The Untimely Journey of Veronica T. Boone - Part 1, Laurentide

Chapter 4 - Burglars

"Up!" cried Kate. "Up, up, up!"

Molly sat on her horse Bristol and laughed. Kate always shouted during her riding lesson whenever it was time to practice jumps. Kate's horse was perfectly capable of clearing the jumps outside the Academy stables but Kate never believed he would. To encourage him she yelled directions. The riding instructor, Mrs. Newtown, thought shouting at your horse was unprofessional but Kate wouldn't stop.

"Good job, Kate!" Molly called as Kate cleared the first hurdle.

Kate waved.

"Up, up, up!" she cried as her horse approached the next jump. Mrs. Newtown shook her head.

It was Sunday afternoon and a beautiful day. A breeze from the north brought a fresh smell from the forest and a not so fresh smell from the stables.

Kate finished her jumps and trotted up beside Molly. Together the two of them watched Maddie Taylor go through the course. Maddie was annoying because she never stopped spreading gossip but Molly admired the way she rode. Maddie had perfect posture in the saddle and never yelled at her horse.

"She's good," Kate sighed.

"She is," Molly agreed. "I wish I could look that comfortable in a jump. I always freeze up like a popsicle."

When Maddie finished she trotted over with a big smile.

"That was fun!"

"You looked like a professional," Molly told her. "Like a real competitive rider. You could give us all lessons."

Maddie beamed. "Thanks! Really, it was nothing. Say, do you guys want to know what I heard about those new students and Oscar Peel in third period math? They challenged him to a fight for no reason and..."

"Oh, hang on," Molly interrupted. "I'd love to but it's my time to jump. Why don't you tell Kate?"

"Thanks a lot," Kate muttered as Molly trotted off.

Molly led Bristol to the center of the arena where Mrs. Newtown waited.

"Now Molly, I want to see you improve on the things we talked about last week," Mrs. Newtown said, tapping a riding crop against Molly's leg. "Relax, sit up straight, and keep your eyes forward. Don't watch Bristol, watch where he's going. Lead with your body, not the reins. Bristol will go where you tell him but you have to tell him with your body. Do you understand?"

"Lead with my body, not the reins," Molly repeated, but she was looking at the first jump as she spoke. It had red supports and a striped pole laid between them. There were hay bales beneath the pole. Molly was just like Kate in that she was never quite sure Bristol would clear the pole. Most of the time he looked half-asleep. She always imagined him crashing into the pole and herself tumbling out of the saddle. It wasn't a pleasant image so during jumps she usually closed her eyes.

"And don't close your eyes," Mrs. Newtown reminded her.

"Don't close my eyes," Molly repeated.

"And don't freeze up. You look like a popsicle."

But as she and Bristol walked, then trotted, then cantered around the arena and approached the first jump, Molly forgot everything Mrs. Newtown said. She froze, flopped forward, and closed her eyes.

"Jump," she whispered.

Bristol jumped but his rear hooves clipped the pole. Not enough to trip, just enough to rattle the pole in its clips and scare Molly half to death.