Comeback (20 page)

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Ding! Ding!

Khloe and I slapped our alarm clocks and turned on our lights. There was no haze, no early morning sleepiness. I looked at Khloe and knew she felt the same way.

“Show day!” Khloe sang. She yanked back her covers and put her feet on the floor.

“Oh, my God. It's really here. We're showing. Today.” I blinked at the clock. 4:02 a.m.

Khloe got up and sat at the end of my bed. I'd scrunched my legs to my chest, wrapping my arms around them.

“How are you feeling?” Khloe asked. Her brown eyes met mine. “It's okay if you're scared. More than okay. But I know you're going to be amazing, and so is Whisper.”

I took a minute to reply, considering how I really
did
feel. It wasn't what I'd expected.

“I'm scared,” I said. “More nervous than I've ever been before a show. Even when I went up against nationally ranked riders. At the same time, I'm excited. I get to show with Whisper, and I'm proud of everything we've done together. That makes me want to get into the arena.”

“I'm sorry you're nervous,” Khloe said. “I think it can act to your advantage, though, and keep you on your toes.” She smiled. “I'm
really
happy that you're looking forward to your classes with Wisp. Trail is going to be a fun class and dressage, hello!”

I smiled. “Same for you. I love that we're doing the same classes even though we're not competing against each other.”

“Me too. C'mon.”

Khloe pulled me out of bed and, giggling, we started getting ready. After we'd taken turns washing our faces at the sink, we got dressed.

I sat on my bed to pull on my shoe boots. My BlackBerry button blinked.

I opened BBM and there were new messages.

Taylor:

Wanted 2 say good luck, Laur. (Why do these things start so
early, btw?!) I know u'll be great. Tell me how it goes!!

I stared at the message for a few seconds. Then I wrote back, typing fast.

Lauren:

OMG, I can't believe u got up @ 4am 2 msg me. That was so sweet, Tay. Thank u. TTYL.

I opened the other message.

Mom & Dad:

Morning, honey. Dad and I wanted to wish you good luck again. You and Whisper are going to do so well, and we'll be thinking about you! We love you so much. Xoxo Mom and Dad

They'd called last night and left a voice mail because I was already asleep. It was nice to have their voices on my phone in case I wanted to replay the message later. I locked my phone and put it in the kangaroo pocket of my sweatshirt.

I pulled on my boots and stopped in front of the full-length mirror. Side by side, Khloe and I put our hair into low twists. Minutes later, we'd grabbed our helmets and were out the door.

•  •  •

Campus was
crawling
with different horses and riders. Trailers and vans filled the parking lot. Horses unfamiliar with Canterwood let out shrill neighs that elicited responses from other horses. A
WELCOME
banner hanging
above the main entrance greeted the four schools in attendance. Mr. Conner had enlisted help from the older riders to hang the banner.

Today Canterwood was facing off against Regent Country Day, St. Agnes Academy, and Sterling Preparatory. I'd purposely not Googled the schools or looked up their riding teams. I wanted to go in not knowing the competition. In my mind, each school trained as hard as Canterwood. True or not, I didn't know.

Mike and Doug directed the guests where to go. I was so glad not to be one of them. Being on home turf comforted me more than I'd imagined.

Sunlight had started to cast a light glow over the grounds. The early October air was slightly chilly, but the forecast had called for a warmer afternoon. Mr. Conner couldn't have picked a more ideal show date if he'd tried.

Khloe and I were quiet as we went to the tack room for our gear. We hugged, and I squeezed her extra hard.

“We'll run into each other all the time,” she said. “Remember, the show won't last all day. I'll try to make it to your classes, I promise. If you hear someone in the stands yelling, ‘Lauren Towers is my bestie and roomie! YAY!' then you know I'm there.”

I laughed. “What about if you just kept
that
to yourself?
I'd like to keep you
in
the stands and not tossed out for cheering.”

Khloe grinned. “We'll see. Good luck, but you don't need it.”

“You too.”

We hugged again and split up.

I sidestepped horses and riders and scrambled around tack, grooming kits, and boots to get to Whisper. Schedules for today's classes were posted everywhere. My dressage class was my first, and I had a break before trail class. I could watch Khloe and Ever do dressage while I waited for my trail class to start.

“Morning, sweetie,” I said, peering into her stall.

Though it was incredibly early, the mare was awake. Her eyes were wide open, and gray ears flicked back and forth at the unusually high sound level in the stable.

I entered the stall and hugged Whisper. Her coat was soft and shiny as I ran my hands along her neck. The extra grooming I'd done showed.

“You look beyond beautiful,” I said. “Thank you for not lying down last night.”

Whisper's gray coat was as clean as when I'd left her. Her braids were in tight knots, and the braid in her tail looked as if I'd just done it.

“We're going to stay in your stall while we get you ready,” I said. “It's too busy out there.”

I didn't want to take the chance of any unfamiliar horses making Whisper nervous.

“Knock, knock,” a soft voice said. Lexa peeked her head into the stall, smiling at me. “Morning.”

“Early enough for you?” I asked.

Lexa groaned. “Don't even mention the time, please. How are you feeling?”

“Good,” I said. “I don't want to stay in the stable too long and give myself a chance to stall.”

“Smart. Maybe grab a free spot in one of the arenas and warm up?”

“Exactly what I was thinking.”

“I'm going to get ready too. I'm glad our dressage class is first so we can get it over with. Then we'll be able to relax and have fun with the trail class. It's so cool that we get to ride English and not Western for the class.”

