine Corps. After listening for a moment, he broke into a grin. “That’s easy,” he said into the phone.
“The Grapes of Math.”
Carole knew that the strange comment meant it was Stevie on the other end of the phone. Stevie and Colonel Hanson were always trading corny old jokes, and most of them seemed to have something to do with grapes or elephants. Carole didn’t even want to know what joke had elicited such a groaner of an answer.
She stood up and took the phone from her father. “Hi, Stevie,” she said.
“Hi. How’d you know it was me?” Stevie said from the other end of the line. Without waiting for Carole to answer, she rushed on. “You’ll never guess who’s coming to dinner at my house tonight.”
“Who?” Carole asked.
“Well, Lisa for one. And I hope you can come, too,” Stevie said. “Because the guest of honor is none other than the wonderful, marvelous Paige Dempsey.” She let out a mock groan. “You’ve got to come and shield me from the horror that is my brother’s love life.”
Carole laughed. “Sounds good to me,” she said. “But if it’s really going to be so horrible, why don’t I ask my dad if you and Lisa can eat at my house tonight?”
“I already thought of that. My parents said no way,” Stevie said glumly. “You’d think they’d be more understanding. After all, shouldn’t it be enough that Alex and Paige torture me all day long at school? But they have no sympathy.”
Carole quickly checked with her father, who gave his permission for her to eat dinner at the Lakes’ house that night. “I’ll be there,” she promised Stevie.
“Good,” Stevie replied. “My dad is making his world famous lasagna, so at least the food will be good. If looking at Alex making goo-goo eyes at Paige doesn’t make you lose your appetite, that is.”
Carole laughed. “I don’t know,” she teased. “It takes a lot to make me lose my appetite.”
L ISA GLANCED AT the clock on the wall of her classroom, willing the hands to move forward more quickly. It was almost lunchtime, and she would finally be able to sit and think about the mare without having to pretend to pay attention. Usually science was one of her favorite classes because the teacher made it so interesting, but today Lisa could hardly concentrate as Ms. McCormick talked about the class projects the students would be handing in after the Christmas break. Since finding the
Shaking her head as if to dislodge any thoughts of Christmas and moonlight, Lisa stepped back to check on her handiwork. The mare might not look any healthier, but she certainly looked cleaner. As she gazed at the gleaming sections of silver coat, Lisa absently picked some stray hair out of the plastic mane comb she was holding. Her thoughts drifting, against her will, back to the Starlight Ride, Lisa didn’t even notice when the mare’s ears perked forward again and her dull eyes brightened just a little as she stared at the comb in Lisa’s hand.
C AROLE WAS JUST finishing her cereal on Wednesday morning when the phone rang. Her father picked it up.
“Hello, Hanson residence,” he said in his best military voice. He was a colonel in the Marine Corps. After listening for a moment, he broke into a grin. “That’s easy,” he said into the phone.
“The Grapes of Math.”
Carole knew that the strange comment meant it was Stevie on the other end of the phone. Stevie and Colonel Hanson were always trading corny old jokes, and most of them seemed to have something to do with grapes or elephants. Carole didn’t even want to know what joke had elicited such a groaner of an answer.
She stood up and took the phone from her father. “Hi, Stevie,” she said.
“Hi. How’d you know it was me?” Stevie said from the other end of the line. Without waiting for Carole to answer, she rushed on. “You’ll never guess who’s coming to dinner at my house tonight.”
“Who?” Carole asked.
“Well, Lisa for one. And I hope you can come, too,” Stevie said. “Because the guest of honor is none other than the wonderful, marvelous Paige Dempsey.” She let out a mock groan. “You’ve got to come and shield me from the horror that is my brother’s love life.”
Carole laughed. “Sounds good to me,” she said. “But if it’s really going to be so horrible, why don’t I ask my dad if you and Lisa can eat at my house tonight?”
“I already thought of that. My parents said no way,” Stevie said glumly. “You’d think they’d be more understanding. After all, shouldn’t it be enough that Alex and Paige torture me all day long at school? But they have no sympathy.”
Carole quickly checked with her father, who gave his permission for her to eat dinner at the Lakes’ house that night. “I’ll be there,” she promised Stevie.
“Good,” Stevie replied. “My dad is making his world famous lasagna, so at least the food will be good. If looking at Alex making goo-goo eyes at Paige doesn’t make you lose your appetite, that is.”
Carole laughed. “I don’t know,” she teased. “It takes a lot to make me lose my appetite.”
L ISA GLANCED AT the clock on the wall of her classroom, willing the hands to move forward more quickly. It was almost lunchtime, and she would finally be able to sit and think about the mare without having to pretend to pay attention. Usually science was one of her favorite classes because the teacher made it so interesting, but today Lisa could hardly concentrate as Ms. McCormick talked about the class projects the students would be handing in after the Christmas break. Since finding the
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