Elite Ambition Page 8
My last word almost made me gag. Hypocrite much? I’d lied so much, thinking I was protecting my friends, and it had all blown up in my face. That’s why I couldn’t be mad at Paige for lying. But I felt something, maybe jealousy, that Paige and Callie were friends. Even after all we’d been through, I still hoped Callie and I could be friends again.
We got up to the counter, and I didn’t look in their direction again. While Brit ordered, I could pick Callie and Paige’s laughter amidst the murmur of voices.
“Do you want me to grab our food, and you can wait outside?” Brit asked. “I don’t mind.”
“Thanks, but I’m okay,” I said. I tried to pay attention to Brit, but my mind was on Callie. After Jacob told her the truth about what had really happened at my party, I wondered if she’d want to talk. But part of me knew better—I was going to be dating her ex. Her first boyfriend. There was no way she’d talk to me.
“Sasha?” Brit asked.
“Oh, sorry.” I looked up at the barista. “I’ll take an ice cream sundae to go, please.”
Brit ordered the same, and we stepped to the side to wait. I kept my gaze away from Callie and Paige. It was so busy in here, I didn’t know if Callie had spotted me or not. If she had, she wasn’t showing it.
“Are you going to talk to Paige about seeing her here?” Brit asked, keeping her voice low.
I shrugged. “I really don’t know. I kind of want her to come to me first. Our friendship is a little weird right now. I don’t want to make a big deal out of her hanging with Callie, but I want her to know she doesn’t have to hide it from me.”
The barista brought us our sundaes, we paid and took the bags, heading outside.
“Want to sit at the picnic tables?” Brit asked.
“Perf,” I said.
Brit didn’t bring up the Callie-and-Paige drama again as we walked to the wooden picnic tables just down the hill from The Sweet Shoppe. The sun was starting to set, and the campus’s streetlamps flickered on.
No one else was sitting at any of the tables, so we picked one and sat.
I peeled off the lid of my sundae container and dug my plastic spoon into a bite of chocolate ice cream and a bit of banana.
The darkness closing in around us made me feel safe and as if the drama had disappeared. At least for a little while. This part of the grounds made me feel that way.
“This campus is so gorgeous,” Brit said.
I smiled, glad for the distraction.
“I know,” I said. “I was so overwhelmed by it when I first got here. I’d never been to a school like this—I wanted to see every inch of it all at once.”
“I get that,” Brit said. “I’ve walked everywhere and gotten lost sooo many times.”
“Ooh, there’s one thing you haven’t done. It’s, like, a requirement if you ride.”
Brit put down her spoon. “Spill.”
“Trail ride!” I said. “I mean, c’mon. You have to see the trails and everything. Plus, it’s so much fun to trail ride around here.”
“I love trail riding,” Brit said. She took a giant bite of strawberry ice cream. “I’ve been dying to go since I got here, but I didn’t want to get lost.”
“Want to go after our lesson tomorrow?” I asked. “Promise not to get you lost.”
“Deal.”
Brit and I tapped our spoons together, giggling, and dug back into our ice cream.
13
TWO. MORE. DAYS.
THE NEXT MORNING PAIGE AND I GOT READY for class as if nothing had happened the night before. When I’d gotten back to my room last night, I’d been in such a good mood from hanging with Brit that I’d decided to let Paige come to me about Callie. I didn’t want to create any more rifts between us. Paige would tell me—I knew she would. I’d kept the entire Jacob-tried-to-kiss-me-at-my-party truth from her for so long that I wasn’t in a place to confront her about lying.
“I’m so tired,” Paige said. She stuck an armful of textbooks into her messenger bag. “At least it’s Thursday. Two. More. Days.”
Or, one more day until Jacob told Callie the truth.
“I know. You’d think we’d be used to the workload by now, but nope,” I said.
