Stevie (10 page)

“Mr. Daviet?” Betsy said, interrupting my thoughts. “You’re still there?” Her voice was filled with relief.

I let out the breath I’d been holding. We were in time!

It didn’t take long for Betsy and Dinah to explain. Finally Dinah hung up the intercom. She sat down on a wooden bench, leaned back against the rough-hewn log wall, and started to cry. All I could do was sit down and put my arm around her, being careful not to touch any of her injuries. I
didn’t say anything, figuring she needed to let it all out. I guess Betsy thought the same thing, because she just sat silently on Dinah’s other side, patting her on the knee until Dinah’s parents arrived a few minutes later to take their daughter to the doctor.

They dropped me off at their home on the way. I went inside, feeling unsettled and worried. I was worried about Dinah’s injuries, of course, but now that she was going to a real doctor, I was sure she would be fine. I was a lot more worried about other things. After all, we’d had some pretty good reasons to keep that secret. In some ways it really was a relief to have it out in the open, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be consequences. For one thing, Jodi was in big trouble with Mr. Daviet now. But more importantly, we had given Dinah’s parents something real to worry about. They might tell her she couldn’t ride anymore. That was about the worst thing I could imagine.

I spent the next hour or two trying to figure out how to convince the Slatterys not to make Dinah stop riding. At the same time, I was thinking about how all this had happened. I felt kind of guilty about it, because I knew it was partly my fault. If I hadn’t been there, Dinah wouldn’t have been on that trail.

Still, I knew at least one person was more to blame than I was: Jodi. I was realizing that I didn’t like Jodi at all. She had sent us out on that trail, knowing full well that we could get into trouble, just so she could be alone with her boyfriend. That wasn’t cool. Some people may consider me kind of a rule-breaker sometimes, but there was no way I
would ever even think about putting someone else in danger like that. That was just wrong.

I was still thinking about that when the Slatterys finally got home. I hurried to meet them. First I checked to make sure Dinah was going to be okay.

“I’m fine,” she told me. “In fact, the doctor admired the leg wrap. I thought you’d want to know that.” She smiled.

Next I turned to Dinah’s parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Slattery, there’s something I need to say. This wasn’t Dinah’s fault, really. It was mostly mine. It wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been here.”

“Thanks, Stevie,” Mr. Slattery said. “Dinah told us everything. We have an idea where the fault lies. We understand what the two of you were doing and why.”

“So you’re not going to punish Dinah?” I asked hopefully.

“No, we don’t mean that,” Mr. Slattery said.

My heart sank like a stone. So this was it. I was sure they were going to tell Dinah she could never ride again.

Mr. Slattery went on. “Dinah won’t be allowed to ride for a month,” he said. “I mean a month
after
her cuts and bruises heal.”

I could hardly believe my ears. A month? In one way, that seemed like a lifetime. I couldn’t imagine not being able to ride for a month.

But it wasn’t a lifetime. Not even close. Dinah would be riding again before summer!

I tried not to look as happy and relieved as I felt. I didn’t want Dinah’s parents to get the idea that their punishment was too light or anything.

Dinah and I went upstairs so that she could change. As soon as we were safely inside her room, she turned to me and grinned.

“Isn’t it great?” she said. “It was all I could do to keep from cheering. I was sure they’d tell me I couldn’t ride ever again.” She shrugged and sighed happily. “My parents are okay.”

I had to agree with that.

After Dinah had changed, we lay back on the twin beds in her room. Something was still bothering me a little. I couldn’t help wondering if what had happened had changed Dinah’s opinion of Jodi. It bothered me that my friend admired someone like that, although I sort of understood why she did. It was because Jodi was older, and sort of glamorous, and a good rider. Still, I didn’t like the thought that even after all that had happened, Dinah might still like her.

I’m not very good at keeping quiet when I’m wondering about something. So after a few minutes, I spoke up. “I’ve been thinking about Jodi,” I said hesitantly. “I’ve been thinking she was wrong.”

“You bet she was,” Dinah said. Her voice was angry, which surprised me. I had been expecting her to jump to Jodi’s defense.

I sat up on the bed. “She shouldn’t have let us go out on the trail, and she shouldn’t have asked us not to tell.”

“That, too,” Dinah said.

“What else?” I asked.

“What she said to me that night …,” Dinah began, blinking a few times.

I thought back to that night outside the Sugar Hut. Everybody had been laughing, playing Frisbee, having fun—everyone except Dinah.

“Is that what made you upset?” I asked.

Dinah nodded, blinking again. I guessed that she was trying not to cry, which meant that whatever had happened must have really hurt her. I waited for her to go on.

“Jodi found me outside,” Dinah said. “She’d figured the reason we’d gone outside was because I didn’t want to take off my overclothes and show my cuts. I guess she was afraid I’d change my mind, so she came over to convince me that that wouldn’t be a good idea.”

“What did she say that upset you so much?” I asked.

