December Story Contest

The Best of Friends
By: Alyssa
Age: 10

Chapter One

“Taylor Austin! I've had enough of you!” shouted Taylor's father. “I'm sending you to live with your Aunt Laurie and Uncle John Austin and that's that!”
Taylor cringed, then jumped, avoiding getting hit with the stone her father had thrown at her by inches.
“Wh . . . when are you sending me?” she asked nervously, afraid that speaking would upset him even more.
“I called a Taxi. It will be here in twenty minutes, so get packing, otherwise you'll be going without anything.”

Taylor ran for the protection of her room, and slammed the door behind herself. She sat down on her bed and ran her fingers through her shoulder-length black hair as she thought about her past.
A month ago her parents had split up because of constant arguments and their wills to do different things. Her father was an alcoholic, and consumed one or two bottles of beer each day. He also smoked.
Her mother went to lots of parties with rich ladies, and wasn't at home that often.

When the family was together, they had lived in Vancouver, British Columbia. Then when her parents divorced, her mother had moved to far away New York City, leaving Taylor and her father to live on their own. Taylor had never seen or heard from her since that sad morning.
She took a duffel bag out of her small closet and began stuffing her most important belongings into it.

Taylor had just finished packing and walked out of her room when a horn honked from outside the house.
Her father completely ignored her as she walked out of the house and towards the yellow Taxi.
The driver came out and put her duffel bag into the back seat of the Taxi.
Taylor climbed into the passenger seat and buckled her seat belt. The Taxi pulled out of the driveway and soon pulled onto the highway.
Thinking about her family had made tears well up in her eyes. Soon they were streaming down her face. Taylor tried to brush them away, but they kept on coming.
The driver looked at her, alarmed. “Are you okay, Miss?” he asked. “Is something wrong?”
“No, I'm fine,” Taylor said quickly, though it was clear that she wasn't.

When the tears stopped coming, Taylor though about her aunt and uncle.
They lived in a small town called Maxwell, that was about an hour away from Vancouver. She had visited them once before when she was four years old, but she didn't know them very well.
Her Uncle John was brothers with her father. When Taylor had visited them, her Aunt Laurie had paid for one riding lesson for Taylor at one of the local stables. She had been delighted when Taylor rode in the lesson.
One year ago, Taylor had taken riding lessons at a stable in Vancouver. She had learned how to walk, trot, canter, gallop, and jump. It was fun for a while, but then she had lost interest in riding and just quit.
Taylor leaned back against the leather seat and rested.

Chapter Two

An hour later, the Taxi pulled up into a short paved driveway that led to a fairly small house.
A slim women with shiny brown hair (which appeared to be her aunt) rushed out of the house and over to the Taxi.
“Taylor!” she said as she grabbed Taylor in a big hug. “We're so glad to have you stay with us! Here, let me take your bag.”
“Hi Aunt Laurie,” Taylor said quietly as her aunt took the duffel bag from her hands. Taylor wasn't even sure if Aunt Laurie had heard her.

She examined the house carefully. It was beige with a white door and a shiny brass knocker. Windows were on each side of the door.
“Come into the house, Taylor!” called Aunt Laurie.
Taylor went up onto the front porch and followed her aunt into a spacious living room with country furniture and decorations.
Peach walls surrounded a blue carpet, and the room smelled like cinnamon. Soft music played in the background. On a recliner chair sat a man with scraggly brown hair in need of a good brushing which appeared to be her Uncle John.
“Hello Taylor,” he greeted her. “Did you have a good trip?”
“Yes, it was fine,” said Taylor.
“Both of you go and get cleaned up. Dinner is almost ready,” said Aunt Laurie.

After a delicious meal of turkey and mashed potatoes, Aunt Laurie led Taylor up the stairs onto the second storey and stopped at a closed door.
“This is your room,” she said.

Like a book cover to a fairy tail, the door revealed a room with a single bed dwarfed by a black bedspread. Strangely, there were no curtains on the one window, allowing the late afternoon sun to bathe everything in gold dust. The room was painted purple. The dark hardwood floor gave the room a look of royal elegance.
Despite there being no pictures or posters on the walls or decorations on the dresser or desk, Taylor was genuinely impressed. Her jaw dropped open.

“I hope you like it,” said Aunt Laurie. “As for the curtain and pictures and posters and other things like that, I decided that you should make some of your own decisions. I'll take you to the mall tomorrow morning to buy accessories for your room, and also to by a new riding outfit since I've signed you up for riding lessons at a local stable.”
Taylor listened silently to Aunt Laurie, and then suddenly felt exhausted from the day. “Um, I think I'll get ready for bed now,” she said. 
Aunt Laurie looked surprised. “It's only nine o'clock!”
“I'm really tired from the trip,” said Taylor.
“Well, okay,” said Aunt Laurie. She went out of the room and closed the door softly behind her.

