Sophie and Shine (5 page)

I’m sitting up in bed writing this.

Well, I wasn’t expecting…

I still can’t believe it…

Oh, I don’t know where to start. Maybe I should just write everything down from where I left off.

Well, I sneaked out to the yard and I was in Shine’s stable waiting with my camera. After a while, I heard someone coming right past Shine’s door, so I had to duck down. As I bobbed back up again, I saw the tack room door swinging shut. I slipped out and hurried across to it, trying not to make a sound. Then I threw the door open, camera ready to catch Courtney in the act. She swung round, Aneela’s stripy lead rope in her hand.

And that’s when I got the shock of my life.

It wasn’t Courtney, but Beth. As in my
friend
Beth.

She froze, staring at me, and the lead rope slithered to the floor.

“Beth! What are you doing with…” I began, but she just stared at me. “Oh, you had the same idea as me,” I said then. “You were going to catch the thief too.”

But Beth shook her head. Her shoulders slumped and she stared at the floor. “Sophie, I … I didn’t mean to…” she mumbled.

I suddenly understood what she was saying and it made me shiver. I could hardly believe it. Could Beth really be the thief? “But Courtney…” I began.

“No,” said Beth. “She didn’t take the ribbons.”

“So you did hear what I said to Millie!” I cried.

Beth nodded miserably. “Yes, but I didn’t know what to say so I pretended to be asleep. And yes, Courtney did put the ribbons back in Daisy’s tack box, but I took them out again.” Her voice cracked and she started to cry.

“But, how could you take our things?” I demanded. “Especially Shanice’s brush, when she saved up so hard and everything. And Daisy was really upset…”

Beth was sobbing by then and part of me wanted to go and give her a hug, but I also felt furious. “You’re my friend,” I said. “I can’t believe you’d do something like this.”

Beth sat down heavily on a pile of numnahs waiting for the wash. “I didn’t really mean to,” 
she gabbled. “It just sort of happened. I was in the tack room on my own and I decided to try Izzy’s silk on my hat, just for a minute. So I took it off hers but then I heard people coming and I didn’t know what to do, so I shoved it in my pocket and hurried back on to the yard. I was going to put it back later, but there wasn’t a good time. When she saw it was missing I didn’t know how to explain so I sort of ended up keeping it.”

I sighed. “But what about Daisy’s ribbons and Shanice’s brush? You can’t say you didn’t mean to take those too.”

Beth’s shoulders slumped further. “I don’t know,” she mumbled. “I just felt really sort of… almost, like, jealous of them…”

“You mean, because they got attention for having those nice things?” I suggested.

Beth thought for a moment then nodded miserably and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of
her fleece. “Everyone else seems to get noticed and not me,” she sniffled. “Like with Dad, I feel invisible since he got this new girlfriend, Sarah. There’s no time for me, I’m just in the way. It’s obvious they’d rather do things on their own. And now he’s asked her to move in with us and I don’t, I don’t…”

I was really surprised. “But you said everything was fine between you and your dad,” I stuttered.

“It was … before Sarah came along. I had to pretend to Dad that everything was all right, but secretly I kept hoping that they’d split up and things would go back to being the way they were: just the two of us.”

“Well, maybe they will,” I said.

But Beth shook her head. “It’s not going to happen. Just before I came here I found out she’s moving in. I didn’t say anything to you and Millie because I didn’t want to even think
about it during my holiday.”

Then she dissolved into tears again. This time I went and sat down next to her. “Come on, it’s not as bad as all that,” I said stiffly. “Why don’t you just tell your dad how you feel?”

“I tried to,” she
half-whispered
, “but then I found myself saying I was okay because I didn’t want him to be upset with me.”

“I know how you feel,” I admitted. “I was happy with things as they were – just as me, Mum and Dad. But then when they had Albie it was like I didn’t exist, apart from to do chores and clean up after him. And they’re always too tired to do anything. But I can’t tell them I wish it was the three of us again – Mum would be so upset.”

Beth leaned against my shoulder then and I didn’t shrug her off. We both sat there quietly for a while, thinking. I did feel sorry for her, but I couldn’t forget what she’d done. “Just because you’re having a hard time, that doesn’t mean you can steal things,” I said, firmly.

“I know,” she replied. “It’s not an excuse. It was wrong and I should never have done it. I’m really not like that, honest.” She started crying again then, and said, “Please believe me.”

“Look, I do believe you, but you have to talk to your dad about how you feel,” I told her. “But first you have to put things right here.” “I’ll put everything back the first chance I get,” she sniffled. “I promise. But…” Beth looked up at me, and even in the half light I could see that she was nervous and scared. “You won’t tell on me, will you, Sophie?” she almost-whispered. I thought about
what might happen – a thief would probably be sent home in disgrace. Beth’s dad would be furious. I didn’t know what to do. I still don’t. I mean, she’s stolen things from my friends. I should tell, shouldn’t I? But then, she was so upset, and I do believe she’s sorry.

I didn’t say yes or no, instead I just told her to go back in. She nodded, wiped her tears away and stumbled out of the tack room. I watched her dash round the side of the stables. When she’d gone, I slipped out too and turned to go the same way. But just then Lydia came out of the office. I couldn’t run for the corner, it was too far. I just sort of froze as she walked up to me. “Sophie? What are you doing out here?” she asked.

“Erm, nothing,” I said quickly.

She frowned at me in the dusky light, following my nervous glance to the tack room door, which was half open.

“I, er, I couldn’t resist coming out to see Shine, and I thought I’d just check the tack room for, er…” I couldn’t think of what I possibly needed to check in the tack room for. It was a fib and Lydia knew it.