“She told me that if I told anybody, she’d see to it that I’d never ride Goldie again. She also said I didn’t deserve to ride him anyway because if I couldn’t stay on a horse like Goldie, I was never going to be a good rider. I had this awful picture of spending the rest of my life riding in circles in a little ring. I was on a pony and Jodi Hale had the lead rope. It was awful!”

Even with everything else I knew about Jodi, I could hardly believe she’d been so mean. I also couldn’t believe Dinah hadn’t told me, though I guessed she had felt too ashamed to share it with anyone, even me.

“Let me tell you something,” I said. “I may not be the best rider in the world, but I’m pretty good. Just about nobody could have stayed on Goldie at that moment. If a horse is totally determined to lose his rider, he’s going to lose his rider, and I never saw a horse more determined
than Goldie was right then. I couldn’t have stayed on him. Even Carole would have gone flying. The miracle was that you stayed on through that tremendous rear. You were fabulous!”

Dinah sniffled, looking astonished. “I was?”

“You were. And you are.” I gave her a very careful hug.

Suddenly Dinah remembered something important. “Tonight is the annual Sugaring Off Square Dance!” she exclaimed.

We only had a few hours to get ready. But we were pretty sure we were up to the challenge. The only tricky part would be dismantling Dinah’s now unnecessary “fashionable” hairdo!

I would have called, but I don’t want to interrupt your writing. How’s it going? By the way, I meant to tell you this at Horse Wise today: If you want, I can write you a complete description about Topside’s condition and training during the time you were in Vermont. If you’re going to feature him more in the rest of your report, it could be really helpful to include that information so that Miss Fenton will understand what kind of horse he is and everything. I could
probably have it finished by Tuesday’s lessons if you want. Just let me know how many pages you need!

Speaking of Horse Wise, wasn’t it nice not to have to put up with Veronica for a change? I wonder why she skipped? Max didn’t even seem to notice. He’s probably as glad she wasn’t there as the rest of us were!

Talk to you later!

It’s really nice of you to offer to write about Topside. But even though I know your description of his condition would be really interesting and everything, I’m not sure Miss Fenton would appreciate it, since she’s not really a horse person. So I don’t want to waste your time, especially when I’m going to need your help more when we get to the part of the story that has to do with the racetrack, since you were more involved with all that than I was. Okay?

Speaking of which, I’d better run—I checked out a book on horse racing from the school library yesterday, and it seems to have disappeared. I think it might be under my bed, or maybe in the basement where I was looking for the photo album with the pictures Mr. Slattery took of me and Dinah in Vermont. Anyway, I’d better start looking for it. I
just hope my brothers didn’t have anything to do with its disappearance, or I’m going to break their stupid Jawbone disc over their pointy heads!

Anyway, I can’t believe I haven’t even started talking about Prancer and Pepper yet, let alone the fox hunt. And I only have eight days left to finish this report! AAAAAAH!

Welcome to My Life …

Well, Miss Fenton, by now I’m sure you can see how exciting and action-packed my trip to Vermont was. In fact,
reliving it through this very fascinating assignment has been so exciting that I almost forgot I hadn’t told you yet what was happening back home with Carole and Lisa and that Pony Club meeting. So here goes …

DECISION IN VIRGINIA!

(the slightly less action-packed blockbuster sequel to DANGER IN VERMONT!)

Another Nail-Biting Cinematic Production by Stephanie Lake

FADE IN

INTERIOR Carole’s father’s car. COLONEL HANSON, a handsome, distinguished Marine colonel, is driving. His daughter, CAROLE, sits in the front seat, reading a book called
The Amazing Wide World of Horses.
LISA sits in the back, staring out the window with an anguished expression.

She wrings her hands and sighs.

Carole looks up from her reading.

Lisa rolls her eyes.

CLOSE-UP on Colonel Hanson. He laughs loudly.

PAN TO Carole and Lisa, looking perplexed at his sudden outburst.

CUT TO WIDE-ANGLE SHOT of the Hansons’ car pulling into the driveway of Cross County Stables and stopping in front of the door.

PAN IN on Carole and Lisa climbing out of the car as Colonel Hanson watches them. Colonel Hanson salutes.

FADE OUT

FADE IN

EXTERIOR Sugarbush Stables, night. The outside of the building is festooned with hanging lanterns, which sway in a gentle breeze, causing gorgeous twinkles on the crisp snow below.

CUT TO

INTERIOR Sugarbush Stables, transformed. The barn area has been turned into a party space, with a huge table stacked with refreshments, and maple-leaf garlands hanging from the rafters. At one end of the room, a real live SQUARE DANCE BAND is playing a lively tune. More than a hundred people are in the room, laughing and talking and dancing and generally having a great time.

PAN IN on STEVIE and DINAH. They are near the refreshments table, sipping punch and talking. Stevie is leaning on the back of the chair in which Dinah is sitting. They both look positively fantastic. Stevie is wearing a long, swishy skirt, and her hair looks incredible. Dinah is wearing jeans, but her hair looks nice, too. She has neat, professional-looking bandages over her injuries.