The Great Pony Hassle Read Free Page A

one.”
    â€œSneak!” Had Paisley been snooping in her room? Looking in the bottom drawer?
    â€œI can’t help it if you’re going to leave that ugly green one lying under the edge of your bed where I can see it from the hallway. Nice braid job you did with the mane and tail. But isn’t that plastic hair icky? Wouldn’t you rather braid a real live pony’s mane?”
    â€œYou can take your pony and—”
    â€œAnd ride,” said Paisley dreamily. “Here. C’mon. Carry this, and I’ll let you ride Noodles sometimes when I get him.”
    â€œI’m not going to even touch your rotten pony!”
    â€œSure. Whatever you say. But you’re going to carry this roll of wire, or else I’m going to tell your grandmother the things you say about me and Stirling.”
    Staci carried the wire over her thin arm. It was heavy and made her arm ache like her heart all the way home. Right after a late lunch, in the hottest part of the day, Paisley went out to start putting up her fence.
    Staci and Toni watched from their bedroom window and snickered. One thing about having Grandmother Dill in charge: She might not let girls get away with much, but there were some things she didn’t know. She had never thought to tell Paisley to spray herself with Bug-Off before she went out to the back lot. But Staci and Toni knew: It was the steamiest time of year, and the grass was crawling with chiggers. No-see-ums. The teensy, tiny red bugs with a big, big bite. And Paisley would not notice until it was too late.
    From their air-conditioned room the Fontecchio twins watched Paisley McPherson walking around, planning her pasture, and finally starting to drive the stakes into the ground, working hard to hoist the heavy sledge. Paisley stomped when she walked, like a boy. Sweat stuck her dirt-brown hair limply to her head.
    â€œShe’ll be going crazy by bedtime,” Staci said happily. She knew how chiggers scooted under clothing to bite in the most personal places. She knew how chigger bites itched like fire and lasted for weeks. Until that morning she would not have wished chigger bites on anybody.
    â€œWhat did she do to you?” Toni asked in awe. But Staci couldn’t tell her about Noodles. She just couldn’t find the words. It felt odd, having something in her heart that she couldn’t tell her twin.
    â€œShe’s a pain, that’s all.” Staci changed the subject. “How did it go with Stirling?”
    â€œOkay. We played rummy. We talked some. Stirling’s okay. It was kind of fun.”
    Great.
    â€œShe’s not very much like Paisley,” Toni added after a silence.
    â€œDid she say why she didn’t want a pony?”
    â€œI didn’t ask her.” Toni shrugged. “Maybe she doesn’t like horses and stuff.”
    â€œAsk her next time.”
    Toni gave her twin a surprised look. “Ask her yourself!”
    â€œI bet she’s scared of ponies,” said Staci grumpily. “She looks like she’d be scared of everything .”
    Toni seldom argued with Staci. She didn’t answer.
    After a while she said, “Did you know their father had a heart attack a couple years back? Before that he was a real grump, Stirling says. Never did anything but work, never had time, too busy making money. But ever since, he’s been like a different person. He just wants to be with them and do things for them.”
    â€œLike buy ponies,” said Staci sourly.
    â€œHe has a lot of money. Now that he’s married to Mom …” Toni hesitated, but finally said it. “I bet we could have ponies too.”
    â€œI don’t want his stupid ponies,” said Staci.

4
    In Which a Good Use Is Found for Oatmeal
    â€œI don’t believe this!” Paisley wailed. “Seventy-three! I’ve got seventy-three bug bites. I counted.”
    Grandmother Dill, who seldom showed much feeling, was