Friendly Foal by Dandi Daley Mackall

Author:Dandi Daley Mackall [Mackall, Dandi Daley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Retail, Ages 8 & Up
ISBN: 9780842387231
Publisher: Tyndale Kids
Published: 2004-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

I ran the rest of the way home and got there exactly two minutes after 11. First I checked the barn. Sal wasn’t there.

Then I ran inside. “Lizzy! Is Sal here?”

Lizzy met me in the hall. Larry the Lizard was curled up on her shoulder. “No.” Then she added, “Neither is Madeline.”

I thought about telling Lizzy about seeing Nathan and Geri, but I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. My sister has been the most popular girl in every class she’s been in, including all the schools in the I states—Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa—where we didn’t stay long. She’s not popular in the same way Summer Spidell is. Most girls in middle school want to be like Summer. But I’m not sure how many of them actually like her. Lizzy, on the other hand, everybody likes.

Still, even though there were a couple dozen girls Lizzy could have invited over, it had to hurt that her best friend had tossed her aside for a boy.

I raced back to the barn. The wind blew snow from the trees and moved white swirls of it from the ground, making it look like a snowstorm. Catman calls it a “recycled blizzard.”

I said hi to Nickers and Friendly and eased into Amigo’s stall.

The little Falabella shuffled deeper into the corner.

I kept my distance and watched him. Mom taught me that horses need their space. She had pretended there was a large circle around every horse, space that belonged to him. “Wait for the horse to let you in,” she’d said. “Inviting us in is a leap of faith.”

Staying out of Amigo’s space, I tried to imagine what he was feeling. I didn’t know if he’d traveled from Argentina by boat or by plane. I just knew he’d come a long way without any friends. And so far he hadn’t found any here.

“I’m here when you’re ready, Amigo,” I said, wishing I’d paid attention in Iowa when we had six weeks of Spanish. But I knew Amigo wouldn’t care what language I spoke. He wouldn’t even care that my voice sounds like I have laryngitis.

Amigo’s head drooped lower.

“You know, Amigo, Sal’s not such a bad person once you get to know her. Not that I really know her. She has a lot of friends in middle school. You wouldn’t like it there. It’s hard to break into those herds. They stampede through the halls, and any newcomer who tries to join a herd gets kicked out.”

I watched Amigo for signs of softening. One ear twitched, and I took it as an invitation to take one step inside his circle.

“I know you’ve had it tough, boy. No wonder you’re scared.”

Both ears twitched.

I kept talking—about the foal, about Nickers, even about Lizzy and Geri.

Finally I got a clear go-ahead. Amigo craned his neck around to see me. His ears pointed toward me, then flicked side to side.

“Don’t mind if I do,” I said, walking slowly until I reached him. It was weird to reach down, instead of up, to pet him.

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