by Julie Solano
I close my eyes, and before I know it the big red numbers are a distant memory. I’m standing behind the starting gate. The buzzer goes off. Why can’t I move? Why can’t I move? I’m stuck. This is so embarrassing. DQ’d on the first race? What the hell?
“Caden. Now! You’re going to be late.”
I pry my eyelids open and look back at the clock. 6:32. “Ugh.” I untwist myself from my flannel sheets and jump down to the floor with a thud. I feel like a fork twisted up with spaghetti. “Coming, geez.” I kick the covers furiously as I start toward the door, all the while whining at my mom. She’s got to be the most annoying alarm clock ever invented. She doesn’t even give me the nine minute snooze time afforded by most standard clocks.
“Step on it. You need to be down there in ten minutes. Here’s a piece of toast.”
I gag when I look at the dry piece of crispy french bread. I can’t stomach the thought of eating first thing in the morning. “You know I don’t eat breakfast.”
“Shove it in there. I’m not letting you leave this house without something in your stomach.” She’s being excessively pushy today, but looking down at my watch, it’s a good thing she is. I’m about ready to miss the bus.
Within ten minutes, I’m showered, have my gear together, and we’re headed out the door. “Are you sure you don’t just want to take my car?”
I fumble for an excuse. “Nope. I heard someone’s been breaking into cars near the school. No use letting a perfectly good car sit in a parking lot all day just waiting to be vandalized.” There. That sounded reasonable, and it’s true. Even Jenna discovered she had a missing flash drive the other day. She swore she left it on the front seat of her car with her research project. The crap high schoolers steal.
My mom’s eyes squeeze together as though she’s questioning my sincerity, then sarcastically she mumbles, “It’s nice to know I’ve raised such a thoughtful son.” I’m sure she thinks I’m just being lazy, but she smiles and plays along, closing the door behind us.
It’s a quick ride down the street. My mom leans over the seat trying to lay a wet, sloppy kiss on my cheek. I pull away, shoving my face into the icy window. “Gross. Your students are probably watching through the windows.” One of the perks of being a teacher’s kid is that you generally face embarrassment exponentially more than any of your classmates.
“You know I’m just messing with you. I know you’re too grown up for mommy’s goodbye kisses. Have fun today, honey. It’s good you’re not racing. You can see how everything works so you’re ready for next time.”
I roll my eyes and turn my head for a cheek to cheek goodbye. I know she was just trying to start my day out with a good laugh, so I humor her. “Yeah, thanks, Mom. It should be great.” I don’t let on how bitter I am that I don’t actually get to race this week. The doctor said he would release me for the next competition, but this race, I’m there to play flag boy. Lame.
When my mom pulls up to the big gym, everyone’s already loaded onto the bus. It’s a little tricky carrying my gear with one arm, but I manage to get my bag and board over to the driver who loads it for me. Coach Rico steps aside so I can get up the stairs, “Hey Woodley, glad to see you made it. We almost left without you.” He stops, looks around the bus, and then back at me. “Good luck finding a seat in there. Slim pickins’ if you ask me,” he laughs. “Hop on in.”
I walk down the aisle looking at everyone, crammed in with their bags, blankets, and pillows. There’s an open seat next to Tessa. Hmm. Not enough room there, too many books. Next open seat is Quenton. He stretches his leg across the seat and looks at me with his don’t-even-think-about-it glare. Moving along then. About three quarters of the way back, I see a seat next to one of our exchange students. This one will be good. “Hey, Lennart, mind if I sit next to you?”
“Yeah, sure. Let me just move my camera.”
“Cool, is that a GoPro?” Yes … More great footage for senior video.
“Yeah, I just bought it. I was hoping we could get some good shots up on the mountain.”
“Sounds cool.” I say, squishing into the seat next to him. “You sure you don’t mind if I sit here? It’s a little tight.”
“To be honest, I was hoping someone would sit next to me, so that guy wouldn’t.” He tilts his head toward the front of the bus, just as the French guy is walking through the door.
