Famous Page 4

  First place, President’s Cup

  Sixth place, Swedish International Grand Prix

  Second place at Gothenburg Horse Show (International Jumping)

  The list went on and on.

  Khloe let out a low whistle. “I am impressed. Not shocked after what I saw, but jeez. The girl is good.”

  Slowly I closed the laptop lid. All of Carina’s titles ran through my head.

  “Do you think she’ll tell us on her own?” I asked.

  Khloe leaned back against her pillow. “Maybe. But it’s possible she’s more like you than you realize.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What if Carina came here to get away from being that girl? What if she doesn’t want anyone to know about her past and she wants to be judged on her riding at Canterwood?”

  “I didn’t even think about that,” I said, stretching my legs out in front of me. “I was ready to go ask her about her background, but we just met her. If Carina wants us to know, she’ll tell us.”

  “I think that’s the best way to approach the sitch,” KK said. “But it’s good to know what kind of experience level you’re dealing with too. You’ve been warned, so to speak, so you’ve got to be on top of your game.”

  “Absolutely. There’s no excuse to be caught off guard.”

  CRAZY CLARE

  BY MONDAY, I WAS READY to shake Clare until her curls came undone. Worst part? I couldn’t talk to Khloe about it anymore. That’s all I’d done over the weekend, and I didn’t want to put Khloe in an awkward position between Clare and me for another day. All weekend, Clare had insisted that “something” was up with Brielle. I mean, I hadn’t spent every second around Bri recently because things were C-R-A-Z-Y, but when I had been with her, I’d noticed nothing different. I’d known B longer than Clare, so if something was up, I’d know.

  I plunked myself down on one of the cold stone benches in the courtyard. I pulled my down-filled scarf higher up around the back of my neck and blew out a breath. The Brielle thing bugged me. No matter how hard Clare had insisted there was something off with Bri, she hadn’t been able to give me any concrete examples of weird behavior.

  I pulled out my phone, scrolling to Clare on BBM and looking at the BBM convo I’d saved that had started the ongoing Brielle discussion. Clare and I had BBMed after we’d gone riding.

  Clare:

  I know this is awkward 2 bring up over BBM, but Brielle’s here & this is ABT her.

  Lauren:

  What’s going on?

  Clare:

  I hate 2 even say anything. I have 2 tho. Something’s up w B. Did she say anything 2 u? Or did u notice anything weird?

  Lauren:

  No, she didn’t say anything 2 me & I didn’t get any vibes from her. Why do u think something is wrong?

  Clare:

  I’m not really sure. She hasn’t actually DONE anything except for hanging up the phone rlly fast 2x when I came into the room, but I feel like she’s hiding something.

  Lauren:

  I haven’t felt that at all, C. Hmmm. I’ll pay attn next time we hang out and c if I notice anything.

  Clare:

  Def do. I wish I knew what was up so I could tell u.

  Lauren:

  It’s prob something so small—B can take stuff and blow it out of proportion sometimes. I’m not worried.

  Clare:

  Okay. Just wanted 2 let u know.

  That was only the beginning. Nothing had satisfied Clare. She gave up talking to me about Brielle and had started talking to Khloe. Then Khloe had talked to me. I’d tried to convince them both that they were wrong.

  I’d watched Bri every time I got a chance today and hadn’t seen one thing that made me pause. But my intuition wasn’t enough to quiet my friends. I’d finally told Khloe that I was going to flat-out ask Bri if everything was okay. Then this discussion would be over once and for all. I planned to talk to Bri today after our lesson.

  I quickly tacked up and headed for the outdoor arena. The jump course, just like in Mr. Conner’s diagram, was waiting. I was the last of my teammates to arrive. I trotted Whisper into the arena and moved her next to Carina. Carina smiled at me from Rocco’s back as we warmed up the horses. The gray gelding moved well under her. I’d started watching Carina more—there was a lot I could learn from her.

  Carina was friendly, too. We’d ended up sharing a couple of classes and running into each other in the hallways. She’d always had a smile on her face.

