Today is finally the day of the New Castle Showjumping Cup. Everyone's hard work could either pay off in the arena or it could all be for nothing. Especially for Virgo and I.
This March morning is windless and calm but no sun shines above me while I walk to the stables. Nerves buzz over my body and I can't make them stop. My heart is beating so intensely the horses in surrounding paddocks can probably hear it. Outside the stable, grooms bustle in between trucks and floats, and every shaped car, all bearing the SEC logo. I try and steer clear of the poor grooms-they have a lot to do today and don't need a clumsy rider in their way-and walk straight into the stable.
It freaks me out how busy inside is. People leading horses in my direction. Their faces serious and frozen. From everything Lily has told me, this show is a huge deal and hundreds maybe even thousands of people enter. That didn't fill me with confidence.
With my head down I march right to the end of the stable to Virgo's stall. I unhook his halter from the stall door and walk straight in. Virgo's bottom lip is loosely hanging and his ears are completely relaxed.
"Wake up, buddy," I laugh, slipping the halter over his ears,"today is an important day. No room for sleeping."
I swing the stable door open and lead him out. I'm almost as slow and tired as he is at five-thirty in the morning. A blue, cotton rug is strapped over Virgo's body, the same one I put on last night after I gave him the longest bath. His dark brown coat is spotless, his mane is trimmed and his body is as muscular and slim as ever with all our extensive SEC training. My boy is ready.
"Maddie!" squeals a voice down the aisle.
I look up. Sarah is walking towards me, Jupiter loping behind her. His grey coat shines and there isn't a spot of brown in his mane or tail.
"Hey!" I cheer, giving her a big squeeze.
"Ready for your first show with us?" Sarah asks.
I let go of her. "Absolutely not but we'll try our best."
Sarah reaches out a hand and gives Virgo's snout a rub which he appreciates. Her hair is plaited down her back, completely off her tanned face. Like me, she is dressed in a baggy T-shirt and oversized tracky pants for protection.
"Come on let's put the horses on the truck-Virgo and Jupiter are next to each other. Then we have to snag a good spot on the bus," Sarah smiles.
Shoulder to shoulder, Sarah and I lead the horses towards the stable exit. We make a quick stop at the tack room where I pick up Virgo's navy float boots and strap them to his legs. The morning sky is still a dark blue with no sign of the warm sun.
Suddenly I spy Georgia and Sophie. Sophie is dressed in covered-up show clothes and her hair is in a long ponytail. Georgia, on the other hand, has her hair pulled up high and is dressed in plain jeans but something new is that her foot is in a boot. She walks awkwardly with a pair of crutches and I almost feel bad for her. She must have really hurt her foot if she can't ride today. They're too far away to hear what they're saying but I can make out Sophie trying to console her mean friend.
"Miss Maddie! Miss Sarah," calls Justin's voice from behind us.
No, no, no, go away!
"Hey Justin," greets Sarah.
I grip Virgo's lead rope tighter, hoping it will make a hole appear and swallow Justin. It doesn't. He stops just in front of us with a sigh, like he hasn't been able to breathe all morning. "I can take your horses away if you like."
I'm sure you can, I think, nearly blurting it out in Justin's face. No one knows about my suspicions of him but that doesn't mean I'm wrong.
"Yes please, the sooner we can get there the sooner I can stop stressing," laughs Sarah, handing over Jupiter so easily.
I have to hold my tongue and not yell at Sarah about how Justin is a horse thief. I don't have any evidence yet so saying that about everyone's favourite groom is taking horses would be absurd.
Justin holds a dirty hand out. "I can take Virgo if you'd like Miss Maddie?"
I almost give in to Justin's sweet charm. "No! I mean, your busy Justin I'll find someone else."
Justin looks at me with no facial expression for a moment. "Oh, that's alright. You seem nervous, Miss Maddie. Are you ok?"
"Just peachy."
Good going, Maddie. Does anyone even say that anymore?
Justin doesn't ask me anything else and just dips his hat at me and Sarah before walking Jupiter away.
"Good. Let's get Virgo loaded so we can get on the bus before Will."
