Whatever After #4: Dream On by Sarah Mlynowski Read Free Book Online Page B

says, failing to notice that Tom doesn’t sound excited. “That’s why we were on our way to your house. Do you know where Shaznay the fairy lives?”
    He hesitates. “Yeah,” he says eventually.
    Bri smiles. I’m shocked to realize that it’s the first time I’ve seen her smile since I’ve met her. Why doesn’t she smile more? Is she that unhappy? She has a nice smile — I didn’t realize she has a dimple on her left cheek. “Can you show us the way?” she asks.
    “I guess I can,” he says, sounding pretty unhappy himself. I get it — if Robin or Frankie wanted to sleep for a hundred years my feelings would be hurt, too. Best friends are supposed to want to spend time with you — not never see you again. “It’s far, though,” Tom adds. “We’re going to need horses.”
    “Let’s go to the stable,” Bri says. She motions to me, Jonah, and Tom. But then she blocks Felix with her arm. “You’re not coming with us.”
    Felix juts out his chin. “Yes I am. If you don’t let me, I’m telling Mom and Dad that you’re trying to find Shaznay.”
    She sighs. “Fine. You’re so annoying. Come on.”
    The stable is between the south and west towers.
    Bri gestures toward the stalls. “Pick whichever you want.”
    There are about twenty horses, all neighing, all smelly.
    “Um, Bri?” I ask. “Aren’t we all getting on one horse?” That’s what we did when we were in the story of Snow White. We all climbed on one gigantic horse that took us around.
    Bri saddles one of the horses. “Why would we do that? No. We’ll each take our own. You know how to ride, don’t you?”
    “Yes,” Jonah declares.
    “You do not,” I snap. “We don’t.”
    “I’m sure it’s not that hard,” Jonah says, jumping on his toes. And I mean toes literally, since he still has no shoes on, only socks with holes in them.
    “It’s easy,” Bri says. “You don’t have horses in Smithville? How do you get places?”
    “Our parents drive us in cars, which are carriages with no horses. Or if we’re on our own, we take our bikes,” Jonah says.
    She leans in eagerly. “What’s a bike?”
    “It’s a seat on two wheels. You pedal to make it move.”
    “That is so cool,” Bri says. “I wish I had a bike. I bet there’ll be bikes when I wake up from my hundred-year sleep.”
    I notice that Tom frowns when she says this.
    “Could be,” I say. “But what are we going to do right now?”
    “You’re going to get on Petals,” Bri says. “That’s Petals, not Pedals. Although maybe we should change it to make life more exciting around here.”
    I don’t know. In my opinion, life is pretty exciting around here as it is.
    Bri places a stool on the ground next to a horse. She motions for me to step up on the stool and helps me up onto Petals/Pedals’s saddled back. “If Felix can do it, so can you.”
    Felix is already on a horse, wooden spoon in hand.
    “There’s a good boy,” Bri purrs to Petals/Pedals.
    My breath catches in my throat as I try to steady myself.
    DO NOT BE AFRAID! ALSO, DO NOT FALL OFF!
    Petals/Pedals doesn’t look so scary. He’s kind of cute. His mane is chocolate-brown and silky-looking. I just wish he were closer to the ground.
    I carefully — oh so carefully — reach out to pet him. Awwww. He’s soft!
    “Hello, sweetie,” I say. “You’re not so scary, are you?”
    “NEIGH!” he roars.
    I close my eyes and scream.
    “You’ll be fine,” Bri assures me. “I’m right beside you.”
    I slowly unclench my eyes. Everyone else is already on horses, staring at me. “Ready,” I say, pasting on a grin. I am holding on to the reins so tight my knuckles have turned white.
    “Off we go!” Tom calls back. He leads the way.
    We trot through the opening of the gate and onto a dirt road. We pass other, smaller houses as we ride. Most of them have rose gardens, too, but none are as colorful or as plentiful as the gardens at court.
    The clouds are gray but at least it doesn’t