itâs okayâand if you donât want your suitcase stepped on . . .â
âOops!â Livi said. âOh, right. Robin said weâre supposed to help Brooke move in.â
âChill out, Jess!â Hannah called to the older girl. âWeâre moving it.â
âWhatever.â The older girl let herself into a stall nearby.
âThatâs one of the olders,â Livi told Brooke.
At Brookeâs confused look, Paige giggled. âOlder campers, she means,â she said. âWeâre the youngers, theyâre the oldersâfourteen and up.â
âYeah. Except Robin has to change the age rule next year so I can stay with you guys,â Hannah said. âNo way do I want to be stuck with those losers!â
They all laughed. Brooke smiled weakly. âUm, my stuff . . .â
âYeah, weâre on it. Come on.â Paige dashed off down the aisle with the other two on her heels.
By the time Brooke caught up, Hannah had already picked up Brookeâs saddle. âWhat brand is this?â she asked. âIs it a close contact?â
âUm, I donât know. The lady at the store said it was made in England, I think?â Brooke wasnât about to explain how sheâd saved up for almost a year to buy the saddle at the local consignment shop, or how it had been the only one in her price range that wasnât actually coming apart at the seams.
âMade in England is good,â Paige said quickly. âI mean, mine was made in France, but I also looked at some from England. Come on, the bunkhouse is this way.â She grabbed Brookeâs duffel and slung it over her shoulder, pulling her red hair out from under the strap in one smooth, practiced movement.
Livi was already wandering off with Brookeâs suitcase and grooming bucket. Brooke picked up her sleeping bag and pillow and followed.
The other girls led her to a cute clapboard cabin behind the barn. It had green trim and a lush rose vine clamberingup one side and over the roof, the soft flowery scent of the pink blossoms filling the air.
âIsnât this cool?â Livi said over her shoulder. âThe olders are stuck in Bunkhouse A, which is bigger and has a bathtub, but itâs way over on the other side of the house.â
âYeah, Iâd much rather be near the horses,â Paige added, waving a hand at the barn just a few yards away, across a narrow strip of lawn.
Hannah shrugged, patting her dark hair. âI donât knowâI wouldnât mind having a bathtub.â
âYouâd need the tub if you were in Bunk A,â Livi said with a giggle. âBecause if you were that close to the house, your horrible off-key singing in the shower would totally wake Robin up!â
That made all three of them laugh. Brooke forced a smile. It was pretty obvious that these girls were good friends. Where did that leave her?
The cabin was basically one large room with four bunks. Suitcases, clothes, and other things were strewn across all four of the beds.
âOops, guess weâd better move our stuff off Brookeâsbed.â Paige quickly grabbed a couple of shirts and tossed them onto one of the other bunks.
Hannah picked up a pair of breeches. âYeah, sorry,â she told Brooke. âLike we said, we didnât know you were coming at first.â
Livi giggled. âWe were figuring weâd use Laurenâs bunk as our closet this year.â
âBut thereânow itâs all yours.â Paige grabbed one last handful of clothes, then kicked a pair of tall riding boots out of the way.
âHey, those are my new customs!â Livi protested, swooping in to rescue the boots.
Meanwhile Hannah dumped Brookeâs saddle on the bed. âYou should probably unpack later,â she said. âCome show us your horse!â
âItâs a pony,â Livi informed the other two. âA Chincoteague pony.