Fifteen minutes later Taylor lay in bed thinking about the past day and what tomorrow would bring.
Suddenly she felt very small and lonely, and wished for someone to come and comfort her. Tears streamed out of her eyes and finally she cried herself to sleep.

Chapter Three

The next morning Taylor awoke to sunlight streaming into her room.
The sky was a deep, rich blue, with not a cloud in sight.
 She sniffed hard and smelled bacon and scrambled eggs from downstairs.
Taylor quickly had a shower and put on a T-shirt and jeans, and wrestled her black hair into a pony tail. Then she headed downstairs.

Taylor sat down at the table with her aunt and uncle and spooned some scrambled eggs onto her plate.
While eating, Aunt Laurie was discussing the day's plans with Uncle John.
“First,” she was saying, “Taylor and I will go to the mall to pick out accessories for her room and buy some riding clothes. Then we'll have lunch in the mall, and then head over to the stable for Taylor's riding lesson.”
Taylor thought about my aunt's plans for the day.
It was so typical of Aunt Laurie to think of clothes and bedroom accessories first before anything else. She was always fussing over the way she looked and what everyone else thought of her.
Suddenly Taylor wondered how long she could put up with it. But she didn't have long to wait.

Ten minutes later, Aunt Laurie and Taylor were at the small mall of Maxwell and browsing through the stores.
They visited the one tack shop; The Saddlery, first.
Aunt Laurie picked out a lot of expensive riding clothes. She bought knee-high black leather riding boots, some beige breeches and navy blue show jacket with a white show shirt underneath the jacket, a black velvet-covered riding helmet, and to complete the outfit, she had bought black leather riding gloves.
If it was Taylor's choice, she would have just recommended some jeans and a T-shirt with ankle high riding boots.

They moved on to the next store, and found a great selection of curtains and bedroom accessories.
One rather strange looking curtain caught Aunt Laurie's eye.
“Oh Taylor!” she said. “Look at this curtain. It would go so well with your room!” Taylor eyed the strange-looking curtain. It was made with strings of shiny beads, some clear and some light purple.
“Well?” Aunt Laurie was staring at her.
“I'll take it,” said Taylor, sighing.

After eating a sandwich, she climbed into the passenger seat beside Aunt Laurie and they drove over to the stable.
Taylor stared at the passing fields and pastures. There were horses in almost every one of them.
Couldn't people ever think about anything else? There was certainly more to life than just horses.

Soon Aunt Laurie turned the car onto a dirt lane that led under a large painted sign that said: ReinDance Stables, with a border of horses galloping around the edge of the sign.
Taylor stared out the window listlessly.
There were white fenced paddocks along the lane with lush, green grass, and horses of every color you could think of grazing and cantering like the wind.

Aunt Laurie parked the car in the parking lot and helped Taylor out, although she really didn't need to be.
Taylor and her aunt walked past the riders with their horses and the indoor riding ring. They stopped in front of the stable.
Just at that moment a tall, slim women with shoulder-length blonde hair in a pony-tail walked over to them. She shook Taylor's hand.
“I'm Trish Ross,” she said. “I'm the owner and riding instructor of ReinDance Stables.” “I'm Taylor Austin,” Taylor replied.
“Well Taylor,” said Trish. “Glad to have met you. Have you had any riding experience before?”
“When I was younger, I had riding lessons and learned to walk, trot, canter, gallop, and jump. But I stopped one year ago.”
Trish nodded. “We'll brush up your riding skills.”
Aunt Laurie gave Taylor a quick hug. “I'll pick you up after the riding lesson,” she said.
Then Taylor followed Trish into the stable.
The stable was painted a beige color and the roof was made of tin. It was three quarters of a square, but hollow in the middle.

Trish led Taylor up to another girl who looked about twelve years old, the same age as herself.
The girl had shoulder-length brown hair and intense looking dark brown eyes. She was wearing ankle-high laced boots that were covered with mud and in need of a good cleaning with jodhpurs that had a manure stain on them, a purple T-shirt, and a velvet-covered riding helmet.
“Taylor, this is Sophie Malone,” said Trish. “She will show you around the stable and help you find the horse that you'll be riding in the lesson.”
Then Trish disappeared around a corner.

Taylor suddenly noticed Sophie staring at her. Not actually at her, but at her fancy riding clothes. She felt her face heat up, and she caught Sophie's eye. Sophie looked away quickly.
What a way to make a first impression, Taylor thought silently.
She wished she had told Aunt Laurie that she wanted to pick out her own riding clothes. “Hi, Taylor,” said Sophie. “Trish asked me to show you around the stable. I'll give you the official tour. Follow me.”

