For Sale or Swap - Alyssa Brugman [19]
'I wasn't going to,' Shelby replied. How could she? She didn't own any.
'There are a few marks on them already. You should protect them. I wouldn't ride her without bandages. It's not worth it.'
'Yes, I'll do that,' Shelby lied.
'It should be an excellent day tomorrow,' said Erin.
'Why?' asked Shelby.
'Haven't you heard? Calvin Protheroe is the guest instructor. Can you believe it? He's only the best dressage instructor in the whole country.'
Erin's mum, who had been waiting in the car, wound down the window and called out. 'Come on, girls, I haven't got all day.'
'We've got to go,' said Erin. 'See you tomorrow.'
Shelby nodded.
Erin and Hayley walked towards the car. Hayley turned around at the gate and smiled at Shelby. 'She's a great little horse. Don't forget McLeod's Daughters at my place next week.'
Shelby grinned. 'I wouldn't miss it.'
After they had gone Shelby started to unravel the hose. Halfway through she stopped. Brat was turning out to be a lucky charm. So far she'd caught Miss Anita's attention, and now Hayley had asked her over. None of that would have happened when she had Blue. More than that, she was never likely to get a lesson from Calvin Protheroe for free – certainly not when she got Blue back.
Brat seemed to have survived being brown the first time around. What was one more day? She would go to Pony Club the next day, have her lesson, and the minute she got back she would wash Brat off and call the police.
There. It was decided. Shelby coiled the hose up and tucked it in its spot next to the shed.
Since she was going to ride Brat tomorrow anyway, she might as well ride her today. In fact, she reasoned, she should ride her today. It would stop her being frisky in the morning on the ride across the gully to the Pony Club grounds.
Shelby saddled Brat and rode her around the paddock to warm her up. They still hadn't got used to each other, and at one stage Brat backed up so fast that Shelby was sure she was going to rear up. She gripped the saddle with her knees. For the first time ever, Shelby felt a shot of fear run through her stomach.
'Maybe that will do for today,' she said, sliding out of the saddle.
She scratched the horse on the forehead. Brat leaned against Shelby for a rub.
'No!' said Shelby, pushing Brat's face away. She couldn't let her do that. She would rub her Celtic Copper off.
10 Irresponsible
The weather report had forecast rain, but it was a beautiful mild morning. Shelby hummed as she got dressed into her Pony Club uniform. Out in the lounge room her brothers were watching cartoons. She could hear the TV blaring.
Her father helped her with her tie. 'You're chirpy this morning,' he said, flipping and rolling the tie in a complicated knot around his own neck. He slipped it over his head and passed it to her.
'I'm moving up to advanced this morning,' Shelby explained.
'So, this swap has turned out for the best after all,' he said.
Shelby concentrated on straightening her tie. She had slept through the night before, not waking in a slick sweat of panic about Blue as she had on the previous nights. She wondered if Hayley would still want her to come over to watch McLeod's Daughters when she no longer had a beautiful pony – or any pony at all. Still, it was a beautiful day and Shelby was going to enjoy it. She would start worrying again tomorrow.
Brat wasn't waiting for her at the gate like Blue used to. She was at the very back of the paddock next to the fence and hardly raised her head when Shelby slid through the sliprail.
'Come on,' called Shelby. 'Breakfast.' She opened up the shed door, scooped chaff into Brat's feed bin and placed it on the ground outside, then she disappeared back into the shed to get her tack ready. She rubbed down her saddle and boots with an old towel, and shook out her Pony Club saddlecloth. Some of Blue's long white hairs floated to the ground. She reached out to grab one of them in midair, but it slipped away from her, dancing in the sunlight.
Peering out the door, she noticed