Nickel-Bred by Patricia Gilkerson

she didn’t miss a thing. She was just the
best. We had an understanding that Addie and I would take care of
Dotty while we kept her on Miss Julie’s farm.
    Since it was still summer vacation, I had
made it a habit to go out to see Dotty every morning. I cleaned her
stall, gave her food and water and brushed her really well. Then I
started riding her. It had gone well-- until she began bucking me
off. I hadn’t told my dad that she did that, because I was afraid
he’d want to get rid of her. Dad was a veterinarian and didn’t
trust most horses, especially the ones with bad behavior. He’d
gotten kicked and bitten a bunch of times.
    After getting bucked off, I got to my feet,
collected Dotty’s reins, and walked back to the barn. I liked to
ride, but Addie and I couldn’t ride together with just one horse
between us. I wondered if we could somehow find another horse for
Addie. It didn’t seem likely; horses didn’t grow on trees. I rubbed
my side, which was a little sore, and ran my fingers through my
straight brown hair. After pulling off Miss Julie’s old pony
saddle, I gave Dotty a good brushing and let her loose in the
pasture. She wandered off, and then turned her head around to watch
me. Was she wondering why I had cut our ride short? Well, I didn’t
do it, she did!
    I walked home thinking about riding. I lived
mainly with my mom since my parents got divorced, although I had a
room at Dad’s house. The walk didn’t take long—it was less than a
mile, and I didn’t usually bother with my bike. Serendipity
Springs, Kentucky is a small town, so even though I lived in town,
Miss Julie’s farm was close. That afternoon, I called Addie to tell
her about getting bucked off.
    “Hey, Adds,” I said when she answered.
    “Hey, Pipe. Did you get a new cell phone?”
she asked.
    “Yeah. I had to spend every penny of my
baby-sitting money, but it’s worth it,” I said. Then I told her
about getting bucked off.
    “Are you hurt?” she asked.
    “Nah, just a little stiff,” I said. “The
grass was soft. Do you want to ride Dotty tomorrow?”
    “I don’t think so,” said Addie. “My mom wants
me to go shopping with her for a new bedspread. I don’t want to,
but she says it’s for my room, so I have to okay it.
    ”You’ll just get another purple one.”
    “I know, but there are lots of different
patterns and stuff.”
    “So what about riding?”
    “I guess not,” she said.
    “You haven’t ever ridden her! Are you
planning to someday?”
    “Well, I don’t know....I don’t want to get
bucked off. You are more used to horses than I am.”
    “She doesn’t do it much. Just once in a
while. All you do is get some of her energy out before you
ride.”
    “I don’t know, Piper, I...maybe you should
ride her and not me.”
    “Addie Davis! Are you scared?”
    “Well, maybe a little.”
    “But you helped break into Sam Applegate’s
office when we had to rescue Dotty! And creepy Jake’s trailer! And
you were there when we captured Jake and sent him to jail! How can
you be afraid of a little horse?” I couldn’t believe what I was
hearing.
    “Piper, we did all those things together, but
it was different then. You were a Warrior Princess and we were on a
mission to rescue Dotty. I forgot to be scared most of the time,
but I don’t know if I would do it again now that I’ve had time to
think about it. We actually did break the law. We were really
criminals, you know.”
    “How can you say we were criminals?” I was
amazed that she was talking like that. “We did what we had to do.
We saved Dotty and now we have a horse. And she needs someone to
ride her.”
    “I don’t think I want to.”
    “Well, maybe you don’t, but I’m still going
to ride our horse. And you will too, if you have any
gumption!” And I hung up on the best friend I’ve ever had in my
life.
     

Chapter Two
    ~ Two Heads are Better than One
~
     
    I felt really
bad about hanging up on Addie, so after supper that evening