I sneaked a glance at Paige. This morning’s small talk was weird. Usually, we talked about boys or accessories or fun things. But so far, all Paige had wanted to talk about was how tired she was and how classes were keeping her crazy busy. Something felt … off.
Paige finished packing her books as I put on a pair of silver hoops.
“You doing anything after class?” I asked. “I’m trail riding with Brit after our lesson, then chaining myself to my desk to do homework.”
“Same on the homework part,” Paige said. “I might meet Geena or something, but I don’t know yet. She might be too busy.”
I wanted to ask her about Callie, but I kept my mouth shut. Paige would talk to me. I just had to wait.
Later that afternoon I slid into an empty seat during math class. Brit wasn’t here yet. My phone buzzed, and I opened it to see a text from Jacob.
Knw ur in class but wanted 2 say hi.
Just seeing his name made me think about tomorrow. Today felt like it would never end. Every minute felt stretched, and I both wanted tomorrow to come and never get here at the same time. Each time I thought about Jacob telling Callie, I felt hot and cold at the same time with no idea of the outcome.
I started to type back, but closed my phone when Brit walked over.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hi.”
I needed someone to distract me from my worries about Jacob and Callie. And if anyone could do it—it would be Brit.
Brit looked chic but appropriate for class in black leggings, gold ballet flats, and a long-sleeve royal blue sweater. She placed her textbook and homework on her desk, then leaned closer to me.
“How’s your day been so far?” Brit asked.
“Busy,” I said. “I swear I’ve been assigned more homework in every class than I ever have since I started. It’s like all I do is complain about homework, but it’s so true!”
Brit nodded. “Same here. I’m feeling a little pressure with school, training, and trying to have some time to relax.”
“Maybe we should think about a study group or something,” I said. “I know I stay focused better when other people around me are working too.”
“That’s a great idea,” Brit said. “We can talk about it over the weekend, maybe, and then tell people about it.”
Ms. Utz walked in, almost having to duck under the doorway because she was so tall. Brit and I smiled at each other, and I felt a little less anxious. At least I’d get my homework back under control soon.
After math I walked down the hallway, jamming books into my bag. I rounded the corner and almost ran right into Eric.
“Sorry!” I said.
He reached out to steady me, then quickly pulled away his hand.
“No big deal,” he said. He looked cute today in a red polo shirt and jeans.
“How are things?” I asked. That seemed like an easy question to start easing back into a friendship with.
“Good,” he said, shifting his backpack. “Busy, but like that ever changes. How about you?”
“Same,” I said. “Riding a lot.”
“Me too. Luna’s doing really great.” When Eric said her name, I saw a familiar sparkle in his eye.
“That’s awesome!” And I meant it. I was still invested in Eric as a rider. “We’ll have to practice together sometime and catch up on each other’s skills.”
Eric laughed. “Definitely. I’ve got class, but see you later.”
He walked past me, leaving me smiling for the first time in a while.
“I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my life,” I said to Charm, putting his tack on the trunk outside his stall. I’d made it through the rest of my classes, but hadn’t been able to concentrate. As much as I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about tomorrow.
Charm gazed at me, almost as if he was encouraging me to keep talking. “And I don’t know if Callie will forgive me for lying to her about that,” I said. “I know friends fight sometimes, but Callie and I have gone through a lot of fights since I got to school. But we never gave up on each other because our friendship was too important. We let a boy get between us—something I never wanted to happen.”
I went quiet for a minute, everything running through my head. Forcing myself, I took a shaky breath and led Charm out of his stall.
I retrieved Charm’s tack box from his trunk and went to work on his coat. Crouching down I brushed away bits of hay that clung to his legs, then grabbed his hoof pick with a red, rubber-coated handle. Charm stood still as I scraped away bits of dirt from his hooves and around his horseshoe.
“Hey, Sasha,” Mike said. “Mr. Conner had a last-minute meeting pop up and there won’t be any afternoon lessons. Riders who want to practice can ride in any of the arenas as long as there’s no jumping without a partner.”
