July 2009 Story Contest
Best Friends Again by Alyssa & Cocoa age 9
One morning Hannah Jackson went out to feed her paint pony, Avalanche. Just then a scream came from next door. It sounded like her best friend Jenny. Hannah climbed over the paddock fence and ran into Jenny’s yard.
As Hannah came closer to Jenny, she saw Jenny had been crying. When Jenny saw Hannah she threw her arms around her. “Oh Hannah” said Jenny. When I came outside to feed Peanut, she was gone”! (Peanut was Jenny’s chestnut pony.) “Have you checked around the yard” asked Hannah. “Yes” said Jenny. Just then Hannah saw some tracks in the mud. “Jenny” called Hannah; “ I found some pony tracks over here”. Jenny came over to Hannah. “That looks like Peanuts hoof prints! Let’s follow them! Just wait,” said Hannah. “I’ll get Avalanche. He can help too”.
As Hannah ran off, Jenny started following the tracks. “Hey Avalanche” said Hannah. “We need you to help find Peanut.” Avalanche trotted over to her. When Hannah was clipping on his lead rope, she saw a swollen spot on his leg. Hannah led Avalanche around the field and she saw he was limping. Just then Hannah saw Jenny coming into the paddock. “Hannah” called Jenny. “Peanut jumped out of her paddock and then went into yours.” “Jenny, Avalanche has a swollen spot on his leg. You said Peanut came in here. I bet she kicked Avalanche.” “Peanut wouldn’t kick Avalanche,” said Jenny. “They’re best friends!” “I’m telling my parents,” said Hannah. “Hannah wait” called Jenny. But Hannah was already at her front door.
Hannah ran into the living room where her parents were watching TV. “ Hannah what’s wrong” asked her mother. “You look upset.” “Peanut ran away and went into our paddock. She kicked Avalanche and now he’s limping! We should take him to the vet.” “Has Jenny found Peanut yet” asked her father. “No, but I want to take Avalanche to the vet” said Hannah. “I think you should help Jenny find Peanut,” said her Mom. “I will take Avalanche to the vet”. “Okay”, said Hannah. She ran off to find Jenny.
After a few minutes she saw Jenny going into the woods. Hannah ran to catch up with her, but she didn’t talk. She was too angry with Jenny and Peanut to speak. Then Hannah saw a flash of brown. She pointed and then ran back. Jenny called Peanut and she cantered over. As she clipped on her lead rope, Jenny felt something sticky. She looked and it was blood on a bite mark. “Poor Peanut” said Jenny. “Avalanche bit you”. Jenny got out the first aide kit and got to work.
When Hannah got home Avalanche wasn’t in the paddock. She went into the house. There was a note on the kitchen table. Hannah read it. Dear Hannah, We are taking Avalanche to the vet. Maggie is in her room. She would like to play checkers with you. Back in an hour. Love, Mom and Dad. Hannah went into Maggie’s room. She played checkers with Maggie and then had a snack. As she finished the cookies, she heard a car pull into the driveway. Hannah ran outside to meet her parents. “I see Jenny has found Peanut,” said her father. “Yes”, said Hannah. “How’s Avalanche?” “The vet said to ice it two times tomorrow and then he’ll be good as new”, said her mother.
Meanwhile Jenny was in the living room when her mother asked, “who do you want to invite to your birthday party?” “Jane, Natalie and Emily” said Jenny. “What about Hannah” asked her mother. “No,” said Jenny. “We’re not friends anymore because our ponies are fighting.” “Well, I still think you should invite Hannah.” “Okay” said Jenny. She went up to her room to make the invitations.
The next morning Jenny got up early to deliver the invitations. Her last stop was Hannah’s house. Jenny saw Hannah coming towards the door. Jenny stuffed the letter into the mailbox and ran into her own yard. Hannah went outside to get the mail. She was surprised to see one letter was addressed to her! Hannah showed the letter to her Mom and then opened it. The letter had a picture of a pony on it, and it said; Birthday Party! It also said it was for Jenny, at 11:00 tomorrow morning and to bring a present. “I don’t want to go” Hannah said to her Mother. “Why not” she asked. “I don’t like Jenny anymore” said Hannah. “You should go,” said her Mother. “It would be rude not to. I’ll take you over to Big Mart to get a present for Jenny right now.”
