about me behind my back, calling me “Animal.”
Stephanie knew about my mood pills, but nobody else knew. Sometimes I worried that people would find out, but I was pretty sure she hadn’t told.
Firecracker began to nibble at the sea grass a short distance from the herd, occasionally cocking one ear in the direction of the others. He took two steps toward them, then one step back.
I followed Firecracker, a little distance behind. Did he have a wound on his neck? Was he losing blood? What would happen to him? Would he battle his way back into the herd, or would he find another one?
He’d need strength. Now was the time to offer him the apples and carrots.
After an hour, I was sitting on a fallen log within ten feet of Firecracker. He was grazing along the side of the path, following the herd at a distance, never letting the rest of them out of his sight. I had finally gotten close enough to see that on the side of Firecracker’s neck was a wound from the stallion’s bite, and a thin stream of blood crawled through the fur on his neck toward his foreleg. Slowly, I got to my feet and held out half an apple at arm’s length in the flat of my hand. I stood very still and talked to him.
“Are you doing okay? That’s a good boy. How abouta nice, juicy apple. I promise I will never hurt you. Here.”
Firecracker slowly raised his head and snorted softly. I held very still, so I wouldn’t spook him. His nostrils quivered as he smelled the apple.
He looked at me with tired, wary eyes and cautiously stretched out his slim, damaged neck, his velvety lip beginning to wrinkle.
8
S TEPHANIE
F or a while, I sat on the beach by myself. The tide was out, and the beach was wide and flat, with a few other families sitting under umbrellas. I had set up my chair near a tide pool that had collected in a low spot on the beach, then went down and stuck my toes in it. I loved tide pools. The were usually warmer than the water, and sometimes I could see little critters digging into the sand on the bottom, sending tiny bubbles squiggling to the surface. It was like its own little world.
While I waited for Diana, my mind kept going over the last day of school before break, about the way one of the eighth grade football players had called her Annn-i-MAL while we were in the hall between classes. I didn’t know if she heard him. I wanted to keep ignoring it. That would be the easiest thing to do. But maybe not the right thing. I mean, what would I say if I was to stand up for her? And it’s not as if she wanted my help. She barely talked to me at school! I didn’t want to think about it.
After a while I checked my phone; almost an hour had gone by. What was Diana doing? And suddenly I knew. She wasn’t coming down at all. She’d skipped out on me—again. I bet anything she’d gone to find the horses.
I put down my book and stood up, turning to look back toward the long, empty, wooden walkway to our house. The triangular window reflected back at me, like a blank stare.
What if Daddy and Lynn got back early for some reason, and Diana wasn’t back? What if she got in trouble? What should I do?
I could take one of our bikes and look for her, but based on where we went yesterday, a bike wouldn’t make it through the soft sand on some of the roads behind the dunes.
I sat down, leaned my head back, and closed my eyes. The insides of my eyelids were red with the bright sun.
Well, Diana could just get in trouble, that’s all. She was on her own. I shouldn’t have to run after her. I hated it when Daddy got mad at us, but she obviously didn’t care. What did she care about, except horses?
I opened my eyes and sat up, trying to put Diana out of my head. I went back to the tide pool, sat at the edge, and put my feet in, watching the tiny crabs dig into the wet sand. Sticking my hand in the water, I picked up a dark mound of sand and watched the crabs busily dig to escape me, their tiny, white cone shaped shells sliding out of
Stephanie knew about my mood pills, but nobody else knew. Sometimes I worried that people would find out, but I was pretty sure she hadn’t told.
Firecracker began to nibble at the sea grass a short distance from the herd, occasionally cocking one ear in the direction of the others. He took two steps toward them, then one step back.
I followed Firecracker, a little distance behind. Did he have a wound on his neck? Was he losing blood? What would happen to him? Would he battle his way back into the herd, or would he find another one?
He’d need strength. Now was the time to offer him the apples and carrots.
After an hour, I was sitting on a fallen log within ten feet of Firecracker. He was grazing along the side of the path, following the herd at a distance, never letting the rest of them out of his sight. I had finally gotten close enough to see that on the side of Firecracker’s neck was a wound from the stallion’s bite, and a thin stream of blood crawled through the fur on his neck toward his foreleg. Slowly, I got to my feet and held out half an apple at arm’s length in the flat of my hand. I stood very still and talked to him.
“Are you doing okay? That’s a good boy. How abouta nice, juicy apple. I promise I will never hurt you. Here.”
Firecracker slowly raised his head and snorted softly. I held very still, so I wouldn’t spook him. His nostrils quivered as he smelled the apple.
He looked at me with tired, wary eyes and cautiously stretched out his slim, damaged neck, his velvety lip beginning to wrinkle.
8
S TEPHANIE
F or a while, I sat on the beach by myself. The tide was out, and the beach was wide and flat, with a few other families sitting under umbrellas. I had set up my chair near a tide pool that had collected in a low spot on the beach, then went down and stuck my toes in it. I loved tide pools. The were usually warmer than the water, and sometimes I could see little critters digging into the sand on the bottom, sending tiny bubbles squiggling to the surface. It was like its own little world.
While I waited for Diana, my mind kept going over the last day of school before break, about the way one of the eighth grade football players had called her Annn-i-MAL while we were in the hall between classes. I didn’t know if she heard him. I wanted to keep ignoring it. That would be the easiest thing to do. But maybe not the right thing. I mean, what would I say if I was to stand up for her? And it’s not as if she wanted my help. She barely talked to me at school! I didn’t want to think about it.
After a while I checked my phone; almost an hour had gone by. What was Diana doing? And suddenly I knew. She wasn’t coming down at all. She’d skipped out on me—again. I bet anything she’d gone to find the horses.
I put down my book and stood up, turning to look back toward the long, empty, wooden walkway to our house. The triangular window reflected back at me, like a blank stare.
What if Daddy and Lynn got back early for some reason, and Diana wasn’t back? What if she got in trouble? What should I do?
I could take one of our bikes and look for her, but based on where we went yesterday, a bike wouldn’t make it through the soft sand on some of the roads behind the dunes.
I sat down, leaned my head back, and closed my eyes. The insides of my eyelids were red with the bright sun.
Well, Diana could just get in trouble, that’s all. She was on her own. I shouldn’t have to run after her. I hated it when Daddy got mad at us, but she obviously didn’t care. What did she care about, except horses?
I opened my eyes and sat up, trying to put Diana out of my head. I went back to the tide pool, sat at the edge, and put my feet in, watching the tiny crabs dig into the wet sand. Sticking my hand in the water, I picked up a dark mound of sand and watched the crabs busily dig to escape me, their tiny, white cone shaped shells sliding out of
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