“Okay,” I said. “Thanks.”
I definitely wanted to jump and had no doubt Heather did too. Scanning the aisle, I spotted her a few stalls away.
“Outdoor arena?” I called. My voice was barely audible over the sound of the usual stable noises of horses nickering, hooves clicking down the aisle, and other students chatting.
“Def!” Heather called back.
I went back to picking Charm’s hooves, then stopped. There were no lessons today. That meant anyone who wanted to ride could end up in the same arena.
Eric.
Rachel.
Callie.
Julia and Alison.
Stop it, I told myself, shaking my head. I was being ridiculous. There were a half dozen arenas and the odds of me ending up in one with Callie or Eric was slim. Plus, I reminded myself, you and Eric made a pact to be friends. And I really did want our friendship to continue.
I hadn’t seen him ride in a while. And I wanted to see how he was doing with Luna—especially after we’d practiced together so much before our breakup. Even thinking about the flea-bitten gray mare made me miss riding with Eric. Charm and Luna had always gotten along, and Luna, a school horse, was the perfect match for Eric.
If Callie was in the arena … she’d ignore me anyway. But thinking about riding with Callie still made my stomach gurgle. It was hard to ride with someone I knew hated me. At least I had Heather in the arena.
I finished tacking up Charm, snapped on my helmet and led him down the aisle. I stopped Charm by Aristocrat as Heather put on her black helmet and, together, we walked the horses down the aisle.
“When Mike told me that our lesson was canceled,” Heather said. “I thought I’d be upset. But I’m actually kind of glad to work on whatever I want. It’ll be good before the schooling show.”
“Agreed,” I said. “I know what Charm and I need to do. I’m glad you wanted to work outside because I needed a jumping partner.”
“As if you’re the only one who wants to jump.”
We halted the horses just outside the stable and mounted. Charm and Aristocrat walked over the grass, both horses relaxed with their ears flicking back and forth and their strides even. Months ago, Charm would have sidestepped to get away from Aristocrat, or Heather’s horse would have put back his ears back and shot Charm a mean look.
The closer Heather and I became, the less tension there was between our horses. It was definitely better for us as a team if everyone—horses included—got along.
We approached the large outdoor arena where a black horse cantered in large circles.
Black Jack.
The horse did a flying lead change as if he could do it all day and crossed over the center of the arena. Suddenly, I didn’t know if I could ride with Callie. Even from the entrance the arena felt tiny. Claustrophobia about riding with Callie was taking over.
“Heather,” I whispered. “Maybe we should ride in another arena. It looks like Callie’s having a serious practice.”
Heather shook her head, keeping Aristocrat moving toward the arena. “Callie’s not intimidating you out of the arena. You’re not going to have a talk show moment where you break down, hug, and forgive each other. You’re going to ride.”
Heather’s comment made me smile.
“You’re right,” I said. “We’re all here to practice. There’s no reason to talk or anything.”
“Exactly. Now get focused and let’s go.”
Heather let Aristocrat into a faster walk, which made Charm want to catch up. Heather and I approached the dark wooden rail fencing. I didn’t want to stare at Callie, but I couldn’t help it. We hadn’t had a lesson together since I’d made the YENT and she hadn’t.
Every riding skill of Callie’s that I’d thought had been near perfect was now razor sharp. Callie was going to make the YENT this time. I knew it. Julia and Alison, though both excellent riders, had a tiny chance if that. Callie must have channeled every feeling she’d had about the breakup with Jacob into riding. Her focus had paid off in every way.
“Nice,” Heather said under her breath. “Julia and Alison better be out here practicing.”
All I could manage was a nod. Callie slowed Black Jack to a trot and the Morab tossed his mane, snorting. Charm’s ears pointed toward Black Jack—he wanted to practice alongside his friend. But I held him back near Aristocrat.
