then closed it.
There was no use denying the statement. Jen knew horses. She knew the silver stallion wasn’t wandering across the highway by chance.
Suddenly, the girls heard the labored downshifting of the school bus. It rumbled their way, with one more hill to crest, and then a dip. When it came up the other side, the bus would be just yards from their stop.
Fear lodged in Sam’s throat. She couldn’t speak and she struggled to take a breath.
The Phantom didn’t notice. If he heard the diesel engine, he was too focused on Sam to pay attention.
A collision between tons of metal and delicate equine flesh flashed in Sam’s imagination. She saw him rearing, falling … She had to stop him .
“Get back!” Sam shouted so loudly Jen flinched. “Hyah!” She waved her hands and bolted onto the pavement. “Get out of here!”
The stallion only cocked his head and considered her craziness. His white mane cascaded like a waterfall as he frolicked a step closer.
Jen joined her, yelling and jumping into the air.
They looked back and forth, searching for thebus, staring at the confused horse.
The bus had dropped into the dip. Only an edge of yellow roof moved closer. In a minute, it would be upon them. Why hadn’t the stallion spooked? What if the bus struck him?
Something like electricity rushed through Sam’s bones and muscles. She shoved Jen back toward the bus stop and darted into the road. The engine’s huff clogged her ears. As soon as the bus crested, the driver would see her standing in his path.
The horn blared, vibrating her insides, just as the stallion’s hot shoulder brushed hers. Sam turned to see the Phantom’s eyes edged with white, mouth agape.
Clumsy with fear, he almost fell as the bus braked. Scraping hooves and a grunt of effort proved the stallion was fighting to keep all four legs beneath him.
He spun, still skittering for balance, and ran for his herd.
Sam didn’t watch the mustangs go. The bus driver stood in front of her, yelling.
“What were you thinking?” His hands flew skyward in frustration. “Of all the--It was a horse . Just a horse. I could have killed you.”
For a second, the driver’s hands covered his face. She’d really scared him, Sam thought, but when he looked up, his fear had been replaced by fury.
“I’m writing you up, Samantha. I’m giving you a citation that will have you in trouble so deep youwon’t be able to see out for months! Now, get on that bus!” He pointed as if sending her to her room.
Sam ran up the steps onto the bus. Jen clattered right behind her. From the corner of her eye, Sam noticed Jen had snagged both of their backpacks.
Jen was such a great friend--and Sam knew she was going to need one. Although the bus was filled with people she knew, their astonished faces didn’t look sympathetic. Of the thirty kids on the bus, half were gawking, with their mouths wide open.
The driver slammed into his seat and pulled the doors closed. He glared into the mirror and addressed everyone sitting behind him.
“No more distractions,” he commanded. “I want it quiet as a tomb. One peep out of anybody and there’ll be a pack of you going to the principal’s office. Got it?”
Though a resentful murmur rippled through the students, they knew better than to protest.
As the bus jerked back into motion, Sam’s stomach rolled with nausea. She closed her eyes, but it didn’t help. She made fists until her fingernails bit into her palms. Cold sweat gathered over her top lip, but wiping it away would only call attention to her distress.
She swallowed. Probably, she hadn’t almost died. Probably, her mind had exaggerated the nearness of the silver grille on the front of the bus. Probably, Zanzibar would have run away in time.
When Jen’s elbow hit her in the ribs, Sam felt asif she’d been awakened. Sam blinked heavy eyelids and pushed her hair back from her eyes.
Jen had taken a lens-cleaning tissue from her backpack. Methodically, she
There was no use denying the statement. Jen knew horses. She knew the silver stallion wasn’t wandering across the highway by chance.
Suddenly, the girls heard the labored downshifting of the school bus. It rumbled their way, with one more hill to crest, and then a dip. When it came up the other side, the bus would be just yards from their stop.
Fear lodged in Sam’s throat. She couldn’t speak and she struggled to take a breath.
The Phantom didn’t notice. If he heard the diesel engine, he was too focused on Sam to pay attention.
A collision between tons of metal and delicate equine flesh flashed in Sam’s imagination. She saw him rearing, falling … She had to stop him .
“Get back!” Sam shouted so loudly Jen flinched. “Hyah!” She waved her hands and bolted onto the pavement. “Get out of here!”
The stallion only cocked his head and considered her craziness. His white mane cascaded like a waterfall as he frolicked a step closer.
Jen joined her, yelling and jumping into the air.
They looked back and forth, searching for thebus, staring at the confused horse.
The bus had dropped into the dip. Only an edge of yellow roof moved closer. In a minute, it would be upon them. Why hadn’t the stallion spooked? What if the bus struck him?
Something like electricity rushed through Sam’s bones and muscles. She shoved Jen back toward the bus stop and darted into the road. The engine’s huff clogged her ears. As soon as the bus crested, the driver would see her standing in his path.
The horn blared, vibrating her insides, just as the stallion’s hot shoulder brushed hers. Sam turned to see the Phantom’s eyes edged with white, mouth agape.
Clumsy with fear, he almost fell as the bus braked. Scraping hooves and a grunt of effort proved the stallion was fighting to keep all four legs beneath him.
He spun, still skittering for balance, and ran for his herd.
Sam didn’t watch the mustangs go. The bus driver stood in front of her, yelling.
“What were you thinking?” His hands flew skyward in frustration. “Of all the--It was a horse . Just a horse. I could have killed you.”
For a second, the driver’s hands covered his face. She’d really scared him, Sam thought, but when he looked up, his fear had been replaced by fury.
“I’m writing you up, Samantha. I’m giving you a citation that will have you in trouble so deep youwon’t be able to see out for months! Now, get on that bus!” He pointed as if sending her to her room.
Sam ran up the steps onto the bus. Jen clattered right behind her. From the corner of her eye, Sam noticed Jen had snagged both of their backpacks.
Jen was such a great friend--and Sam knew she was going to need one. Although the bus was filled with people she knew, their astonished faces didn’t look sympathetic. Of the thirty kids on the bus, half were gawking, with their mouths wide open.
The driver slammed into his seat and pulled the doors closed. He glared into the mirror and addressed everyone sitting behind him.
“No more distractions,” he commanded. “I want it quiet as a tomb. One peep out of anybody and there’ll be a pack of you going to the principal’s office. Got it?”
Though a resentful murmur rippled through the students, they knew better than to protest.
As the bus jerked back into motion, Sam’s stomach rolled with nausea. She closed her eyes, but it didn’t help. She made fists until her fingernails bit into her palms. Cold sweat gathered over her top lip, but wiping it away would only call attention to her distress.
She swallowed. Probably, she hadn’t almost died. Probably, her mind had exaggerated the nearness of the silver grille on the front of the bus. Probably, Zanzibar would have run away in time.
When Jen’s elbow hit her in the ribs, Sam felt asif she’d been awakened. Sam blinked heavy eyelids and pushed her hair back from her eyes.
Jen had taken a lens-cleaning tissue from her backpack. Methodically, she
Similar Books