I’m confused. “I thought you were buddies. Don’t all exchange students hang out together?”
“Not all of us. Daemon’s in a different program. He kind of does his own thing.”
“Dang, I was hoping you could tell me if he likes my friend, Jenna. He seems to have a thing for her lately.”
“The cute, aggressive blonde on the basketball team?”
I guess other guys would see her as cute. And definitely aggressive. I have to smile when I picture her barreling across the court, stealing the ball from another guard, and going in for a layup. “That would be her.”
“Sorry. No clue.” Lennart shakes his head and looks back up toward the front of the bus. Daemon makes his way down the aisle searching for a seat. When he finally spots one next to Lily, he plunks down across the aisle, one seat up. Lennart watches him sit down and take out a jar of peanut butter. He covers his nose as he turns toward me. “I don’t know how people can eat that stuff. Thanks for sitting here.”
I chuckle, “Any time.”
It’s a quiet hour long ride to the snow park. Most of my teammates have slept the entire way. Well, except for the AP kids, who did their homework by the light of their cell phones. “Make sure you have your bibs on and you’re ready to go,” I hear Coach’s voice boom to the back of the bus. Everyone begins shuffling around, stacking blankets, and closing books. I glance up to see Daemon fumbling with his phone. I catch a glimpse of his background picture. It looks like a swimmer. It’s oddly distorted. Much too puffy to be any of our swimmers. I look again, noticing it’s been enlarged. Oh I get it, he’s so socially awkward that nobody will let him get near enough for a closeup. I accidentally laugh out loud.
“What’s so funny?” Lennart wears a smirk as he quizzes me.
I look down and put my finger to my lips. “Shh. I’m trying to get a better view of something.”
I strain to look back over his shoulder. No way. I squint to make sure I’m seeing who I think I’m seeing. And there it is, blown up large enough to cover the screen, a picture of Jenna cheering behind the diving block. What do you know? He does have a crush on her. I’m going to have fun with this one.
“Grab your stuff, and take a run. We’ll be slipping the course when y’all get back down to the lift.”
My attention snaps back to the front of the bus where our coach is giving instructions. I wonder what he wants me to do while they warm up? I need to have a chat with him. I walk up beside him, waiting for him to give a few of the skiers directions. “Hey Woodley, if you’re up for it, you can take an easy run and feel it out. No tricky stuff. No black diamonds. I’m going to need you for the race next week.”
Schwank! He’s actually letting me strap in?!? A flood of excitement runs over me. I’ll actually get a chance to show some of these people that I wasn’t put on the team for my good looks. “You’ve got it, Coach. I’ll stay off of Coyote for today. Nothin’ but easy stuff.”
“Right. I don’t want to have to answer to your mother if I get you hurt out there. Meet us back here in about twenty. I’ll be using you for flagging today.”
As I’m grabbing my stuff from the bus, Tyler comes up beside me. “You want to take a run with me?”
I’m a little embarrassed that I’m not allowed on Coyote. Typically, that part of the mountain is no big deal, but it does have the most advanced runs in the park. “Well, I’m not sure you want to waste your time with me. Coach Rico told me to take it easy.” I lift my arm, reminding him that I still haven’t been released to compete. “I have to stay on Douglas.”
“No worries. It’s not about speed right no
w.” A devious grin spreads across his face, “It’s more about skill. I spied some hotties from the Mount Shasta team over there.” He points toward the direction of the lift, where a group of four snow angels are stretching on skis. “See what I mean? We’re not going up to snowboard, we’re going up to see who’s under those kick ass racing suits.”
I shrug my shoulders, “I can handle that.”
“You sure?”
“Let’s go Double 007.” This could be fun. I’m up for a little detective work, even if it is just to help out my buddy.
As we make our way to the lift, I watch two of the four Lady Bears standing with their backs to the oncoming lift chair.
“Hurry, dude. Let’s not get too far behind them,” Tyler prods. He bounces around like a puppy waiting for a bone. He really seems to be excited about the view up here. I can’t blame him. It’s always nice to see fresh faces when you’ve been surrounded by the same small litter since kindergarten.
