Chosen (23 page)

Ana:

Let me guess: you got into the most elite equestrian boarding school in the entire country. Nope, that was weeks ago. Old news. JK! What B said
.

Lauren:

Hahaha—B, did you know A became a standup comedienne? JK back! C u guys v v v soon!

When Dad got in the driver's seat, I put my phone down. I'd call Taylor after my lesson and tell him. I was
too excited to be on the phone right now—not after the news Mom and Dad had just given me!

“Has it sunk in yet?” Dad asked, starting the engine.

“I keep going back and forth,” I said. “One minute, I can't believe it's really going to happen. Then the next, I'm already picturing trying out all the different horses.”

Dad pulled down the visor, shielding his eyes from the morning sun. “Your mom and I knew from the day you got accepted that we wanted to get you a horse. We just had to make sure that Kim was available to help. And we didn't want to just overwhelm you with everything all at once.”

“Canterwood was a big shock,” I said. “I might have had a heart attack if you'd told me that I was getting a horse the next day.”

Dad chuckled. “Okay,” he said after a pause. “Tell me, what are some things that are important to you in a horse?”

I thought for a minute. No one had asked me that question before.

“Well, I don't care one bit whether it's a mare or a gelding. But I really don't want a horse that's too green because I'd have to train it—and I'm still learning myself. At the same time, I don't want a horse that's
too
well trained.
There's no challenge in that. I'd love to have a horse that's ready to show
and
that's ready for the heavy workload that I know goes along with riding for Canterwood.”

Dad nodded. “All of that sounds very smart. And what about
you
, Bell? Is there anything your mom or I can do this summer to make things easier for you? Whatever it is—I want you to tell us.”

Anything else? Like buying me a horse and moving to Connecticut so I could ride at Briar Creek where the head instructor had a connection to my dream school, which was an expensive boarding school I'd subsequently gotten into while they supported me the whole way—like all that wasn't enough? Yeah, they really need to step it up. But nonetheless, I considered Dad's offer.

“There is
one
thing I'd be in to if anyone has time,” I said. “Can we go visit Canterwood before I move in? I think seeing it in person might make me less nervous.”

“Of course,” Dad said. “I think that's a
great
idea, Laur-Bell. I'll check my calendar as soon as I we get home.”

“That's all then,” I said. “I mean, aside from getting some dorm stuff, doing summer assignments, pre-class reading, and riding . . .”

Dad flipped on his blinker, changing lanes. “Getting stuff for your new room will be fun! And it's not
ideal
doing classwork over the summer, but you'd have had to do that for Yates anyway. And you love riding, so I can't see that becoming one of those things you dread doing. You'll get it done, Bell—you've got all summer. Knowing you, it'll be done before the end of the week.”

Dad had a way of not only making things seem less daunting, but making them even seem exciting. He also loved to kid me about my self-discipline. He'd never done well with school and was a huge, self-proclaimed procrastinator. So it amused him to no end that he'd raised a daughter who not only dreamed of being valedictorian someday, but who was also known to finish homework on Friday nights. Hey, it makes the weekends more fun when all of the book stuff isn't hanging over your head every day.

I took a breath. “You're right,” I said. “I'll just make a list and check things off as I go.”

“That's my girl. Make sure you put ‘buy extra list-making paper' on your shopping list for school,” Dad said. It was his most favorite joke. I had to smile.

“I
did
just get a new Pottery Barn Teen catalog the other day,” I said. “It had really cool dorm stuff. Like a whiteboard that is also half corkboard. It would be perfect for hanging up important papers and due dates. And”—I
threw this one in just for him—“I could use a whiteboard to make a giant to-do list.”

Dad and I smiled at each other. I was the first one to break into a fit of giggles. But he was a close runner-up, laughing all the way to Briar Creek.

“See?” Dad said. “You and your mom can spend a whole day shopping for your room. What girl wouldn't want two rooms to decorate and fill with a bunch of cool stuff?”

We pulled into Briar Creek's driveway and Dad pulled up to the stable.

“Cool stuff, Dad?”

He nodded.

“Tell you what,” I said. “I'd love for you make
me
a list of your ideas of cool stuff. No help from Mom!”

“Yes!” he said, giving me a thumbs up. What a dork!

“First thing on my list: a turntable.”

I covered my face with my hands.

“Oh, man, I love a good challenge—especially in list form,” he said, making himself (and me, I admit it) laugh.

“Second cool stuff idea: lava lamp,” he said.

I considered the suggestion.

“Actually,” I told him, “those are coming back.”

“No!” he said.

“Yes,” I countered back. “I'm telling you—they were
in
the PB Teen Catalog.”

“No,” Dad said, a look on his face that seemed to communicate that he was proud of his knowledge of trends.

“I
even
,” I continued, deciding to give him one last morsel of happiness, “saw a light blue one with glitter floating around in it.”

Dad stared at me for a minute. “You
like
this lava lamp,” he deduced. “You want it in your room. It's your favorite color, and it comes with glitter, which you love. I'll tell you what, Bell. That lava lamp is
yours
. Consider it done.”

We laughed until I was crying and Dad was rubbing his eyes.

When I looked up, I spotted Brielle's mom backing out of her parking spot. Right by where the car had been, Brielle walked over to Ana. They looked over, saw me, and waved.

“Have a good lesson and I'll pick you up later,” Dad said. “I'm serious about that lamp—it's going with you to Canterwood.”

