Clip-Clop Chronicles: Volume 2: Clip-Clop Chronicles, #2

By Angelica Witherspoon-Cassanova

Over the summer, chocolate rider Roz (as she likes to call herself) made big strides in her personal equestrian journey; she started a new business, beat her nemesis, Zoe, in her first-ever Beginner Novice event and won the support of her family - a family who didn't believe riding horses was a sport, let alone a sport in which Black people participated.

After hearing a rumor that she will soon be getting her very own horse, Roz secretly prepares for her new equine partner, Gator. Though she quickly learns how tricky it can be planning for something that she's not supposed to know about. Focused on keeping a positive mindset, Roz presses on.

During her preparations, Roz is tested by her family. They believe riding horses is not that hard, and make a bet that they can easily learn how to ride. As they are all athletes, Roz finds herself doubting her own riding abilities and fearing that her family may be right. On top of that, Roz has been paired with Zoe for a class project, forcing the enemies to put aside their differences for the sake of a good grade. If Roz can keep her plans secret, prove to her family that riding is harder than it looks, and work with Zoe without punching her in the face, this may be the best Christmas yet. It's not going to be easy, but with the help of her twin sister Estelle, her best friend Cristy, and her new friend Jazzy, it just might be possible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Angelica Witherspoon-Cassanova
• Release date: Dec 31, 2019
• ISBN: 9780998681344

Book preview

One

I started a new business making guava jelly. My new business allowed me to earn enough money to pay for an equestrian competition. I competed in my very first beginner novice horse trial and came in first place, beating about twenty other more seasoned riders.

I paused and looked up just in time to see Zoe roll her eyes.

Most importantly, I earned the support and respect of my family. They compete in track and field events, and prior to this show, they didn’t consider riding horses a sport.

A series of beeps sounded out. My time was up.

And those were the highlights of my summer vacation, I said quickly and sat back down in my seat.

Thank you, Roz. That was a lovely summary, Mrs. Schwartz said and led the class in a round of applause.

Eighth grade started nearly four months ago. Mrs. Schwartz was my language arts teacher. She had fair skin, with freckles and red, curly hair. Every Friday, she chose one student to stand up in front of the class and speak for two minutes about a subject she assigned. It was her way of helping us to become quick thinkers and better public speakers.

My topic was Summarize what happened over summer vacation. Two minutes was hardly enough time to talk about everything. I made sure to hit the most important points. Mostly, about beating Zoe in the show. It was never good to gloat, I knew that. But one, it was the truth. And two, I didn’t call Zoe out by name, so it wasn’t like I was actually gloating.

If I had more time, I would have also talked about spraining my ankle, the hurricane that changed everything, surviving an encounter with Ghost – the, giant, infamous fire breathing horse (okay, not really) and the fact that I was finally getting my very own horse! Technically the horse was a pony, but he was almost horse height.

After nearly four years of my equestrian journey, I was finally going to have a steed to call my very own. An actual animal. Not like Snapper, who was my-lawnmower-make-believe-horse. Don’t get me wrong, Snapper served me well. He helped me to raise money for my riding lessons, while also helping me with my balance. But then, he got crushed by a tree. No fake horses. A real-live, living, breathing steed was on the horizon for me.

There was just one thing. Okay, there were quite a few things. One, I didn’t actually have the horse yet. Two, I wasn’t for certain that I was actually getting one. And three, I wasn’t supposed to know anything about this surprise horse. So, preparing for a horse that I wasn’t sure was coming, while keeping it secret from the parents was very tricky.

Two

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school, I was supposed to wait for my twin sister, Estelle, to finish track practice. She and a few other cousins were on many teams, including the school team.

The mild Florida winters allowed them to practice all year long. When she was finished, Gloria (otherwise known as our mother) would pick us up. Jerrod (our father) was the alternate chauffer when he wasn’t away working on a cruise ship.

While Estelle worked out I was given two options: spend the two hours in the library finishing my homework or sit at the track and finish my homework. Neither were very fun and both involved homework. Although, I guess there was another option. I could join the track team. But, that was out of the question. My sport was riding horses. My family’s sport was running track. I was the ‘white’ sheep of the family, since our family was Black or African-American depending on who you asked.

Homework was what I was supposed to do during track practice. And that’s what I did, most days. During the Friday practices, I had other plans.

Since I had found out about my soon-to-be, but currently non-existent horse, I prepared for him little by little. Friday practice was when I snuck away and went to the Handy Hunter.

