Fear of Falling by Laurie Halse Anderson

Chapter One
    I t’s happening again.
    I’m riding a horse, a big one. He’s fast, powerful, and a little headstrong. A horse that’s easy to admire but hard to ride.
    I check my seat, make sure I’m balanced. People are calling my name, but I can’t understand what they’re trying to tell me.
    The horse and I head straight for the first jump. Come on, come on, come on. I lean forward, and we’re up, we’re flying…
    Then that jolt of connecting with the ground again. We made it—but my heart is pounding faster than the horse’s hooves.
    The second jump is higher. Maybe we ought to skip it. But the horse picks up speed and heads straight for the jump. He’s already decided we’re taking it.
    Approach, leap, fly …I’m amazed when we actually clear it.
    My horse canters steadily. I start to relax. Then I see what’s next—and get chills from head to toe. This third jump is impossibly high. No horse could ever clear a jump like that. Desperately I pull back on the reins.
    The horse won’t listen to me. I can feel his excitement, the tension in his muscles that tells me he’s going for it.
    What, are you crazy? I pull with all my weight on one rein to turn him away from the jump, but the horse totally ignores me. Instead, he takes off at full gallop, and I panic. If I jump off now, I’ll break my neck for sure. But if he tries that jump, we’re both goners.
    And then it’s too late to do anything but hang on as his front feet leave the ground. We’re defying gravity, we’re really flying, and for a moment I believe that this incredible horse and I are going to make it. His forelegs clear the jump—
    Suddenly I hear a loud thunk as his back hooves hit the crossbar, and there’s a sickening lurch. I close my eyes tight. Then we’re falling, falling …
    Someone screams my name: “Da-vi-i-i-d …”
    It’s going to hurt so bad when I hit the ground—
    â€œDa-vid… David! ”
    The next thing I know, I’m lying flat on my back at a twisted angle. But the ground doesn’t feel hard. Maybe I’m so badly injured I can’t feel anything.
    â€œEarth to David!”
    I fight to open my eyes.
    â€œDavid, you idiot, wake up !” My big brother, Brian, shoves me so hard he nearly knocks me out of bed.
    I sit up, panting, coated in a cold sweat.
    â€œMom says you’ve got two minutes before you have to leave for the stables,” Brian says.
    Leave for the stables…But the horse …For a minute I’m swimming between two worlds.
    Brian shoves his face in front of mine. “The parade’s today, dork. Get up, will ya? Mom says I can’t leave till I get you out of bed!”
    I collapse back on the scrunched-up covers. OK, it was just a dream—but not just any dream. It’s a dream I’ve had before. A dream I hate.
    So why do I keep having it?
    Suddenly Brian’s words sink in, and I bolt up again. “The parade!”
    My brother stands in the doorway and looks at me like I’m a lost cause. “OK, you’re up now. I’m outta here.”
    I fling off my covers. It’s Saturday—the Thanksgiving parade through Ambler is today! I’m riding in it for the first time, with Mr. Quinn, Zoe Hopkins, and some of the other kids from Quinn Stables. I’ve been waiting for this day for weeks, and now it’s finally here.
    I can get ready fast when I need to. I jump out of bed, throw on the clothes I laid out last night (Mr. Quinn wants us to look sharp), chew on my toothbrush for about three seconds, then comb both hands through my hair as I pound down the stairs.
    When I hit the floor, I glance out the window by the front door. Did they leave yet? Nope, Dr. Mac’s van is still parked in the driveway at Dr. Mac’s Place, the animal clinic across the street from my house. I volunteer at the clinic with some other kids