Chapter Two: Broken Hearts
Stevie walked into the ring. Belle nickered at the other horses as they walked past them. Stevie draped the reins over the fence and stood, waiting for Carole and Lisa. After three minutes, Veronica walked over to her.
"Where is your pathetic Saddle Club?" She sneered. "Have they decided not to come?"
"I don't know Veronica. Just leave me alone." Stevie turned her back towards Veronica.
"Fine, no need to get angry at me, I was just asking." Veronica smiled. "You know, maybe they decided they were better than you! They ARE better jumpers you know!" Veronica turned Garnet away, but Stevie failed to notice how she was smiling. Veronica, always up to no good, had something planned.
Red walked up just as Veronica was leaving. "What are you doing?" He yelled. "Lessons started over five minutes ago! Come on! Get Belle warmed up!" He paused and looked around. "Where are Carole and Lisa?"
"That's what I'd like to know!" Stevie sighed angrily, still thinking about what Veronica had said. "They told me to wait for them, but they haven't shown."
Red nodded. "Alright, five more minutes, and then you need to get on. Why don't you go ahead and walk Belle around? She seems restless, and could use the warm up." With that, he turned and went back to helping Melanie with mounting.
"Come on Belle," Stevie gently grabbed Belle's reins and led her around the ring. She watched as Veronica and Garnet sailed over a nearby jump. "Oh Belle, where are they?" Stevie looked around but Carole and Lisa were nowhere to be seen. Belle suddenly turned and neighed at an approaching figure. Stevie squinted against the sun. Phil and Teddy had walked into the ring. Stevie, glad to see a friendly face, walked over to join them.
"Hey Phil, I didn't know you were in today's lesson," Stevie forced a smile.
"Yeah, it was kind of last minute, but I decided to come." Phil started tightening Teddy's girth. "Hey, where are Carole and Lisa?"
Stevie frowned. "I don't know. They said they were going to meet me in the arena, but they haven't shown yet." She turned away and pulled the reins over Belle's head. "Hey Phil, are you jumping today?"
"Hmm? Oh, no, Teddy's not a very good jumper. I'm just here to tag along." Phil put his foot in the stirrup and hopped onto Teddy. "Want to walk along the rail with me?" He looked at Stevie hopefully.
"I don't know, I'm supposed to wait for Carole and Lisa." She sighed and sat down on the fence.
"How long have you been waiting?"
Stevie glanced at her watch. "Eleven minutes." She sighed. "Okay, I'm coming with you." Stevie stood up and jumped into the saddle. Belle gave a gleeful nicker. Together, Stevie and Phil led their horses on a warm up circuit around the ring.
About three minutes later, Carole and Lisa appeared from the barn.
"Hey, where's Stevie?" Lisa asked. She looked around but couldn't see her.
"Look." Carole pointed at Stevie and Phil together on the rail. "Apparently she found someone else to warm up with." Carole said grumpily.
Lisa turned and looked. When she saw Stevie and Phil she smiled. "Aww, they're so cute together!" She gazed at them as if in a dream.
"Yeah, but it's JUST them, what about us? She was supposed to wait for us!" Carole reminded Lisa. Lisa's smile disappeared and she stared at the ground, suddenly a bit sad.
"Oh yeah, I remember. Why didn't she wait?" Lisa asked.
"I don't know, why don't you ask her for yourself." Lisa turned as Stevie and Phil walked up.
"Hey guys!" Phil waved at Lisa and Carole. "What took you so long?"
"Ashley had spilled some feed, and when Prancer smelled it she ran out of her stall. When I tried to get her, she got up and started running around the barn. We had to catch her." Lisa explained. She looked at Stevie. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you wait."
"It's fine." Stevie replied angrily, but didn't look at Lisa when she said it.
"Is everything okay?" Lisa asked Stevie worriedly.
"Yeah, it's fine." Stevie turned Belle towards the center. "You have to get going. Lessons started ten minutes ago." With that she asked Belle for a trot, and they trot off towards the jumps.
"What was that about?" Carole asked.
"I don't know, she seemed really happy earlier!" Lisa added. They turned to Phil.
