nobody’s serving fox!” May said.
“Don’t worry,” Stevie assured her. “I think the main course is crow.” She just couldn’t take her eyes off Veronica, who appeared to be slinking out of the ring.
As usual, Veronica had forgotten all about Garnet. She’d left her horse standing alone in the middle of the ring with his reins trailing on the ground. Max was about to yell after her.
“Don’t bother,” Stevie said. “It’s not worth it and she won’t learn anything from it. May and I will put Garnet away along with Topside and Luna. Then we can really enjoy our breakfast and wait for the frustrated hunters to return.”
“Thanks, Stevie,” Max said.
Together the girls took the horses back to the stalls. They would have time to do a complete grooming later. For now, they just wanted to remove the horses’ tack, give them some well-deserved water and hay, and let them rest.
Stevie carried Topside’s and Garnet’s tack to the tack room. On the way back from there, she passed a window that opened onto the driveway of Pine Hollow and the street beyond it.
Veronica was standing by the edge of the road. Stevie figured she was probably waiting for her mother, or the chauffeur, to pick her up. It was only a fifteen-minute walk to Veronica’s house, but that was always too much for Little Miss Perfect. In spite of the fact that Veronica had just been totally humiliated by Maxand Mr. Baker, she stood tall with her nose in the air. Stevie mused about what she saw and decided that Veronica was one of a kind—fortunately. Then, as she watched, something very curious happened. Her brother, Chad, happened by, on his bicycle. Veronica waved hello to him, and he drew his bicycle to a stop. Whatever else could be said about Veronica—and there was a lot—she was a pretty girl. Chad never failed to notice a pretty girl who waved at him.
“You two deserve one another,” Stevie told the pair, though of course they couldn’t hear her. Just to prove her point, she slammed the window shut. They couldn’t hear that, either. Stevie didn’t care. She picked up three flakes of hay and took them to Topside, Garnet, and Luna. Then it was time for everybody to have breakfast.
Stevie and May were into their second helpings of bagels and cream cheese when the first shouts came from outside the stable.
“Here’s some more confetti!”
“No, it
can’t
be! She must have dropped that on the way out!”
“No way! It wasn’t here before. I just know it.”
“It wasn’t. Definitely.” That was Phil’s voice. “I’m telling you. She’s done the sneakiest thing possible! She’s inside right now eating a bowl of cereal.”
Stevie grinned uncontrollably. She turned to May. “And they think they know me. Shows how much heknows if he thinks I’d have cereal when there are bagels around!”
May giggled.
“Are you sure?” Lisa asked. “There are still dozens of hiding places on that hillside that we haven’t even begun to explore.”
“Woof! Woof!” one of the pretend hounds barked.
“What are you barking about?” Carole asked.
“That,” the “hound” said, pointing. All the riders looked where she pointed. What they saw was the window to Topside’s stall, and inside was Topside.
“She is a clever one!” Carole said proudly. “But I’ll bet you she isn’t eating cereal in there—”
“What do you mean?”
“She likes bagels best,” Carole said.
“Ah, they do know me,” Stevie said. With that, the doors to the inside ring burst open, and in came all of the Pony Club riders, led by Lisa and Phil, with the “hounds” milling at the head of the pack.
Stevie and May stood up and toasted the riders with orange juice.
“Gotcha!” Stevie said. Everybody laughed, and then Max began clapping.
When the cheering and congratulating died down, Max and Mr. Baker got the riders to cool their horses and put them in the stalls and vans. When the animalswere tended to, all the riders gathered at
“Don’t worry,” Stevie assured her. “I think the main course is crow.” She just couldn’t take her eyes off Veronica, who appeared to be slinking out of the ring.
As usual, Veronica had forgotten all about Garnet. She’d left her horse standing alone in the middle of the ring with his reins trailing on the ground. Max was about to yell after her.
“Don’t bother,” Stevie said. “It’s not worth it and she won’t learn anything from it. May and I will put Garnet away along with Topside and Luna. Then we can really enjoy our breakfast and wait for the frustrated hunters to return.”
“Thanks, Stevie,” Max said.
Together the girls took the horses back to the stalls. They would have time to do a complete grooming later. For now, they just wanted to remove the horses’ tack, give them some well-deserved water and hay, and let them rest.
Stevie carried Topside’s and Garnet’s tack to the tack room. On the way back from there, she passed a window that opened onto the driveway of Pine Hollow and the street beyond it.
Veronica was standing by the edge of the road. Stevie figured she was probably waiting for her mother, or the chauffeur, to pick her up. It was only a fifteen-minute walk to Veronica’s house, but that was always too much for Little Miss Perfect. In spite of the fact that Veronica had just been totally humiliated by Maxand Mr. Baker, she stood tall with her nose in the air. Stevie mused about what she saw and decided that Veronica was one of a kind—fortunately. Then, as she watched, something very curious happened. Her brother, Chad, happened by, on his bicycle. Veronica waved hello to him, and he drew his bicycle to a stop. Whatever else could be said about Veronica—and there was a lot—she was a pretty girl. Chad never failed to notice a pretty girl who waved at him.
“You two deserve one another,” Stevie told the pair, though of course they couldn’t hear her. Just to prove her point, she slammed the window shut. They couldn’t hear that, either. Stevie didn’t care. She picked up three flakes of hay and took them to Topside, Garnet, and Luna. Then it was time for everybody to have breakfast.
Stevie and May were into their second helpings of bagels and cream cheese when the first shouts came from outside the stable.
“Here’s some more confetti!”
“No, it
can’t
be! She must have dropped that on the way out!”
“No way! It wasn’t here before. I just know it.”
“It wasn’t. Definitely.” That was Phil’s voice. “I’m telling you. She’s done the sneakiest thing possible! She’s inside right now eating a bowl of cereal.”
Stevie grinned uncontrollably. She turned to May. “And they think they know me. Shows how much heknows if he thinks I’d have cereal when there are bagels around!”
May giggled.
“Are you sure?” Lisa asked. “There are still dozens of hiding places on that hillside that we haven’t even begun to explore.”
“Woof! Woof!” one of the pretend hounds barked.
“What are you barking about?” Carole asked.
“That,” the “hound” said, pointing. All the riders looked where she pointed. What they saw was the window to Topside’s stall, and inside was Topside.
“She is a clever one!” Carole said proudly. “But I’ll bet you she isn’t eating cereal in there—”
“What do you mean?”
“She likes bagels best,” Carole said.
“Ah, they do know me,” Stevie said. With that, the doors to the inside ring burst open, and in came all of the Pony Club riders, led by Lisa and Phil, with the “hounds” milling at the head of the pack.
Stevie and May stood up and toasted the riders with orange juice.
“Gotcha!” Stevie said. Everybody laughed, and then Max began clapping.
When the cheering and congratulating died down, Max and Mr. Baker got the riders to cool their horses and put them in the stalls and vans. When the animalswere tended to, all the riders gathered at
Similar Books