I nod my head and focus on the girls getting onto the lift. There are so many racers swarming this hill that I need to study their suits and helmets so I don’t lose track of them. The two blonds hop on first. Goodbye tight, shiny, blue suits. Next up is the ginger in red and black, accompanied by a curly-haired brunette. Good thing for colorful suits and ponytails, or I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between these four girls. They’re all tiny, little things, with similar frames, and those race helmets make it damn near impossible to tell who’s behind them.
My eyes are drawn to the yellow and black suit. The one that the brunette is wearing. Good taste, Curlicue. Sleek. Sharp. Just like a yellow jacket. Wonder how many people she’s gonna sting out on that course today.
I’m almost knocked off my board when the chair swings around and hits me at the back of my knees. That came around quick. I pull my stare away from the girls and look at Tyler.
“Do you think we’ll find them up there?” He flips his goggles, visibly squinting to get a better look.
“How can you miss them? They look like Christmas ornaments. Just look for the shiny, blue and red. I’m going for the yellow and black. We’ve got this.”
“So, you get one and I get three? Doesn’t sound quite fair,” Tyler laughs. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” he asks incredulously.
“Something tells me the one I’m looking at is enough.”
“If you insist. Are you sure you don’t want to take one more? I feel like the odds are in my favor, here.”
I think about it for a minute. There’s something about that suit and those curls that make the other three girls blur into the background. Her spunky glow definitely sets her apart from the rest. She’ll be the most fun to chase. Not that I’d do anything once I caught her. Just an entertaining fishing expedition. Catch and release.
The lift hitches, as a beginner unloads a few seats up. We progress forward quickly. I scoot forward in the seat, lift my board, and prepare to get off. I’m eager to start tracking the girls, and I know it’s the most fun I’ll have on the mountain today.
I point as the yellow and black streak flies down the hill. “I’ll put my money on the yellow jacket. That chick can move.”
“Good luck catching her,” Tyler laughs as he jumps off the lift. “She’s already halfway down the mountain.” He points his pole at the little black and yellow dot entering a diverging path.
I want to catch her, but I’ve got to be careful. If I wreck, I’m screwed. I have to snowboard smarter, not harder. I make up my mind to take a little riskier, but shorter path. As long as I can control my board, I’ll be fine. “I know a shortcut. Veer left past this sign,” I direct Tyler.
“Got it.”
We fly down the first part of the run, tuck through some trees, and hop over a baby jump. I slow before I hit it, just to make sure I don’t lose my balance and risk re-injuring my arm. I cut across the terrain park and plop down at the end of the run. I know that sitting smack dab in the middle is pretty much the rudest thing I could do, but I’m going for the win.
“That was quick. Are you sure you want to sit there, though?” Tyler looks a little nervous as skiers and boarders alike swish past us like speeding cars on a freeway. “We should probably move off to the side.”
“And destroy my game? Not on your life.” I pat the ground beside me. “Here. Have a seat.”
“This is one of the busiest runs on Douglas. Someone’s going to plow right into us.”
I duck as I feel the wind of another passing racer. Then chuckling, I respond, “I’ll take my chances.”
No sooner does Tyler sit down beside me, than a sheet of snow pelts the back of my head. The force knocks me forward. I shiver as the powder seeps its way down the back of my neck, and into my jacket.
“Hey loser, move off the run. You’re going to kill somebody!” The feisty words come flying from behind me.
That strong, feminine voice. It sounds familiar, but I can’t place it.
I twist back and forth, trying to turn my head enough that I can see who it is. It’s not working. Clearly, she’s standing in my blindspot.
“Just taking a break. Didn’t mean to get you all worked up, sweetie.” Then coughing into my glove I add, “Good skiers know how to turn.”
“Well, good skiers, don’t sit down in the middle of a run.” She pauses for a moment, as I feel her energy getting closer. “Oh, excuse me. I see you’re a boarder. That explains a lot.”