I grabbed my bag and got out of the car. My hand rested on the open passenger door. I leaned in and blew my dad a kiss, thanked him
again
, and then said, “About that lamp? I'm counting on you now. That lamp is coming with me.”

Dad smiled. “Count on it, Bell. I love you.”

“I love you, Dad,” I said. I was the luckiest person in the world to have my parents. Yeah, they were embarrassing sometimes, but more than anything, they loved me. And they supported my dreams in every way possible.

I grabbed my bag and got out of the car.

“Get over here!” Ana shouted, bouncing. “What's going on?”

Brielle cocked her hip. “Hello?! You're
killing
us.” She put her helmet in her other arm.

“I know, I'm sorry. It was so huge,” I said. “I couldn't tell you guys over BBM.”

“Lauren!” Ana and Brielle shouted at the same time.

“I'm getting a horse!” I blurted.

“Omigod,” Brielle squealed.

“Omigod!” Ana shrieked.

They grabbed me in a huge hug.

“I know! Mom and Dad told me right before today's lesson. I thought they were kidding.”

“That would be a pretty mean joke,” Ana said.

“I know,” I said. “But I'd just woken up! It seemed like a dream. I never expected a
horse
. They told me it was my graduation present and that they wanted me to have a horse for Canterwood.”

“You deserve your own horse,” Ana said. “You've been riding forever and you've never had one.”

“It's perfect timing,” Brielle said. “What kind of breed do you want? When are you going to look?”

I loved that my friends were as excited as I was. A lot of people would have been too jealous to even ask one question, but my besties, riders themselves, really got it.

“I haven't even thought about the breed,” I admitted. “Something a little bigger than Cricket. Dad said that we're going to the first breeder on Monday. It's going to be the longest weekend of my life probably,” I groaned.

“I know! I'd die waiting, too,” Ana said. “But we'll keep you busy. Did you tell Taylor yet?”

We started toward the stable.

“I'll call him later,” I said. “There wasn't any time before practice. And I don't want to tell
him
over BBM either.”

“He'll be so excited for you,” Brielle said. She pulled her enviable silky black hair back and gathered it into a messy bun.

“I can't wait to tell him.” I blinked through the darkness as my eyes adjusted to the shaded stable. “There are tons of things to look forward to. I might explode. At least today will be packed with riding. And Sunday, I'll
probably start putting together some ideas for my new room. I need to figure out what I have to take—I think there's a page on Canterwood's Web site with that info.”

“Lauren, you're beyond lucky,” Brielle said. “I wish I could talk my mom into redoing my room. It hasn't changed since I was, like, ten. I love pink, you know I do, but I don't want pink
walls
anymore.”

Brielle had been pleading with her parents for months for a room makeover. I'd been there thousands of times, and I had to admit, it was pretty frilly even for her. I had a feeling it would have been too stereotypical “little girl!” for Malibu Barbie, too.

Then I had an idea—one that would serve three purposes: It would help Bri to think of her own ideas for a new room, it would make the time move along faster with me having my friends around, and it would also help me to create the best dorm room ever.

“This summer you guys have to help me pick out stuff for my dorm,” I said. My besties had to put together the best room ever in the history of Canterwood.

“Oooh, definitely!” Ana said, her smile growing with every word. “I can start thinking of a good color scheme for you.”

I stopped when we approached Kim's office. “I want
to talk to Kim for a sec, guys, but I'll meet you in the outdoor arena to warm up.”

“See you there,” Bri said, wiggling her fingers at me as she and Ana headed off to groom and tack up Zane and Breeze.

Kim's door was open. She turned around when she heard my footsteps.

“Well, hello there my little soon-to-be horse owner!” Kim said.

I leaned against the doorway, hoping it would hold me up in case my knees came out from under me from sheer excitement. “Kim, I can't believe all of this. Thank you so, so much for helping me and my parents. I know we're going to find the right horse with your guidance.”

Kim rocked back in her desk chair. “You definitely will. It could take some time—or you could find the right horse immediately. Either way, try not to worry—you'll be going to Canterwood with a great horse.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but hesitated. I didn't want Kim to think I was comparing myself to . . .
her
at all. I knew that she was way out of my league. But I wanted desperately to know. After all, her horse was nearly as famous at BC as she was. I tried again. “Like Sasha and Charm?”

“Like Sasha and Charm,” Kim said.

As usual, Kim looked proud as could be at the mention of Sasha's name. But the way she looked at me now, I saw something new. Something I'd never seen before.

I must have looked as confused as I felt. Because, just as I was about to end my own guessing game, Kim confirmed a thought I didn't even dare think, let alone say out loud.

“Lauren Towers,” Kim said, smiling. “I am so proud to have had the privilege to teach you.”

I stood in the door, so struck by what Kim had said, it felt as though my feet were cemented to the ground. I wanted to thank her, to throw my arms around her and cry out with joy. But instead, I only watched as she got up from her desk, clapped me on the arm, and laughed warmly.

“Don't be late to practice, Towers,” she said in a mock-tough manner.

When she left, I allowed myself thirty seconds of pure bliss. Without coming right out and saying it, Kim had said something that meant more to me than she'd ever know. Something so powerful, I knew I'd never repeat it aloud.

Kim had once looked at Sasha Silver the same way
she'd just looked at me. She'd looked at her and, at some point—I knew this as well as I knew any other certain thing in my life—she'd said the same thing.

“Sasha Silver,” she'd once said. “I am so proud to have had the privilege to teach you.”

Like Sasha Silver before me, I was moving on from Briar Creek to Canterwood Crest.

And Kim was proud of us both.