Chapter Four

Taylor walked behind Sophie as she led her around the stable.
First they stopped at the office.
A tall, brown-haired man was sitting at the desk filing away some papers into the drawers.
“Taylor, this is Mike Ross, Trish's husband. He does the paperwork for the stable and answers the phone calls,” Sophie explained.
Mike looked up. “Hello, Taylor,” he said. “I hope like riding here.”
Taylor smiled and nodded.
Then Sophie showed her all around the stable grounds, until she knew every building by heart. She even introduced Taylor to the chief stable hand, Drew Coleman, who was mucking out one of the stalls.

At last they stopped at the stalls, and Sophie introduced her to each one of the horses, telling her about their personalities, likes and dislikes.
They stopped at the stall of a large Appaloosa gelding. There was a wooden plaque on the door of the stall that said: Wildfire.
“This is the horse that I ride in the lessons,” said Sophie. Taylor nodded and gave Wildfire a quick pat on the neck.

Suddenly a girl with long blonde hair and dark blue eyes strolled down the aisle and peered into the stall.
“Need any help, Sophie?” she asked casually.
“Sure,” Sophie replied. “Taylor, this is my friend, Ava Young. Ava, this is Taylor Austin. She's just started taking lessons here. Can you show Taylor to Romeo and help her tack up? I'm going to be late for class if I don't tack up Wildfire soon.” “Sure,” said Ava. “I already tacked Breezy up.”
Breezy was the school horse that Ava rode. She was a dapple gray Anglo-Arab mare, as Sophie had shown Taylor.

Taylor followed Ava down the aisle and over to a stall.
Inside was a dark bay gelding that was calmly munching on hay from the hay net inside his stall.
“This is Romeo, the school horse that you'll be riding in class. I'll be right back with his tack.” Ava headed for the tack room.
Taylor remembered a few things from her riding lessons in the previous years.
 She grabbed the lead rope hanging on the stall door and let herself inside the door. She attached the lead rope to the ring on the halter and led Romeo out of the stall.

Ava appeared with an English saddle in her arms and a bridle slung over her shoulder. “Good job,” she said. “Now attach his halter to the crossties. Do you know what they are?”
Taylor nodded and led Romeo over to the crossties and fastened them to his halter. “Good,” said Ava. She set the saddle down on the stall door. “Now we put on the bridle.”
Taylor watched and listened as Ava showed her how to put on the bridle.
Then it was time for the saddle. This time Ava let Taylor put on the saddle.
She gave her instructions and leaned against the stall door.
Taylor lifted the saddle and saddle pad onto Romeo's back. She caught the girth and struggled to get it in the first hole.
“I can't get it any tighter,” Taylor grunted. Ava came to her rescue. “He's puffing up, like most horses do,” she explained. “They take a big breath of air and puff out their belly. The girth can't get very tight.
Then when they're being ridden they let out their breath so the saddle is loose. You should never try to get the girth to its normal hole in one big pull, though. It can be very painful to the horse.
Always move the girth up one hole at a time until it reaches the normal hole. But if your horse is puffing up, just do up the girth as much as you can and then walk to the ring. Then just before you mount, tighten the girth to the normal hole because the horse will have let it his or her breath.”
Ava struggled, but managed to move the girth up one by one, until it reached the normal hole.
“There,” she said, a bit out of breath. “I'll just get Breezy and then we'll go to the indoor ring.”

Taylor unclipped the crossties from Romeo's halter and followed Ava and Breezy to the indoor ring.
She led him to the mounting block and put her left foot in the stirrup and mounted.
Trish was at the other end of the ring helping some riders adjust their stirrups.
Sophie was on Wildfire and Ava was on Breezy. They were waiting for Trish to start the lesson.

When the lesson did start, things went from good to bad.
Trish had everyone practice a posting trot. She was always picking on Taylor, or so she thought.
“Taylor, heels down! Shoulders back! Keep your hands lower! Look where you're going!” she barked at her. “Taylor, you're posting on the wrong diagonal!”
Taylor struggled to obey Trish's instructions. Posting was hard! She was relieved when Trish focused on another person.
Taylor tried her very best to try and do everything right.
Towards the end of the lesson, things started to go well again.
“Great job, Taylor!” Trish called out. “You've really improved since the beginning of the lesson!”
This compliment made Taylor swell with pride. She was finally doing something right! Maybe riding wasn't so bad after all!

