started laughing, and they were still laughing together as they headed for the locker area.
When they had all finished changing shoes, Lisa realized that she’d never spoken to Mrs. Reg about observing the adult class. Mrs. Reg was in her office. Lisa didn’t want to miss the chance.
“You all go on ahead,” she said. “I’ll follow in a few minutes. There’s something I have to speak to Mrs. Reg about. And I’ll also have to talk to Max. Save some water for me, okay?”
It was a hot, humid day—too hot to stand on ceremony about getting to a swimming pool. Stevie, Carole, and Trudy agreed to proceed.
T HIS WASN’T AN easy day for Lisa. She’d be glad when it was over, but until it was over, there was a lot of work to do. Not only did she have to talk to Mrs. Reg about the adult class, but she also had to thank her for helping her, and apologize for all the things she’d written about Pine Hollow. In fact, it seemed to Lisa that the list of people she had to apologize to was very long. It included Max and everybody in her riding classes—evenVeronica diAngelo. She took a deep breath. It was time.
Max was in Mrs. Reg’s office when she knocked on the doorjamb, and both mother and son invited her in.
“I owe you both gigantic apologies,” Lisa began in a rush. “I was trying to do something good for me that would be good for you, too, but I just didn’t think about what I was doing. I made it sound as if nothing and nobody was safe here. I’m sorry and I won’t do it again.” Lisa looked down at the floor. She couldn’t bring herself to meet Max’s gaze.
“We knew you were just trying to help,” Max said.
“But it didn’t work at all,” Lisa said. “It didn’t help Stevie or Carole and it didn’t help you. It didn’t even help me!” She smiled, in spite of herself. “The first thing that did help me was your story today, Mrs. Reg. I knew you were telling me I had to make amends. I’m doing that now. I’m also planning a story for my next column, comparing young riders’ classes with the adults’. Can I do that, Max? Will you let me observe?”
“Sure,” he said, smiling wryly. “As long as you don’t write about individuals in the classes.”
“You mean you don’t think I should include any unkind descriptions of particularly bad riders and tell the whole world who they are?”
“Something like that,” Max said, now genuinely laughing.
“I think I’ve learned my lesson,” Lisa assured the Regnerys.
Mrs. Reg checked the calendar and class schedule. There was a class the next day that would do well for both of them.
“Uh, thanks,” Lisa said before she left. “Thanks a lot.”
“I think we owe you some thanks,” Max said. “Somehow Trudy Sanders convinced Red she had an okay to ride by herself. I’m grateful to you for going out and fetching her back. She wasn’t in any trouble, was she?”
Lisa thought for an instant before she answered. If she told Max what had really happened, she’d get Red in trouble, plus Stevie probably because Trudy was her guest, and definitely Trudy. Everything had worked out all right in the end, so what difference did it make?
“No, everything was fine,” Lisa said. “I caught her before she made a wrong turn and got lost or she might have been in trouble.”
“Well, thanks,” Max said.
Lisa had the feeling she’d just exercised some of her newfound knowledge about journalism as well as friendship. You had to sort through facts before you reported them. Not all facts are news. She felt good about herself, really good, for the first time all day.
Rummaging around in her purse, Lisa couldn’t find her pad and paper to make a note of the adult classshe’d visit tomorrow. She had to make a note to herself or she’d forget it for sure. If she couldn’t write it, she could record it. She felt in the bottom of her backpack for the dictating machine, but it wasn’t there either. Lisa felt an empty feeling in her stomach.
When they had all finished changing shoes, Lisa realized that she’d never spoken to Mrs. Reg about observing the adult class. Mrs. Reg was in her office. Lisa didn’t want to miss the chance.
“You all go on ahead,” she said. “I’ll follow in a few minutes. There’s something I have to speak to Mrs. Reg about. And I’ll also have to talk to Max. Save some water for me, okay?”
It was a hot, humid day—too hot to stand on ceremony about getting to a swimming pool. Stevie, Carole, and Trudy agreed to proceed.
T HIS WASN’T AN easy day for Lisa. She’d be glad when it was over, but until it was over, there was a lot of work to do. Not only did she have to talk to Mrs. Reg about the adult class, but she also had to thank her for helping her, and apologize for all the things she’d written about Pine Hollow. In fact, it seemed to Lisa that the list of people she had to apologize to was very long. It included Max and everybody in her riding classes—evenVeronica diAngelo. She took a deep breath. It was time.
Max was in Mrs. Reg’s office when she knocked on the doorjamb, and both mother and son invited her in.
“I owe you both gigantic apologies,” Lisa began in a rush. “I was trying to do something good for me that would be good for you, too, but I just didn’t think about what I was doing. I made it sound as if nothing and nobody was safe here. I’m sorry and I won’t do it again.” Lisa looked down at the floor. She couldn’t bring herself to meet Max’s gaze.
“We knew you were just trying to help,” Max said.
“But it didn’t work at all,” Lisa said. “It didn’t help Stevie or Carole and it didn’t help you. It didn’t even help me!” She smiled, in spite of herself. “The first thing that did help me was your story today, Mrs. Reg. I knew you were telling me I had to make amends. I’m doing that now. I’m also planning a story for my next column, comparing young riders’ classes with the adults’. Can I do that, Max? Will you let me observe?”
“Sure,” he said, smiling wryly. “As long as you don’t write about individuals in the classes.”
“You mean you don’t think I should include any unkind descriptions of particularly bad riders and tell the whole world who they are?”
“Something like that,” Max said, now genuinely laughing.
“I think I’ve learned my lesson,” Lisa assured the Regnerys.
Mrs. Reg checked the calendar and class schedule. There was a class the next day that would do well for both of them.
“Uh, thanks,” Lisa said before she left. “Thanks a lot.”
“I think we owe you some thanks,” Max said. “Somehow Trudy Sanders convinced Red she had an okay to ride by herself. I’m grateful to you for going out and fetching her back. She wasn’t in any trouble, was she?”
Lisa thought for an instant before she answered. If she told Max what had really happened, she’d get Red in trouble, plus Stevie probably because Trudy was her guest, and definitely Trudy. Everything had worked out all right in the end, so what difference did it make?
“No, everything was fine,” Lisa said. “I caught her before she made a wrong turn and got lost or she might have been in trouble.”
“Well, thanks,” Max said.
Lisa had the feeling she’d just exercised some of her newfound knowledge about journalism as well as friendship. You had to sort through facts before you reported them. Not all facts are news. She felt good about herself, really good, for the first time all day.
Rummaging around in her purse, Lisa couldn’t find her pad and paper to make a note of the adult classshe’d visit tomorrow. She had to make a note to herself or she’d forget it for sure. If she couldn’t write it, she could record it. She felt in the bottom of her backpack for the dictating machine, but it wasn’t there either. Lisa felt an empty feeling in her stomach.
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