Prize Problems Read Online Free Page B

hawk.
    â€œNot yet. Grace rides at the riding school presently, don’t you Grace?” Before Grace had the chance to speak her mother continued, shaking her head, “I’m hoping this vacation will improve her confidence and get her going a bit. Honestly, when I was her age I was galloping about and leaping on and off ponies all day. Grace doesn’t take after me, that’s for sure!”
    Grace just stood there, sucking her hair—probably grateful she didn’t take after her mother. I felt sorry for her. What was her mother still doing here? I’d have died if my mom had come and hung around, voicing her disappointment with me to anyone within earshot. Annabelle seemed to feel the same way.
    â€œWell, Mrs. Sharpe, I’m sure you have a long drive home, and you can see that Grace is fine with us. We’ll take good care of her, won’t we girls?”
    â€œHiya!”
    We turned to see a girl with long, reddish blond hair, lots of black mascara and pink lip gloss climbing over the gate. Behind her, another girl tried to open the catch, her short, curly blond hair wobbling as she struggled.
    â€œI’m Amber!” exclaimed the climber, leaping down and trotting toward us with a grin. “And this, if she ever gets here, is my sister Zoe.”
    We introduced ourselves—Grace’s mother introduced Grace, adding that her daughter was a bit shy and she didn’t know where she got it from.
    No one else knew either.
    Amber continued to grin at us. She and Zoe were a couple of years older than me and Bean, and looked fun.
    â€œWe’d rather you went through the gate, dear, instead of over it,” said Annabelle, smiling away like a ballroom dancer. “It’s awfully bad for it.”
    â€œTold you!” said Zoe, scowling at her sister. “Unless you climb at the hinge end, it makes the gate drop.”
    â€œOh, why do you always have to be right all the time?” moaned Amber, her shoulders sagging.
    â€œYou never pay attention, we’ve been told about gates before,” Zoe said huffily.
    Amber blew a defiant raspberry. “Phew,” she said, running her fingers through her hair, “all this fuss over a gate! Have we met before?” she asked, looking at me quizzically. “Only you look really familiar.”
    I shook my head. I couldn’t help thinking how Amber was the perfect name for her—her hair was the color of petrified tree resin. I would have remembered meeting someone as striking as her, I was sure.
    â€œCome and have some refreshments,” offered Annabelle, and we all followed her into the chill-out room where drinks were set out on a table. A big, black, fluffy cat sat on one of the three sofas, pony posters adorned the walls and there were horsey books and magazines scattered all around. I had hoped there’d be some food, I was starving!
    â€œCool place!” exclaimed Amber, reaching for a Coke.
    â€œHave you got a pony?” Ellie asked her.
    â€œNo, worst luck!” Zoe interrupted, stroking the cat. “It’s our dream to get one—maybe one day.”
    â€œI’m getting one—a show jumper,” said Ellie. “I expect I’ll win lots of ribbons and cups on mine.”
    â€œI’m sure you will, dear,” soothed Annabelle, still smiling.
    â€œI just want a pony to love, I don’t care about winning stuff,” Amber said bluntly, shrugging her shoulders. “I really want a chestnut with four white legs.”
    â€œOh no, Amber, you know I want a dun,” moaned Zoe, tickling the cat under the chin. The cat purred like a coffee-grinder and Annabelle told us he was called Soot.
    â€œYou could do with being a bit more ambitious, Grace,” said her mother, giving her a poke. Grace’s lack of reaction suggested poking was normal behavior.
    â€œNow you’re all here I can tell you about the fun we’ll be having during the next five