Free Lucky Charm by Annie Bryant Page B

, Katani thought. Everyone she met assumed she played basketball, just like her sister Patrice. But the truth was, Katani wasn’t very good at basketball, or even that interested in sports. She was always the kind of girl who stood in the back hoping that the ball wouldn’t come to her.
    But Claudia didn’t say a word about basketball.
    “Your long legs will go well with Penelope here,” Claudia said, patting the rump of a tall brown horse. “And I’ve got a special little guy for you, Kelley. His name is Wilbur. Would you like to come over and say hello?”
    “Wilbur. Wilbur. Wilbur,” Kelley chanted as she approached the little gray horse with the big soft eyes.
    Claudia laughed. She knew that repeating Wilbur’s name was a good sign. Tentatively, Kelley reached up and touched Wilbur’s soft nose. He let out a soft whoosh . Kelley turned. “He’s talking to me.”
    Mrs. Fields smiled. “Perhaps he is, sweetheart.”
    “We’re going to start by grooming the horses,” Claudia said, grabbing a box of brushes.
    “Grooming?” Katani asked.
    “Yes. First, we’re going to curry their coats.” Claudia slipped a brush over her hand.
    “Curry? Isn’t that a spice?” Katani asked.
    “Yes, but this is a different kind of curry,” Claudia explained, handing Katani an oval brush about the size of her hand. It had a wide band on the back and Katani slipped her hand inside.
    “Are you left-or right-handed?” Claudia asked Kelley.
    Kelley pulled away.
    “She’s left-handed,” Katani said. She held up her hand to show Kelley how the curry fit over her hand.
    “Before we ride the horses, we brush them all over,” Claudia said.
    “Why?” Katani asked.
    “It’s relaxing for us, but especially the horses. Also, it gets rid of any dirt or grit from the paddock. Besides, it doesn’t feel good if the horse has grit or dirt between the saddle and their skin. It could rub ’em raw when we are riding.”
    Katani didn’t want poor Penelope to have raw skin because she hadn’t done a good enough job of grooming.
    “Don’t worry, Katani. Penelope here knows you’ll treat her just right. Why don’t you start brushing her neck?”
    As soon as Katani touched Penelope’s neck, the horse shivered. It was freaky. Katani wanted to pull back her hand. She wanted to run from the stable and climb back into Big Blue and lock the door, but she was supposed to be setting a good example for Kelley. So, she put her hand back on the horse’s neck and softly stroked it with the curry brush. The horse turned its head and its huge, bowling ball eye rolled sideways to see what her new friend was doing.
    Katani took a step back.
    “It’s not going to bite me, right?” she asked softly, under her breath, hoping that Kelley couldn’t hear her.
    She did. “Bite. Bite. Bite away little horsie,” Kelley repeated in a sing-song voice.
    “No!” Claudia assured her. “Penelope here is a real lady.” Claudia reached over and gave the horse another pat. “She’s just getting used to you, just like you’re getting used to her,” Claudia said. Katani stepped forward and began patting Penelope’s neck. “Okay, girl, you’re going to be my friend.”
    Claudia showed Kelley how to make long, strong strokes and told her to always brush the hair in the same direction. Claudia had Kelley come up and stand next to her. Together they brushed Wilbur, who stood perfectly still like the little gentleman that he was. When Kelley was finished, she threw her hands around the horse’s neck and laid her head down on him. “Wilbur, Wilbur, Wilbur,” she sighed.
    Meanwhile, Katani paused as she reached Penelope’s rump. “You want me to brush back here?”
    Claudia chuckled at Katani’s expression. “Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of warning. But be careful to never stand directly behind a horse. They can’t see back there and if they get scared, they might kick.”
    “Whoa.” Katani made sure that she stayed to the side of