When they got to Big Mart, Hannah’s mother suggested a riding helmet so they went to that aisle. There was a beautiful one with black felt and a silver rim. “Should we get this” asked her mother. Hannah knew Jenny would love the helmet, but she didn’t want to give her something she would like. “I want to get it for me” said Hannah. “Jenny wouldn’t like this. “Then what would Jenny like?” There was a pause, and then Hannah wandered over to the clock aisle. She picked up an alarm clock that said; Hey Sleepyhead! When you set it. “Jenny would like this,” said Hannah.
The next morning Hannah went over to Jenny’s house. Peanut stood in the paddock looking sad. Hannah felt a little bit sorry for Peanut. Then Hannah knocked on the door. “Come in” said Jenny. “We’re eating cake.” Just then Hannah realized she wasn’t angry with Jenny anymore, and she felt bad she had been so mean to her. She hoped everyone would go home before Jenny opened her presents. But just then Jenny shouted “Presents!” Hannah gulped as Jenny picked up her present. “This one is from Hannah,” announced Jenny.
Hannah closed her eyes. She couldn’t bear to look. Then Jenny said; “Wow! Thanks Hannah!” Hannah opened her eyes. She saw the beautiful riding helmet that her mom had suggested at Big Mart yesterday. Hannah felt a sigh of relief go out of her. When the party was over, and all the other girls had left, Hannah had her chance to say sorry to Jenny. “I’m sorry,” they both said together. They laughed together about what they had said. Hannah thought, Jenny must have felt the same way as me.
“I think Avalanche and Peanut are missing each other,” said Hannah. “We should take them on a trail ride together.” “Good idea” said Jenny. “I heard there’s a horse show coming up.” “We could enter Peanut and Avalanche in it” said Jenny. “Let’s get them used to each other again,” said Hannah. Hannah led Avalanche towards Peanut. She could feel him tense up as they came closer. He’s afraid she thought. “This is your friend Peanut” Hannah told Avalanche. Peanut nickered at him. He whinnied as if to say; “Are you my friend?” Peanut rubbed cheeks with him as if to say; “I am.” The girls smiled at each other, their ponies were friends again!
Then it was time for Hannah to go. Her dad was just coming down the stairs when she got inside. “This new alarm clock works great,” he said. “I’m never late for work!” “Uh-oh!” said her mom. “I must have wrapped the wrong present. I hope Jenny wasn’t too disappointed about not getting the alarm clock.” “She wasn’t” said Hannah.
Over the next few days Hannah and Jenny practiced for the horse show. The day soon came for it, and Hannah and Jenny met in the paddock to groom their ponies. They braided their manes, and put hoof gloss on their hooves. Then they rode to the horse show.
When they got there a man carrying a clipboard came over to them. “My name’s Mr. Foster” he said. “We’re doing the games in teams of two. Would you girls like to be a team?” “Yes” said Hannah. “If you do you have to think of a name for your team.” “We’ll be Problem Solving Pals,” said Jenny. Mr. Foster wrote it down and said; “The races start at 10:00.”
Soon they lined up for the first race. Hannah and Jenny came in third. On the next race they came in second. Soon it was time for the last race, jumping. If you got first place in jumping you won the championship trophy! “On your mark, get set, go!” Hannah and Avalanche shot off. They beat all the other riders. Then Jenny and Peanut went. They beat the leader just by one hair!
“And the winning trophy goes to Problem Solving Pals!” Jenny and Hannah cheered. Just then a newspaper reporter came up to them. “What are you and your ponies names” she asked. “Hannah and Jenny, Avalanche and Peanut” they said. “We’re the Problem Solving Pals!” They smiled at each other. They were best friends again!
The End