Chapter Five

Five minutes later Trish called the lesson to an end.
Taylor dismounted and found her legs and bottom were very sore!
Sophie walked over to her leading Wildfire. “You did really good in the lesson, and Trish noticed it,” she said.
“Thanks,” said Taylor. “I wasn't that good, though.”
“You were,” Sophie insisted. “I can untack Romeo for you so you can rest in the lounge.”
“Thanks,” Taylor said gratefully, and handed Romeo's reins over to Sophie. Then she walked stiffly out of the indoor ring.

Taylor walked across the stable yard over to the lounge.
The lounge was a place for riders to hang out after riding. It had two washrooms, (one for girls and one for boys.)
There was a fridge, a fireplace in one corner, one couch and a leather recliner chair, and a table.
Over the sink was an open window with red and white checkered curtains that fluttered in the afternoon breeze. 
Taylor grabbed a soda from the fridge and settled down on the recliner.
Oh, how good it felt!
Just then Sophie and Ava walked in, chattering away. They each grabbed a drink and took a horse magazine from the rack beside the couch.

Just at that moment Aunt Laurie burst into the lounge.
“There you are, Taylor!” she exclaimed. “I was looking all over for you!”
Then she noticed Sophie and Ava. “Who are those girls? Look at their ugly clothes! Their parents must be beggars off the street to have their children wearing clothes like that!”
Ava and Sophie's faces flushed a bright red and they turned away, Sophie's from embarrassment and Ava's from anger and hate.
Did she have to say that? Taylor groaned inwardly. Now they'll hate me!
“So, do you want to continue riding here?” asked Aunt Laurie.
“I hope she quits,” Ava whispered to Sophie. She didn't say it loudly, but the breeze carried it over to Taylor, who flinched.
“Ava, don't talk that way,” Sophie whispered back.
“Did you see the way Mrs. Austin insulted us? If I don't like her, I won't like Taylor either,” Ava hissed back.
Taylor, very uncomfortable after what Ava had said, spoke quietly to Aunt Laurie. “Let's go to the car. I'll talk about it then.”

Then Aunt Laurie and Taylor walked side by side out of the lounge and over to the car; a dark blue Sudan.
Taylor got in and shut the door.
As Aunt Laurie turned out of the stable, she turned to Taylor.
“How was your lesson, dear?” she asked. “Did it go well?”
“It was fine,” said Taylor. “I like riding at ReinDance. Can I still take lessons there?”
“Of course!” exclaimed Aunt Laurie. “I was hoping you'd say that. I always loved riding our neighbors' pony when I was a child.”

The summer days were long and hot, and Taylor was getting very bored and was running out of things to do.
Being the new girl in a strange town with no friends was devastating!
The only thing she looked forward to was riding Romeo in the riding lessons at ReinDance on Saturday, even though it seemed like Trish always picked on her.
But that all changed on one particular lesson day.

Chapter Six

Taylor staggered into the tack room with Romeo's saddle and bridle and put them in their places.
While heading to the lounge, she ran right into someone carrying a grooming kit. She looked up and saw that it was Ava.
“Watch where you're going!” Ava glared at her.
“Sorry!” said Taylor. “I didn't mean to run into you!”
But Ava was already stalking away.
 With a sigh, Taylor trudged gloomily into the lounge and sat down on the couch. She didn't feel like drinking soda today.

Just then a bunch of kids poured into the room, chattering excitedly.
They were followed by Trish, and then Mike.
Mike cleared his throat. “Ahem!” he said. “I have an announcement to make. ReinDance Stables has decided to do something we have never done before. I'll let Trish tell you.” He turned over to his wife.
Trish smiled brightly and tucked a loose strand of her shoulder-length blonde hair behind her ear.
“I am proud to announce that ReinDance will be hosting a riding clinic on horsemanship starting this Monday, and it goes until Friday! There will be a maximum of fifteen riders in the clinic, riders of all genders are allowed to attend.
You will be sleeping in the hayloft, so remember to bring your sleeping bags. Just have one of your parents or guardians phone the stable or come see Mike in the office and sign you up. Have fun!”
There was silence for one second before the group erupted into cheers.
I want to be in the clinic, thought Taylor. I'll have to sign up soon or there won't be any room left.
Mike and Trish left the lounge and went into the stable.

Taylor got up from the couch and walked towards the parking lot. She paced back and forth impatiently, wishing Aunt Laurie would hurry up.
Just when Taylor thought she would burst, Aunt Laurie's blue Sudan drove into the parking lot.
Taylor ran over to the car just as Aunt Laurie was getting out, and nearly crashed into her.
“What's the big hurry?” Aunt Laurie asked, surprised.
“ReinDance is hosting a horsemanship clinic from Monday to Friday,” Taylor said in a rush. “I really want to go, so could you please go to the office and sign me up?” “Okay,” Aunt Laurie said slowly. “I guess so.”
She followed an impatient Taylor to the office.

