When Uncle Drew gave us the weather report, I told Gaga how excited I am to get to Park City and see the snow-covered mountains. As soon as I said it, I felt kind of bad. I wanted her to know I was excited, but not for the reason behind the trip. “What I meant to say is that I’m excited to go on the trip but that I wish it were under different conditions.”
Gaga laughed. “The ski conditions are excellent. What more could you want?”
I frowned. Gaga knew I meant her condition. She wrapped her arm around me. “No need to be a drama queen. Just enjoy the trip. Deal?”
“Deal,” I said.
Aunt Lilly just told us all to pack it up. It’s time to go to our gate. To be continued . . . mountainside.
9:02 p.m., Park City time
(11:02 p.m., Faraway time)
In bed
It has been a very long day, starting at 3:45 a.m. Faraway time, which is 1:45 a.m. Park City time, which means I’ve been awake for . . . way too long. If I weren’t so tired, I’d do the math to figure out just how long that is. At least we’re here.
We landed in Salt Lake City this afternoon, and of the twenty-four bags we checked, only one was lost, and it belonged to Amanda. She was going on and on in the airport about how bad things always happen to her—boyfriends break up with her, airlines lose her luggage. Gaga reminded Amanda there are worse things, which shut Amanda up. The good news is that the airline found her bag and delivered it to our condo tonight.
After we got our bags, we rented two giant vans and drove to our condo in Park City. As we drove through the mountains on the way to Park City, I couldn’t believe how huge and beautiful they were. It was even more incredible than seeing them from the plane.
Our condo is awesome. When Gaga saw it, she said she’s happy that it’s even nicer than the pictures she saw online. Then she said we should all thank Willy for that. Apparently, he spent days looking for just the right place.
Good job, Willy.
Once we’d unpacked and settled in, Mom, Aunt Lilly, Aunt Lila, and Gaga went to the grocery store to get food and supplies. The dads and kids went to rent boots and skis, which was harder than it sounds. I’ve never tried on ski boots before. “These are the most uncomfortable things I’ve ever had on my feet,” I said to Fritz, the guy who was helping us with the fitting.
He smiled. “You’ll get used to them,” he said. “Walk around inside for five to ten minutes. They’ll feel awkward at first, but you’re good as long as there aren’t any uncomfortable pressure points.”
“Why does your name tag say ‘Bend, Oregon’ on it?” June asked Fritz.
Fritz smiled. “That’s where I’m from. The people who work here come from all over the world,” Fritz explained. “We think it’s interesting for our guests to see where we’re from.”
“I agree,” said June, nodding like she approved.
Fritz laughed then got back to boots and skis. He had everyone walk around in ski boots.
“Your boots need to be snug,” said Fritz. “Make sure your heel stays in place when you bend your knees and lean forward against your boots.”
“Huh?” I was completely confused.
“Your boot connects you to your skis,” said Fritz. “If you have too much wiggle room in your boot, your skis won’t respond properly to your movements. Does that make sense?” he asked.
“Not really,” I said.
Fritz adjusted the settings on my boots and told me I was good to go.
When we got back to the condo, the moms had dinner ready. We ate Caesar salad and spaghetti and meatballs. I don’t know if it was the cold mountain air or if I was just hungry from a long day of travel, but everything tasted particularly delicious. After dinner, Gaga asked if anyone wanted to stay up and watch Frozen with her.
“We do!” said Charlotte like she was speaking on behalf of her sister and herself.
“That’s our favorite movie,” said Izzy.
Aunt Lila told them it was too late and that they needed to go to bed so they’d be fresh and ready to ski tomorrow. When Aunt Lila said that, Izzy pointed to Gaga. “She has cancer. Shouldn’t she go to bed too?”
“Izzy!” said Aunt Lilly.
But that didn’t stop Izzy. She looked at Gaga. “You said you have cancer, but you’re not acting like it.”
Aunt Lilly looked horrified. I knew she thought the words had come out of her niece’s mouth were completely unacceptable, but Gaga laughed. “How do you think someone who has cancer should act?” Gaga asked Izzy.