"What? She was fine when I was with her!" He raised his hands in surrender. "I can ask her though, if you want."
"Thanks Phil!" Lisa smiled and her and Carole hopped onto their horses. "We need to warm up anyways, right Carole?"
"Yeah, we do." Carole nodded, and they rode off towards the rail together. Stevie eyed them warily.
"Come on Belle, we don't need them to ace this jump!" She turned Belle towards the nearest jump and picked up the canter. As they approached the jump, Stevie thought about Veronica had said. She wasn't focusing on the jump.
"Easy Belle!" Belle had started to speed up while Stevie was daydreaming. With a leap, Belle soared over the jump, but knocked over one of the poles on the way down.
"Maybe next time Stevie! Nice try!" Lisa called from across the ring. Stevie felt a surge of anger run through her. She slowed Belle down into a walk and brought her back to the rail. Carole and Lisa approached her.
"Hey, nice jump! You were so close!" Carole said excitedly.
"Not close enough." Stevie gave Belle an angry kick and they cantered away from Carole.
Lisa and Carole watched as Stevie cantered away. "What was with that?" Lisa asked, but Carole was watching Stevie. She seemed a bit hurt. "Don't worry, I'm sure she didn't mean it!" Lisa said hopefully.
"I don't know, it's just so weird, she was fine earlier." Carole watched as Stevie and Belle tried another jump, and knocked down another pole. She almost yelled something out, but decided not to.
"Hey Stevie, come here!" Red motioned Stevie over towards the center. Stevie pulled Belle towards Red.
"Yes?" Stevie slowed Belle to a stop. "What's wrong Red?"
"What's with you today?" Red asked. "You've knocked down two poles just today! You're normally such a great rider! What's wrong?" Red patted Belle on the neck.
"I don't know, just some minor issues I guess," Stevie turned and looked at Lisa and Carole. "It's not important."
Red followed Stevie's gaze. He sighed. "Alright, but don't let it bother you. Horses can sense when you aren't relaxed. Those knocked over poles are Belle's way of telling you to ease up! Worry about your problems after the lesson!" Red looked up at Stevie and smiled. "Okay?"
"Okay." Stevie said, but she didn't mean it. She pulled Belle towards the rail and they walked alone for a bit. A few minutes later, Phil approached Stevie.
"Hey," Phil said cautiously. He didn't want her to snap at him too. "How…..are you?"
"How do you think?" Stevie said angrily. She urged Belle into a trot.
"Hey!" Phil trot up to Belle and Stevie. "What's with you? Why the sudden anger? You were so happy earlier!"
"Yeah, that was twenty minutes ago. Why do you care?" She scowled.
"Because I'm your friend! In fact, I'm more than a friend! Stevie, I really like you, and I just want to make sure you're okay!" Phil reached for Stevie's hand but she pulled away.
"Why wouldn't I be okay?! And if you have a problem with me, than find someone else to like!" Stevie turned Belle around and walked off the other direction. Phil watched, hurt. All he wanted to know was if she was okay. He sighed and walked off towards Carole and Lisa.
Her lesson over, Stevie dismounted and pulled Belle into the barn. "What is with everybody today?" Stevie said aloud. She led Belle towards the barn, but stopped when she saw Veronica talking to Kirsti in the stall next to Belle's. She didn't want to deal with them now.
"You know what, let's go on a trail ride!" Stevie said to Belle. She dragged Belle back outside in time to see Carole jump the same jump she had attempted. She flew over it with ease and ladned smoothly. Maybe they are better than me, Stevie thought. However, this just made her more upset. She led Belle towards the fence to mount up again.
"Nice one Carole!" Lisa called. Carole smiled and walked Starlight up to her.
"Thanks!" Carole and Lisa watched as Phil trot up to them.
"Hey guys," he said.
"Hey Phil!" Lisa smiled. "How did your talk with Stevie go?"
Phil frowned, upset. "She was so angry, I don't know why." He told them what she had said.
"Oh Phil, that's awful!" Carole sighed. "I don't know what's wrong."
"Hey, where's she going?" Lisa pointed as Stevie galloped towards the Valley Trail.
"Looks to me like she wants to be alone." Carole said.
