Best Enemies (Canterwood Crest) (18 page)

“Sasha,” Violet said, fake smiling. “Ready for summer?”

I nodded, not having anything to say to Violet. When I kept walking away, Violet held up her hand. Brianna, Georgia, and Jasmine blocked the sidewalk behind her.

Violet ran a French-manicured hand through her light brown hair. “So, what are you doing this summer?”

“Riding at YENT camp,” I answered.

The Belles and Jasmine burst into laughter. Paige and I glared at them.

“Or,” Jasmine said. “You could tell the truth. You know, how you’re going back to Union where you’ll ride Charm in circles in a tiny pen for three months.”

Georgia smirked. “Why so glum? Isn’t that what you’re accustomed to?”

I stepped off the sidewalk and into the grass, staring straight ahead as Paige walked alongside me. I could have made a comment how none of the Belles had even been asked to try out for the YENT, but it wasn’t worth it.

“Don’t listen to them,” Paige said. “We know you’re going to make it.”

“I don’t care what they think,” I said. “I’m
not
going back to Union.”

“Good. Because you don’t have time to worry about them. You’ve got to get ready for your parents.”

Inside our room I stepped around boxes, plastic trunks, and suitcases. I was mostly packed except for the clothes I needed for today and tomorrow.

We changed into jeans and T-shirts and started emptying everything but the essentials from our bathroom drawers and closets. I grabbed my stack of DVDs off the TV stand and walked over to Paige.

“Here,” I said, holding them out. “You can give them back this fall.”

Paige’s eyes landed on the DVDs. “Sasha, no way. I can’t take those. My mom won’t let me watch anything that’s not on PBS, you know that.”

Ignoring Paige, I opened her suitcase and started layering the DVDs between her clothes. “You’re taking them. And watch them in your room on your laptop or something. You need
City Girls
, Paige. Don’t argue.”

Paige clutched one of the DVDs to her chest. “Okay,
okay. I would have died if I hadn’t been able to watch that episode where Josh
finally
kissed Ara.”

My phone buzzed.

Dad and I are waiting in the parking lot!

I put my phone back in my pocket. “They’re here. My last moments of freedom.” I sighed dramatically and Paige giggled.

“Oh, go already,” she teased, waving me out the door.

“Sasha!” Mom called from the parking lot. She waved and clutched Dad’s arm. Dad, beside her, held up his camera and started snapping photos.

“Dad! You promised—”

He put his camera down so I could hug him with one arm and Mom with the other.

“We missed you, honey,” Mom said. She ran her hand over my hair.

“I missed you guys too,” I said. “But soon, you’ll be stuck with me. For just a little while, hopefully.”

“We’ll take as much time as we can get,” Dad said. A gurgle came from his stomach and he put a hand over it.

“Oops,” he said. “I skipped my usual pancake breakfast this morning.”

“Daaad.” I hugged him. “Let’s go get lunch.”

“We’re ready,” Mom said.

We walked the long way to the dining hall, which was run like a restaurant during special occasions. Since parents were in town, Canterwood had hostesses and waiters on staff for the weekend to make the atmosphere even more impressive. I kept an eye out for Eric—even though he was supposed to be back at his dorm—remembering Jacob’s advice.

The hostess seated us and, after Dad spent fifteen minutes convincing Mom that having a salad with his steak
did
make it a healthy meal, we ordered our food. The hall felt like a five-star restaurant. Sunshine spilled through the windows and made the hardwood floor gleam. Fresh orchids were in crystal vases on every table and there wasn’t an empty seat in the room.

“This is wonderful,” Mom said, taking a bite of her white grilled cheese sandwich. We’d both ordered the same thing.

“Totally,” I said. “So, are you guys ready for me to come home?”

Mom and Dad smiled at each other. “Your mom has been making sure the kitchen is stuffed with all of your favorite foods and she…”

But Dad’s voice started to sound fuzzy when I glanced across the room and saw Callie, her parents, and
Jacob
walk
into the dining room. Jacob stood next to Callie’s dad and laughed at something he said.

The hostess led them to their table and Jacob pulled out a chair for Callie. He sat next to Callie, who looked very girly and pretty in a simple black spaghetti-strap dress accessorized with a skinny silver belt.

I couldn’t stop watching. They were all so comfortable with each other. Jacob didn’t seem at
all
freaked out to be dining with Callie’s parents. I couldn’t figure him out— it was like I didn’t even know him anymore. But I didn’t care that he was eating with Callie’s parents, right?

“Sasha?” Mom touched my arm. “You okay?”

I tore my eyes away from Jacob and the Harpers. “Yeah, sorry. I just saw some friends. What were you saying?”

“Do you want to go talk to them?” Dad asked.

“No!”
I said.

Oops. That was a little loud.

“I mean, I can talk to them later,” I said. “What were you saying?”

Mom stared at me for a second, as if her sometimes-annoying-yet-always-accurate Mom radar knew something was off. “Dad and I are glad to be here and we want to see you,” she said. “But we also know that you have a big day
tomorrow and you probably want to practice instead of hanging out with your parents.”