The Handy Hunter tack shop was fairly close to my school. It would probably only take about twenty minutes to walk. Time was not on my side. So, I started taking the bus. The ride was about seven minutes. There was a bus stop right outside the school’s boundaries and students rode for free. The only problem was that it could be seen from the practice track field. The very practice field where my sister and cousins practiced.

The past two Fridays were successful. I was able to make it to the bus stop before the track team made it to the practice field. Then I was able do my shopping and make it back well before anyone could discover my secret. Today everyone was on the field earlier than normal.

With my back-pack straps pulled tight, I kneeled down and tied my shoes and kept watch from my hiding place under the bleachers. My new plan was to run as quickly as I could when I saw the bus down the street. My hope was that the team would have their backs turned or were so busy with their training that they didn’t see me. It was more of a ‘this might work’ than a ‘solid plan’, but it was all I had.

When I stood up, Estelle’s eyes met mine. She held up her hand as a shield from the sun. What are you doing? she mouthed to me. Nothing, I mouthed back. Then she gave me a thumbs up and went back to practice.

I felt bad that I was keeping this little secret from her. We never kept secrets. I would tell her tonight. In the meantime, I could hear the bus in the distance. My excursion was going to need a little bit more James Bond skills than I actually had.

And then I heard a voice say, What are you doing creeping down here?

Three

Iturned around and it was my cousin Genevieve. Genevieve was tall and slender with beautiful dark skin and a short hair cut. She was about four years older than I was. It didn’t make sense for her to be here. She ran track, just like the rest of the family. But she didn’t normally practice with the younger athletes.

Um, I was just staying out of the sun. Before I get started on my homework, I replied. And because I was hoping to keep the focus off me, I asked What are you doing here?

I agreed to help the junior team today, since my tendonitis flared up again and I’m supposed to be resting it. One of the practice jerseys got caught in the wind and flew up under the bleachers. I’m just looking for it, she replied.

Oh, I started. Now I could see the bus rolling up the street. Well, I’ll help you. Maybe it went down this way, I said and moved closer to the exit.

Before I could get too far, Genevieve grabbed me by the backpack stopping my forward momentum.

Nope. What are you really doing down here? And you better not lie to me or I’ll tell the entire family you want to join the track team, she whispered to me.

I don’t know why you’re whispering or what you think I’m doing, but why would you even play like that? You know me and running don’t get along, I replied.

Fine. Then tell me the truth because you’ve got that shifty look in your eyes, she said.

I opened my mouth to answer and she took me into a choke hold. It wasn’t a tight one and I could breath just fine, but while I was detained, she tickled me.

Laughter spilled from my face and it would not stop. My side began to hurt; I could hardly catch my breath. Then the tears welled up in my eyes. Genevieve was extremely good at tickling. While she continued, the bus rolled past the school.

Come on little sheep. Tell me the truth or be prepared to tell Auntie Gloria why you peed your pants, she said with a laugh. I think she was having just as much fun doing the tickling as I was getting tickled.

Okay, okay, I finally choked out between laughing and trying to catch my breath. I’ll tell you, just stop!

She released her grip from around my neck. A few more waves of laughter surged through my body before I could compose myself enough to talk. Can you keep a secret?

Four

As it turns out, Genevieve was able to keep a secret. She made up something to tell the coach, which I didn’t hear and then agreed to drive me to the Handy Hunter. It was the least she could do since time was winding down and I had missed the bus because of her. For a few minutes she wondered around the tack shop asking what this was and what that was. When her phone rang, she said she’d be in the car waiting.

Some months ago, I ordered a show jacket that came in the wrong size. I ended up purchasing a different one that was on sale, and received a store credit in return. I was itching to use it! I had already bought a few little things for Gator, but today I was going to get something special.

Our preacher once said that if you’re believing for something, then you should acquire what he called future gifts. Future gifts were things that you could afford now, but only use in the future. When a young couple at church wanted a baby, they bought baby clothes. When my cousin, Mark, was saving for a car, he bought himself a custom steering wheel. Before my other cousin, Becky, bought her house, she bought a set of fancy towels. She vowed not to use them until she was in her new house and she kept that promise to herself.

There was a whole list of future gifts I wanted to purchase. This week’s future gift was a new halter for Gator. Not just any halter, it was THE halter. It was a classic, plain raised, padded halter, with triple stitching, and an adjustable crown. I carefully held the mocha-colored halter before placing it on the counter. The new leather smell lingered in my nostrils. I could feel the soft leather slide through my finger tips.

Would you like to add a brass nameplate to your halter? Mrs. Reed asked.

Mrs. Reed was the owner of The Handy Hunter. She always helped me pick out the right clothes or equipment. And during this secret, ‘future gift’ buying phase, she also allowed me to store the items there.

