Barbie by Frances Priddy

Author:Frances Priddy
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: Horse, Young Adult, Pony, American Shetland Pony, Fiction, Romance, High School
Publisher: Acme Book Continuum
Published: 2020-03-16T16:00:00+00:00

10

When Jan and Mary Alice heard about Barbie’s counterattack, they were of the opinion she’d lost her mind. “Any ordinary boy, sure, but Keith Vaughn!” Mary Alice said in horror.

“He’s been ‘but Keith Vaughn’-ed too much; that’s the big trouble with him,” Barbie said crossly. “It’s just as I’ve said all along, he’s spoiled and conceited. I’m beginning to think I know why he plays the field. Girls won’t go out with him more than once or twice!”

“Well, you’ve been out with him; we haven’t,” Jan said resignedly. “Me, I’d put up with it for what it would do for my date rating!”

Too many girls were like Jan, Barbie thought later, when she was out riding Twinkle. They wanted to date the boys with the big reputations, who were spoiled by too much attention, and hardly noticed the ordinary boys. Of course, not all the popular fellows were like Keith; some acted natural and deserved their popularity. Well, from now on, she determined, she was going to quit going along with the crowd crushes, and she was going to make up her own mind as to whether she liked a fellow!

Twinkle chose that moment to act up, skittishly shying at a shard of broken glass that was flashing in the sunlight, and Barbie had to forget her inner turmoil over Keith and put her attention on keeping the mare under control. Barbie didn’t mind a little playfulness on Twinkle’s part but she knew quite well that if she didn’t stay in charge, Twinkle would keep getting livelier and livelier and soon would be too much for her to manage, with her indifferent horsemanship.

“You want to run?” Barbie asked her. “Is that why you’re cutting up about nothing at all? O.K. Let’s go to the creek.”

Released, Twinkle shot forward, sprinting along, a cloud of dust rising behind her. Barbie leaned against the rush of air, her eyes half closed for protection from the wind, enjoying the sensation of speed as much as Twinkle enjoyed running. After so many days of forced inactivity due to the sticky heat, it was pleasant to have a cool day when exercise felt good.

At the bridge across the creek, Barbie checked Twinkle back to a walk, and with her eyes alertly open once again, she saw Linda Anderson riding toward her on the palomino.

And, as usual, surrounding the blond rider was the sound of popular music. It was an orchestral record that had sea gulls mewing at the beginning and end. Abruptly determining to solve the mystery, as they met Barbie said, “Excuse me—I’ve been wanting to ask you—do I hear music?”

Linda reined in her palomino, laughing. “Yes, it’s this!” She lifted a small, leather-covered transistor radio from where it was inconspicuously slung from her saddle horn. “I get lonely, riding by myself, and I like music.”

“Well, that’s a mystery solved,” Barbie chuckled. “I’ve been wondering if I was going out of my mind, thinking I heard music as you rode by. Why didn’t I think of a little radio?”

Still laughing, the girl turned her horse.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.