Horse Magic Read Online Free PDF

why you’re already helping to teach?” she asked. “Because you’re such a good student?”
    Lisa shrugged. It wasn’t what she had been thinking, but she supposed it was true. “I guess so,” she said. “I’ve been working really hard to catch up to Carole and Stevie ever since I started riding—although I’m sure I won’t really be able to catch them, since they’ve both been riding so much longer than I have.”
    “Just how long have you been riding?” Dinah asked, a bit sharply.
    “She started about six months after you left, Dinah,” Carole answered for Lisa.
    “Well, I guess that disproves your theory about catching up then, Lisa,” Dinah said with a little frown. “It sounds as though you’ve already caught up and passed me, and I’ve been riding almost as long as Stevie has.”
    “Well, that wasn’t really what I meant …,” Lisa began, feeling awkward. Somehow she had managed to make Dinah feel bad about herself, and that wasn’t what she had been trying to do at all, even if Dinah herself had been a little snooty with those comments about Lisa’s being the teacher’s pet. Still, Lisa was nothing if not polite—hadn’t Dinah said so herself?
    Meanwhile, Carole was searching her mind frantically for another topic. “Listen, Dinah,” she said. “Stevie was just reminding us of some of the pranks you two used to pull. Do you have anything in mind for Halloween?”
    Dinah’s face brightened immediately. “Did you talk about the cat food incident?” she asked eagerly. “I’ll bet Veronica is still steaming about that one.”
    “Oh, I don’t know,” Carole said with a laugh. “We’ve managed to distract her with a few good pranks since you left. Right, Lisa?”
    “That’s for sure,” Lisa agreed.
    “Well, I don’t know,” Dinah teased. “After all, you guys are just amateurs. When Stevie and I get together, though—now that’s magic.”
    “I’m sure you’ll have a chance to practice that magicwhile you’re here,” Carole said. “I think Stevie has some ideas about playing some Halloween tricks on Phil.”
    “Oh, that’s right!” Dinah exclaimed. “I’m finally going to get to meet the famous Phil! I can’t wait. He sounds like a lot of fun.”
    “He is,” Lisa said, making one more effort to be friendly. “He’s a really great guy. He and Stevie are perfect for each other.”
    “It sounds like it,” Dinah said. “Stevie said that even if everyone else around is being totally boring, she can always count on Phil to liven things up.”
    “Well, the rest of us aren’t exactly boring …,” Lisa began, immediately on the defensive again. From everything Dinah was saying, she obviously thought Lisa was some kind of completely dull Goody Two-shoes. Lisa glanced over at Carole. To her surprise, Carole was smiling and nodding as if she agreed with everything Dinah had just said. She didn’t seem to have noticed the insult at all.
    “You know what I mean,” Dinah said to Lisa with a shrug. “Stevie needs someone to challenge her once in a while. That’s why she and I were always such good friends. And that’s why it’s so great that she has someone like Phil around now.”
    Before Lisa could come up with an answer to that one, Mr. Lake strode up, swinging a red suitcase. “Did I get the right one, Dinah?” he asked cheerfully, bending over to pick up Dinah’s duffel bag.
    “You sure did,” Dinah told him. She reached toward the bags. “Here, I can carry one of those.”
    “Nonsense,” Mr. Lake said firmly. “You’re the guest. Now, tell me all the news. How are your parents?”
    Dinah and Mr. Lake headed toward the parking lot, with Dinah laughing occasionally as Mr. Lake filled her in on why Stevie hadn’t been able to come to the airport. Carole and Lisa followed silently, each of them thinking that this visit might not turn out to be as much fun as they had all thought it would be.

“D INAH !” S TEVIE SHRIEKED , rushing out of the