“Well, you shouldn’t be out. Off you go,” she said.

I hurried back to the farmhouse, heart pounding, and I could feel her watching me as I turned the corner by the stables, but I didn’t dare look back.

I went straight into the shower, then joined everyone else downstairs for hot chocolate.

Luckily Beth had her shower after me, so I managed to avoid her, and when she came down for her hot chocolate I went upstairs, saying how tired I was. So when my roommates came up I was already in bed,
pretending to be asleep. I didn’t want Beth to ask me again whether I was going to tell or not, because I hadn’t decided. I still haven’t (while I was thinking with my eyes shut I actually fell asleep for real).

And I still don’t know what to do about Beth. I mean, how can we be friends now I know what she’s done? Surely I should only care about Shanice and the other girls’ feelings and not Beth’s? Yes, she’s promised to put everything back, and I really think she will, but is that enough?

Right, I’ve decided I’m going to tell. Oh, but what if Beth gets sent home in disgrace? That would be awful, and her dad would be so angry with her.

Oh wait, I think Beth’s waking up. I’ll go and wash my face in the bathroom so we don’t have to talk.

I’m writing this in the games room, while everyone’s finishing their breakfast.

When I got back from the bathroom I couldn’t avoid Beth any more. Millie went back downstairs to give Jody a hand with the breakfast, so it was just the two of us. I pretended to be busy folding my clothes, not looking at her.

“Sophie,” she began, “I know you have to do what you think is right, but I’ve been so worried I’ve hardly slept. Are you going to talk to Jody about what I’ve done?”

I sighed and looked up. She was so upset, I knew I couldn’t make it worse by telling. “Well, I really should … but no,” I said.

Beth looked really relieved. “Thanks! Oh, thanks so much,” she gabbled. “It was a mistake,
I promise. It felt awful and I’ll never do it again. I’ll put everything back today, the very first chance I get to slip out.”

“Good,” I said, then I grabbed my diary and made for the door. I didn’t want to talk about it any more.

“Sophie,” she said, and I paused in the doorway. “It’s just, well, can we still be friends?” she asked shyly.

“Oh! Erm, I’ve got to go now,” I mumbled and hurried out without looking at her. I don’t know if I want to be friends after this, I mean, how could I trust her?

It’s time for yard duty now so I’m going to put this diary upstairs and forget all about what’s happened. I’m so glad it’s over. Beth’ll put the stuff back and everything will be normal again and I can just carry on enjoying my holiday with my gorgeous pony.

It’s after our lesson now, and I’m hiding in our room.

Everything’s gone really wrong and it’s hard to write – I’m still trembling from what just happened. I came up here to look for Beth but I can’t find her anywhere, so I’m just going to lie on my bed and write this and calm down a bit. I feel like I never want to go downstairs again!

What happened was, after the lesson, Jody came up and asked me to untack Shine quickly and meet her in the kitchen. I’d had trouble with Shine again in Sally’s lesson, and so she told me to get tougher, and I’d ended up getting all nervous and flustered. Jody didn’t look happy and I thought she’d say I hadn’t done well enough in Sally’s group and I had to go back into Group A.

But it was worse than that. Much worse.

I got into the kitchen and Jody looked up from the papers on the table in front of her.
“Ah, Sophie,” she said. “Thanks for coming in. Look, this is a bit awkward but I have to ask – do you know anything about these things that have gone missing?”

I just stood there feeling completely confused. I couldn’t think why she’d ask me especially, on my own. At first I thought she knew about Beth, but then I realized that there’s no way she could. She said, “Sophie?” again and I realized I hadn’t replied.

“I, er, I don’t understand…” I began. Then it hit me – when Lydia saw me, she could have thought I was the thief!

She must have mentioned seeing me last night to Jody. Even though I hadn’t actually done anything, I couldn’t help blushing.

“I know I was out in the yard when I shouldn’t have been, but I’m not a thief!” I cried, feeling panicky. “Please don’t think that!”

I really wanted Jody to say,
Of course I don’t think that
, but instead she just said, “So there’s nothing you want to tell me?”

There was a long silence. I kept my eyes glued to the floor but I could feel her looking at me. My mind was in a whirl of confusion – I couldn’t tell on Beth when I’d promised not to, could I? Finally I shook my head. “No, nothing,” I mumbled.

“Sophie, I don’t want to think badly of you,” Jody said then. “But you were seen on the yard when you shouldn’t have been, and the tack room door was open. I’m not saying you took those things, but I can’t help feeling you’re hiding something.”

Just then, there was a sound from outside in the hall. Aneela poked her head round the
doorway. Jody put on a forced smile and said, “Could we just have a moment, please?” Aneela gave me a funny look and I hurriedly stared at the floor again.

Jody sighed, and said, “Well, if you’re not going to tell me anything, you’d better go.” I couldn’t stand the disappointment in her voice. It’s awful that she thinks I could have stolen those things. And even worse that she might ring my parents.

My first thought was to find Beth, and tell her things had changed and that she had to own up or I’d get the blame. But when I got to the games room, Millie and Beth weren’t there. The other girls were all whispering together and when they saw me
they suddenly stopped. Aneela glared at me and put her arm round Shanice. She must have overheard me and Jody in the kitchen, and told everyone what happened. Now they all think
I
am the thief! My heart was pounding and I couldn’t even bear to look at Shanice. I just turned and ran out.

I tried to find Beth in the yard, but she wasn’t with Millie, who was helping Johnny in the office. She wasn’t in the barn with Monsoon, either. I raced back indoors and came upstairs, but she’s not here.

Oh, she’s…