Famous (4 page)

Lauren:

I'm doing hmwk too. Then trail riding with Lexa, Cole, Khlo, & Clare. Have fun w/Grant. *kissy noises*

Becca:

And NOW it's time to say good-bye! ;) TTYL. Love u!

Lauren:

LOL. Love u, Becs!

I got up and showered, and Khloe was back at her desk working. I needed to do homework too but realized I should BBM Brielle. I wanted to hear about her first night and let her know a group of us were going trail riding. I wanted her to know we weren't leaving her out—I wanted some time with my other friends to tell them more about Bri.

“YES!”

“Ahh!” I half yelled, jumping.

I whipped around to look at Khloe. Her brown eyes were wide, and she had an
oops
look on her face.

“I'm so sorry!” she said.

“You scared me,” I said, putting a hand over my heart. “I assume it's good since you screamed ‘Yes!' ”

Khloe nodded so hard I worried that her neck would crack. “I can read five pages of
Celebs!
now!”

“Hey! Way to go!” I said. “Despite the near heart attack you almost gave me, I'm proud of you.”

“Thanks, LT!” Khloe flashed me a smile before reaching down on the floor next to her bed and snatching up the latest issue of our favorite gossip magazine. She buried
her nose so deep in the magazine that it almost touched the pages. Smiling to myself, I clicked on Bri's name.

Lauren:

Hey! How was ur 1st nite at here, CCA girl?

Brielle was probably still sleeping. She was a night owl and always hated getting up early for school. Maybe Clare's up-with-the-sun lifestyle would rub off on her.

I waited a few minutes, reading the news on my mobile browser, when my phone vibrated.

Brielle:

Totes amaze!!! Clare is the coolest. We had so much fun watching TV & she even helped me unpack.

Lauren:

YAY! I knew u 2 would get along. Clare's awesome. Were u surprised @ where u were when u woke up?

Brielle:

4 a second I was like—I'm still dreaming that I got accepted to CC. Then I realized it was real. LT, I was so excited that *I* got up @ 8!

Lauren:

OMG. Have u ever gotten up that early voluntarily?? LOL.

Brielle:

Never. I didn't WANT to stay in bed. I was 2 excited & there's a lot I have 2 do before starting classes 2mrw.

Lauren:

Speaking of stuff 2 do, I wanted 2 let u know that some of us, including Clare, r going on a trail ride this afternoon. I'd invite u, but since I got my alone time w u yest, I'd like some time w these guys 2 tell them more abt u and stuff. Is that OK? I didn't want u 2 feel left out!

Brielle:

Oh, no way—of course I don't mind! I totally get it. Only say AMAZING things abt me, tho, LT.
I couldn't trail ride even if I wanted 2 2day. 2 much 2 do.

Lauren:

Yeah, I've got 2 get thru a pile of hmwk before tonite. It'll be so nice 2 have u 2 study w! I still can't believe ur here!

Brielle:

I think I pulled off the most awesome surprise in r friendship history. *dances*

Lauren:

U did, hands down. BBM or call me if u need anything @ ALL, OK? There r no silly questions. I had sooo many. I want u 2 ask me if u don't talk 2 Clare.

Brielle:

*serious face* Promise I will. Thx, LaurBell. Have a good ride and say hi to Zane!

Lauren:

I will!! Xx

Now I was done with my phone. I wanted to e-mail Kim later this week and thank her for selling Zane to Bri. Everyone at Briar Creek knew how in love Bri was with the albino. It had been a while since I'd talked to Kim, anyway. I'd see her soon, though, during break.

I padded down the hallway, leaving Khloe to work, and went into the common room. I made a cup of green tea with lemongrass and ate a couple of scones.

I took the tea back to my room and set the cup at my desk. I settled into my chair and set my alarm clock for eleven thirty. I didn't want to get so caught up in studying that I missed trail riding.

I cracked open my fifty-pound history text and started scanning the section about the French Revolution. Uncapping my sparkly blue pen, I started taking notes. I was the Princess of Notes. Anytime anyone missed class, they always asked to borrow my notes. As I read, I couldn't stop thinking that Brielle was one floor above me. Smiling to myself, I wondered if Bri would be using my glittery notes later.

WHEN MY ALARM WENT OFF,
I'd been staring at it on and off for the past twenty minutes. I clicked it off. Spinning around in my chair, I faced Khloe. She was scribbling something in her leopard-print notebook.

“Hey, you want to get ready and head to the stable?” I asked.

Khloe looked at the clock. “Oh, thank God! I was two seconds away from dying, LT. You have no idea. Five pages of
Celebs!
was a killer. It just made me want to read more. I just got into the scandal about Reefer and Oliver and then—bam. Page six.”

I pouted. “Aww. That's
really
,
really
awful, Khlo. But you got work done, right?”