  Someone who hadn’t smiled when I’d bumped into him in the hallway today was Taylor. I’d said “Hey,” but he stomped off without a word. I didn’t have the time or energy to find out what his problem was. Maybe he was mad at me by extension because Bri was here.

  A cold wind blew across the arena, and I shivered despite my layers. I ran a gloved hand over Whisper’s neck, glad that she didn’t seem cold. Her winter coat had grown in, and the warm-up was keeping her comfortable in the November air.

  Mr. Conner had e-mailed us a heads-up this morning. He’d sent us a note that had read:

  Good morning, all,

  Please dress warmly for your lesson today. We’ll be working in the large outdoor arena. Attached is a diagram of the jump course we’ll be working on. Please look over the obstacles and familiarize yourself with the course before class.

  See you this afternoon.

  —Mr. Conner

  Khloe and I had spread our clothes across our beds, not wanting to freeze for forty-five minutes.

  I wore a thin tank top, long-sleeve thermal tee, wool sweater, and my stable coat. Under my breeches I’d pulled on a pair of tights, and I had two pairs of thick socks on under my boots. It was a balancing act to dress in enough clothing to be warm, but not too much to be too bulky.

  Wisp and I made a few more circuits around the large arena, moving from a trot to a canter, then back to a trot. A hunter-green beanie and matching coat headed for the arena. Silver crutches glinted in the sunlight.

  Mr. Conner made his way to the center of the arena, a clipboard on a string around his neck. Lexa, Cole, Clare, Brielle, Drew, Carina, and I slowed our horses to a walk and lined up in front of our instructor.

  Mr. Conner’s black hair was hidden beneath his hat, and he wore gloves and a scarf. He removed the clipboard from around his neck and scanned it before looking up at us.

  “Good afternoon,” he said.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Conner,” we replied.

  Mr. Conner gave us a brief smile. “I hope you all heeded my warning and dressed for the weather.”

  Each of us nodded. I glanced down the line and saw all of my teammates were bundled up. A head turned and Drew, sandwiched between Lex and Clare, shot me a smile. Hi, he mouthed.

  Hey, I mouthed back.

  Mr. Conner cleared his throat, and I whipped my head forward. My instructor’s eyes were on me. I blushed and sank into my saddle. Mr. Conner stared at me for what felt like hours.

  “Today,” he said, finally looking away, “we’ll be working on show jumping. Mike and Doug have assembled a ten-obstacle course that you’ll each complete. I want to focus on your form and the amount of attention paid to you by your mount. In a moment, you’ll all dismount and walk the course. If you studied the diagram that I e-mailed you, then none of these obstacles should be a surprise. After you’ve walked the course, you’ll take turns completing the course.”

  The tiniest shiver ran up and down my arms. It wasn’t from the cold. It was because of what we were about to do. I could jump a thousand fences, but I didn’t think my fear of jumping would ever go away one hundred percent. The accident that had nearly ended my riding career was an invisible scar on my body.

  “In addition to taking note of how you perform over each obstacle, I’m also going to be timing your round,” Mr. Conner said. “I want to add the pressure of getting a good time to make this exercise remind you what it’s like to compete in show jumping. This will help you prepare for the show before br
eak.”

  I inhaled deeply through my nose, letting the breath out slowly through my mouth. Racing the clock was what had gotten me in trouble when my accident had happened.

  But you know better now, I told myself. You’ve jumped a lot at Canterwood since Red Oak. You’re not going to risk Whisper’s safety just to beat a clock.

  “Please dismount,” Mr. Conner said. “I don’t want your horses to familiarize themselves with the course, so one at a time, hand your horse to a fellow teammate and go walk the course. Once you’re finished, the rider holding your horse will go next.”

  I kicked my feet out of the stirrups, swung my right leg over the saddle and Whisper’s rump, and hopped lightly to the ground. I eased the reins over her head and held them, waiting for further instruction.

  “Cole,” Mr. Conner said. “You’re up first. Brielle, please hold Valentino.”

  Cole handed his black gelding to Bri, and the stark difference between the horses caught my eye. Albino Zane looked even whiter next to black Valentino.

  Cole walked to the start of the course, and his lips moved as he silently counted strides between jumps. The course was straightforward—there was only one turn—and thankfully, no switchbacks or change in order that needed to be memorized.