“I don’t know,” said Izzy.
“Neither do I,” said Gaga. “So I’m just going to keep acting the way I’ve always acted.” She gave Izzy a big hug.
Amanda, Sophie, and I went to the room we’re sharing, and Sophie has still been quiet as we’ve been settling in. But Aunt Lilly just came in and told us it’s lights out in five.
Tomorrow we hit the slopes, which I’m sure will be fun. For now, all I can think about is one thing . . .
Sleep!
If I fall I just get back up
and keep going.
—Lindsey Vonn
Sunday, March 22, 7:45 p.m.
DAY 2
At the condo
Having finished my first day on the slopes, I have a lot to write about! I don’t want to sound like Uncle Drew, but the weather today was so amazing, it would be a shame not to describe it in detail. It was cold, crisp, sunny, and clear. It snowed while we were sleeping, so when we woke up, the mountains looked like they were covered with clean, white, fluffy blankets. That sounds weirdly poetic, but it was true. Everything around me was just so bright and beautiful.
All in all, it was a fun day, so I don’t want to sound like the voice of negativity when I say that showing up at ski school with sixteen other people clad in matching green pants and jackets and neon-orange ski caps was embarrassing. But it was. Actually, we weren’t all wearing neon-orange ski caps. Gaga ran out of orange wool by the time she got to hers, so she used whatever “bits and pieces” she had, which meant her multicolored cap distinguished her from the rest of the group.
“We’re here,” Gaga announced when we arrived.
“We see that,” some kid said loud enough for his friends to hear, and they all cracked up. I don’t blame them. We looked like we were dressed for a costume party.
Harry, Sophie, and I were all put in the same group with a girl from New Jersey named Mia. Thomas (from Cologne, Germany), who was in charge of the ski school, said the groups were based on age more than skill, but that both were a factor.
When Amanda heard that, she told Thomas that even though we’re not chronologically the same age, she, Sophie, and I are inseparable and that she really wanted to be with us. (1) That’s a total lie. I would never use the word inseparable to describe Sophie’s or my relationship with Amanda, and (2) I thought for sure Thomas wouldn’t agree to her plan, but he did. He said ski school should be fun for everyone.
Once May heard Amanda was in our group, she wanted to be in it too, since she and Amanda are only one grade apart in school. But then May told Thomas that even though she’s younger, she’s more skilled than any of us.
“How can you say that?” I asked her. I reminded her that none of us have ever skied, including her, which means it’s impossible to know if she’s more skilled.
“True,” said May. “But as soon as we hit the slopes, I’ll be better than any of you. Just watch.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s obnoxious,” I said. May is a great athlete—we all know that. But I was offended by her pronouncement of greatness. Thomas, however, loved it.
“I always like a kid who is up for a challenge,” he said. Then he told her she could not only be in our group, but that he was going to teach us himself. I think some kids in other groups were kind of bummed we got the head guy, but May was ecstatic. She high-fived Thomas and told him she was ready to go.
We said good-bye and good luck to Gaga and Willy. They were taking a group lesson wit
h some other seniors. As we were heading out, I heard Gaga tell their instructor, Skye (from Taos, New Mexico), that she ready to kick some senior butt. Thomas heard it too. I thought it was pretty funny. I’m not sure he thought so. As we were leaving, he told Skye to keep an eye on Gaga.
We got our lift passes and all went outside. Thomas showed us how to put our boots into our bindings and balance on our skis. Then he demonstrated a wedge position, with skis pointed inward, to control the speed. When everyone in our group was comfortable with the feel of being on skis, we went to the top of the bunny hill. But as soon as we got there, I found out our group would be doing more than just skiing. At least, one of the people in our group would be, and that was Mia.
The whole time Thomas was explaining what we’d need to do with our shoulders, poles, and skis and how to maintain our wedge position and shift our weight as we went downhill, Mia was talking to Harry. Thomas even had to ask her to stop talking and listen to what he was saying. But apparently it didn’t embarrass her. “I’m a big talker,” she said.
