just joined Youth for Truth. I think you’l see her in teen class on Sundays too.”
“Hi,” Melissa said, her pretty smile beaming in the light cast by the hanging pool table lamp.
“And who are these guys?” Morgan asked as she pointed to Skye’s friends.
“Robin Ward,” Skye said gesturing to her right and then to her left. “And Susan Bodmer.”
“Hel o,” Robin said.
“Cal me Sooze, okay?” Susan said. “I hate the name Sue.”
“Nice to meet you,” Morgan said. “I hope you have a great time.”
“Bye,” added Melissa as she headed toward the busy Ping-Pong table. “See you later.”
“See ya,” Skye said.
Morgan pivoted her wheelchair to fol ow Melissa.
“Talk to you later. Okay?”
“Later,” Skye and Robin answered.
Sooze simply took a giant gulp of soda.
“Hey, Skye,” Sooze whispered as her eyes shifted to two boys at the pool table, “who are those guys?”
“Beats me,” Skye whispered back. “Morgan told me their names but — wait, I remember. The cute one with the blond hair is Chad Dressler.”
“He’s way cute,” Sooze said. “What grade’s he in?”
Skye stared at Chad as he took a shot and laughed when he miscued. “I think he’s a freshman, but I’m not sure.”
Sooze sipped her soda and watched every move the boys made. “Hey!” she whispered. “He’s looking over this way.”
Skye had just taken a bite of her barbecue sandwich when she glanced up. Her eyes connected with the brownest eyes she had ever seen on a boy
— eyes surrounded with curly eyelashes radiating from a chipmunk smile. As he bent over the table, Chad’s wavy hair fel over his forehead, highlighting a dimple on each rosy cheek. As his eyes met Skye’s, he smiled before taking his next shot.
“Wow,” Skye mumbled with her mouth ful . “He is too cute!”
Her heart gave an odd little beat then took off like a racehorse headed for the finish line, and her face burned red-hot.
“Man, I wish I lived here,” Sooze said.
Oblivious to her surroundings, Skye studied every move Chad made. She’d never felt like this around a boy. Her heart started to melt.
chapter eleven
N ow remember,” Mrs. Chambers said as Skye stroked Champ’s neck. “Don’t push him too fast. His only weakness is taking his left lead. Just give him his head. You concentrate on your balance and posture. Okay?”
“Got it.” Skye replied.
“And stay away from the pack so the judge can see you,” Mr. Chambers added.
“Stay away from the pack,” Skye repeated.
As she sat on Champ outside the show ring at the fair, Skye chewed on her bottom lip. She was dressed in a suede cowboy hat leveled on her head to her eyebrows. She also wore a checkered shirt with a leather-fringed vest, a blue necktie, cowhide gloves, chaps, and brand-new leather-cut boots.
Skye looked like the perfect match for her mount.
Champ had on his polished bridle with the blue brow band and a leather-cut saddle that highlighted his glistening coat and silky mane and tail.
Skye scanned the horse trailers parked around the outside of the ring, the grandstand packed with cheering fans, the announcer’s stand that blared incessant noise, and the judges who were busy comparing notes and looking at clipboards. At the long end of the large oval corral, she watched the other entries in her class. They were huddled on the outside of the gate, tightening cinch straps on their saddles, adjusting stirrups, checking bits in their horses’ mouths, and sliding their hat strings tighter to their chins.
Skye’s heart pounded as she focused on the ring where in only a few minutes she would make her debut. She had to admit she was afraid, but not with the same fear that had chased her so many times in the past. That fear had come from doing wrong and not wanting to get caught.
This fear was different. It was a fear of failing at something good. A fear of disappointing someone who cared about her.
You’ve trained for this all summer ,
“Hi,” Melissa said, her pretty smile beaming in the light cast by the hanging pool table lamp.
“And who are these guys?” Morgan asked as she pointed to Skye’s friends.
“Robin Ward,” Skye said gesturing to her right and then to her left. “And Susan Bodmer.”
“Hel o,” Robin said.
“Cal me Sooze, okay?” Susan said. “I hate the name Sue.”
“Nice to meet you,” Morgan said. “I hope you have a great time.”
“Bye,” added Melissa as she headed toward the busy Ping-Pong table. “See you later.”
“See ya,” Skye said.
Morgan pivoted her wheelchair to fol ow Melissa.
“Talk to you later. Okay?”
“Later,” Skye and Robin answered.
Sooze simply took a giant gulp of soda.
“Hey, Skye,” Sooze whispered as her eyes shifted to two boys at the pool table, “who are those guys?”
“Beats me,” Skye whispered back. “Morgan told me their names but — wait, I remember. The cute one with the blond hair is Chad Dressler.”
“He’s way cute,” Sooze said. “What grade’s he in?”
Skye stared at Chad as he took a shot and laughed when he miscued. “I think he’s a freshman, but I’m not sure.”
Sooze sipped her soda and watched every move the boys made. “Hey!” she whispered. “He’s looking over this way.”
Skye had just taken a bite of her barbecue sandwich when she glanced up. Her eyes connected with the brownest eyes she had ever seen on a boy
— eyes surrounded with curly eyelashes radiating from a chipmunk smile. As he bent over the table, Chad’s wavy hair fel over his forehead, highlighting a dimple on each rosy cheek. As his eyes met Skye’s, he smiled before taking his next shot.
“Wow,” Skye mumbled with her mouth ful . “He is too cute!”
Her heart gave an odd little beat then took off like a racehorse headed for the finish line, and her face burned red-hot.
“Man, I wish I lived here,” Sooze said.
Oblivious to her surroundings, Skye studied every move Chad made. She’d never felt like this around a boy. Her heart started to melt.
chapter eleven
N ow remember,” Mrs. Chambers said as Skye stroked Champ’s neck. “Don’t push him too fast. His only weakness is taking his left lead. Just give him his head. You concentrate on your balance and posture. Okay?”
“Got it.” Skye replied.
“And stay away from the pack so the judge can see you,” Mr. Chambers added.
“Stay away from the pack,” Skye repeated.
As she sat on Champ outside the show ring at the fair, Skye chewed on her bottom lip. She was dressed in a suede cowboy hat leveled on her head to her eyebrows. She also wore a checkered shirt with a leather-fringed vest, a blue necktie, cowhide gloves, chaps, and brand-new leather-cut boots.
Skye looked like the perfect match for her mount.
Champ had on his polished bridle with the blue brow band and a leather-cut saddle that highlighted his glistening coat and silky mane and tail.
Skye scanned the horse trailers parked around the outside of the ring, the grandstand packed with cheering fans, the announcer’s stand that blared incessant noise, and the judges who were busy comparing notes and looking at clipboards. At the long end of the large oval corral, she watched the other entries in her class. They were huddled on the outside of the gate, tightening cinch straps on their saddles, adjusting stirrups, checking bits in their horses’ mouths, and sliding their hat strings tighter to their chins.
Skye’s heart pounded as she focused on the ring where in only a few minutes she would make her debut. She had to admit she was afraid, but not with the same fear that had chased her so many times in the past. That fear had come from doing wrong and not wanting to get caught.
This fear was different. It was a fear of failing at something good. A fear of disappointing someone who cared about her.
You’ve trained for this all summer ,
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