Taylor watched as Aunt Laurie talked to Mike.
“I hear you're having a horsemanship clinic next week,” she was saying. “I'd like to sign up my niece, Taylor Austin.”
“Sure!” said Mike enthusiastically. “You're the first person to sign up. The clinic will begin on Monday at nine o'clock and end on Friday at four o'clock. Be sure to bring sleeping gear because we'll be sleeping in the hay loft. It costs fifty dollars if you're interested.”
Aunt Laurie got out her wallet and handed Mike a fifty dollar bill.
“Thanks,” said Mike. “Now I just need Taylor to fill out this information sheet and you to sign it.”
He handed a pen and the sheet to Taylor.
Taylor filled it out and Aunt Laurie signed it and she handed it back to Mike.
“Okay,” said Mike. “Here's a list of the things you'll need for the clinic. I hope you have fun!”
Taylor took the list from Mike's hand and together she and Aunt Laurie walked back to the car and drove home.

As soon as they arrived, Taylor jumped out of the car and ran into her room.
She settled herself on her bed and read the list.
After reading it, she picked out all the stuff she'd need for the clinic and packed it into the duffel bag.
Taylor sat down on her purple bean-bag chair with satisfaction and sighed. Monday seemed like a long way off.

Chapter Seven

Bright and early Monday morning Aunt Laurie drove an impatient Taylor to ReinDance.  When the car stopped, Taylor jumped out, hugged Aunt Laurie, and walked into the stable.
There was a group of kids gathered around Trish as Taylor made her way into the stable. She walked up uncertainly and saw Sophie and Ava with the group.
Taylor walked over to them. “Hi,” she said tentatively.
Sophie turned away and Ava just glared at her.
Taylor sighed. How were they ever going to be friends?
A few minutes later Trish called the clinic to order.
She had each person introduce themselves and tell a bit about them. Other kids were also allowed to ask questions.

When it was Taylor's turn, she took a deep breath.
“Hi, I'm Taylor Austin,” she began. “I don't have my own horse right now. I just started coming to ReinDance recently, when I moved to Maxwell to live with my aunt and uncle. I came to this clinic to learn more about horsemanship and caring for horses.”
Whew! Taylor was glad it was over. She hated speaking in public with everyone staring at her.
Just then a boy called out, “Why did you move away from home?”
Taylor blushed furiously and wished she hadn't mentioned that. But she forced herself to answer.
“My dad is an alcoholic. He didn't want to live with me anymore. My parents divorced so I had to go live with my aunt and uncle.”
Taylor felt tears welling up in her eyes. She bit her lip.
I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry, Taylor silently told herself.
She saw Sophie give her a curious look, but then Ava elbowed her and she turned away.

After the introductions were done, Trish announced that the first thing they were going to do was go into one of the paddocks and watch Drew, the chief stable hand, give a demonstration on how to handle a frisky high-strung horse.
The group proceeded to one of the paddocks and saw Drew leading a frisky gray mare into the paddock.
He turned the mare loose and she ran around the field bucking madly.
Drew turned to the group. “What I'm going to show you right now is how to catch a horse that behaves like this,” he said.
Taylor watched him head towards the mare. She sighed happily. This was going to be interesting.

After the demonstration was done, Trish led the group inside the stable to the tack room. Once inside, Taylor gasped.
Spread out over a wooden table, was a harness that was taken apart, and the pieces of it were all spread out.
Trish cleared her throat. “All of you are going to help me assemble this harness. Now, who knows where this piece goes and what it's called?”

At twelve o'clock, Mike had sent up a tent with buns and ham sandwiches in it for the hungry kids.
Taylor's stomach rumbled as she headed towards the tent. Oh, how good the food smelled!
Taylor was concentrating so much on the food that she ran smack into someone and fell down.
“You okay?” asked a voice.
Taylor looked up and saw a boy about thirteen years old with black hair looking down at her.
She blushed furiously and got up quickly. “Sorry,” she apologized. “I'm fine.”
With that she walked more carefully towards the tent.

After settling down on the grass with her soup and bun, Taylor thought about what had happened that morning.
She had really enjoyed the demonstration Drew had given about handling a frisky horse, and putting together the harness had been really fun.
But one thing wasn't happening like Taylor had hoped it would.
She wasn't making any friends.
One of the reasons she went to the clinic was to learn more about horses, but the main reason was to make friends.
Things just weren't working out with her, Sophie, and Ava.

