Saddle Sore by Bonnie Bryant Page B

“It’s not difficult.”
    “Monica.” Mrs. Hopkins voice was low but urgent. “Monica, honey, you can’t go.”
    “Of course I can,” Monica said.
    “If Mr. Foreman had room for five people, I’m sure he can find room for six,” Kate said.
    “Darling, it would just be too dangerous,” Mr. Hopkins said, agreeing with his wife.
    Monica tossed her hair over her shoulder. Her eyes were blazing. “Dangerous for whom?” she said. Lisa blinked. It seemed to her that Monica was coming alive before her very eyes.
    Both Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins seemed flustered. Lisa could tell they were only trying to protect their daughter.
    “I’ll be sitting in a boat!” Monica practically shouted. “I’ll be wearing a life vest! How many legs do I need?”
    Stevie started to say something, but Lisa jabbed her into silence. This was between Monica and her parents.
    “It’ll be a big change for you,” Monica’s mother said. “It’s not that we don’t want you to do things—we just don’t want you to get hurt. Your balance will be different now.” She paused. “It’s not going to be the same.”
    “It’s
never
going to be the same,” Monica said,in a quieter tone. “I won’t get hurt, at least I’ll try not to. But I really want to do this. I’ve got to start doing things. I am different now. I’m going to be different forever.” She bit her lip. “Please, Mom.”
    Mrs. Hopkins brushed a tear from her eye. “Okay,” she said at last. “We’ve always trusted your judgment. We’ve always been able to. If you want to do this, go ahead.” Mr. Hopkins nodded.
    “Thank you,” Monica whispered.
    Mr. Devine came back into the room, beaming. “All set,” he said. “There’s even room for Christine, if she wants to come.”
    “All right!” Monica said. Lisa didn’t realize until that moment that Monica must know Christine from earlier trips to the ranch.
    “I’ll call her,” Kate said.
    “Why don’t we ride over and ask her instead?” Stevie asked. Lisa caught her breath. For a moment she thought Stevie had forgotten about Monica, but then, looking at her friend, Lisa realized that Stevie knew exactly what she was asking.
    “You too, Monica,” Stevie said. “It’s an easy ride. Come with us.”
    Monica flushed again. “I know, I’ve ridden toChristine’s house,” she said. She began to stammer. “I—I’d like to—but no—I don’t—”
    Emily half stood, then fell to the ground. Her crutches became tangled in the legs of her chair, and the chair fell on top of her with a humongous clatter. “Blast,” she said from beneath the rubble. “All I was trying to do was stand up. Maybe I’m not Superwoman after all. Lisa, could you move the stupid chair?”
    Lisa picked the chair up and gave Emily a hand. “Thanks,” Emily said. She set her arms firmly in the cuffs of her crutches. “That’s better.”
    “Monica,” Stevie said, pressing for an answer.
    Lisa looked up and saw to her surprise that Monica and her parents were staring at Emily. Emily stared back.
    “What’s wrong with you?” Monica asked her.
    “I fell over,” Emily said indignantly. “I lost my balance and crashed. Please tell me it’s never happened to you.”
    Monica’s face softened in apology. “No,” she said. “I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. Why do you have crutches? Why are you wearing those leg braces?”
    “I have cerebral palsy,” Emily said. From her tone Lisa knew that Emily was still miffed.
    Monica looked amazed and her parents had their mouths open like fish. “But you can’t have cerebral palsy,” Mrs. Hopkins said. “You’re the little girl we saw galloping all over the prairie.”
    Emily’s anger turned to astonishment, and then to something like happiness. She laughed out loud. “You really didn’t notice!” she said. “You never
realized
I look different!”
    “But you
don’t
,” Monica said. “I mean, I guess you do now, a little bit, if I look close.”
    “Give me