My Secret Unicorn (6 page)

‘I hope so,' Lauren replied. ‘I bet she'll offer to help if she thinks I'm ill.'

‘I'd better be careful I don't step on her toes with my hooves then, or fidget too much when she's grooming me,' Twilight said.

Lauren looked towards the farmhouse in the distance and thought of Hannah asleep in bed. Would their plan work?

In the morning, Lauren was woken up by the sound of Twilight whinnying loudly outside. She lay in bed for a moment, still half-asleep and trying to get her thoughts together. She was sure there was something she had to remember…

Her eyes blinked open. Of course! She sat up. They were putting their plan into
action. Jumping out of bed, she went to her window. Twilight was standing by the fence, neighing.

Lauren heard the sound of Hannah's door opening just along the corridor. She raced back to bed and jumped under the cover just in time.

There was a tap at the door.

‘Yes,' Lauren said.

‘Lauren, it's me, Hannah.' The door opened and Hannah looked round it. ‘Twilight's whinnying like mad outside.'

‘He must want his breakfast,' Lauren said, making her voice sound weak. ‘I should get up but I don't feel well at all.'

‘What's the matter? Do you want me
to get your mum?' Hannah asked, looking worried.

‘No,' Lauren said quickly. ‘I feel sick. If I could just lie here for a bit I might start to feel better.'

Outside Twilight whinnied again, even more loudly.

‘Oh dear, I suppose I'd better get up and feed him and Magpie,' Lauren sighed. ‘I guess I can always come back to bed afterwards.' She began to sit up.

‘No, wait, Lauren. I can feed them for you,' Hannah offered. ‘Don't get up.'

‘Are you sure?' Lauren said.

‘I'll be fine,' Hannah said briskly. ‘You mustn't get up if you feel ill. Look, just tell me what to feed them.'

‘A scoop of bran and one of pony nuts and some soaked sugar beet,' Lauren replied. ‘When Magpie's eaten he can go out in the field. Oh, and,' she added as Hannah nodded and began to turn away, ‘I usually groom Twilight after his breakfast, but of course you don't have to do that…'

‘It's fine, Lauren,' Hannah interrupted. ‘I can easily groom him. You just rest and get better. Don't worry about a thing. I'll go and get dressed.'

She left the room. Lauren went to the window and gave a thumbs-up sign to Twilight. He whinnied and headed for the gate.

Lauren put her dressing gown on and
then sat on the window seat and watched what was happening. She saw Hannah get to the field and start bustling about, feeding Twilight and changing his water.

As Twilight drank from the clean water bucket, he snorted and sprayed her with water droplets. Hannah smiled and pretended to scold him. Lauren felt a buzz of hope. Hannah looked like she was enjoying herself.

Hannah turned Magpie out and then she fetched the grooming kit and tied Twilight up to the fence.

As she crouched down to brush the mud off his legs with the bristly dandy brush, Twilight nudged her in the small

of her back with his nose. She almost overbalanced. She grinned and said something to him. He looked at her cheekily.

Hannah straightened up and rubbed his face. He pushed his nose against her chest. For a moment, Hannah looked uncertain what to do, then she smiled and gave him a quick hug.

‘Well done, Twilight!' Lauren whispered under her breath.

Hannah removed Twilight's waterproof rug and took the soft body brush out of the grooming box. As she settled down into a regular rhythm of sweeping the brush over his coat and then cleaning the bristles on a metal curry-comb, a look of happiness gradually settled on her face.

Twilight sighed happily and as she brushed his neck, he turned his head to rest his muzzle on her shoulder. Hannah paused and gently tickled his nose. He blinked up at her and she kissed him.

Lauren felt like shouting in delight. Twilight was doing a brilliant job at showing Hannah how great ponies were.
She jumped to her feet. She couldn't stay in her bedroom any longer. She had to go downstairs!

Pulling on her jeans and sweatshirt, she hurried outside.

Hannah was grooming Twilight. She looked round when she heard Lauren's footsteps on the path.

‘How are you feeling?' she asked in concern.

‘Much better,' Lauren said. She decided to take a risk. ‘Thanks for helping, Hannah. You can leave me to finish stuff off here if you want.'

She held her breath as Hannah hesitated.
Please don't say yes; please don't say yes
, she thought.

Twilight snorted and nuzzled the older girl's arm.

‘Well, I don't mind helping you,' Hannah said slowly. ‘It's been fun doing stuff this morning.'

‘Well, I'd love a hand if you don't mind,' Lauren said.

‘No problem,' Hannah replied.

Lauren got another body brush and they finished grooming Twilight together and then they started on Magpie.

‘Are you planning on riding this morning?' Hannah asked.

Lauren nodded. ‘I'll ride Twilight first and then I guess I'll have to ride Magpie.'

‘Or I suppose I could come for a ride with you,' Hannah suggested. ‘Then you
wouldn't have to ride both of them. I'd need to borrow a hat though.'

‘I've got two,' Lauren said quickly.

Hannah patted Magpie. ‘Well, why don't we do that?'