Chapter Eight

Taylor finished off her soup and walked into the barn and found Trish patting one of the horses.
Just before lunch, she had told the group that for an hour after lunch, they could have free time and ride in the ring or on the trails.
Taylor knew she could ride on the trails, but she wanted Trish's permission first.
Trish looked up as she saw Taylor approached.
“Hello, Taylor,” Trish greeted her warmly. “How are you liking the clinic?”
“It's really fun,” Taylor replied. “I'm really enjoying it. Can I take Romeo out on a trail ride?”
“Sure, go ahead,” said Trish. “As long as you stick to the easy trails, it's fine with me.”

Taylor walked to Romeo's stall and found Drew mucking out the stall beside his.
“Max,” she asked. “Can you tack up Romeo for me? I can't remember how.”
Max wiped his brow. “Sure,” he said. “I'll get his tack while you bring him to the cross ties.”
Taylor brought Romeo to the cross ties and attached them to his halter.
She patted his neck as she waited for Max.
Romeo snuffled into her hair.
“You're such a love bug, aren't you?” Taylor said to him.
Max came back carrying Romeo's tack and went through the whole process of explaining the parts of the saddle and bridle and showing her how to tack Romeo up. When he was done, Taylor said, “You know, I'm actually starting to remember this.” “Practice makes perfect,” said Drew. He gave Romeo a firm pat. “Have fun!”

Taylor mounted up on Romeo and headed onto the main woodland trail.
Birds chirped throughout the forest as Taylor rode.
Sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting a green glow on everything in sight. Taylor took in all the sights as they rode. It was so beautiful! She began to relax.

Suddenly a red fox bounded across the trail, startling Romeo.
If there was one thing he didn't like, it was quick movement.
Romeo spooked and bolted. He veered off the trail and into the bush, bucking every second.
Taylor lost both her stirrups, but managed to stay on.
Branches tore at her arms and legs as Romeo bolted through the brush.

Suddenly they crossed another trail, and then Romeo stopped short, just in time to keep from falling into a steep ravine.
Then he reared up on his hind legs, and Taylor fell off, into the ravine.
She tumbled down the ravine until she reached the bottom.
There was a sharp pain in her ankle when she tried to move it, and Taylor figured it was probably a bad sprain.
Just then Romeo whirled around and bolted away along the trail right before the ravine. “No, Romeo!” Taylor called out, exasperated. “Don't leave me!”
But Romeo didn't seem to hear.

Taylor gritted her teeth and ignored the pain in her ankle as she attempted to climb out of the ravine.
But she had no luck. It was too steep, and it was very muddy from yesterday's rain. Taylor sat down. She began to cry and then it soon turned to racking sobs.
She could be stuck in this ravine for days! Who knew how long she'd be there?

Chapter Nine

Suddenly Taylor heard voices from the top of the ravine.
“Where are you?” called a girl's voice.
“In the ravine!” Taylor shouted back.
Two faces appeared at the top. Taylor realized that the girls were Sophie and Ava!
“How did you find me?” asked Taylor.
“We decided to forgive you for what your aunt said,” answered Ava. “Then on our trail ride Romeo came galloping up and wanted us to follow him. He led us to you.”
“Wow,” Taylor breathed. “He saved my life!”
“Let's get you out of the ravine,” said Sophie.

Sophie and Ava dismounted and trusted Breezy and Wildfire enough to not run away. Taylor heard Ava and Sophie talking quietly and wondered what they were saying.
“We have clipped our spare lead ropes together and are going to throw it down to you and pull you out,” Sophie explained.
Then she tossed down the lead ropes.

Right away Taylor could see that it was too short.
Just as she was about to call out, Ava said, “Here, let's both hold the rope.”
“No,” said Sophie. “It will be better if just one of us is holding it.”
Ava tried to grab the rope, but slipped in the mud and grabbed hold of the end of the rope as she tumbled down, pulling Sophie down with her.

They landed at the bottom of the ravine beside Taylor unharmed, but with a few minor bruises.
“Now look what you've done!” Sophie said in mock anger to Ava, and then burst into laughter. Taylor and Ava joined in.
“It was a pretty dumb thing I did,” Ava agreed. “Now look at us! How are we going to get out?”
“Call for help, I guess,” Taylor suggested. “Now on the count of three. One, two, three!” “Help!” They cried in unison.
But no one answered. It was hopeless. Romeo, Wildfire, and Breezy hadn't left and were looking down at the girls curiously.

Suddenly Taylor heard the pounding of hooves and then saw the same boy that she had ran into at lunch dismounting a sleek palomino gelding.
He looked down at them. “Need help?” he asked.
“Do we ever!” Sophie answered.
The boy introduced himself as Andrew Nelson, he was thirteen, and said that his horse was Skipper. He was from Silver Creek, a town half an hour north of Maxwell and had come to ReinDance for the clinic.