"We can't just let her run off like that! She needs us!" Lisa headed towards the gate. "Come on!" Without asking Red, her and Carole ran off to follow Stevie.
"GIRLS!" Red yelled at them, but they were already far away. He turned to Phil, "Where are they going?"
Phil shrugged and urged Teddy into a trot. Red gave and exasperated sigh, and returned to his lesson.
Meanwhile on the Valley Trail…
Stevie held Belle's mane as they galloped along the dirt trail that led towards the valley. She felt a few tears sting her eyes, but assumed they were from the harsh winter winds. Once at the valley, she slowed Belle to a walk.
"Easy girl, that's enough for right now." Stevie loosened the reins and Belle dropped her head in search of grass. Most of the grass was dead, but a few green strips remained.
Lisa and Carole watched from the trees. "She looks fine to me." Carole pointed out. "She obviously just wants to be alone."
Lisa didn't listen, and she trot Prancer up to Stevie and Belle.
"Stevie!" Lisa yelled out as she approached Belle. Stevie swung around, her face red from the wind.
"What are you doing here?" Stevie asked. "What about your lesson?"
"Oh, it finished early," Lisa lied. Carole walked out of the trees to join them.
"You too?" Stevie asked. She was getting frustrated.
"Yeah. Hey, don't take it the wrong way, we just wanted to make sure you were okay!" Carole said before Stevie could go off.
"Why wouldn't I be? I'm fine!" Stevie yelled.
"I don't know, you were so happy this morning, and now, you seem so mad! What did we do?" Lisa asked. Her voice was almost drowned out by the harsh winds.
"You left me alone for over ten minutes! Red and Veronica were mad at me!" Stevie cried.
"We had a very good reason!" Carole responded. "We didn't ditch you!"
"I didn't know that!" Stevie felt tears swell in her eyes but she blinked them away. "I thought you had left me alone on purpose!" She yelled.
"Why would we do that? We're your friends! How could you ever get such an idea?!" Lisa cried out. "Did Veronica say something?"
Stevie looked at the ground and Carole sighed. "What did she tell you?" She asked.
"She said you left me because you were better jumpers than I am." Stevie said quietly.
"And you believed her?" Lisa shrieked. "I thought you were better than that!"
"I know, I don't know why I let her get to me. I mean, we're all equally good jumpers." Stevie attempted to smile, but the wind made her keep her mouth shut.
Carole looked at the ground. She didn't mean to be rude, but she thought she was a better jumper than Stevie. She didn't want to make Stevie upset though.
Her efforts failed. "We are equally good, right Carole?" Stevie questioned.
"Hmm? Oh, of course!" Carole lied.
Stevie frowned and walked closer to Carole. "Of course?" She looked Carole in the eye and immediately saw through her lie.
"Oh my gosh, you think you're better than me. You think Veronica was right!" Stevie yelled.
"I know, it's not right, I just always thought I was the best rider at Pine Hollow!" Carole said matter-o-factly.
"You may be a good rider, but the best? I think that's a little too far Carole! Nobody's the best! We're all equal!" Stevie shrieked.
"Well I think I'm the best! I do! In fact, I don't think, I know! You couldn't even jump a simple cross-rail! What are you, a novice? Even Melanie could jump that!" Carole screamed. As soon as the words left her mouth she regretted it. Stevie stared at Carole, wide-eyed. Her eyes filled with tears and she looked away.
"Oh, Stevie, I didn't mean-"
Stevie wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know y-you felt that w-way." She looked at Carole. "I don't d-deserve to be friends with the b-best rider at P-Pine Hollow." Carole gasped. She'd never seen Stevie so upset.
"Stevie, you know I-" But Stevie was gone. As Carole turned, she saw a flash of black disappear into the trees.
"Lisa-" Carole turned to Lisa. Lisa's face was pale, and she seemed shocked. "It's okay Carole, she knows you didn't mean it!"
Carole shook her head. "Not this time Lisa. This time, it's much, much worse." Carole stared at the spot where Stevie had been standing. In one day, she had not only lost a fellow rider, but also a friend. And she wasn't sure she could ever get that friend back.