Stevie Read Free

computer screen. For about an hour. Every time I thought of something to write, it sounded incredibly lame and boring.
    Finally I decided I just had to do it. Maybe Miss Fenton would actually like lame and boring. So I started typing, tryingto work in all that stuff she likes, especially stuff about responsibility. I got a few paragraphs into it, but then I couldn’t take it anymore. It all sounded so fake and stupid, not like me at all. But I wasn’t sure what else to try. So I told Mom I had a headache and she let me go to bed early.
    I was worried about my report all day at school, especially when Miss Fenton stopped me in the hall to ask how it was going. I just mumbled something and escaped, and made sure I avoided her for the rest of the day. At that point I was sure my school career—and my riding career—were doomed.
    Despite being grounded, I decided to swing by Pine Hollow right after school. I figured that if I was going to be banned from the stable soon, I might as well spend a little time there while I still could. (Plus, I knew both Mom and Dad had late meetings today and wouldn’t be home until almost dinnertime.)
    It turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. As usual, just being at Pine Hollow made me feel a little bit better. I gave Topside a good grooming and tried to convince myself to go back to the report I had started and keep going. But I still wasn’t sure I could do it. I figured I needed a new angle. But what?
    Then Carole and Lisa helped me come up with the answer. We were doing a few chores in the tack room and talking as we worked. All I could think about was my stupid report, so that was what we were talking about. (Mostly, anyway—Carole kept drifting off to other topics, like Starlight’s training, Starlight’s feeding schedule, Starlight’snew horseshoes … Hey, but you remember Carole, right? The phrase “one-track mind” was practically invented for her. Not to mention the phrase “horse-crazy.”)
    So when she wasn’t talking about Starlight, Carole kept saying how Miss Fenton couldn’t possibly understand why I had been so distracted unless she understood how I feel about horses. And I guess that’s true, since a lot of my distractions lately have had a lot to do with horses and riding. Although if Carole went to Fenton Hall, she would realize that Miss F can have a pretty one-track mind herself when it comes to grades.…
    Anyway, Carole’s point was that she thought my report should be all about horses. She even volunteered to let me use her favorite photo of the three of us (me, Carole, and Lisa, that is) on horseback. It’s a really good picture—Carole’s dad took it a few months ago at one of our Horse Wise meetings. (Horse Wise is the name of our Pony Club, in case I never told you that.) Carole thought the picture would make a perfect cover for my report.
    Lisa wasn’t convinced about the horse thing. She kept saying I should make sure my report is very well written and complete, because she thinks teachers usually care just as much about
how
you write something as
what
you write. That doesn’t make much sense to me, but I guess Lisa should know. After all, she’s the straight-A student, beloved by every teacher she’s ever met. It’s a good thing she goes to the public school instead of to Fenton Hall, or Miss Fenton would probably give up on me altogether!
    But the point is, talking with my friends actually inspireda fantastic brainstorm. (The Saddle Club works that way a lot—the three of us seem totally different, but we can make each other think in ways we wouldn’t otherwise.) Carole’s idea about including the horse photo made me realize that a report doesn’t have to be just boring words. Lisa’s suggestions reminded me of some of the things Miss Fenton said to me and made me see that she would probably be wowed by any extra creative effort I put into this project, no matter what it is. (I hope so, anyway.)
    So here it is: I’m