Hot Potato (8 page)

'I remember now,' Lindsey blurted. 'I entered that
Gwen woman's details in the day after I came back
from hospital. I was still pretty groggy. I must have put
in Erin's mobile by mistake.'

Good save
, thought Shelby.

Mrs Edel narrowed her eyes. 'I double-checked all
your entries. I don't remember this.'

'I made so many mistakes, remember? You almost
gave up on me.' Lindsey pulled a silly face.

Lindsey's mother turned her attention to Erin.
'What was that business on the phone all about?'

'A joke?' she offered meekly.

'Excuse me, Mrs Edel,' Hayley interrupted. 'I'm
here to give you a cheque, and Mum was wondering
if the annual barbecue was still this weekend. You
haven't put it on the noticeboard.'

Mrs Edel glared at the girls as she flipped open her
receipt book. 'I haven't got to the bottom of this yet,
but I will!'

She took the cheque from Hayley and scribbled out
a receipt. 'The annual barbecue. I haven't even thought
about it! Too busy.'

Every year, just before it became too cold, Mrs
Edel held a barbecue at the stables. There was also a
Christmas party at the end of the year, but the
barbecue was more like an annual general meeting for
all the people who kept horses at the stables. It was an
opportunity for the agisters to mingle, but also to put
forward ideas and vote on future plans for the stables
– what types of new equipment, upgrades or construction
they would like to see.

'OK, let's look in the diary here,' Mrs Edel
mumbled to herself as she flicked through the pages
and ran her fingers down the rows of dates.

Hayley smiled slyly. Shelby couldn't tell if Hayley's
mum had really asked about the barbecue, or whether
Hayley had made it up to distract Mrs Edel and save
the girls from getting in trouble.

'You're absolutely right. Goodness! We'd better
get organised, girls!' She looked up at Lindsey, her
crankiness forgotten. 'Go and put this on the noticeboard
will you, my love? I'll do a broadcast email.'

Mrs Edel sat, scooted her chair under the desk,
and placed her hands on the keyboard, dictating as
she typed. 'Annual barbecue this Sunday in the
jumping arena. All welcome. Bring a plate.'

Lindsey nodded.

'Oh, and no dogs,' she added.

All the girls left the office together. The afternoon
sun shone fiercely and Shelby shaded her eyes with
her hand. At the bottom of the stairs she thanked
Hayley.

'No problem,' she said. 'So what's the story?'

'Umm,' Erin began.

'It's kind of an in-joke,' Lindsey interrupted.

'Yeah?' Hayley's eyes twinkled with anticipation.

'Yeah. Anyway, we've got to get to work now. See
ya!' Lindsey dragged Erin away.

Shelby hung back for a moment. 'It would be
really great if you didn't mention this to anyone just
for now.'

'Why? What is it? You
have
to tell me now. I saved
you guys, remember? You owe me!'

Shelby looked over to where Erin and Lindsey were
waiting. They had to get to Clint before Lindsey's
mother did. 'I can't now, but I will another day, OK?
I promise. Especially don't tell your mum.'

Hayley nodded slowly, but Shelby could tell she
was disappointed. Disappointed and annoyed.

The girls found Clint in the yard at the end of the
row. Ajax was loosely tied to a strand of baling twine
looped over the fence. The big horse had his ears back
and his eyes half closed. Shelby noticed the way Clint
behaved with him – always keeping a hand firmly on
his shoulder or rump, talking to him in a low voice
and watching closely for any change in expression.
Clint didn't trust him either.

Clint was wearing his leather apron. He selected a
knife from his tub of tools and, tucking Ajax's fetlock
between his knees, whittled at the underside of his
hoof.

It occurred to Shelby for the first time why Tammy
might have left fifty dollars just inside her tack room
doorway. It wouldn't be there when Clint looked for
it, and there was no way to do anything about it now.
She couldn't even confide in her friends. What would
they think if she told them she'd stolen to pay her
share?

'Shelly Shoes, Lindsey Lu and Erin Banana – the
three amigas.' A grin split across Clint's face. He
tossed the knife into the tub and drew out a long rasp.
'How's that crazy little filly going?'

'That's what we're here about,' Erin said, crossing
her arms.

'Yeah, we don't want you to tell Mum about her
just yet,' Lindsey added.

Clint slid his hand down Ajax's hind leg and lifted
his hoof. 'Oh? Why's that then?'

Erin and Lindsey darted a look at each other.

'It's her birthday present!' Shelby blurted.

Lindsey's eyes widened. 'Yeah!' Erin and Lindsey
chorused.

