Best Enemies (Canterwood Crest) (19 page)

IT WAS STILL DARK OUTSIDE WHEN I WALKED
into the stable. Horses blinked sleepily at me as I passed them on my way to check on Charm. I peered over the stall door to look at him and he was asleep, facing the back of his stall. He could sleep for a few more minutes while I walked the show jumping course.

I left the stable and crossed the yard to the outdoor arena. The sun was just peeking over the campus and I wrapped my sweatshirt-covered arms across my chest. It was still chilly in the early morning. Taking a deep breath, I started walking and counting strides between jumps.
Four strides between the vertical and the double oxer,
I thought.

I paused, looking at the entrance to the arena. I flashed back to my first day at Canterwood and how Charm had
gotten loose and galloped past this arena. He’d spooked Aristocrat and Heather had fallen. What an awful start that had been! And now, I was about to try out for the YENT. That day last September seemed like years ago. I’d been the scared new girl, terrified to make even one mistake and be sent home. Now I knew I belonged at Canterwood.

I walked the rest of the course and went back to the stable for Charm’s tack box. I set the box in the aisle by a free pair of crossties and went to get Charm.

“Today’s it, boy,” I said, unlatching his stall door and sliding it open. “You okay?”

Charm lowered his head so I could hug his neck. I led him into the aisle and clipped the crossties to his halter. I was picking stray pieces of hay out of his braids when Callie walked down the aisle with Jack.

“Hey,” she said. “Ready?”

I nodded. “Hope so. Are you nervous?”

Callie crosstied Jack and turned to me. “Um, yeah! But grooming Jack always makes me feel better.”

I tried to take a deep breath. Fail.

“Hey, YENT girls,” someone called.

I looked up and saw Eric smiling at us. He patted Jack’s neck, then walked over to Charm and me.

“Hi,” Callie and I said.

“How’s it going?” Eric asked.

“Good so far,” I said. “I’ve got to groom Charm, tack him up, and then change.”

“I’ll groom him for you if you need to do something else,” Eric said.

“Thanks. But grooming him is part of the ritual. If I didn’t, I’d feel like I’d missed a step. Bonding time.”

Eric nodded. “I understand. Anything else I can do?”

I gave him my sweetest smile. “Get dessert with me tonight after it’s all over?”

“Done,” Eric said.

Eric wished us luck one more time and headed off to help Mr. Conner.

I reached into my tack box and pulled out my Absorbine Supershine hoof polish to paint Charm’s hooves. When I finished, I stepped back and looked him over. Every hair on his chestnut coat gleamed like copper. His blaze was bright white and his shiny black hooves popped.

“After I tack him up, can you hold Charm while I change?” I asked Callie.

“Sure thing,” she said. “I’ll go after you.”

I went to the tack room and came back with Charm’s saddle, bridle, and white saddle pad. I smoothed the pad onto his back and lifted the English saddle onto it. Charm
didn’t move as I tightened the girth. He lowered his head while I unclipped the crossties and slipped the reins over his head. He was being extra sweet—probably because he knew it was an important day. I finished bridling Charm and led him over to Callie.

“Be right back,” I said. I grabbed my clothes from the hanging rack in the tack room and changed in the bathroom. I’d picked my new fawn-colored breeches, high black boots, new white dress shirt, and navy blue show jacket. I pulled my hair into a low bun and applied clear gloss.

I emerged from the bathroom and Callie had Jack tacked up. I held both horses while she put on her show clothes. When Callie came back, she was staring at her phone screen and frowning.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I just thought Jacob would be here by now,” Callie said. “And…”

“And?” I prompted. “You can tell me.”

Callie’s eyes filled with tears. “He canceled our date last night without any reason. He’d been so excited about taking me out, then he texted me at the last minute and said he couldn’t make it.”

“Oh, Callie. I’m so sorry.” I reached over to touch her arm. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“Because it’s a big day. I didn’t want to bring it up before we started riding.”

I shook my head. “Puh-leeze. You’re my BFF—this is what we do! Did you ask him why?”

“He just said he had last minute ‘things’ to do before he went home. He said he was sorry, but he just couldn’t make it.”

“I’m so sorry. I know finals are over, but maybe there’s something up with his parents or his roommate.
Whatever
it is, you can’t stress about it right now.”

Callie wiped her eyes and nodded. “Right. I can talk to Jacob after the tryouts.”

“You totally can. Plus, you’ll be so much less stressed.”

“Thanks, Sash.”

“Anytime.”

Callie and I led Jack and Charm down the aisle and toward the big window that overlooked the outdoor arena. Callie’s parents were in the front row, whispering to each other. They looked more nervous than Callie.

In the next row, a tall man sat next to a woman who had Jasmine’s wavy dark hair, but wore a shirt patterned with giant purple and pink flowers paired with white capris. Yikes—Jas’s sense of fashion definitely didn’t come naturally. Mom and Dad sat by Callie’s parents.

“This is really happening,” Callie whispered. “This is our shot at the YENT.”

“Don’t remind me!” I said, bumping my shoulder against Callie’s. “Are you
trying
to freak me out?”

Callie laughed. “Sorry, sorry. But we’ll be out there in a few minutes! Did we forget anything?”

“Um,” I looked at our clothes. Then I glanced at the horses. “Bridles, saddles, saddle pads, hoof polish… oh! Fly spray.” I handed Charm’s reins to Callie. “I’ll go get it.”

I jogged down the aisle and stopped when muffled voices came through the door.

“Heather, I did
not
skip my meeting in Los Angeles to watch you fail.”

I cringed. Mr. Fox.

