Buckskin Bandit by Dandi Daley Mackall Page A

Hawk began.
    â€œLook! Here’s Sal!” I said, cutting her off. I knew Hawk meant well, and I was grateful. But I’d told her about my mom’s accident. She should have understood.
    Sal slid in next to M. “What’s up?” I hadn’t noticed before that she had a couple of new purple stripes in her red hair.
    Catman and M just kept munching sandwiches.
    â€œWe need your help,” I started. “We need to get eight people together for a trail ride.”
    â€œHello? Unless Amigo grew overnight, he’s still too little to ride,” Sal said.
    â€œI think a trail ride sounds like fun,” Hawk said. “I have not ridden Towaco for a week.”
    â€œWell, that’s the thing,” Kaylee said. “We need you to ride one of the horses at Happy Trails.”
    â€œHappy Trails?” Sal’s face looked like she’d swallowed lemons. “That dump? I’d never let Amigo play with those horses—definitely wrong side of the tracks.”
    â€œIt’s important, Sal.” I glanced at Kaylee and got a go-ahead nod. “We think they’re mistreating one of their horses, maybe more. We need to see all eight horses, so we have to have eight riders.”
    â€œMan, that burns me!” Sal reached over and ate one of M’s pickles. He raised his eyebrow at her. “Count me in!”
    â€œThe same for me,” Hawk said.
    â€œGreat!” I couldn’t believe it was this easy. Four down. Four to go. “We’ll meet right after school and go—”
    â€œAfter school?” Hawk asked. “I can’t do it right after school.”
    â€œWhy not?” Kaylee asked.
    Hawk stared at her fingernails and shifted in her seat, stealing a glance up at Catman. “I . . . I told Mother I would do something after school.”
    â€œHawk!” I cried. “Can’t you tell your mom you’ll do it tomorrow?”
    Hawk shook her head.
    â€œSo what’s so important?” Sal asked.
    Hawk took a deep breath. “I have a job. A modeling job.” She almost swallowed the last words.
    â€œVictoria, that’s so tight!” Sal shouted. She turned around to Summer’s table. “Hey, you guys! Did you know Vic here got herself a modeling job?”
    Summer wheeled around, frowning. “Where?”
    Hawk turned sheepishly. “It is no big deal. Really. Ford Models. It is all Mother’s idea.”
    Summer dropped her spoon.
    â€œHey, isn’t that where you applied over Christmas vacation, Summer?” Sal asked. “Ford Models? Yeah, that was it, right?”
    â€œI don’t remember,” Summer lied. You could tell by the way she wouldn’t look at Hawk.
    â€œYou are so lucky!” Kristine, another girl in our class, exclaimed. “And they pay for taking your picture?”
    Kristine is pretty smart. I had to think she knew the answer to that one. I wondered if she’d asked it just to make Summer even more miserable.
    â€œI will not model regularly,” Hawk explained. “Only for special jobs.”
    â€œSpecial jobs, huh?” Grant repeated. “Sounds great, Victoria. Way to go!”
    â€œYeah, Hawk. Congratulations.” I tried to mean it. Hawk is probably my best friend. I wanted to be happy for her. I was, really. It’s just that I knew nobody would ever pay money to take a picture of me. And I was the one who could have used that extra money. Hawk has two divorced parents who try to outdo each other by shoving money at her.
    â€œI am really sorry,” Hawk said, getting up from the table. “Is the stable open in the evening? I should be finished by five o’clock. Mother could drop me off at Happy Trails.”
    â€œThey’re open until eight on Mondays,” Kaylee said. “Let’s do it!”
    â€œWorks for me,” I said. “Gives me a little time for Dad and the invention.”
    â€œI’m in.