'Birthday present, eh?' Clint ran his rasp around
Ajax's hoof. 'That
is
a good reason for me not to
mention it.' He looked up at Shelby and winked – a
definite wink, not a tick or blink, or something in
his eye.

Does he know?
she wondered. Would he guess
about the money too?

Shelby turned away, blushing furiously – just in
time to see Hayley ducking into the doorway of the
stable opposite.
Is she spying on us?
Shelby wondered.
Great. Now she knows too.

'The annual barbecue is on this weekend,' said
Erin, changing the subject. 'Are you coming?'

'Wouldn't miss it,' Clint replied.

Oh no!
thought Shelby. Tammy and Clint would
be at the same place at the same time. She had to
return that fifty-dollar note as soon as possible.

It was early Friday morning. Shelby was out of breath.
She had just led Hotty from the back paddock,
running all the way. She took her to a yard on the far
side of the feed shed that couldn't be seen from the
office window. Lindsey was waiting there with the
equine chiropractor. She had been looking at other
horses and agreed to examine the pony before the two
girls went to school.

The chiropractor's name was Julie. She had short
blonde hair like Shelby, except Julie's was funkier.
She'd put some sort of product in it to make it messy
in a very styled way. Julie wore little rectangle spectacles
with a tortoiseshell frame. Shelby thought she
looked smart and efficient.

'Do you have a horse?' Shelby asked.

Julie nodded.

'Do you compete?'

'Eventing when I have time.'

Shelby nodded slowly. Julie was funky in every
way.

'I'd like to do that one day.'

'Oh yeah? Is this your horse?' Julie indicated that
she was asking about Hotty.

Shelby shook her head.

'You can see Shelby's horse from here, Jules,'
Lindsey said, pointing to where Blue stood with
Hiccup in the paddock.

Shelby wanted to yell out,
'No, don't look!'
She
was sure Julie would think she was silly for having
dreams of eventing with a strange-looking old nag like
Blue.

'That little paint horse? He looks like a pony I had
once. My very bravest jumping horse. He was such a
great little guy. He'd jump anything.'

Shelby smiled, relieved. 'Yeah, Blue's like that too.'

Julie had a plastic crate full of the strangest things –
wooden sticks in various lengths, a few tennis balls, an
assortment of spray bottles and other weird tools that
Shelby hadn't seen before. It looked more like a toy box
than the toolbox of a serious medical professional.

First Julie ran her hands all along the pony's body
from nose to tail, tapping and pressing. Next she
tested Hotty's flexibility – moving her head from side
to side, twisting her neck so that her nose was
touching her back, then stretching all of her legs, and
bending her fetlock joints.

'Hmm,' Julie mumbled.

'What do you think?' asked Lindsey.

'She's a wee bit stiff in the shoulders,' she replied,
running her hand over the offending area. Hotty's
flesh twitched under her palm. 'But my guess would
be that it was the result of this bucking you were
talking about rather than the cause. I'll give her a bit
of a massage, but she doesn't need any adjusting. She's
been pulling your leg, I think. You know how ponies
are.' Julie smiled at the girls.

Shelby saw the glower cross Lindsey's face. She
had been willing to give Hotty the benefit of the
doubt, but there would be no more compassion now
that Lindsey knew that she was just plain naughty.

Julie took out one of the tennis balls and used it to
massage Hotty all around her shoulders. After that she
sprayed on some liniment and rubbed it in.

It crossed Shelby's mind that she might want to be
an equine chiropractor when she grew up. She could
save money if she adjusted her own horses – especially
when she had four or five in full competition condition
all the time.

'Did you have to do a long course to do this job?'
she asked.

'I did vet science at uni,' Julie replied. 'And a threeyear
masters degree.'

That sounded like a lot of work! Shelby was pretty
sure you had to be good at Maths if you wanted to do
veterinary science. She would have to start paying
attention in class. She wasn't sure if it was worth it. 'Is
it good money?' she asked.

Julie shrugged. 'Ask me again after I've paid off
my university degree. Anyway, there's nothing wrong
with this mare that a bit of hard work wouldn't fix.
That's my advice.'

Shelby nodded. That's what she'd hoped. Hotty
was just green. In time, with regular work, she would
be amazing.

'Who do I bill this to?' Julie asked.

'Gwen Stefani,' Shelby answered.

'Really? Like the singer?' She laughed. 'That's a
coincidence.'

'Yeah, funny hey?' Shelby said.

In the afternoon the girls decided to try Shelby's old
all-purpose saddle on Hotty in the round yard. Mrs
Edel was working Diablo in the dressage arena, so the
girls knew they had at least forty-five minutes.

