Stardust and the Daredevil Ponies

Stella stuck her head round the corner of the first bunk room. It had three single beds. “I bagsy this bed!” she cried, flinging herself on the best bunk underneath the window.

“I’ll go here then!” Kate said, heaving her bags up on to the bed closest to the door.

That left one more bunk in the room. Issie looked at it. Then she looked over at Natasha. The snooty blonde was milling about out in the hallway, pretending she wasn’t even slightly interested in the sleeping arrangements.

If Issie took the third bunk, she realised, she would be sharing a room with Stella and Kate, which was great. But that also meant Natasha would be left out, all by herself in the other room. Issie picked up her bag. “Hey, Natasha?” she said. “Do you want to come with me and check out our room?”

Natasha looked at Issie with grateful eyes. “OK,” she said cheerfully. She grabbed her bags and began to walk ahead of Issie down the hall. Then she turned back and added, “But don’t get any ideas because I’m having the bunk by the window.”

As Issie unpacked her bags and filled the chest of drawers next to her bunk, Natasha opened the windows for some fresh air and fussed about the state of the bed linen, which was “cheap cotton, not proper Egyptian like at home” and the bunks, which were “like concrete and totally impossible to sleep on”.

“You didn’t have to come, you know!” Issie snapped, but as soon as she said it, she wished she hadn’t.

Natasha stopped unpacking. She glared at Issie. “Why did you ask me then?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you ask me to come? Was it just because you needed another rider?” Natasha sneered. “You must have been desperate. I know you and Stella and Kate don’t actually like me, so it’s not like you asked me because I’m your friend or anything…”

“Natasha, no, it wasn’t like that…” Issie began, but Natasha cut her off.

“I know what you all think of me, you know. I’m not stupid. You think I’m stuck up just because I go to a private school.”

“Well…” Issie began, uncertain what to say to this.

“I know you say horrible things about me,” Natasha insisted. “Well, not you so much. You aren’t so bad, I suppose, Issie. But Stella is always being mean to me.”

“But, Natasha!” Issie protested, “you always say mean things to her too! You kind of bring it on yourself, you know.”

Natasha shrugged at this. “Anyway, you don’t have to share a room with me. I don’t care. Go ahead if you’d rather be with your friends.”

Issie shook her head. “No. It’s OK, honest. I don’t want to move,” she said. “I like this room. I think it’ll be fun to share together.”

This seemed to cheer Natasha up a bit and she began to unpack her clothes, laying them carefully into the drawers.

“I’m glad your mum let you come,” Issie said.

“Oh, Mummy was desperate for me to come!” Natasha said. “She couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”

“What do you mean?” Issie was confused.

“You mean you don’t know?” Natasha looked shocked. “I thought everyone had heard about it.” She began to pull random things out of her bag, throwing her T-shirts violently into the drawer. “My parents have split up. They’re getting a divorce. They’re so busy arguing with each other, they barely notice that I’m in the room.” Natasha’s face was flushed with embarrassment. “I thought that was why you asked me to come. I thought your mum made you ask me because of the divorce.”

“No,” Issie said. “No, I didn’t know. Mum didn’t make me ask you–I just thought, well, I thought we might have fun.”

Natasha seemed to perk up a little at this. “You know,” she said as she arranged her hairbrush and lip gloss on the dressing table, “it will be fun! It’ll be like a sleepover.” She was smiling. “I’ve got loads of treats like chocolate fudge in my bag for us to share. We can eat lollies and tell ghost stories and…ohmygod! Argghh!”

Natasha leapt up on to her bunk squealing with fear as three enormous dogs suddenly bowled into the room; their claws scratched against the wooden floorboards as they ran about panting, sniffing and slobbering.

“Ewww! Get them away from me!” Natasha howled.

“Strudel! Taxi! Nanook! Lie down!” Issie ordered. The dogs obeyed immediately and dropped down on the floor, lying perfectly still with their heads on their paws.

“Aunty Hess?” Issie called out. “Is that you? I’m in here!” Through the doorway behind the dogs came a glamorous woman with shoulder-length, curly blonde hair, dressed in black jodhpurs and a crisp white blouse.

“Isadora! My favourite niece!” Hester beamed as she grabbed Issie in an enormous hug. Issie found herself squished in her aunt’s arms, drowning in the familiar scent of Chanel perfume.

“Aunty Hess! It’s so good to see you again!” Issie said. She turned to Natasha. “Aunty Hess, I want you to meet my friend Natasha from pony club. She’s a really good rider.”

“Hello, Natasha. How terrific to have you here!” Hester smiled.

Natasha smiled back stiffly. “Thank you,” she replied.

“And these are Hester’s dogs,” Issie said, finishing her introductions. “This is Nanook,” she explained, pointing to the shaggy black Newfoundland, “and Strudel,” she said, patting the golden retriever. “And this one is Taxi,” Issie said, scratching the black and white cattle dog behind the ears.

Natasha looked nervously at the dogs and still didn’t get down off the bunk.

“Good boys! Outside now!” Hester instructed the dogs–and the three of them leapt up immediately, tearing off out the door.

“Are you girls unpacking? There’s time for that later. Right now you’re coming with me,” Hester said firmly. “Go and get the others. It’s time to meet the horses.”

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