Callie looked up, spotting Heather and me. There wasn’t a bit of animosity or annoyance on her face—instead, she just looked at us with a cool gaze. She turned Black Jack in a circle, then let him into a collected trot.
“Hey, guys.”
Heather and I looked over to see Brit slow her horse beside Charm.
“Hey,” Heather and I said.
“Is there enough room for me to ride in here too?” Brit asked. She held the reins with one hand and adjusted her helmet with the other. “I’m not going to jump—I just want to work on dressage.”
“There’s plenty of room,” Heather said. “Go for it.”
Brit flashed a smile and walked Apollo in front of us to an empty corner of the arena.
“Let’s go,” Heather said to me. “I’m not spending this entire time staring at Callie. We’re here to ride.”
“Right,” I said. After one more deep breath, I squeezed my legs against Charm’s sides and he walked forward. Heather and I walked, trotted, and cantered the horses, taking our time to make sure they were warmed up. A couple of times I caught Heather watching Troy, her crush, exercise his horse a few arenas away.
“Coach my jumping first?” Heather asked. “Then, I’ll critique you.”
“Deal,” I said, glancing over to see how Brit and Callie were doing. The girls were directly across from each other at the same end of the arena. Callie was doing stretches in her saddle, her feet kicked out of the stirrups.
Her eyes were focused on Brit.
I shifted my gaze to Brit and saw why. Brit and Apollo were working on leg yielding. I couldn’t even see Brit cuing Apollo to move. He seemed to shift from invisible signals from her—as if he read her mind and knew what she wanted. Callie had been the best dressage rider in our grade. No question and everyone knew it. But Brit was good. As good as Callie. Maybe better. Now, Callie had competition for the YENT with Julia and Alison and a drive to be the best at dressage against Brit.
“Silver!”
Heather’s sharp tone made me yank my gaze away from Callie and Brit. Heather was waiting a few yards from the start of the jump course.
“Sorry,” I said. “Coming!”
Don’t get involved, I told myself. If any tension between Brit and Callie surfaced over dressage, it wasn’t my fight. It woul
d probably push Callie that much harder to practice more—if that was even possible. Plus, I didn’t expect Brit to be anything less than professional.
I stopped Charm near the middle of the six-jump course. Mr. Conner and Mike changed the jumps almost every week, and Charm and I hadn’t practiced on this one yet.
“Can you focus for five minutes, or do I need to find someone else to watch me ride?” Heather asked. She tilted her head as she looked at me.
“I’m focused!” I said. “Seriously. Start whenever you want. I’m ready.”
Heather stared at me for what felt like forever before she pushed her heel against Aristocrat’s side and turned him away from the course. She asked him to trot, then let him into an easy canter. I kept my gaze on Heather’s posture and the way Aristocrat moved. They were such a tight pair that I knew their mistakes, if any, would be minor. The course wasn’t especially challenging either. But it would provide a good workout for us.
Charm seemed to sense that we’d be going soon and that he was watching his competition. Even though the horses were still on the same team—they were competitive with each other.
Heather guided Aristocrat toward the first jump. The gelding tucked his knees gracefully under his body and jumped without hesitation. He looked gorgeous suspended, for even a millisecond, over the red and white rails. Mr. Conner and Mike hadn’t left much room between the first jump and another vertical that was taller than the first. But Heather and Aristocrat were ready. Heather lifted slightly out of the saddle at just the right moment, sliding her hands along Aristocrat’s neck. Aristocrat took the higher jump as if it was the same height as the first.
Heather guided him over an oxer, another vertical, and a second oxer. I kept my focus on both of them, looking for any missteps. But Aristocrat and Heather owned the course. They cantered in a half circle, preparing for the last vertical. The hunter green and gold poles were higher than any of the previous jumps on the course. Aristocrat, excited by the jump, moved at a faster clip—rushing the jump. Heather’s fingers closed around the reins and she did a half halt, asking him to slow.