"Hello, Mrs. Madden!" Alli and Kiori said in unison. I just stood there looking like a dead fish. "How many times do I have to tell you, call me Beezie! And is this Mia? I've heard from her previous instructor that she only gets first and second place in her shows! But remember, Mia, the key to being a great rider isn't a fancy horse or blue ribbons, but confidence and ability." I blushed and smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Beezie." I shook her hand firmly. "GIRLS! Lesson time!" We said our goodbyes and sprinted out. Our horses, already groomed and tacked up, stood in the three rows of crossties. Kiori was riding Firebird, a Hanoverian gelding with a black star. (I don't know if that's possible, but this is fiction.) Alli rode Pixi, a small, cremello Welsh pony with four white socks. I was riding a Belgian Warmblood gelding named Guitar, but everyone called him Guy. We rode into the arena like we were in a parade. "Ki, I want you to work on the serpentine pattern. Alli, you work on trotting with Mia. Let's get to work!" Ann shouted, pointing to where we were supposed to ride. The radio sitting on the fence played an Irish jig. I urged Guy into a trot, and he did it within a few strides. I posted alongside Alli, who had taken her feet out of the stirrups and started doing the jig with her feet. "Fancy footwork, Richards, but don't you think you should focus more? I mean, if you want to be advanced like me," Victoria yelled smugly. "oh, Mia, you're riding Guy? He looks a mess. And the neon breeches, Kiori? Looks retro ugly to me." I leaped to their defence. "You sound smug. Did you know smugly includes the word ugly? Just sayin'." She scowled, and I trotted around the ring. After the lesson was over, Ann suggested that Kiori, Alli, and I sleep over. We called our parents and they brought our pajamas. My mom brought me my giant makeup kit and we all grabbed a sleeping bag and filed into the back room.