A sheepish look came over Khloe's face. “I got a lot
of work done. I have one paragraph left to read.”

“So the system works!”

Khloe closed her textbook. “It does. I was just being a brat.” She winked at me. “Although maybe I'll increase my mag page allotment to six instead of five.”

I shook my head, getting up and going to my closet for my riding clothes.

“Weather check?” I asked Khloe.

She grabbed her iPad and scanned it. “High thirties. Low humidity. My hair thanks Mother Nature.”

“Thanks.”

I pulled down a pair of tights to go under my breeches, a tank top, and a thermal shirt for layering and topped it off with a cable-knit Ralph Lauren Polo sweater. I reached into our mutual sock bin and found thick wool socks for my paddock boots.

Khloe and I were out the door in minutes.

“Brrrr!” I grumbled. “Cold sucks!” I adjusted my scarf.

“Totally. It's not even December and it's already this freezing. I bet we're going to have a white Christmas. The worst part, though?”

“What?” I asked as we made our way down the sidewalk to the stable. The sun blazed bright in the sky but provided no warmth.

“The worst part about winter, though there
is
an upside, is that you have to wear clothes, on top of clothes, on top of clothes, plus a coat, and you're so bundled up you almost have to squeeze through doorways.”

That image made me laugh. “That's so true. What's the upside?”

“The accessories, of course!” Khloe shook her head at me as if she didn't know who I was. “Tartan scarves, knit scarves, beanie hats, trapper hats that are shaped like animals, Hello Kitty earmuffs, fuzzy boots. All things you can't wear anytime but now.”

“Hmm.” I tilted my head toward her. “You do have a point. I love the trapper hats that look like animals. I just ordered one from Shana Logic that looks like a unicorn! And I got a black beanie with sequins that's
très chic
.”

“Well done,
ma chérie
!”

The campus was more deserted than I'd ever seen it. Everyone was probably holed up in their rooms or in front of fires in the common room.

I heard hoofbeats before I saw the horse. Squinting, I saw a rider trotting a dapple-gray horse around the perimeter. Khloe's eyes were trained on the girl too. Long platinum-blond hair cascaded down her back. She was
riding Rocco—one of Mr. Conner's stable horses. Rocco was usually ridden by
advanced
riders.

“She's not—,” I started.

“There's no way—,” Khloe cut me off.

“There
can't
be another transfer! Can there?”

Khloe shrugged, her eyes narrowing as the horse executed a
parfait
half-pass. Whoever this girl was, she was a
good
dressage rider.

“People can transfer in all year, but this year has been kind of an exception with late registration. We lost Riley, gained Taylor, and now Brielle's here. Unless this girl is here for, I don't know, a training consult?”

“We're going to wonder about this during the entire ride,” I said. “Want to go up to the fence, say hi, and just flat-out ask who she is?”

Khloe made an approving face. “Wow. Bold move, Lauren Towers. Let's do it.”

We walked across the grass to the large rectangular arena and watched as the girl put Rocco though a flawless twenty-meter circle. When the girl turned in our direction, she looked up, losing focus for a second. Rocco widened the circle, and she had to ease him back to the correct distance.

The girl patted Rocco's neck and turned him toward us.

Khloe and I held up our hands in a friendly, we-come-in-peace-style wave.

“Um, hi,” the girl said.

“Hey,” Khloe said. She climbed up the fence boards and stuck her hand out to the girl. “I'm Khloe Kinsella, and this is my roommate, Lauren Towers.”

I followed Khloe's lead and shook the girl's gloved hand.

“Nice to meet you. I'm Carina Johansson. It was really cool of you to introduce yourselves. You're the first students I've met.”

She had an accent that I couldn't place. I'd never heard it before. It certainly wasn't southern, midwestern, or any of the other regions in the US.

“Oh? Are you a new transfer?” I asked.

Carina smiled. Her cornflower-blue eyes played up her pale skin. “Kind of. I'm a foreign exchange student. I'm from Sweden.”

“Sweden?!” Khloe couldn't contain herself. “Wow!”

“That's so cool,” I said. “How did you even find Canterwood?”

“My riding instructor knew about it. He keeps tabs on the best schools across the world. He knew I wanted to study abroad for a semester, so he suggested Canterwood
Crest. I convinced my parents to let me come near the end of this semester so I would have time to get used to everything instead of arriving in January when classes start up again.”

I liked Carina instantly. From Khloe's posture, I could tell she was still unsure. I was willing to bet it had to do with the dressage.

“Those were some good dressage moves out there,” Khloe said. “That's my specialty. Lauren's, too.”

“Oh, how great!” Carina said, smiling. “Maybe we can all practice together for the advanced-team tryouts. Mr. Conner told me they're going to be held in January next year.”

“Khloe's already on the advanced team, but I'd like to practice with you,” I said. “I'm on the intermediate team.”