Shelby cinched up the girth another notch. She
flinched when the mare shifted her weight from one
leg to another. Shelby was nervous. She hadn't realised
how much until now. 'I think that's as far as it will go.
Who wants to hop on first?'

'It's your saddle,' said Erin.

'You're the one who has lessons,' Shelby responded.

'I only ever ride Bandit. You two ride different
horses all the time. Why don't you ride her, Shelby?'

'But I've already fallen off! It's somebody else's
turn.'

Erin turned to Lindsey. 'What about you?'

Lindsey shook her head. 'I've broken enough
bones. You should do it, Erin. You haven't come off
in ages.'

'She mightn't even go nuts,' Shelby offered, smiling
hopefully.

'Fine,' growled Erin, gripping the cantle. 'But
when I break my legs you two have to carry me back.'

'You won't break your legs!' Shelby told her. 'Not
both at once, anyway.'

Shelby stood on one side of the pony, holding a
rein. Lindsey stood on the other while Erin put her
foot in the stirrup, ready to swing into the saddle.
Hotty swished her tail. She had her ears back and
Shelby could see the whites of her eyes.

'I told you she's not a nice person,' Lindsey said.

Shelby hoped Hotty would be good and prove
Lindsey wrong. She smiled up at Erin. 'Are you ready?'

Erin's knees were squeezed tight against the saddle
and her knuckles were white where she held the
reins.

'Remember, we're just trying to teach her that it's
OK to have a saddle on, and not to be scared,'
Lindsey said. 'The best thing would be if she just
stands still. Then you can reward her by getting off.'

'Wouldn't the best reward be not getting on in the
first place?' Erin muttered. Her face looked drawn and
her shoulders were hunched. She was scared. 'How do
the rodeo riders do it?' she asked.

Lindsey shrugged. 'I've never done it. They just
hang on, I guess. Try to stay loose when you fall. I've
heard that you break less bones if your muscles are
relaxed.'

Shelby thought they were being prematurely pessimistic,
but she didn't mention it. She was sure that
Erin would jump at the chance to switch places.

Shelby and Lindsey let go of the reins and moved
slowly away from the horse. Erin sat still, clinging to
the saddle. 'Be a good girl now, CC,' she said.

The pony snorted and shook her head. She stood
still with her eyes half closed, as though she was
sleepy. For a moment Shelby thought it was going to
be all right.

'She's not doing anything!' said Erin. 'Can I get off
now?'

Then Hotty's eyes flashed open and she reared
straight up. Erin leaned forward and wrapped her
hands around the horse's neck. Next the pony kicked
out with her back legs – leaping forward at the same
time.

'Did you see that?' Lindsey shouted. 'Airs above
the ground!'

'Hold on, Erin!' Shelby called out.

Hotty surged forward, tucking her head between
her front legs, pigrooting and bucking as she bounded
around the yard.

'That's so hard to do!' Lindsey said.

'Yeah! She's hanging on way longer than I would
have!' Shelby said, backing towards the fence.

'No, I mean airs above the ground. Horses take
years to learn that kind of balance.'

'I don't think she's going to stop!' Erin yelled.

Hotty jumped in the air, her head down and all
four hooves off the ground. She twisted and landed
hard. Erin's leg started to swing. She was beginning to
lose her grip, flopping like a rag doll.

Shelby rushed forward. Hotty bared her teeth, ears
flat to her head. She reared up again, striking out with
her front hooves.

'Let go, Erin,' Lindsey shouted. 'Jump off now –
before she goes crazy again.'

Erin started to slide off to one side. When she
flicked her right leg over, the stirrup came with her.
Her boot looked as though it was stuck inside the
metal arch.

Shelby reached forward, trying to grab the rein. She
had to catch Hotty now, and hold her still. If Erin's foot
was stuck the pony could drag her around the arena,
which could cause all sorts of serious injuries.

Hotty came down on all fours, and then reared up
again, staggering backwards on her hind legs.

With her hands raised, Shelby stood in front of the
little horse. 'Whoa!' she said, trying to sound as
soothing as possible.

As she reached for the rein again she could see the
pony's hoof stretching towards her face, as though it
was in slow motion. There was dirt and grit stuck to
the bottom of it. For a millisecond she thought about
what a different shape it was on the underside
compared to Blue's, and then she felt the horn-like
texture as it glanced off her cheek.

It feels like a brick inside a rubber boot,
she
thought.

Her neck jerked back and her face went numb. She
was falling backwards, arms outstretched.
This is
going to hurt
, she decided.

Shelby could see the clouds, blurred, wheeling, as
if she was on sideshow ride, and then everything went
black.