“We can see that,” said Thomas. I thought it was a semipolite way to tell her to shut up, but she didn’t get the message.
“You said ski school should be fun for everyone,” Mia reminded Thomas.
“Right,” he said. “Just try to listen while I’m talking so you’ll know what to do.”
“Sure,” said Mia. “But just so you know, I can talk and listen simultaneously.”
“Cool,” said Thomas, but clearly he wasn’t impressed.
When it was time for our first run, Thomas told everyone to smile. “I want to see those pearly whites.”
“You have great teeth!” Mia said to Harry when he smiled. Then she scooted her skis closer to his and they went down the hill together.
“Was she flirting with my brother?” Amanda asked as she set off down the hill.
When we got to the bottom of the hill, she got her answer.
Mia held up a mittened hand and high-fived Harry. “That was awesome! You’re a really good skier,” she said.
Harry smiled this goofy grin. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“I think Mia likes Harry,” I said to Amanda as we settled into a chair on the lift behind Mia and Harry. She made a face like the thought of it made her nauseated. I didn’t want to point out the obvious, but Harry seemed to be just as into her as she was into him. They stayed side by side as our group spent the rest of the morning on the bunny hill perfecting our technique.
Mia even sat with us at lunch, which wouldn’t have been so bad, except that she kept staring at Harry. At first I thought she was staring at the mustard he had on his lip, but she wasn’t. When we were eating the cookies we’d gotten for dessert, she turned to Harry and said, “Your eyes are even nicer than your teeth.”
“Eww,” said May.
Amanda made a retching sound.
I laughed and so did Sophie. She’d seemed pretty happy when we were skiing, but this was the first time I’d heard her laugh in a while and I was glad to hear it. Mia ignored the comment, the sound effects, and the laughter. She didn’t seem embarrassed at all as she asked Harry if his eyes were blue or green.
“Depends on what I’m wearing,” Harry told her.
Then they had this long discussion about what color clothing made his eyes look blue and what colors made them green. As they talked, it was like they’d forgotten that Amanda, Sophie, May, and I were even at the table.
After lunch, our group worked with Thomas on making turns.
May picked it up right away. After the first time Thomas demonstrated how to make turns, May took off down the hill, doing it exactly the way he’d shown us.
Harry and Mia weren’t far behind. I was kind of surprised Harry was as good as he was. He’s usually uninterested in sports, and it was clear he was giving skiing his all.
So was Mia, who told us that in addition to being naturally talkative, she’s also naturally athletic. When she said that, I was afraid Harry was going to make a cheesy comment of his own like that she’s naturally cute too. Fortunately, he didn’t.
Sophie, Amanda, and I all had a harder time mastering turns.
Thomas kept going over the proper technique of how to bend our knees and lean into the turns. I tried bending and leaning like he showed us, but I did a lot more falling than anything else.
“The secret to learning to ski is getting up more times than you fall,” said Thomas.
It took a lot of tries for the three of us to get the technique down. By the end of the day, we weren’t perfect, but we’d definitely improved.
May, on the other hand, was great. When we were putting our boots away, Thomas told her she’s a born skier.
“See, I told you I’d be good,” May said to me.
“That’s just it,” I said. “If you’re good at something, you don’t need to tell people.” I thought I was giving her an important life lesson, but May was more interested in following Mia and Harry into the lodge for hot chocolate.
When we were all seated in comfy chairs around the fireplace, Amanda, Sophie, and I overheard Mia tell Harry that he’s an awesome skier. “That’s the seventh time today she’s used the word awesome in conjunction with Harry,” Amanda said to Sophie and me.
“It’s more like ten,” said Sophie. I cracked up. I don’t know how many times Mia said it, I was just happy Sophie was joking around and acting more like her old self. When we got back to the condo at the end of the day, I went outside with my phone and took a bunch of pictures of the mountains. Then I went in and showered and put on my comfy sweats. We all hung out in the condo while Dad made chili for dinner.
