Shelby asked.
Erin stared at her. 'For evidence, Shel. Jeez!' She handed across the phone.
Shelby squinted at the picture. There was Diablo, head up, eyes wide and nostrils flared. The lead rope was taut. Hanging on to one end was Lindsey, red-faced. The trick-riding girl was holding on to the other end.
'Look at the next one,' Erin said.
Shelby pressed the forward button. There was Mrs Edel, toe-to-toe with the man in the waistcoat. She could just make out Constable Bidgood behind them.
Erin peeked over her shoulder. 'No, look at the next one.'
Shelby switched to the next picture. It was Chad. His eyes were squeezed shut, making his face crease into angles. His hands were bunched into fists at his sides and he was shouting. Chad was one of them. He was part of it all.
'I don't think you should see him any more, Shel. Not after this. I wouldn't have anything to do with him if I were you.'
'I wasn't "seeing him", Erin,' Shelby mumbled.
'Hurry up.' Erin tugged at her shirt. 'I want to hear what's happening now.'
'You go. I have to finish with Blue.' Shelby shrugged away from her friend. She was grouchy. She knew there was going to be a fight. She knew the whole time.
14 A Different Version
Shelby huffed as she climbed into the car. 'That's the last time I come to you for advice! You said that Mrs Edel was a grown-up. Now there's been a barney, and it's my fault!'
They drove for a while in silence. Shelby had her arms folded and glared out the window.
Her mother took a deep breath. 'Your um friend rang. He told me what happened.'
'Great,' Shelby grumbled.
Questions tumbled around in her head. Did Chad ring because he had seen her hiding in the bushes? Had her mother told Chad that Shelby was the one who informed the Edels where Diablo was? Most of all, why was she feeling guilty when the circus people were the ones in the wrong?
'This will blow over, Shelby. I know it seems like a big deal now, but by next week everyone will have calmed down and will be able to see the situation with a different perspective.'
'Yeah, right,' Shelby scoffed.
Her mother went on. 'What you need to under-stand is that when people are emotional – when they are afraid – they will lash out. They're not able to listen to anything else even when it's logical and reasonable. They're so busy being emotional about their own thing that they don't want to hear someone else's point of view.'
It made sense to Shelby. On occasions she had jumped to conclusions herself.
'Brenda has her horse back now,' her mother added. 'I'm sure in a few days' time, when she has calmed down, she will drop the charges against Chad and his friends. She might even be a big enough person to apologise.'
Shelby stared at her mother. 'Chad has been arrested ?'
Shelby's mum frowned. 'I assumed you knew. When Chad rang he'd just come home from the police station. Brenda Edel has pressed charges against them all.'
By now the car was in their street. Shelby's mother pulled the car into their driveway and turned off the ignition.
'But Chad only just met those people! He's got nothing to do with them stealing Diablo,' Shelby protested.
Her mother blinked. 'According to Chad, they didn't steal him.'
'But Erin said . . . I don't get it,' Shelby said.
'He left a phone number for you.'
Shelby opened the car door.
Her mother stopped her. 'Shelby, he sounds like a nice boy – very straightforward and sensible. Lots of boys his age don't talk to adults. They just grunt. Chad's parents must have brought him up well. I'm looking forward to meeting him. Perhaps you could invite him around for a barbecue some time?'
Shelby smiled. Her mother approved of sensibleness above all other virtues. It was odd, though. Her mother didn't usually encourage her to bring friends home. Erin had slept over a few times, but mostly Shelby went to other people's houses.
'Now you're jumping to conclusions, Mum. It really was just hot chips.'
Her mother arched an eyebrow at her. 'Hot
Erin stared at her. 'For evidence, Shel. Jeez!' She handed across the phone.
Shelby squinted at the picture. There was Diablo, head up, eyes wide and nostrils flared. The lead rope was taut. Hanging on to one end was Lindsey, red-faced. The trick-riding girl was holding on to the other end.
'Look at the next one,' Erin said.
Shelby pressed the forward button. There was Mrs Edel, toe-to-toe with the man in the waistcoat. She could just make out Constable Bidgood behind them.
Erin peeked over her shoulder. 'No, look at the next one.'
Shelby switched to the next picture. It was Chad. His eyes were squeezed shut, making his face crease into angles. His hands were bunched into fists at his sides and he was shouting. Chad was one of them. He was part of it all.
'I don't think you should see him any more, Shel. Not after this. I wouldn't have anything to do with him if I were you.'
'I wasn't "seeing him", Erin,' Shelby mumbled.
'Hurry up.' Erin tugged at her shirt. 'I want to hear what's happening now.'
'You go. I have to finish with Blue.' Shelby shrugged away from her friend. She was grouchy. She knew there was going to be a fight. She knew the whole time.
14 A Different Version
Shelby huffed as she climbed into the car. 'That's the last time I come to you for advice! You said that Mrs Edel was a grown-up. Now there's been a barney, and it's my fault!'
They drove for a while in silence. Shelby had her arms folded and glared out the window.
Her mother took a deep breath. 'Your um friend rang. He told me what happened.'
'Great,' Shelby grumbled.
Questions tumbled around in her head. Did Chad ring because he had seen her hiding in the bushes? Had her mother told Chad that Shelby was the one who informed the Edels where Diablo was? Most of all, why was she feeling guilty when the circus people were the ones in the wrong?
'This will blow over, Shelby. I know it seems like a big deal now, but by next week everyone will have calmed down and will be able to see the situation with a different perspective.'
'Yeah, right,' Shelby scoffed.
Her mother went on. 'What you need to under-stand is that when people are emotional – when they are afraid – they will lash out. They're not able to listen to anything else even when it's logical and reasonable. They're so busy being emotional about their own thing that they don't want to hear someone else's point of view.'
It made sense to Shelby. On occasions she had jumped to conclusions herself.
'Brenda has her horse back now,' her mother added. 'I'm sure in a few days' time, when she has calmed down, she will drop the charges against Chad and his friends. She might even be a big enough person to apologise.'
Shelby stared at her mother. 'Chad has been arrested ?'
Shelby's mum frowned. 'I assumed you knew. When Chad rang he'd just come home from the police station. Brenda Edel has pressed charges against them all.'
By now the car was in their street. Shelby's mother pulled the car into their driveway and turned off the ignition.
'But Chad only just met those people! He's got nothing to do with them stealing Diablo,' Shelby protested.
Her mother blinked. 'According to Chad, they didn't steal him.'
'But Erin said . . . I don't get it,' Shelby said.
'He left a phone number for you.'
Shelby opened the car door.
Her mother stopped her. 'Shelby, he sounds like a nice boy – very straightforward and sensible. Lots of boys his age don't talk to adults. They just grunt. Chad's parents must have brought him up well. I'm looking forward to meeting him. Perhaps you could invite him around for a barbecue some time?'
Shelby smiled. Her mother approved of sensibleness above all other virtues. It was odd, though. Her mother didn't usually encourage her to bring friends home. Erin had slept over a few times, but mostly Shelby went to other people's houses.
'Now you're jumping to conclusions, Mum. It really was just hot chips.'
Her mother arched an eyebrow at her. 'Hot
Similar Books
