calls her Aunt Jane She owns Storm Cliff Stables It’s the best horse camp I gave her my puppy dog pout Pleeease let me ride her Pretty please with a cherry on top She shook her head Rules are rules You can ride Sapphire when you’re older I pressed my face against Sapphire’s Not fair I whispered Her ears turned forward She was listening Aunt Jane tugged on one of my curls You just got here You’ll fall 6
in love with at least a dozen other horses this summer Layla grabbed my suitcase She plopped it into a wagon Besides we already have a horse for you Really What’s her name You’ll know soon enough said Aunt Jane Go unpack Unpack That’s boring I said I wanna meet Layla’s nostrils flared Rules are rules Ya know what happens if you break one I folded my arms What 7
You go home said Layla Then she and Aunt Jane laughed But I didn’t laugh How could I when I was already a rule breaker Me Carly Rose Jacobs At least that’s what my teacher said last year Who got caught chewing gum in class Me Who left a library book in the rain Me Who doodled on her desk with a glittery gel pen Me Me Me 8
My teacher called my mom A lot But that was second grade I’m almost a third grader now Can’t I just Nope said Aunt Jane I didn’t even finish my sentence If I changed the rules for you I’d have to change them for everyone I hate rules I muttered as she walked away Layla wrinkled her nose How about we find your bunkmates She tapped her chin Kianna Gabriela and 9
