instead of "mademoiselle,"
and he had said, "See you tomorrow."
Beth smiled to herself. You bet he would!
CHAPTER 8
For the next couple of days the skiers in Beth's class
progressed well with their lessons. Marcel showed them how to parallel ski
instead of snowplowing and moved them from the beginner slope to the
intermediate. Beth was thrilled with her own improvement and felt she was
beginning to look as if she knew what she was doing.
Besides that it was thrilling to be on the mountain and look
down on the tiny lodge and miniature people far below.
Most days the air was chilly, but the sun was warm. She felt
vibrant and alive schussing down the slope with the wind in her hair and the
sound of the snow crackling under her skis. It was great, and even though she
was alone most of the time, The Fabulous Five were never far from her thoughts.
What were they doing? Were they having a ball at Winter Carnival? Did they miss
her?
Several times she had wanted to try phoning them again. But
each time, something had happened to prevent it. Once she had been called to
dinner, another time Alicia had needed help with her snowsuit, and just last
night Todd had walked in and seen her counting her money and had started
bugging her again for money to play video games. Maybe tonight, she promised
herself on the fifth day of the vacation, she would sneak off after dinner and
give one of them a call.
That afternoon, after they had returned to the lifts from
their lesson and lunch, Brittany said, "I know! Let's ride the lift all
the way to the top of the mountain!"
"That's a good idea," said Julie. "We rode to
the top last year, and you can't imagine how beautiful it is up there."
"There are lots of ski trails and different ways to
come down the mountain," Sarah chimed in. "We'll pick one of the easier
ones so you can handle it."
"Sounds good to me," said Brittany. "Just
don't take me down the Jaws of Death."
"Don't worry," Julie assured her. "I'm not
ready for a trail that's terrifying, either."
Beth gazed up at the mountain, and her heart thumped a
little harder. She'd love to go all the way to the top and ski down! That would
be something to tell her friends at home when they started talking about all
the fun they had had at Winter Carnival.
"How hard is it to ski down?" Beth asked.
"Well, it's a lot of hard work," replied Julie.
"You have to stop and catch your breath and rest your legs every so
often."
"Beth, why don't you stay here?" asked Brittany.
"It might be a little too hard for you."
"What are you talking about?" snapped Beth.
"I can ski as well as you can."
"Come on, Beth, you've been hanging out with us
constantly," Brittany complained. "Can't you find some kids your own
age to ski with?"
Beth smarted at her sister's words. Brittany knew there
weren't any kids her age around. Beth shot her an angry look.
"Oh, Brittany!" Sarah said. "It's okay if she
comes along. She might not get another chance."
Brittany let out an exasperated breath and looked at Beth.
"Oh, all right. Tag along if you have to, but don't expect me to watch out
for you."
"Do you ever?" Beth said crossly.
Brittany rolled her eyes. "Come on, girls," she
said to Sarah and Julie. "Let's go."
They got in line for the chair lift, which would take them
to the top of the mountain. Brittany was first, so she rode up with a man who
was by himself. Julie and Sarah got on together, and Beth found herself riding
with a middle-aged woman.
Brittany turned around and yelled something at Julie and Sarah.
The two girls laughed and yelled back.
Beth couldn't hear a word they were saying. As usual she
felt totally left out while the three of them had a great time.
When they neared the top of the mountain, Beth spotted a
group of skiers maneuvering along a steep trail. One of the jackets looked
familiar, and she realized it was Todd's.
"Wow," Beth whispered as she watched her brother
jump over a ledge and land fifteen feet away without even slowing down.
and he had said, "See you tomorrow."
Beth smiled to herself. You bet he would!
CHAPTER 8
For the next couple of days the skiers in Beth's class
progressed well with their lessons. Marcel showed them how to parallel ski
instead of snowplowing and moved them from the beginner slope to the
intermediate. Beth was thrilled with her own improvement and felt she was
beginning to look as if she knew what she was doing.
Besides that it was thrilling to be on the mountain and look
down on the tiny lodge and miniature people far below.
Most days the air was chilly, but the sun was warm. She felt
vibrant and alive schussing down the slope with the wind in her hair and the
sound of the snow crackling under her skis. It was great, and even though she
was alone most of the time, The Fabulous Five were never far from her thoughts.
What were they doing? Were they having a ball at Winter Carnival? Did they miss
her?
Several times she had wanted to try phoning them again. But
each time, something had happened to prevent it. Once she had been called to
dinner, another time Alicia had needed help with her snowsuit, and just last
night Todd had walked in and seen her counting her money and had started
bugging her again for money to play video games. Maybe tonight, she promised
herself on the fifth day of the vacation, she would sneak off after dinner and
give one of them a call.
That afternoon, after they had returned to the lifts from
their lesson and lunch, Brittany said, "I know! Let's ride the lift all
the way to the top of the mountain!"
"That's a good idea," said Julie. "We rode to
the top last year, and you can't imagine how beautiful it is up there."
"There are lots of ski trails and different ways to
come down the mountain," Sarah chimed in. "We'll pick one of the easier
ones so you can handle it."
"Sounds good to me," said Brittany. "Just
don't take me down the Jaws of Death."
"Don't worry," Julie assured her. "I'm not
ready for a trail that's terrifying, either."
Beth gazed up at the mountain, and her heart thumped a
little harder. She'd love to go all the way to the top and ski down! That would
be something to tell her friends at home when they started talking about all
the fun they had had at Winter Carnival.
"How hard is it to ski down?" Beth asked.
"Well, it's a lot of hard work," replied Julie.
"You have to stop and catch your breath and rest your legs every so
often."
"Beth, why don't you stay here?" asked Brittany.
"It might be a little too hard for you."
"What are you talking about?" snapped Beth.
"I can ski as well as you can."
"Come on, Beth, you've been hanging out with us
constantly," Brittany complained. "Can't you find some kids your own
age to ski with?"
Beth smarted at her sister's words. Brittany knew there
weren't any kids her age around. Beth shot her an angry look.
"Oh, Brittany!" Sarah said. "It's okay if she
comes along. She might not get another chance."
Brittany let out an exasperated breath and looked at Beth.
"Oh, all right. Tag along if you have to, but don't expect me to watch out
for you."
"Do you ever?" Beth said crossly.
Brittany rolled her eyes. "Come on, girls," she
said to Sarah and Julie. "Let's go."
They got in line for the chair lift, which would take them
to the top of the mountain. Brittany was first, so she rode up with a man who
was by himself. Julie and Sarah got on together, and Beth found herself riding
with a middle-aged woman.
Brittany turned around and yelled something at Julie and Sarah.
The two girls laughed and yelled back.
Beth couldn't hear a word they were saying. As usual she
felt totally left out while the three of them had a great time.
When they neared the top of the mountain, Beth spotted a
group of skiers maneuvering along a steep trail. One of the jackets looked
familiar, and she realized it was Todd's.
"Wow," Beth whispered as she watched her brother
jump over a ledge and land fifteen feet away without even slowing down.
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