I’m surprised when I see the tight yellow and black suit slowly pass where I’m sitting. It’s her. She doesn’t turn around, but her leisurely speed tells me that she’s up to something.
“If you want to sit around all day, you should go down to the lodge.” She pauses. “You know, come to think of it, I hear they have free babysitting down there. It frees up the mountain for all of us big kids who actually like to ski.” So there’s the little fireball that just pummeled me with snow.
“Well, get a load of you.” I study the pint sized princess in front of me. “You’re not so big, yourself. Actually, I was thinking you look a little like Yoda.” I chuckle. Who is this shrimpy know-it-all, hiding behind all that black and yellow?
Watching her slow to a stop and bend over in front of me, piques my curiosity. I’m intrigued as she drops her poles, and digs around on the ground like a kid in a sandbox. She is one odd character. What is she doing? In one swift streak, I watch as she spins toward me. Before I can comprehend the movement, I’m blinded by white powder. A huge snowball makes a thud, as it splatters against my goggles, completely blocking my vision. “Eat my snowball, you big, hairy wookiee!”
I love how she’s so wittily turned Star Wars into Snowball Wars. But forget about all that. I know that voice. Who is that girl?
By the time I wipe all the snow from my goggles, and get them defogged, the girl is nowhere in sight. Another disappearing act. Damn her.
“That was rough.” Tyler laughs. “How are my odds looking now?”
I can’t help but laugh and sock Tyler in the shoulder. “No one said this game is over. I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve.”
“Well, while you figure out your next move, I’d better get down to the team for warm ups. Coach Rico will pull me from the race if I’m late. I’m sure he’ll go easy on you though, especially if I tell him you just got your ass beat by a little girl.”
I shake my head, as we stand up, “She’s not just a little girl. She’s like a Jedi Master. And at least I got her attention. I didn’t see any of your shiny, little suits coming after you at all.”
“The day’s still young, Woodley. Let’s go.”
Surprisingly, we’re not too late getting back to the team area. Most of the racers are in position, and the rest of us are hanging out ready to assist where needed. I’ve never done this before, so I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. Thankfully, I get a little one-on-one tutoring session. “I’m going to walk you up to your spot so you can see where you’re flagging.” Coach guides me up the h
ill. “It’s giant slalom today, so if they miss a gate or go out of bounds, you know what to do, right?”
“Got it covered.” I feel like such an idiot for not being able to compete. I’m the only guy not wearing numbers, and I stand out like a sore thumb.
“Skiers are up first. I know you’re still learning, so I’m going to pair you with Tyler til boarders are up. That okay with you?”
“Sounds good. I appreciate the help.” I fake a smile. This is lame. I can’t help but feel humiliated by my newbie status. I’m used to being a starter, not a rookie. I wonder how my basketball team is doing today. This coddling stuff is hard to get used to.
A voice rattles over Coach’s radio. “Okay, sounds like they’re ready to roll up at the start. Here you go.”
The announcer comes over the speaker, announcing the first skier. The radio’s sound is muffled, but I can make out that it’s a Mammoth skier. She’ll probably kick butt. Not thirty seconds after I hear the buzzer, swishing skis fly by me. Looking good.
A couple minutes later. I hear the swishing again, and the hitting of gates. “Shiny, blue … one of my ladies,” Tyler raises his eyebrows and subtly waves as she flies past.
“Looked a little shaky on the turn. Seemed like she caught a bit of an edge.” I mutter to Tyler.
Skier number three comes down. Again, when she nears our gate, she bobbles a bit, but catches her balance.
I hear chatter on the walkie talkies. “Looks like the girls are having a bit of trouble around Gate 13.”
I survey the ground to see if there’s anything noticeable that may be causing the trouble. “Looks okay to me,” I say to Tyler, just as skier four runs over the top of the gate, and tumbles down the hill. I grab her skis and take them to her. I hate that I’m laughing, but it’s this nervous thing I have.
“Not funny, jerk.”
“Sorry,” I hand her the skis. “I wasn’t laughing at you. I swear.”
“Whatever.” She clips into her bindings and finishes her run.