For Sale or Swap - Alyssa Brugman [37]
Shelby looked around to see that, apart from Lindsey, who was digging around in a large bowl of lollies, all eyes were on her.
'Well,' she began. 'It all started when I answered an ad – For sale or swap . . .'
Shelby told them about the man who came and took Blue away. She explained how she'd rung the magazine and they'd made the connection about the bushranger's names. She told them about how Brat got away from Shelby after Pony Club, and the trail bike rider.
'I've always hated those bike riders,' interjected Kim. 'They are so rude. They act like they own the trails.'
'Shh! Let her finish,' said Monica.
Shelby was ashamed about re-dyeing Brat, so instead she made a little deviation to the story.
'Seeing Brat all white and covered in lime from the stable got me thinking that she looked very much like one of the stolen horses that I had seen in the magazine. So I rang them, and they said that it had happened to them too.'
'Really? From that picture we looked at together?'
asked Erin. 'Jeez, you've got a good memory. I looked at that picture longer than you did and I can't remember it at all. You must have a super-duper memory to have seen that. It's a shame you don't use that memory of yours at school because you could get miles better marks. I always thought you were . . . well, not dumb, but not that much smarter than me.'
Shelby wished Erin would shut up.
'I took the magazine home with me, remember? I looked at it again just before I went to the stables,' explained Shelby. 'And besides, I had thought, after the man left, that the whole thing was suspicious, and that's why I looked at it again.'
She looked around and saw all of the girls watching her with their eyes bright and eager.
'So the man dyed her?' asked Hayley.
Shelby nodded. 'I washed her over and over again, and it turns out that she was a grey.'
'You're kidding!' squealed Erin. 'So then what happened?'
'Her real owners came and took her away this morning.'
'But what about your horse?' asked Kim.
Shelby shrugged. 'The woman from the magazine said the bushranger man placed another ad, but it wasn't Blue.'
'Have you called the police?' asked Hayley.
Shelby shook her head. 'What are they going to do? They reckon I entered into a contract. They say it's a civil matter.'
'Then we'll have to do it ourselves. We have to set a trap for the bushranger,' Erin said.
'You think?' asked Shelby.
'Yeah!' the girls chorused.
Erin shimmied forward. 'Here's what we're going to do . . .'
18 Christmas
It was Christmas morning and, as Shelby was sleeping on the lounge, it was no surprise that she woke up to the sound of two small boys whooping and giggling under the Christmas tree.
'What time is it?' she croaked.
'Christmas time!' cried Connor, making Blake throw his head back in laughter.
Shelby squinted at the window. It was still dark outside, so it must have been very early. 'Just watch cartoons quietly, OK?'
It was going to be another hot day. It was warm already, the house not having cooled down much from the day before. Shelby pulled the sheet up to her chin, enjoying the last few minutes of rest. She heard the television switch on and an enthusiastic ho, ho, ho coming from its speakers. She wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep, so instead she lay still with her eyes closed and thought about the night before.
The girls had watched a couple of movies – Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, followed by Pocahontas – or at least the movies played in the background while they talked, laughed, ate bags and bags of popcorn, and drank way too much fizzy drink. In short, Shelby had a fabulous time.
The girls had told Shelby about the lesson with Calvin Protheroe and how disappointed they were. Apparently, after Shelby left he'd been so severe on one of the other girls that he'd made her cry.
'Mrs Hockings thought he was so fantastic, but my mum says that he's just an old has-been who gets his kicks from telling young girls what to do,' said Hayley.
At the end of the night when their parents came to collect them, the girls had all