Friendly Foal by Dandi Daley Mackall

up, though. I watched from the barn as her mom dropped her off and waited until Geri reached the porch and the door opened.
    I was glad for Lizzy. I just wished Sal had come too.
    I hung out with the horses most of the afternoon. Friendly let me stroke her all over while she nursed from Annie. I took Nickers and Friendly into the paddock for some fresh air. Amigo was already coming around. He followed when I led him, and he didn’t try to bite me anymore. I had to get Sal to spend time with him and see what a great friend Amigo could be for her.
    Around four o’clock, I went in for something to eat and was hit with the smell of ginger cookies. I’d been all set to be mad at Geri. But when I saw her with Lizzy, giggling over gingerbread geckos, my anger fizzled.
    â€œHey, Lizzy. Geri,” I called, shrugging out of my coat. “Smells great in here.”
    Lizzy smiled at me, then put her finger over her lips and pointed to Dad. He was punching in numbers on the kitchen phone.
    I joined Lizzy and Geri and eavesdropped.
    â€œHello, Madeline?” he said, his voice cracking.
    We three girls leaned forward, as if that could help us hear what Madeline was saying. She must have said a lot because Dad didn’t say anything for a full minute.
    When Dad did speak again, he had his regular voice back. “I know. Me too. So, do you want to come over?”
    Again we leaned closer, nobody breathing.
    â€œThat would be great!” Dad said. He hung up, grinning.
    In spite of myself I was grinning too.
    Dad was whistling as he headed for his workshop. Lizzy and Geri were giggling over the geckos.
    I walked over to the phone and stared at it. Maybe I should call Sal. It had worked for Lizzy and Dad. I’d try to be nice, just like they were. Patient. Peaceful. I dialed the number.
    â€œHello, Mrs. Cracker?” I turned my head away from the receiver and cleared my throat. “This is Winnie Willis. Is Sal there?”
    â€œSalena?” she asked. She shouted away from the phone, “Nathan! Where is your sister?”
    I could hear Nathan in the background, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying.
    Gram Cracker came back on the line. “She’s tanning at Tanfastic with that Spidell girl.”
    â€œWith Summer?” All my patience and peace evaporated. “Sal’s with Summer?”
    â€œThey’re probably talking about that girl’s—Summer’s—big New Year’s Eve party. All night they tied up the phone talking about it.”
    So Summer was taking over and having the party Hawk was supposed to have. And that meant Winnie Willis was back where she belonged . . . on the outside looking in.

I gripped the phone, imagining Summer and Sal laughing and making plans, inviting everybody in our class except me. Until that minute I don’t think I’d realized how much I’d wanted to be included, to have a real New Year’s Eve party to go to.
    â€œWhy are you calling?” Gram Cracker demanded. “Is something wrong with that little creature?”
    It took me a second to realize she was talking about Amigo. “Amigo? No! He’s doing great. Really he is. That’s why I was calling. Sal was supposed to come over and help. Amigo and Sal could be friends if she’d give him a chance.”
    â€œSalena was supposed to go over there?” Mrs. Cracker’s voice got an edge to it. “Nathan talked both of us into leaving the horse with you for a while. Does his sister think I am made of money? That I can just pay that pony’s upkeep until she gets around to doing whatever she should be doing with it? I’ll send her to you the moment she returns.”
    When I hung up, I wasn’t grinning like Dad and Lizzy had. I didn’t think Sal was going to appreciate me getting her in trouble with her grandmother.

    It was almost suppertime when Gram Cracker dropped Sal off at my barn. Except