Andrew pulled out a long rope from his saddlebag and tied one end to Skipper's neck. Then he threw it down to Taylor.
“Tie this  around your waist,” called Andrew. “You try and walk up and if you slip, Skipper will catch you and help you get up.”
“I'm next,” called Sophie as Taylor tied the rope around her waist. “Ava deserves to be last, getting me into this mess.”
Ava shot Sophie a dirty look.

Taylor began climbing up the ravine, ignoring her ankle as much as possible.
Suddenly she slipped and felt like she was falling, but Skipper held his ground and inched backward, pulling Taylor up.

When Taylor was at the top, she collapsed onto the ground and untied the rope and threw it back down to Sophie.
Romeo came over to Taylor and nuzzled her shoulder.
“Hey, big love bug,” she told him as she hugged his neck. “Thanks for saving my life and getting help for me.”
Romeo nibbled her hair and nickered.
“Thanks, boy,” said Taylor.

Chapter Ten

Soon Sophie was at the top and Ava, too.
“Thanks so much, Andrew,” Ava said to him.
“You're welcome, Ava,” he replied. “You sure do have pretty hair, and such blue eyes.” They both had sappy looks on their faces.
Taylor and Sophie exchanged glances. They were thinking the same thing.
“How about you two take a different trail back to the stable than us,” Sophie suggested. “That would be wonderful,” answered Ava.
The two mounted up and rode off.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Taylor and Sophie burst out laughing.
But then Taylor turned serious. “Is she always like that?”
“Not in the six years that I've known her,” Sophie replied. “But who knows how girls act when they meet boys?”
Taylor shrugged. “We'd better head back to ReinDance.” She got up, winced, and then collapsed onto the ground because of the pain in her ankle.
Sophie bent down. “Did you sprain it falling down the ravine?”
Taylor nodded.
“How about you ride with me on Wildfire and we pony Romeo behind us,” she suggested.
Taylor nodded again.

With great difficulty, Taylor stood up again, leaning heavily on Sophie.
Together they walked to Wildfire, and Sophie boosted Taylor up onto his back. Then, taking Romeo's lead rope, she hopped onto Wildfire's back in one swift motion and gathered the reins.
Taylor wrapped her arms around Sophie's waist. A
t Sophie's command Wildfire began walking along the trail with Romeo close behind.

While riding, Sophie asked about Taylor's past.
“Well,” Taylor began. “I lived in Vancouver since I was born with my mom and dad. One year ago I began taking lessons at one of the local stables and learned how to walk, trot, canter, and jump.
It was fun for a while, but then I lost interest in it and just quit.
Then a month ago my parents split up because of constant arguments and their wills to do different things.
My dad is an alcoholic, and consumes one or two bottles of beer a day, and also smokes. My mom goes to lots of parties with rich ladies and isn't home that often.
Then one day they decided to get a divorce and my mom moved to New York City. I was left with my dad.
Then he didn't want to live with me anymore so he sent me to live with my Aunt Laurie and Uncle John. Aunt Laurie introduced me to ReinDance.”

“Wow,” Sophie breathed. “You've been through more than I thought.”
“I know,” agreed Taylor. “I don't like to talk about my past that often. Now, tell me about your life.”

Sophie began. “I've lived in Maxwell ever since I was born. I have a little sister who's seven named Morgan.
When I was four, the doctors discovered my mom had cancer and died from it. Morgan never got to meet her.
Right now I live with my dad, who's a cook at a pizza restaurant called Pizza Palace. Caring for Morgan is my job, because he doesn't get off work until six o'clock and starts work at eight o'clock in the morning.
I've been horse-crazy ever since I could walk, and started taking lessons at ReinDance when I was six. That's where I met Ava. I knew from the first time we met that we would be best friends.
I don't have my own horse, but have been wishing for one for the longest time.”

“I never knew your mom had died,” Taylor said. “Now tell me about Ava's life.”
“I'll tell you as much as I know,” said Sophie. She began.

“Ava, like me, has also lived in Maxwell all her life. She has a twin brother, named Jacob, which she calls a big, good for nothing pest.
Her parents are both bankers, and work the same hours.
She started riding at ReinDance right when I started riding there, and we met each other on our first day.
I think Ava lives on the same street as your aunt. Is your aunt's house within walking distance from the stable and on Northview Drive?”
“Yeah!” Taylor answered. “That's so cool!”

Chapter Eleven

Taylor and Sophie arrived at the stable the same time as Ava and Andrew. They rode over to them.
“We'd better get the horses untacked,” said Sophie. “We're already ten minutes late for the clinic.”
Ava, Andrew, and Taylor all agreed.