  Once Cole finished, he took Valentino and Zane from Brielle. She walked the course as Cole had done, and Mr. Conner kept assigning pairs until each of us had been over the course.

  We remounted our horses, and Cole was up first. The six of us who weren’t riding exited the arena and lined up just outside the entrance. Mr. Conner moved to the fence so he wasn’t in Cole’s way. I watched as Mr. Conner produced a black stopwatch and silver whistle from his pocket and readied his clipboard.

  Cole and Valentino waited at the arena’s entrance for Mr. Conner’s signal to begin.

  “Cole,” Mr. Conner called. “When I blow this whistle, you may start.”

  Cole nodded, his white helmet bobbing. He shifted in the saddle, and Valentino’s ears pricked forward. Mr. Conner put the whistle to his lips and tweet! Cole and Valentino shot through the entrance at a fast canter and headed for the first vertical.

  “You okay?”

  I looked over, and Drew had eased Polo next to Whisper. He kept his gaze on the course so Mr. Conner was less likely to catch us talking.

  “I’m all right. Thanks for asking,” I said quietly. “I was nervous before, but now I just want to go.”

  Cole and Valentino launched into the air and cleared a double oxer with gorgeous form from both horse and rider. They landed with ease on the other side and Cole did a half halt, slightly slowing an excited Valentino as they approached a triple combination. Cole was setting the bar high.

  “You’re going to do great.” Drew sneaked a glance at me, smiling.

  I smiled back, feeling my heartbeat slow a little from his words.

  Meanwhile, Cole had maintained a clean and fast ride over half the course, and he and Valentino conquered each jump as if they’d ridden this course a million times. I was so impressed with my friend. I couldn’t wait to tell him how awesome he looked out there!

  Along the wall, Mr. Conner’s eyes were glued to Cole and Valentino. Mr. Conner held the stopwatch, ready to freeze the time as Cole approached the final jump.

  Cole let out the reins a notch and allowed Valentino to quicken his canter as the pair neared the highest jump on the course—a tall vertical with black-and-white-striped poles. The jump looked simple and clean, but it was deceiving. If Cole let his guard down and Valentino rushed it, the horse would knock the pole to the ground. But if Cole didn’t allow his mount to maintain enough speed, Valentino would likely bring down the top pole with a back hoof.

  I held my breath as Cole moved into the two-point position and Valentino rocked back onto his haunches and pushed off the arena ground. Black mane and tail whipped through the air as horse and rider seemed as though they were trying to touch the cloudless sky.

  “Wow,” I whispered.

  “Yeah,” Drew whispered back.

  Valentino landed safely away from the jump, and not one of the poles even so much as jiggled in their cups.

  “Yeah, Cole!” I yelled, clapping.

  Drew put two fingers in his mouth and let out an ear-splitting whistle.

  The rest of my team cheered and clapped as a pink-faced Cole slowed Valentino to a trot and exited the arena.

  “Jeez!” Lexa said as Cole joined our group. “Trying to make it impossible for all of us to look good after that?” She grinned and high-fived him.

  Cole laughed, then stuck out his tongue at Lex. “Valentino just wanted to go.”

  He loosened the reins and let Valentino walk in a circle nearby.

  Mr. Conner finished writing on his clipboard and raised his hand to get our attention.

  “Brielle,” he called. “You’re up.”

  Mr. Conner announced Cole’s time, and I shook my head in amazement. Cole hadn’t even been pushing Valentino too hard. That’s what I liked most about the ride. I’d seen enough riders push their horses beyond the point of safety and past the horse’s comfort level to get a fast time. I’d had to turn my head plenty of times when I’d witnessed a rider smacking a horse with a crop after almost every jump to increase the horse’s speed. Each of us—myself included—carried a crop, but Mr. Conner would never allow us to get away with using one like that.

  The whistle tweeted, and Brielle and Zane cantered forward. Brielle was a competitive girl, and as I watched, I couldn’t tell if she was ahead or behind Cole in time. Her ride was just as clean, and she and Zane were one fluid body as they tackled the course.