‘Cool!' Lauren agreed casually but inside she was jumping up and down in delight. Twilight snorted and she knew he was really pleased too.

The two girls went inside and had a quick breakfast of toast and apple juice and then they hurried back outside. As they tacked the ponies up, Magpie fidgeted in excitement.

‘He seems quite lively,' Hannah said as the piebald pony swung his head up and down. She looked slightly nervous.

‘You can always ride Twilight if you want,' Lauren offered.

‘No, no, I'll be fine,' she said determinedly.

As they mounted, Magpie leapt forward. Hannah tightened her reins and he shook his head.

‘He'll settle down as soon as we get going,' Lauren said, hoping she was right.

But as they rode up the path to the woods, Magpie jogged and sidled sideways. Hannah tensed in the saddle and tightened her hold on his mouth. He tossed his head, trying to loosen the reins. ‘Steady,' Hannah muttered, digging her knees into his sides. She looked embarrassed to be having problems.

‘Maybe if you give him more rein he'll settle,' Lauren said helpfully.

‘I know how to ride, Lauren,' Hannah said.

They reached the sandy track and Magpie jumped forward excitedly. Hannah pulled at his mouth. He chucked his head in the air and she lost a stirrup.

‘Easy, boy!' she exclaimed as she tried to get it back.

Lauren rode Twilight up alongside the young pony, hoping to calm him, but as she did so, a rabbit shot out from the undergrowth and raced across the path.

Magpie shied violently.

‘Hannah!' Lauren cried in alarm as Hannah lost her balance, the reins slipping through her fingers.

‘Whoa!' Hannah gasped.

She grabbed at the reins. But she wasn't fast enough. Snatching the bit between his teeth, Magpie plunged forward and began to gallop down the track.

‘Hannah!' Lauren yelled as Magpie galloped around the bend in the path with Hannah struggling to stay on.

‘Come on, Twilight! Quick!' Lauren exclaimed, leaning forward and urging Twilight on. He broke into a canter but Magpie was bigger and faster than Twilight and as they rounded the bend,
all they saw was the empty track ahead of them.

Lauren's heart pounded. Hannah obviously couldn't stop Magpie. What if she fell off and was hurt? What if Magpie injured himself? Oh, this was all her fault. She should never have tried so hard to get Hannah riding again.

‘Faster!' she urged Twilight. She ducked under some overhanging branches, expecting at any moment to come across Hannah lying injured on the path.

Twilight raced around the next corner and snorted in surprise. Magpie was standing at the side of the track with Hannah safely on his back. She was patting his neck and talking soothingly to
him. She had regained her stirrups and looked completely in control.

Magpie shied in surprise when he saw Twilight galloping round the corner but Hannah immediately calmed him.

‘Are you OK?' Lauren demanded as Twilight slowed down.

‘Fine,' Hannah called. ‘Sorry for letting Magpie bolt off like that. I should have

stopped him earlier but I lost my stirrups.' She stroked Magpie's neck, her eyes glowing. ‘He's a fantastic pony. So fast! And as soon as I got my reins and stirrups back, I managed to stop him. He's really responsive. I should never have tried to keep him on such a tight rein. I guess I was just feeling nervous. It was really dumb of me.'

Lauren looked at her cousin's happy face and felt a wave of relief. Hannah didn't look upset at all!

‘Should we carry on?' Hannah said. ‘I'd love to find somewhere to have a proper canter – with my stirrups this time!'

Lauren grinned at her. ‘Sounds great to me! Come on, the track widens out just
round the next bend and there're some logs to jump.'

They had a great time cantering through the woods and jumping over fallen logs. By the time they got back to the farm, Hannah's face was flushed and she was looking very happy.

‘Oh, Lauren! That was the best ride!' she said as they rode back down the track to the field, the ponies now walking calmly on loose reins. ‘I had so much fun! I'd forgotten how great riding could be. Can we go out again tomorrow?' She glanced at Lauren. ‘Maybe we could see if your friends want to come with us?'

Twilight snorted happily and Lauren
patted him. Their plan had worked! ‘Of course we can,' she told Hannah.

Hannah smiled happily and they rode back to the farm.

They spent the rest of the morning doing pony things – cleaning tack and sweeping out the tack room – before going inside for lunch.

‘My nail varnish is really chipped,' Hannah said, looking ruefully at her hands as they washed up the dishes after lunch. She grinned. ‘Oh well, never mind. I guess I can do it again.' She glanced at Lauren. ‘I could do yours too, if you like.'

Lauren smiled back. ‘OK.'

‘Cool!' Hannah said. ‘Let's go upstairs.'

They took it in turns to paint each other's nails while they listened to Hannah's music. To her surprise, Lauren found it fun. She grinned to herself. Looking down at the magazines on the bed, she wondered if one day she'd be just like Hannah and be into bands and music and stuff. Perhaps things always did change, just like Mrs Fontana said. Waving her fingers in the air to dry them, she went to the window and looked out at the field where Twilight and Magpie were grazing side by side. One thing she knew wouldn't ever change was how much she loved ponies. She was
never
going to need to be reminded of that!