“You will not embarrass me. Mr. Nicholson will be calling your name as part of that team tomorrow,” Mr. Fox continued, his voice low. “I mean it, Heather. If you don’t, I—”

I couldn’t take another second! I pushed open the door, hurrying into the room. Heather was almost up against the wall, Mr. Fox towering over her. Her face was as white as Charm’s new saddle pad. Mr. Fox glared at me, but I ignored him and walked over to Heather.

“Oh, my God, what’s your problem?” I asked Heather,
folding my arms. She turned to look at me, her eyes asking me not to leave.

“What?” she whispered, her voice wavering a little.

“How could you blow me off last night?” I made sure not to look at Mr. Fox. “That’s the third time this week! You keep saying you’ll come to the movies with me, but you never do. Are you, like, obsessed with practicing or something?”

Heather’s eyes locked on mine. Relief flashed across her face for a brief second before turning to fake annoyance.

“Calm down, Sasha. I had more important things to do than see a stupid movie. The YENT is all I’ve been thinking about for months.”

“But you’re
always
here.” I pretend-pouted.

“Maybe that’s because I came to Canterwood to ride, not goof off and have fun.”

Mr. Fox’s gaze shifted between us. He stepped forward and looked as if he was about to say something when his BlackBerry rang.

“Fox,” he said into the phone. He stomped away from us and slammed the tack room door behind him.

I walked around Heather and nabbed the fly spray from the top shelf. I wanted to say something, but didn’t want to embarrass her. I knew she had to be upset
that I’d seen any of that. I started to the door.

“Sasha,” Heather said.

I turned and saw something different in her expression— almost as if she was seeing me as a friend for once.

“Don’t even—” I started.

“Thanks,” she mouthed.

I shut the door behind me and went back to Callie. I sprayed Charm with fly spray and did the same to Jack, not saying a word about what I’d seen.

“Look at all the people out there now,” Callie said, pointing to the stands.

Jacob sat alone at the end of the stands, near Mr. Fox who stood and paced with the phone pressed against his ear. At the bottom of the stands, Paige and Eric were sitting together—far away from Mom and Dad. I’d told Paige about how I’d wanted to keep them apart, just for now, and she’d promised to do her best.

Julia and Alison were there too.

“I can’t even imagine how they must feel watching this,” I said.

“Me neither,” Callie said. “They must be thinking about how different things would have been today if it hadn’t been for that test.”

Hoofbeats clattered down the aisle and stopped behind
us. I turned and Jasmine stood there, shaking her head. Phoenix stood quietly beside her.

“What?” I asked.

“It’s just amusing to me that you and Callie even still bother.”

Callie and I didn’t respond. Heather appeared with Aristocrat, and soon, Mr. Conner and Mr. Nicholson, the head YENT scout, walked up to us. Mr. Nicholson looked like an older version of Mr. Conner—tan, but with a shock of silver hair.

“Good morning, girls,” Mr. Nicholson said. “I want to wish you all luck with your test. Try not to be too nervous. Just pretend it’s any other lesson.”

Heather, Callie, Jasmine, and I nodded, knowing we’d never be able to do that.

Mr. Nicholson nodded to us, turned, and walked out of the stable.

“Ready?” Mr. Conner asked.

All any of us could do was nod.

“We’ll start with dressage, then show jumping. After that, we’ll take a break before moving out to the cross-country course.”

I was glad to get dressage—my weakest area—over first.

“I’m proud of each of you,” Mr. Conner said. “I hope you realize how talented you are to even get to this point. Whether you make it or not, you are all dedicated riders. That’s more important to me than whether or not you make this team.”

Mr. Conner motioned for us to follow him outside to the arena. I let Callie, Heather, and Jasmine walk in front of me, needing one more minute with Charm. “We can do this, right, boy?” I asked Charm.

Charm blinked at me with a calming gaze. I looked at my wrist and rubbed the bracelet charms—I needed as much luck as I could get.

29
THE SPARKLE FACTOR

MR. CONNER WALKED INTO THE CENTER OF
the arena and motioned for Heather, Jasmine, Callie, and me to walk our horses out to the rail.

This.

Was.

It.

I kept my eyes forward and didn’t look at anyone.

“Please take a few minutes to warm up your horses,” Mr. Conner said. “And I’ll explain to the audience about today’s testing.”

I angled Charm behind Aristocrat and we began our warm-up.

“Welcome, everyone,” Mr. Conner said. “I’m pleased that you chose to join us. First, the students will be working
through dressage. Mr. Nicholson will be looking for several factors in each ride. He’ll be watching for ease and freedom of movement, lightness of the horse’s forehand, and a deep level of engagement between horse and rider.”

Callie was riding first, so Heather, Jasmine, and I trotted our horses out of the arena. I stopped Charm a few yards away—close, but not too close.

Mr. Conner didn’t need to call out the test to Callie— she knew every movement. Jack looked great and it was a near perfect ride until they made their first circle. It was a meter too big. Then, minutes later, Jack’s next circle looked a half meter too small. That wasn’t possible— maybe the circles just looked off from here?

Callie finished her test and rode out of the arena to applause. But I only needed to look at her face for a second to know that she was upset with her ride. I wanted to talk to her now, but I knew she needed a few minutes alone. Heather, Jasmine, and I approached the entrance— waiting to find out who was riding next.

“Sasha,” Mr. Conner said. “You’re up.”

I entered the arena and rode to the X. I stopped and saluted. I couldn’t give up one second of focus. When I’d imagined this moment, I thought I’d be freaking out. But instead, I was calm. I’d done everything I could to
prepare. Now, it was up to Charm and me to prove it.