had taught her and varying her speed by bending
her knees.
She had passed Brian, Molly, Brittany, Julie, and Sarah
several times on the slopes, but none of them had paid any attention to her.
They were all too caught up in their new friendship with each other to notice
her.
Now Brittany was in the room getting her outfit together for
dinner, choosing the perfect sweater to go with the perfect skirt, in case
Marcel was there. Brian had gone to the room the boys shared, but their parents
and Alicia were playing a game of Go Fish at a small table in the corner of the
girls' room. There was no way she could call her friends now.
She glanced at Todd, who was sprawled on the floor, reading
a ski magazine. His cheeks were bright red from being in the wind on the upper
slopes.
Beth peered over his shoulder, wondering if she could pick
up some pointers.
"What are you reading about?" she asked.
"Skiing," Todd answered without looking up.
"I figured that," Beth said. "What's the
article about?"
"Emergency procedures," Todd said, glancing at
her. When Beth looked puzzled, he added, "It's about what to do if you're
skiing on a mountain and you hurt yourself."
He turned a page, and Beth saw a picture of two crossed skis
sticking up out of the snow, like the ones Marcel had put in the snow when
Charles had fallen. It was a kind of SOS for injured skiers, according to the
caption under the picture.
Beth made a face. "That's depressing. What other
articles are in there? Anything about how to improve your technique?"
"Yeah," replied Todd. "You can read it when
I'm through."
"Thanks," Beth said.
The telephone rang, and Brittany grabbed it immediately. She
talked excitedly for a moment and then cupped her hand over the mouthpiece.
"Is there time for tennis before dinner?"
Her mother glanced at her watch and nodded. "A couple
of hours. We'll have dinner around six."
"Great!" exclaimed Brittany. "Yes," she
said into the phone. "Brian and I will be there in a few minutes."
She hung up and ran to Brian's room. In a minute she was
back. "We're changing for tennis," she announced, and then looked at
Beth thoughtfully. "You can come, too, if you want to, Beth."
"Me?" Beth asked in surprise.
"Yeah, with you there'll be an even number of players.
With only five someone would have to sit out."
Nothing like feeling welcome, thought Beth. But at least it
was better than hanging out with Todd and Alicia.
After they had changed, the three of them hurried along the
hall and through the corridor that connected the tennis and swimming pool
bubbles with the rest of the complex. They met Julie, Molly, and Sarah halfway
there.
"This is going to be great," Brittany said.
"We'll play tennis with the beautiful snowcapped mountains all around
us."
"It sure is—" Julie started to say. She stopped at
the entrance to the swimming pool and stared. There was Marcel in his swimming
trunks, heading into the pool area, a towel tossed over his shoulder.
Brittany took in a sharp breath and let it out again with a
long, "Ohhhhhhh!"
Julie spun toward Brittany. "I'm suddenly in the mood
for a swim. What do you say?"
"I'm with you!" said Brittany.
"What?" cried Brian. "What's with you girls,
anyway? I mean, you can't seriously mean that you'd rather sit around the pool
with Marcel than play tennis with me."
"Get serious, Brian," said Brittany.
Molly put her arm around Brian and put her head on his
shoulder. "We'll play tennis. Just the two of us. It'll be fun."
Brian shrugged and let Molly lead him into the tennis
bubble.
Okay, Beth thought. Looks like I'm swimming. I sure wasn't
invited to play threesome tennis. She followed Brittany back to their room and
changed into her swimsuit. By the time she was ready, Brittany had already left
for the pool, so she walked back to the bubble alone.
She pushed open the door to the swimming pool bubble and
stepped into the hot, steamy air. She could see Brittany, Julie, and Sarah
standing at the edge of the pool,
her knees.
She had passed Brian, Molly, Brittany, Julie, and Sarah
several times on the slopes, but none of them had paid any attention to her.
They were all too caught up in their new friendship with each other to notice
her.
Now Brittany was in the room getting her outfit together for
dinner, choosing the perfect sweater to go with the perfect skirt, in case
Marcel was there. Brian had gone to the room the boys shared, but their parents
and Alicia were playing a game of Go Fish at a small table in the corner of the
girls' room. There was no way she could call her friends now.
She glanced at Todd, who was sprawled on the floor, reading
a ski magazine. His cheeks were bright red from being in the wind on the upper
slopes.
Beth peered over his shoulder, wondering if she could pick
up some pointers.
"What are you reading about?" she asked.
"Skiing," Todd answered without looking up.
"I figured that," Beth said. "What's the
article about?"
"Emergency procedures," Todd said, glancing at
her. When Beth looked puzzled, he added, "It's about what to do if you're
skiing on a mountain and you hurt yourself."
He turned a page, and Beth saw a picture of two crossed skis
sticking up out of the snow, like the ones Marcel had put in the snow when
Charles had fallen. It was a kind of SOS for injured skiers, according to the
caption under the picture.
Beth made a face. "That's depressing. What other
articles are in there? Anything about how to improve your technique?"
"Yeah," replied Todd. "You can read it when
I'm through."
"Thanks," Beth said.
The telephone rang, and Brittany grabbed it immediately. She
talked excitedly for a moment and then cupped her hand over the mouthpiece.
"Is there time for tennis before dinner?"
Her mother glanced at her watch and nodded. "A couple
of hours. We'll have dinner around six."
"Great!" exclaimed Brittany. "Yes," she
said into the phone. "Brian and I will be there in a few minutes."
She hung up and ran to Brian's room. In a minute she was
back. "We're changing for tennis," she announced, and then looked at
Beth thoughtfully. "You can come, too, if you want to, Beth."
"Me?" Beth asked in surprise.
"Yeah, with you there'll be an even number of players.
With only five someone would have to sit out."
Nothing like feeling welcome, thought Beth. But at least it
was better than hanging out with Todd and Alicia.
After they had changed, the three of them hurried along the
hall and through the corridor that connected the tennis and swimming pool
bubbles with the rest of the complex. They met Julie, Molly, and Sarah halfway
there.
"This is going to be great," Brittany said.
"We'll play tennis with the beautiful snowcapped mountains all around
us."
"It sure is—" Julie started to say. She stopped at
the entrance to the swimming pool and stared. There was Marcel in his swimming
trunks, heading into the pool area, a towel tossed over his shoulder.
Brittany took in a sharp breath and let it out again with a
long, "Ohhhhhhh!"
Julie spun toward Brittany. "I'm suddenly in the mood
for a swim. What do you say?"
"I'm with you!" said Brittany.
"What?" cried Brian. "What's with you girls,
anyway? I mean, you can't seriously mean that you'd rather sit around the pool
with Marcel than play tennis with me."
"Get serious, Brian," said Brittany.
Molly put her arm around Brian and put her head on his
shoulder. "We'll play tennis. Just the two of us. It'll be fun."
Brian shrugged and let Molly lead him into the tennis
bubble.
Okay, Beth thought. Looks like I'm swimming. I sure wasn't
invited to play threesome tennis. She followed Brittany back to their room and
changed into her swimsuit. By the time she was ready, Brittany had already left
for the pool, so she walked back to the bubble alone.
She pushed open the door to the swimming pool bubble and
stepped into the hot, steamy air. She could see Brittany, Julie, and Sarah
standing at the edge of the pool,
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