It was a fun day skiing, and it left me unusually happy. I didn’t even get upset when May went on and on about how Thomas said she did amazing for her first time on the slopes, clearly showing she hadn’t heard a word I’d said about humility.
During dinner, everyone was laughing and joking, and it was easy to see that I wasn’t the only one in a happy mood. My Uncle Dusty even made a comment about all the happy faces.
“Must be because of my chili,” said Dad.
“It’s because everyone’s feet are out of their ski boots and in slippers,” said Gaga.
“I think the fresh mountain air is good for everyone,” Aunt Lila added.
“Why don’t we all go around the room and say what our happy thing is?” suggested Aunt Lilly.
“Mom!” Harry and Amanda said at the same time. It was clear they didn’t want to play Aunt Lilly’s game. But all the grown-ups liked her idea.
As everyone started to say what their happy thing was, I waited for my turn.
All the answers were kind of repetitive. Everyone liked the same things—the cold mountain air, beautiful scenery, the feeling of skiing down the mountain, getting hot chocolate, and eating chili.
When Aunt Lilly got to me, I decided to step outside the box. “I liked seeing everyone in a good mood,” I said. I looked at Sophie as I said it. She’s my friend, and today was the first time I’d seen her look happy in a long time. Whatever was bothering her doesn’t seem like it’s an issue anymore.
We spent a lot of time with Thomas today working on turns. My happy thing is that it seems like Sophie’s mood has made a turn for the better.
Choose people who will lift you up.
—Michelle Obama
Monday, March 23, 8:03 a.m.
DAY 3
At the condo
You don’t have to be Nancy Drew to know that something bad went down in Emma’s room this morning. After breakfast, Sophie went in there, and she was smiling. But when she came out, her smile was replaced with a frown. When I asked if everything was OK, she actually grunted at me. I know she wasn’t pretending to be a bear.
“Do you want to talk?” I asked.
“Do I look like I want to talk?” To be perfectly honest, she didn’t. And to be even more honest, after that, I didn’t really want to talk to her. I went into Mom’s room and shut the door. I
sat down on her bed while she was getting dressed.
She eyed me. “What’s up?” she asked.
I’d talked to Mom about Sophie before we came on the trip, but things have gotten worse, not better. I told her how Sophie has been acting so weird and secretive. “I’ve asked her if something’s wrong, but she won’t tell me what it is,” I said. Mom sat down on the bed beside me as she pulled on her ski socks, but she didn’t say anything.
“Do you think you should talk to Emma?” I asked.
Mom finished putting on her socks and looked at me. “I think Sophie and Emma just need a little time and space.”
“If you think that, you must know what’s going on,” I said.
Mom didn’t deny that she did. She looked at me. “Sophie has some news, but it’s hers to tell when she’s ready.”
“Sure,” I said, pretending I understood. But part of me doesn’t. If I was going through something, I’d feel better knowing that my friend cared enough to find out what’s bothering me. It seems like Sophie doesn’t even like that I’m asking. Bottom line: If Sophie doesn’t want to tell me what’s going on, I’m not going to keep asking.
8:59 a.m.
At ski school
Conditions are deteriorating, and I’m not talking about the weather. Everyone in my group is either in a funk or too happy for my liking. I know that sounds absurd, but it’s true.
Sophie hasn’t said a word since we left the condo. Amanda is mad because May, who is a year younger than she is, got moved up a group. I was pretty surprised myself when we got to ski school and Thomas said May was going to be in a more advanced group that he was taking. Then he told us that Sophie, Amanda, Harry, Mia, and I would be in a group with Carmen (from Palo Alto, California), who seems really nice. I can’t say I was thrilled to be spending another day of our vacation with Mia.
She, on the other hand, seemed elated.
“YAY! We’re in the same group!” Mia said to Harry.
“Are you a cheerleader?” Amanda asked.
Mia ignored Amanda’s comment, and so did Harry. He seemed just as happy to be with Mia as she was with him.
#7 A Twist of Fate Page 4