Hide & Seek - Alyssa Brugman [45]
There was a break in the traffic and Shelby turned right, standing above the pedals while the bike swung from side to side. Once she was at cruising speed she sat back in her seat, pedalling smoothly.
Shelby had never had a boyfriend, not even one that she didn't speak to, the way some of the other girls did, although she did go to the year six formal with Justin Ganneck. Well, she didn't actually go there with him. They met out the front and walked into the hall together, and then they danced in the same group for a few songs. Shelby supposed Justin Ganneck didn't count, and besides, he ended up going to a dif-ferent high school.
Lots of the other girls in her year were already kissing and touching boys in the playground. Even the thought of doing that stuff gave Shelby that hollow nervous, sick feeling in her stomach.
She wondered whether she would have to actually say to Chad, 'Will you go out with me?' or if he would, or whether they would just start hanging out and it would be assumed that they were 'together' without either of them saying anything at all.
Hayley would know these sorts of things. She could ask her – but then she remembered that Hayley wasn't speaking to her, and she felt a small hurt in her chest again.
A car tooted as it swept past and Shelby saw Monica grinning at her through the passenger window of her mum's car. Shelby waved back. She was nearly at the driveway to the stables now. She slowed the bike down, getting her breath back. At the gate she climbed off the bike and wheeled it up the driveway.
With a sinking feeling she could see that Lindsey had held up the trail ride waiting for her.
Shelby leaned the bike against the tack shed.
'You're late. Helping with the trail rides is part of your job,' Lindsey said.
'Sorry,' Shelby replied. 'Where's Erin?'
'Erin doesn't work here.'
'OK. Just asking. I guess that means you're speaking to me now.'
Lindsey blinked. 'If you want to say stuff to me later you can, but not in front of clients.' She looked around to see who was within earshot. Shelby guessed that if a couple of riders had been further away she might have copped an earful.
She quickly saddled Blue.
'It's about time you got your own saddle too. Don't you think?' Lindsey added.
Shelby blushed. She also felt a flash of anger. Lindsey knew Shelby's situation. She'd been more open with Lindsey than with her other friends, believing Lindsey was in the same boat.
'Yeah, I think,' she snapped. 'But we don't all have our own goldmine, Lindsey.'
This time it was Lindsey's turn to redden.
They headed out. Shelby tried to muster enthusiasm. She was glad for the first time that their standard practice was to ride one at the front and one at the rear. Just before they reached the back paddock the line of riders stopped so that Lindsey could tighten one of the horse's girths.
Blue tucked his head around and sniffed Shelby's boot, sensing her tense mood.
'I love you too, handsome boy,' she whispered, and reached down to stroke his forelock.
A younger girl with big brown eyes was riding Cracker. 'I just love horses so much!' she told Shelby. She was wearing such a hearty grin that Shelby couldn't help smiling back.
Shelby leaned forward and hugged Blue around the neck. Sometimes she forgot how lucky she was.
After the trail ride Shelby cleaned out stables by herself. She could hear Hayley, Erin and Lindsey laughing together in the next block and she wondered if they were