“I don’t want to leave you guys, but yeah—I’ll probably start to feel anxious if I don’t ride soon.”

“We’ll go back to the hotel to unwind and get ready for tomorrow,” Dad said. “We’ll talk to you tonight—we want to wish you luck before you go to sleep.”

On our way out of the dining room, I saw Jacob’s eyes flicker across the room at me. Instead of looking away, I held his gaze—staring at him until I passed the table.

Why would Jacob have made me feel so insecure about Eric meeting my parents when he seemed so comfortable with Callie’s?

27
SASHA SILVER, SHRINK

BY THE TIME CHARM AND I ARRIVED BEHIND
the stable, Callie and Heather were already working Jack and Aristocrat at opposite ends of the arena.

“Where’s Jas?” I asked, going for the obvious question.

“She went out on the cross-country course with the Belles,” Heather said.

“Fine by me,” Callie said. “At least she’s not in the arena with us.”

We walked our horses and I sneaked a glance at Callie and Heather. Callie looked calm, as always, and not a hint of nervousness about tomorrow showed on her face. But Heather looked a little pale and she kept fidgeting in the saddle.

“No matter what happens tomorrow,” I said. “We did everything we could.”

Heather rolled her eyes. “You sound like a shrink. More riding, less talking.”

“Do you guys want to critique each other?” Callie asked.

Heather and I nodded enthusiastically. Clearly some nervous energy to burn.

“We’re ready,” I said. “Let’s take turns picking exercises.”

Once I finished warming Charm up, Heather walked Aristocrat next to him and her horse laid back his ears. “Figure eights,” she said. “I want to start with those.”

We distanced the horses and worked them through the pattern. First at a walk, then a trot and, finally, large figure eights at a canter.

Heather slowed Aristocrat and watched Callie. “Watch your leg position. They keep sliding forward when you turn.”

Callie nodded and did the pattern again. I wanted to work on transitions next, so we called out to each other when to slow the horses or change gaits. We rode for another forty-five minutes before stopping.

“I’m going for water,” Heather said. “Later.”

Heather walked Aristocrat out of the arena and Callie stopped Jack beside me. “Heather was riding when I got
here,” she said. “Aristocrat was sweaty and it looked as if they’d been here awhile already.”

“She wants this so bad,” I said. “But still, she shouldn’t overpractice.”

“I know.” Callie rubbed Jack’s neck. “But it’s hard to stop when we’re
this
close.”

We were quiet for a minute, letting the horses rest. Callie looked as though she was about to say something, then sighed and picked at a nonexistent tangle in Jack’s mane.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

Callie twirled her fingers in Jack’s mane. “I don’t know. Maybe. Jacob has been acting kind of weird for the past few days.”

“Weird, how?”

“He just seems worried about something. Or nervous, I don’t know. Whenever I ask him if anything’s wrong, he always says no.”

“I’m sure he’s just stressed about finals and getting ready to go home for the summer. Everyone’s under a lot of pressure right now,” I said. But even as I said it, I wasn’t sure I believed it. Jacob had been acting strange for a while. I’d thought it was just weirdness with Eric, but now I wasn’t so sure.

Callie nodded. “I’m sure you’re right. And he
is
taking me out for a good luck dinner tonight.”

“See, that’ll be fun! Is he coming to watch you ride?”

“He is,” Callie said. “I even told him where the good seats are.”

I was glad to see Callie looking less worried. She definitely didn’t need any more major stress before tomorrow.

“Are you up for cooling them out and braiding their manes and tails?” Callie asked. “It’ll take too long in the morning.”

“Yeah,” I said. “They haven’t been to see their stylists in a while.”

Giggling, we dismounted.

“I think we should glitter their manes and add some highlights,” Callie said. “Thoughts?”

“Charm’s always wanted to go blond,” I said. “And the scouts will love it.”

After braiding manes and tails with Callie, I spent an hour cleaning Charm’s tack. I polished his saddle and bridle until they were supple and gleaming. When I got back to Winchester, Paige, aka the best roommate ever, distracted me with
Tokyo Girl
reruns and manicures. Paige painted my
nails in OPI’s Princesses Rule and I did hers in Bubble Bath.

“Look at your sparkly nails if you get nervous,” Paige said. “And remember the name of the polish. You’re going to rock it tomorrow.”

I smiled at her. “Thanks, P.”

Paige, inspecting her nails, got up and went to the door. “I’m going to grab us chips and salsa. Then, start a movie?”

“Awesome. But don’t mess up your nails!”

Paige left and I flopped backward onto my bed. Paige had been working overtime all day to distract me from thinking about testing.

My phone buzzed and I opened it.

Don’t even worry abt 2mrw. You’ve got this. C u in the mrning!

I texted Eric back.

:)

I kept rereading his text until Paige came back.

You’ve got this.

I’ve got this.

28
LUCKY CHARMS