The drive to the New Castle was more... eventful than I had expected it to be. Georgia had snapped at Sophie about sitting at the front. Sophie would try and turn around to talk to the other girls on the Junior and Senior Competition Team but Georgia would yell at her.
Will, Alex and Tom, and Jack with Jasper sandwiched in between them took up the back seats of the bus. They declared themselves the Back Bus Boys and sang the entire drive-it surprised me that Alex sang with them and didn't have a hint of annoyance on his face.
Then there was Will's flirting.
"Lily!" he called.
Lily who was sitting next to Kate in front of Sarah and I groaned. "What William?"
"You look really good right now," Will smiled back.
"Yeah I know," Lily scoffed, but there was a hint of red on her cheeks.
"How good do I look would you say?"
"I don't want to be mean but I think you could try harder. Way harder. Especially if you want to please me," Lily had replied. "I mean I have two guys right now who would drop everything and look great for me. Not just good."
Will looked dumbfounded and didn't reply after that. Everyone at the front of the bus laughed.
Sarah and I walk our horses off the truck and I can't help but let my jaw drop at our surroundings. The New Castle Showjumping Cup is how Lily described it. Big. It worries me that the entire ground is scattered with people of all ages on horseback, fancy trucks, stores selling all sorts of top-quality clothes and so many photographers.
"You're going to do great," Sarah whispers to me, putting an arm on my shoulder.
I know she's trying to help but her kindness makes me uncomfortable-maybe it's just the nerves-so I walk-off. I hear Sarah scuttle after me and Virgo and Jupiter's hoofprints.
"So where are we going?" I ask Sarah, after a long silent pause.
Sarah takes me to the middle of the showground where the stalls Antonio has rented for today sit. Virgo makes do with his stall, munching almost instantly at his hay net. My hands seem to not leave his face and I really don't want them to. This show, the atmosphere, and what I'm competing in, make me so anxious. Virgo is making me calm and I don't want to leave my rock.
"Hey, come with me to the bathroom to get changed," Sarah says from the stall next to me. "I can't believe my class is so early today."
I can't let these nerves get to me. Today I am a SEC rider.
"Yeah, sure."
I rub Virgo's face one more time, perhaps for luck, before joining Sarah's side. We have to weave our way through parents and teenagers all bustling to get to their class on time. Inside the bathroom, Sarah dashes into the only stall to pull off her hoodie and trackies. I pull my hair out from its plait and face the mirror.
"What time is it?" Sarah calls.
She's nervous. I can tell not just by the squeak in her voice but also Sarah keeps fidgeting with her clothes. It gives me some peace knowing that a rider as good as Sarah who's been competing with SEC for years can even be scared.
I check my phone. "Nearly eight."
"I need to get Jupiter tacked up!" she screams.
The stall door flies open. Sarah rushes out with clothes stuffed in her arms and dressed head to toe in crisp show clothes. I don't even get a word in because Sarah is already past me and out the bathroom door.
"I-I'll see you at the warm-up!" I quickly call.
"You better come to watch me."
A smile creeps onto my face and I turn back to the mirror to adjust my hair. "Ok, so the class starts at nine. I'm tenth. If I start to get ready once Sarah is finished then I'll get Virgo ready and we'll... try, I guess."
Talking to myself calms my nerves. It's my last resort to try and regain my brain. I continue to talk to my reflection my hands digging more and more into the sink. I might look nuts but that doesn't worry me now.
"Wow, you must be the new, SEC rider?"
I look deeper in the mirror and in the reflection see three girls staring at me. One seems familiar.
"You are lucky to be competing with them. You must have so much pressure on you right now," continues the girl standing on the right.
I spin around to face them. They crowd the door, trapping me in the bathroom. It seems crazy, but I wouldn't be surprised if they killed me right now.
The three girls wear white jodhpurs but different versions of show coats. The tallest has dark brown skin with pretty amber eyes. The one standing in the middle is short and stocking while the one on the very end just stares at me. Her glare is icy and makes me uncomfortable.
"Yeah... I am lucky," I reply. "There is pressure is on everyone, right?"