“I know. Otherwise, I would have taken a pleasure class.”

Lexa said she'd see me at our first class and went to focus on Honor. I turned my attention back to Whisper. It didn't take long to groom her already shiny coat. I tacked her up, applied fly spray, and painted her hooves with clear polish. Phase one: complete.

DURING THE WARM-UP, I APPLIED THE NEW
techniques Mr. Conner had taught my class this week. I ignored the swirl of black, gray, chestnut, and other colors of horses around us. All my focus was on Whisper. She was responding in return by listening to each cue. If this was
all
we did today, I'd be proud. I was
back
, and I had Whisper with me. I'd spotted Clare and Cole in another arena. I'd started to look for Riley, then I remembered.

I sat deep in the saddle, trotting her toward the arena exit. In the other, bigger arena, the obstacles for the trail course had already been set up.

In the smaller arena, dressage markers were in place. I couldn't wait to begin. Bleachers had been set up on the outside of the fence for students and riders who wanted
to watch whatever class was happening in the arena. Four judges, three women and a man, readied piles of papers and pulled out chairs to sit at the banquet table that was up against the arena fence.

“Hey! Watch it!”

A horse bumped against Whisper's hindquarters.

“What are you doing?” I said, edging Whisper over. “There's plenty of room!”

A brunette on a bay tugged on her horse's reins, yanking the horse over. “Apparently, our definitions of ‘room' are
seriously
different.”

I wasn't going to argue with her. It wasn't worth it—I'd learned that a long time ago. I eased Whisper to a walk and let the horse and rider get well ahead of us before we followed them out of the arena.

Riders were allowed to stay in the warm-up arena, but Mr. Conner, Mike, and Doug signaled to everyone else to exit the spaces that were about to be used for show.

Classes.

Were.

Starting.

A voice I didn't recognize announced the start of the advanced show-jumping class and called for riders to report to the arena immediately.

Mr. Conner put a loudspeaker to his mouth. “May I please have all the competitors for the intermediate dressage class in the arena marked with the number three? Again, all riders for the intermediate dressage class, please report now to arena three.”

I walked Whisper toward Mr. Conner, watching as a few other riders headed in the same direction. I smiled, breathing a little easier, when Lexa and Honor popped into view. We halted on the side of the entrance, and I counted ten other riders joining us.

Lexa and I didn't speak—I imagined she was focusing too.

I didn't allow myself to spend much time watching the guys and girls around me. That was something Old Lauren would have done. Canterwood Lauren stayed focused on her horse.

“Welcome, everyone,” Mr. Conner said. He'd put the loudspeaker on a nearby table. “For those of you who are not Canterwood students, I'm honored to have you, your horses, and your instructors here. Each of you here has signed up for the intermediate dressage class.”

I stroked Whisper's neck. My eyes caught a chestnut striking the grass with a foreleg, blowing a breath through his nostrils.

“The order has been set, and a judge will call your name when it's time for your test,” Mr. Conner continued. “If you did not memorize your test, please let me know before entering the arena and I will make sure a caller is in place.”

“While waiting for your turn, please feel free to walk your horse in this area.” Mr. Conner waved to it with his hand. “But refrain from loud talking or cell phone use. When your name is called, please head for the arena entrance. I wish each of you the best, and it's time to begin.”

Time to begin.
Those words rolled around in my brain. It was
time to begin
my first show since Red Oak. No. My first show as a Canterwood Crest Academy student.

“Jenny Kai and Striker,” the male judge called. A girl in a white blouse rode a liver chestnut to the entrance.

“Do you want to watch each test?” Lexa whispered. “Or walk a few steps away and get out of the crowd?”

“Let's move a little. Then we can watch and talk if we want.”

Lexa and I walked Honor and Whisper to the designated waiting spot that Mr. Conner had pointed out earlier. It was within hearing distance when the judges called our names, and close enough to watch the dressage tests.

“Much better,” I said. “Now I don't feel like I'm
in
the arena.”

“Or feel trapped among the other riders, who are
sure
to start gossiping, I mean bashing each other, any second.” Lexa rolled her eyes.

We waited, talking on and off, as riders were called into the arena for their tests. I went between watching parts of tests and talking to Lexa. Some riders exited with frowns as soon as the judges couldn't see. Some left with smiles. Others had blank expressions.

“Lexa Reed and Honor,” Mr. Conner called.

I jumped in the saddle at hearing my friend's name.

“That's you!” I said. “I mean, obviously!”

Lexa laughed. “It
is
me. Okay. Wish me luck!”

“Good luck! You're going to kill it, Lex.”

With a parting smile, Lexa cued Honor forward. The strawberry roan gleamed—her mix of red and white hair had been washed and brushed until not a speck of dust was left. Lexa looked like a pro in her black helmet, a brick-red blouse, black breeches, and tall boots.

She halted Honor at the entrance. I crossed my fingers, wishing her a good ride. Lexa was not my competition today. The only rider I was competing with was myself.

Lexa walked Honor to the center of the arena, halted, and
saluted the judges. As she moved through her test, gliding from marker to marker, my fingers uncrossed. Lexa didn't need luck—she was
brilliant
. Honor's circles were even, she changed gaits the second Lexa asked her to, and Lexa didn't forget one movement of the test. She stopped Honor in the center, dipped her head again, and rode out of the arena.

I walked Whisper forward so we met before Lex reached our spot.

“That was gorgeous!” I said, high-fiving her.

Grinning, Lexa patted Honor's neck. “Thanks! I think we did well for our first show of the season.”