As they entered the barn, Trish came walking up to them.
“Where have you four been?” She asked. “The clinic started ten minutes ago.”
Taylor began telling the story. “I went for a ride on Romeo, and had your permission. He spooked at a red fox and bolted. He stopped just in time from falling into a steep ravine, and then reared.
I fell off into the ravine and sprained my ankle. Then Sophie and Ava came along and tried to get me out.
But they both slipped in the mud and fell into the ravine with me.
Finally, Andrew came along and pulled us out with a rope. That's why we took so long.”

“Oh, dear,” said Trish. Then she glanced at Taylor's ankle.
“You three go to the demonstration Mike is giving. Taylor, you come with me into the lounge and get some ice for your ankle.”

Taylor hobbled into the lounge behind Trish and sat down on the couch.
Trish got an ice pack from the fridge and gave it to Taylor.
“Ice it for ten minutes, at the most,” she instructed. “I should call your aunt, too. She probably should know about your accident.”
“No, please don't call Aunt Laurie until tomorrow!” Taylor protested. “She'll want me to come home and I want to stay here for at least the first day.”
“Okay,” Trish said doubtfully. “But she might not like it if you don't tell her right away.” 

Taylor sat alone in the lounge, pressing the ice against her swollen ankle.
Oh, how she longed to be outside seeing the demonstration Mike was giving. But there was nothing she could do about it now.
After ten minutes, Taylor took off the ice and grabbed a horse magazine from the magazine rack beside the couch.
She flipped right to the page where it advertised horses for sale. Taylor eagerly flipped through the pages, imagining what it would be like to own one of these beauties.

After a while, Taylor's head started to nod and before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

Chapter Twelve

The next thing Taylor remembered was hearing voices of kids coming inside the lounge.
She opened her eyes and saw kids pouring into the lounge dripping wet, followed by Mike and Trish.
She heard the ping of the rain hitting the roof and looked out the window and saw the rain pouring down from the skies.

Sophie and Ava went right over to Taylor.
“How are you?” asked Sophie.
“I'm okay,” said Taylor. “Why did you all come inside so quickly?”
“We were going to have a barbecue, but suddenly it began raining so hard that we just had to come inside,” Ava explained. “Mike ordered pizza instead.”
“Great!” said Taylor enthusiastically. “I can hardly wait!”

After the pizza had been eaten and Trish had given a lecture on feeding a horse in the winter, the kids trooped into the barn and up into the hayloft.
Taylor spread out her sleeping bag beside Sophie and Ava's sleeping bags and crawled into it, being careful not to move or bump her sore ankle.
A few minutes later, Trish turned off the lights and went out of the stable to her house. Drew was sleeping in the hayloft with the kids to supervise.

When Drew's snores could be heard, Sophie whispered, “Taylor. Ava. Let's go outside to talk where we can have some privacy.”
Taylor used the crutches Trish had given her to walk outside of the stable.
When they were seated on the grass, looking up at the black star-filled sky and watching the moon light up the sky, Sophie spoke.
“We have to do some talking,” she said. “Now, Ava. Tell us. What is going on between you and Andrew?”
Ava looked sheepish. “Okay. I'll tell you,” she said. “Andrew and I have a special relationship. We decided on the trail ride back to the stable that he could be my boyfriend and I could be his girlfriend. When the clinic is over, we're going to write letters, phone each other, and visit as often as we can.”

“Well, I'm happy for you, Ava,” said Taylor. “It's really hard to find a boy that is just right for you.”
“Same here,” said Sophie. “And now, I have an announcement to make. I officially declare the threesome of us best friends. Agreed?
“Agreed!” Taylor and Ava answered in unison. Then the three friends grabbed each other in a big bear hug.

In the morning after a big pancake breakfast, Taylor gave Sophie and Ava one last hug.
Trish had called Aunt Laurie in the morning and her aunt had come right away to pick Taylor up from the clinic.
“Goodbye guys,” Taylor said to her friends. “I'll see you soon.”
“Bye, Taylor!” said Sophie and Ava as Taylor got into the car.

Once on the road, Aunt Laurie spoke. “Now Taylor,” she said. Since you aren't going to the clinic, I thought we could go to the mall for a little shopping spree. There is a sale on some really nice dresses that would go so well with you.”
“Um, Aunt Laurie?” said Taylor. “I can't go shopping and try on dresses with a sprained ankle.”
“Oh, right. I forgot,” said Aunt Laurie.
After a long pause, Taylor spoke. “Aunt Laurie?” she said.
“Yes dear,” said Aunt Laurie.
“Um, since I'll be living with you for who knows how long, can I call you Mom, and Uncle John Dad?”
“Of course, dear. Of course.”

Taylor thought about what had all happened in the past twenty-four hours.
Her wishes had come true. She had best friends that were just as horse-crazy as herself, and she was part of a family again!
Taylor smiled happily. Maybe life wasn't so bad after all!