Will Andi Lose Taffy? - April Story Prompt

 by Lydia age 14

Six-year-old Andi Carter was mad. She was mad at Johnny Wilson. Really mad. 

Johnny was a bully. He loved to tease Andi. Right now, she could hear his taunting voice. “Hey, Andi! I heard your brother's gonna sell Taffy to Sam Simpson!” 

Johnny had been teasing Andi all of recess. Now he’d gone too far.

Andi stiffened. “Chad wouldn’t sell Taffy!” she hollered. Taffy was her little foal. 

Johnny smirked. “Yes, he would!”  

“No, he wouldn't!” Andi huffed. 

The bell rang for the end of recess. Andi ran in before Johnny could say anymore. 

“Johnny Wilson's mean,” Andi thought, clenching her fists. She swung at an imaginary Johnny. 

“Hey!” Whoops. Andi had hit her friend Cory by mistake. 

“Sorry.” 

It didn't make Andi feel any better to have punched Cory.

 All through the afternoon, Johnny's words haunted Andi. 

“Chad's gonna sell Taffy, Chad's gonna sell Taffy!” Johnny's sing-song voice kept repeating in her mind.

 Andi shook her head. She wouldn't think about it anymore. 

After school was out, Andi stayed near her big sister Melinda. Older sisters were good for some things. Johnny wouldn't tease Andi when Melinda was there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Andi was happily currycombing Taffy. She had forgotten all about Johnny. And his teasing.   

“Taffy, I’m gonna bring you outside for a walk.”

 Andi opened Taffy's stall door. “Come on, baby Taffy.” 

Taffy stepped out of her stall. Andi walked toward the outside door. Taffy followed.

 At the big half doors that led outside, Andi stopped. Maybe I can get Riley to come with me to walk Taffy, she thought. Riley was Andi’s friend. 

Standing on tiptoe, Andi looked over the bottom part of the door. 

No Riley in sight.

He must be helping our Spanish Cook. Andi wished he could spend all his time playing with her, but Riley had to help out at the cookhouse.

 Andi did see one thing though. A lone rider coming was her way. Something about the figure made Andi feel sick. 

She recognized the rider - and that's what scared her most. It was Sam Simpson! Johnny was right. Chad’s going to sell Taffy! 

Andi shoved Taffy back from the door. “Taffy, come quick!” 

Andi had an idea–a wonderful idea. She would hide Taffy. There were empty stalls in a very back corner of the stable. She could put Taffy there. Chad wouldn't see her. Then he couldn't sell her. 

Andi hid Taffy in the darkest corner she could find. She spread an old faded horse blanket over her filly so Taffy’s bright coat would be less visible. Then she scurried outside. She had to change Chad's mind about Taffy, fast. 

For the moment, Taffy was safe. 

Before she reached the house, she heard someone yelling. 

“Hey, Andi!” her friend Riley ran toward her. “Wanna walk Taffy around the pasture?” 

“No.” Andi stomped up the porch steps. 

“What's the matter with you?”

“Chad's selling Taffy.” 

Riley's mouth dropped open. “Taffy's yours. Chad isn’t selling her.” 

“Yes, he is. Sam Simpson is going to buy her. I saw him ride up.” 

Riley grinned. He started to say something. 

“It's not funny!” Andi hollered. “Johnny Wilson said he was.” 

Riley kept grinning. “No one's going to buy Taffy. Johnny Wilson was just teasing you.” 

“No he wasn’t!” Andi was mad at Riley for not believing her. “I saw Sam Simpson ride up. I saw him! He's talking to Chad right now.” 

“Not about buying Taffy. It's about buying one of your brother's four-year-old colts.”

 Andi blinked. “He's not selling Taffy?”

 Riley's grin turned to a laugh. “Nope. I heard Uncle Sid and Chad talking about it. Besides, Taffy's yours. Chad won't ever sell her.” 

Andi silently came down the steps. 

Just then, Chad and Sam Simpson stepped out the door. Andi rushed to Chad. 

“You won't ever sell Taffy, will you?”

 Chad scooped her up. “Why of course not! What gave you that idea?”

 Andi didn't answer. She was too happy to. She looked down at Riley and smiled. 

Taffy was hers, hers for always.