  “Want to hang out at the media center after class?” Drew asked. “We could grab a private room and do homework, then maybe watch a movie.”

  I fought the urge to look at him and kept my eyes on Bri. “I really want to, but there’s something I have to do after class. Can I text you when I’m done and we meet up then?”

  “For sure,” Drew said. “Actually, that’ll give me time to meet my swim coach.”

  “Everything okay?” I whispered, cheering inside as Bri cleared the triple combo.

  Polo stamped the ground with a front hoof. “My coach just wants to change my workout partner for the gym and give me a new spring schedule. Did Taylor talk to you about swimming recently?”

  That made me look at Drew. “No. Why?”

  “Coach Jenner decided the team needed two captains.”

  “You’re still one of them, right?” I searched Drew’s face. His eyes had darkened to a gray-blue. I remembered Taylor’s Chatter update about swim team tryouts. I’d seen a recent note that he’d made it.

  “I am, but Taylor Frost is the other cocaptain.”

  There was a hint of bitterness in Drew’s voice. I couldn’t blame him. He tried so hard in this beyond-bizarre situation of my ex-boyfriend coming to Canterwood and wanting to be friends with me. Unknown to Drew, Taylor wanted me back. Like, back back. As in girlfriend back.

  Circumstances kept pushing Taylor and Drew together. They shared a few classes, and since they both swam, they were on the school’s swim team. Now they shared the responsibility of being cocaptains together. Sympathy panged in my stomach for both of them.

  “Drew, I’m sorry,” I said. “You’ve been beyond amazing about the Taylor thing.”

  I closed my mouth when Mr. Conner looked in our group’s direction. I put my focus back on Brielle as she and Zane headed for the second-to-last jump. Mr. Conner looked back to her, and I wet my lips.

  “I feel bad that you guys keep getting stuck together,” I said, my voice barely audible. “I’m glad you’re still captain, but I’m sorry you have to share it with someone less than ideal.”

  “Thanks, Laur,” Drew said, his voice super quiet too. “I have to keep reminding myself that it’s more of a title thing and Taylor and I won’t really be doing much together.”

  Brielle and Zane cantered, almost breaking into a gallop, t
o the final vertical.

  Too fast, Bri! I wished I could tell her.

  Zane reached the jump and took off a millisecond too late. He’d misjudged the speed and his closeness to the rails. Knees knocked on the plastic pole, and it tumbled to the ground as Zane cleared the lower rails and landed. I felt Bri’s disappointment, but she eased Zane to a trot and patted his neck.

  “Good ride, Bri!” I called. “You two looked great.”

  The rest of my teammates chimed in with praise for Brielle. She smiled and dipped her head at us.

  “Thanks, guys,” Brielle said when she was within speaking distance. “I tried to chase you, Cole, but I tried a little too hard.” She leaned down, hugging Zane’s neck. “You, mister, were perfect. You did everything I asked. That was my fault.”

  She started to cool him down, and Clare walked Fuego up to the starting point when Mr. Conner called her name. Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth, I waited for my turn while trying to keep nerves from settling into my stomach.

  SO THIS IS FLYING

  FINALLY IT WAS MY TURN. I was the last to go. Clare had given a spotless ride but had the slowest time. Lexa had a clean ride and the third fastest time after Cole, who maintained his lead over everyone. Drew and Polo had knocked a rail in the triple combo but had a quick time. Carina and Rocco had been less than a second off Cole’s time. I was proud of Cole for holding the lead over everyone.

  I’m not going to focus solely on time, I told myself. I want a clean ride and a good time. But no rushing.

  “Good luck, Lauren!” Drew said, giving me an encouraging smile.

  “Kill it, Laur!” Lex cheered.

  I halted Whisper just outside of the arena. She was the youngest horse in the group and greener than the rest. I tightened my fingers on the reins and kept my legs loose against her sides. I didn’t want Wisp to get a flying start, become excited, and then fight me to slow down and pay attention. I needed to start at a collected canter, and if she behaved, I’d feel out allowing her to quicken her pace.

  Tweet! Mr. Conner didn’t give me another second to overthink things. I urged Whisper forward, and she sprang into a neat, steady canter.