Yes! Yes, I do want a nameplate, I replied. My horse (okay, pony) would be the most stylish of the ‘four-legs’ at the barn.

The fancy halter and nameplate came to a fancy total of one hundred and fifty-three dollars. With my store credit, I still owed ninety-two dollars. Just like with my first helmet, Mrs. Reed allowed me to pay over time. A twenty-dollar bill left my hand and disappeared into the cash register. The exchange didn’t bother me one bit. I marveled at my newly, almost purchased treasure.

Still can’t afford to pay for your stuff, I see.

It was Zoe. She and her stepmother were also shopping at the Handy Hunter. In my overly distracted state, I didn’t even realize they were in the store the entire time.

Mind your manners, Zoe’s stepmother said half-heartedly. She gave me a little wave then refocused her attention on her phone.

Who’s the halter for? It’s not like you have a horse or anything, Zoe said quietly to me. She stood right beside me now, clearly hoping to keep the conversation free of adults.

Why are you so obsessed with me? I whispered back.

Zoe crinkled up her nose and looked at me like she’d just smelled something awful. Or like I’d just given her one of those special pies from the book (and movie), The Help. The kind of pie that included one unsavory ingredient not meant for human consumption.

You are so delusional, she finally responded, then turned her focus to Mrs. Reed. I’m ready to check out now.

Zoe placed her items on the counter: two quilted saddle pads, one very fancy half saddle pad, a pair of breeches, a pair of spurs and three pairs of leather riding gloves. She laid her pieces out to make sure I could see them in all their glory. What did she need three pairs of gloves for anyway?

I decided I was going to be nice.

Those are really nice breeches. I bet they’ll look good on you, I said as politely as I could and put a smile on my face.

That’s the smartest thing you’ve ever said, Zoe replied.

My smile disappeared. Mrs. Reed scanned her items and her total came up to four hundred twelve dollars and nineteen cents. My jaw dropped.

Then, as she fished out a platinum credit card from her purse, she looked at me.

Jealous? she mouthed silently to me.

I didn’t have a quick response for her this time. I knew about credit cards, but I definitely didn’t have one – especially not a platinum one. And yeah, I was a tiny bit jealous. Especially when I looked at my receipt with a remaining balance of seventy-two dollars printed at the bottom.

Zoe collected her bags and her credit card and left the store. Her stepmother fell in line behind her.

I handed my future gift for my future horse back to Mrs. Reed. After making sure Zoe and her step-mother were gone, I headed to Genevieve’s car. In our five-minute exchange, I began to feel sad about having to pay for things with layaway. It was dumb, I knew that. Having money wasn’t the most important thing in the world, even though sometimes I thought it was. Those thoughts were something I’d have to work on changing.

My money woes disappeared the moment I stepped out the door and looked to neighboring café. What I saw put a fear in me so strong, that I immediately dropped to the ground.

Five

My breath seemed to leave my body. My head began to swirl and everything around me twirled with it. My heart sounded like a Thoroughbred racing around a track. This was the scariest thing I’d ever faced. Much scarier than when Ghost came thundering across the field towards me.

I crawled along the ground and hid behind the column in front of the Handy Hunter. I knew I looked crazy. I felt crazy. Perhaps I was being crazy. One deep breath calmed me down a bit. Maybe what I saw wasn’t real.

Only a moment passed before I gathered the nerve to look up. A quick peek around the column and my fears were confirmed. Through the café window, I saw my parents, Gloria and Jerrod, Mrs. Theele, aka Cristy’s mom, and my riding instructor, Ms. Mae, all sitting together.

Admittedly, I was less nervous about seeing them than I was about them seeing me. If any one of them laid an eye on me, there would be trouble for sure. What I needed was to be invisible. A peek over my other shoulder revealed Genevieve dancing in her car. All I had to do was get to her car without being seen.

I crawled along the pavement like a soldier going through basic training exercises. Staying low was my only goal. Hopefully the brick portion of the outer wall would shield me.

What in the world are you doing? I heard Genevieve say as she hung out from her opened car window.

Shhh! I whispered as loud as I could.

What?

I pointed frantically to the window and the four individuals that could turn this little road trip into a big deal. A VERY BIG DEAL. She looked over and suddenly disappeared back into the car. The engine roared to life. Genevieve poked her head up just enough for me to see her eyes. She darted them to the opposite edge of the parking lot, then back again.

She wants me to crawl backwards? I looked again at the window. Gloria looked my way. I inched backwards. Genevieve put her car in reverse, still slumped down behind the wheel. She