Riding Chance by Christine Kendall

Author:Christine Kendall
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2016-07-31T16:00:00+00:00

I HAD TO WALK most of the way home. It took me forever to even get out of the woods. Then, after that, I had to make it back to the intersection where I went left instead of right. I was at the edge of Fairmount Park when I heard a car horn honking. It was my neighbor Mr. Glover.

“Are you all right? Everyone’s been out looking for you.” He pulled over to the curb under a streetlight and leaned over to open the passenger-side door. I just nodded and dropped down into the seat. I didn’t really feel like talking. I was tired. I was hungry. I was wet.

“I’ll call your dad so he’ll know you’re with me.” Mr. Glover handed me a bottle of water while he dialed Pops’s number.

“Good news, Dave. I’m here with Troy. He’s fine.” Pops said something that I couldn’t hear and then Mr. Glover said okay and hung up.

“You look like you could use a few minutes to collect yourself,” he said. He hadn’t started the car yet.

“Today just got out of control,” I said, looking out the window.

“You’re going to have to do better than that,” he said. “The man from your riding program—”

“Winston?” I cut in.

“Yes, Winston. He called your dad when he realized you’d left the stables without checking out. He was very concerned and, let’s just say, your dad and grandmother have been worried.”

“Great.” I groaned and slid down lower in my seat.

“Your uncle Ronnie’s combing the streets on his Suzuki. Your dad checked with Miss T and Foster, but they didn’t know where you were. What’s this about you having trouble with your horse?”

“Who said that?”

“Winston.”

“So everybody’s been talking about me all day?” I sorta shouted ’cause I was pissed off.

“Take it easy. You can’t just disappear and show up looking like the Wreck of the Hesperus.” Typical Mr. Glover. I caught a look at myself in the side-view mirror. I did look bad. Twigs and leaves were stuck in my hair, my hoodie was poked with holes, and I had a big scratch across my right cheek.

“It’s a long story. I got lost in the woods and wiped out my bike.”

“What were you doing in the woods?” Without waiting for an answer, he went on. “With all due respect, Troy, this is not your finest moment. Why didn’t you call home?”

“ ’Cause my cell’s in my backpack.”

“I thought you young people never put those things down,” he said.

“I forgot to take it with me when I left the stables.” I’d stopped carrying mine around the stables after it fell in the muck. Besides, I didn’t like to be bothered when I was with Chance. Mr. Glover kept talking.

“Your dad was going to call the police if you weren’t home by ten.”

“What for? So they can beat me up again?” My stomach tightened and it all came back. I could feel my face pressed down against the hood of the cop car. Everybody on the block saw me laid out there.

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