Horse Gods: The Dressage Rider’s Betrayal

Since I’m going to be staying in Maryland, Aunt Sophia has to enroll me in the high school near Wade’s house. At least I’ll know one person here. Maybe two, if bird boy shows up. The secretary frowns at her computer screen. Her desk is covered with frog statues. The wall calendar has pictures of exotic frogs. She kind of looks like a frog with a wide mouth and eyes that bug out. She hands my aunt about a zillion forms to fill out, and Aunt Sophia asks about a zillion questions. A bell rings and kids pour into the hallway. I check each face, hoping to spot Cory. Most walk head-down like zombies, staring at phones. A few glance up at the large glass wall surrounding the office. One guy in a neon green-and-white rugby shirt forms his lips into kissing motions, so I give him the middle finger salute.

“Mrs. Zaccarro, you say that Regina is not your daughter, correct?” the Frog Queen asks Sophia. “You’ll have to present legal guardian documentation and…” Her voice drones on as poor Aunt Sophia flushes and digs through her purse for all the papers she has on me. My papers, like a dog at the pound.

I go back to staring out the window. That’s when I think I see him. A flash of camo behind a big girl in a dark blue hoodie. The bird guy. He’s not wearing a hat, and I see now he has red hair, like mine. No. His hair is even redder.

I’m out in the hall before I know what I’m doing. Miss Froggy calls after me, something about not leaving the office without an escort, but I just keep walking.