The girl with amber eyes and the short girl snicker to each other while the icy one just smirks-her face is so familiar. It's odd and my heart drops.
Am I missing something?
Ice Girl steps forward, her arms wrapped tightly around her. I study her familiar face. "What class are you three in?"
Our noses are inches apart and we stare into each other's eyes, I won't back down to her. "I'm in the meter class and those two are in the ninety."
Her arrogant voice irritates my ears. My brain finally clicks and I remember where I've seen her before; she was the girl who went before me at the tryouts.
"Well, good luck guys. My friend's in your class and I need to go watch her. Maybe you should go get ready?" I say, putting a hint of hostility in my voice.
I go to walk away but she keeps me in my place by shouldering me. I'm taller than her but I don't think I could fight my way through three girls to get out of the bathroom.
"I'm good, we have ages until we need to ride," replies the Ice Girl, not fazed by me.
I roll my eyes. I can't control it, it just comes out.
"You seem so calm, Maddie. Your name is Maddie, right? You're the new girl, the one Antonio will be watching."
"Seems like someone is still salty about not getting the spot," I laugh.
"No, I'm ok with it because I saw you looking like a nervous wreck outside. I just wanted you to know it's ok if you fail," she grins. "If you fall right on your face."
I try not to react and let this Georgia-Wannabe win but her words get stuck in my head. I can't help but think if she is right. If I don't do well or fall on my face Antonio will be disappointed. He'll realize I'm not a SEC rider and that I'm not prepared. Antonio will replace me with some other fabulous rider that could even be... this girl.
Suddenly a stern cough comes from the door of the bathroom. Losing interest in me, all three girls turn around. Georgia and her crutches alongside Sophie stand behind them. It catches me off guard but a wave of relief hits me.
"You two are blocking the entrance and that isn't good for anyone," Georgia points out.
Like scared mice, the two girls make way for Georgia and Sophie to enter. Even Ice Girl backs away from me.
"We thought you would be here, Maddie!" Sophie exclaims, putting a hand on my shoulder.
Her touch makes me feel a bit sick but I know I have to pretend that we get along like real teammates.
"Are you three still here?" Georgia scoffs.
The two girls by the door can only look at the floor while they scamper out of the bathroom. I guess Georgia is known for her attitude even by non-SEC members. Ice Girl rolls her eyes and by Georgia's glare, it does not make her happy.
"You don't own every show, Bull. You can't run me out."
Georgia takes a step forward with her crutches. "Want to bet?"
The tough look on Ice Girl's face starts to fade. "You're on crutches and I'm riding. Doesn't look too good for you."
I shy away from Georgia, not knowing if she would explode or not. The famous mean girl remains composed but I don't trust her enough to not combust in a second.
"Oh please, Cami. You know I could ride with a broken ankle and win your pathetic class," says Georgia with a spit.
Ice Girl, or Cami, I think my name suits her better, bites her bottom lip. A blush is visibly creeping up her neck. I watch in a little too much awe as Cami storms out of the bathroom in a huff. Georgia has just run three girls out of a bathroom!
"No need to thank me," she sneers.
Before I can roll my eyes Sophie opens her mouth to speak. "That girl's been trying to get on our team for three years."
"No wonder she was jealous of me."
"She thinks she can come on in and try and intimidate you. That's my job," Georgia smiles.
This time I roll my eyes.
"Look we came in here to talk," she continues.
Talk? I cross my arms. Georgia and I just talking, that's new.
"I can't compete because of my ankle so that means you might have a shot at placing in this."
"Thanks?"
"No, I'm serious. I need everyone to succeed at this competition and I want you to do well," Georgia states.
"Actually?" Her words take me aback.
"Maddie I need you to go out there and at least place in the top three. You need to do well otherwise I'll give you hell for the rest of the time you're on this team," warns Georgia.
Don't you do that already? It takes a lot of strength for me to not say that in Georgia's face.
"I'll do good, Georgia. Even if you were in the class," I reply.
I breeze past Georgia, not believing my own words, and head out from the bathroom.
"Maddie!"
"What?"
Georgia hobbles on her crutches to the bathroom entrance. "Good luck."