said proudly.
“Wow.” Stevie was impressed. “Well,” she said, “I just wanted to say, like, thanks again. Like, I’m glad you don’t seem too mad about being grounded.”
Chad went back to dribbling. “Whatever.”
“Okay.” Stevie went back downstairs.
She found her parents in the living room. Her mother was reading the newspaper, and her father was lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling. “Belle really is okay,” she told them again.
Her mother smiled. “We think Belle was probably okay all along,” she said.
Oh
, Stevie thought.
That explains why they didn’t act worried
—
they knew it was a ruse all along.
“Oh,” she said. “Then, urn, why—uh, never mind.” If she made her parents think about it too hard, maybe they’d change their minds and not let her go to camp after all.
Mr. Lake looked at her and winked. “What we don’t understand is why Chad chose to admit his part in everything,” he said. “However, we’re glad he did. We were pleased all along with the way you handled your punishment, Stevie.”
“We planned to let you go to camp all along, too,” Mrs. Lake added. Stevie’s mouth fell open. “If and only if,” her mother continued, “you took responsibility for your actions, accepted your punishments with grace, and quit playing pranks on your brothers.”
“Especially the prank part,” Mr. Lake said.
Stevie stood in front of them awkwardly. She didn’t know what to say. For a moment she felt disappointed. The Saddle Club’s whole scheme had been for nothing—except, of course, for getting even with Chad. That made her feel better.
“Now that I understand how lonely Belle is without me, I’ll be better behaved,” she promised her parents.
“How lonely Belle is, or how lonely you are without her?” Mrs. Lake asked.
Stevie grinned. “Both,” she said. She ran up the stairs to her bedroom. She had to call Lisa and Carole—camp was only three days away!
“L AST ONE DRESSED is a rotten egg!” Stevie challenged the cabin full of girls. She yanked her T-shirt over her head. The sun was streaming through the windows and screen door, and the wooden floor was smooth and cold under her feet. Their first full day at Moose Hill Riding Camp had dawned.
“Too late,” said Elsa, one of the six other girls sharing their cabin. “I’m already dressed!” She pulled the top of her sleeping bag over the pillow on her bunk.
“I didn’t say the first one dressed won a prize,” Stevie objected. “I said the last one—besides, you’ve got thealarm clock, Elsa. Of course you’re the first one ready.” She grinned, remembering how, during their first trip to Moose Hill, she and the rest of had all disliked Elsa. Now the other girl was a good friend.
“I’ve got the alarm clock, and I’m naturally efficient and organized,” Elsa retorted with a friendly grin.
Carole was pulling her hair into a ponytail. “No one ever called Stevie efficient,” she said.
“I don’t know about that,” Stevie began to argue, but stopped when she saw how fast the others were dressing. She pulled on her socks. “Where’re my tennis shoes? I can’t find them.”
“Didn’t you wear them yesterday?” Lisa asked. “They should be under your bunk.”
A loud, clear bell rang across the camp. “Breakfast!” cried one of the other girls. Elsa and the others left the cabin. “Looks like you’re the rotten egg, Stevie!” one of them called back over her shoulder.
Stevie laughed. “I guess I should have known better than to issue that kind of challenge before I found all my clothes.”
Carole and Lisa helped Stevie look under the bunks. Lisa looked under Stevie’s sleeping bag, too, and Carole checked behind the door.
“I didn’t wear them yesterday. I had my cowboy bootson all day,” Stevie said. “After all, we were unloading the horses and putting them in the stable.”
Lisa nodded. It was important to wear sturdy shoes around horses, in case they
“Wow.” Stevie was impressed. “Well,” she said, “I just wanted to say, like, thanks again. Like, I’m glad you don’t seem too mad about being grounded.”
Chad went back to dribbling. “Whatever.”
“Okay.” Stevie went back downstairs.
She found her parents in the living room. Her mother was reading the newspaper, and her father was lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling. “Belle really is okay,” she told them again.
Her mother smiled. “We think Belle was probably okay all along,” she said.
Oh
, Stevie thought.
That explains why they didn’t act worried
—
they knew it was a ruse all along.
“Oh,” she said. “Then, urn, why—uh, never mind.” If she made her parents think about it too hard, maybe they’d change their minds and not let her go to camp after all.
Mr. Lake looked at her and winked. “What we don’t understand is why Chad chose to admit his part in everything,” he said. “However, we’re glad he did. We were pleased all along with the way you handled your punishment, Stevie.”
“We planned to let you go to camp all along, too,” Mrs. Lake added. Stevie’s mouth fell open. “If and only if,” her mother continued, “you took responsibility for your actions, accepted your punishments with grace, and quit playing pranks on your brothers.”
“Especially the prank part,” Mr. Lake said.
Stevie stood in front of them awkwardly. She didn’t know what to say. For a moment she felt disappointed. The Saddle Club’s whole scheme had been for nothing—except, of course, for getting even with Chad. That made her feel better.
“Now that I understand how lonely Belle is without me, I’ll be better behaved,” she promised her parents.
“How lonely Belle is, or how lonely you are without her?” Mrs. Lake asked.
Stevie grinned. “Both,” she said. She ran up the stairs to her bedroom. She had to call Lisa and Carole—camp was only three days away!
“L AST ONE DRESSED is a rotten egg!” Stevie challenged the cabin full of girls. She yanked her T-shirt over her head. The sun was streaming through the windows and screen door, and the wooden floor was smooth and cold under her feet. Their first full day at Moose Hill Riding Camp had dawned.
“Too late,” said Elsa, one of the six other girls sharing their cabin. “I’m already dressed!” She pulled the top of her sleeping bag over the pillow on her bunk.
“I didn’t say the first one dressed won a prize,” Stevie objected. “I said the last one—besides, you’ve got thealarm clock, Elsa. Of course you’re the first one ready.” She grinned, remembering how, during their first trip to Moose Hill, she and the rest of had all disliked Elsa. Now the other girl was a good friend.
“I’ve got the alarm clock, and I’m naturally efficient and organized,” Elsa retorted with a friendly grin.
Carole was pulling her hair into a ponytail. “No one ever called Stevie efficient,” she said.
“I don’t know about that,” Stevie began to argue, but stopped when she saw how fast the others were dressing. She pulled on her socks. “Where’re my tennis shoes? I can’t find them.”
“Didn’t you wear them yesterday?” Lisa asked. “They should be under your bunk.”
A loud, clear bell rang across the camp. “Breakfast!” cried one of the other girls. Elsa and the others left the cabin. “Looks like you’re the rotten egg, Stevie!” one of them called back over her shoulder.
Stevie laughed. “I guess I should have known better than to issue that kind of challenge before I found all my clothes.”
Carole and Lisa helped Stevie look under the bunks. Lisa looked under Stevie’s sleeping bag, too, and Carole checked behind the door.
“I didn’t wear them yesterday. I had my cowboy bootson all day,” Stevie said. “After all, we were unloading the horses and putting them in the stable.”
Lisa nodded. It was important to wear sturdy shoes around horses, in case they
Similar Books
