Sausage and pepperoni sat on top of the melting cheese.
Oh, well, we’re going sledding, Lizzie thought as she took a big bite, so I’ll work off all the calories in this wonderful pizza.
After they finished eating and had helped Cathy with the dishes, Lizzie and her friends zipped up their snow boots, buttoned their coats, and tied their white scarves securely. Talking and laughing, they wound their way across the road and up a long twisting path to the top of a hill. Since visibility was limited with the snow whirling past them, the boys set gas lanterns in the snow at different points to mark the trail they would sled down. The group pulled wooden sleds with runners, a toboggan, plastic sleds, round sleds—anything that would whisk them down the hill.
The girls mostly used the runner sleds and the boys piled on the long wooden toboggan, determined to see how many could fit on at one time and how fast they would go.
Lizzie wasn’t normally afraid of sledding, but watching the toboggan streak past her at such an alarming speed terrified her. The boys whizzed by so fast in one long dark blur, often losing one or two riders before they slowed at the bottom of the hill.
Later in the evening, the boys started a roaring bonfire in a small patch of trees, protected from the steady east wind and blowing snowflakes. One by one, the girls tired of sledding and sat by the fire to warm themselves.
Lizzie hadn’t realized that she and Mandy were the only remaining girls sledding until John Zook and Paul Esh asked them to try a toboggan ride.
Mandy quickly accepted, which really irked Lizzie. She’s probably as scared as I am, but if John asks her to go, she’ll go, Lizzie thought. She’d try to fly off a house roof if he asked her to jump.
“Come on, Lizzie!” Mandy shouted.
“I’m not going.”
“Come on!”
“No!”
“We won’t go as fast if you girls go,” Paul assured them. He was new to Cameron County, but he was easy to get along with and really funny. He had quickly become one of Lizzie’s good friends, and she often confided in him.
Lizzie looked at Paul skeptically. “I don’t know about you.”
“We’ll be careful. Come on, pile on. Ladies before gentlemen!” Paul laughed.
“How many are going?”
“Just you and Mandy, me and John.”
“I’ll push you,” Stephen offered, as he walked up to join them.
Her heart hammering in her chest, Lizzie seated herself behind Mandy. The boys piled on the back, telling the sisters to keep their feet on the sled. When the boys yelled “right” or “left,” the girls should lean in that direction in order to steer the toboggan. Stephen showed Lizzie how to hang on to the rope attached along each side of the sled. She bit her lip, sniffed, blinked the snowflakes from her eyes, and tried to stay calm.
Mandy was eagerly leaning forward. “What are we waiting on? Let’s go!”
There were a few thudding sounds as Stephen pushed on Paul’s shoulders before he leaped on the back. Then the only sensation was black, whirling, blinding speed. It was the most helplessly, horrifying feeling Lizzie had ever experienced. She could see nothing at all, except sometimes Mandy’s white-clad head bobbing up in front of her. The wind whistled so fast it was almost like a huge, sucking void that took her breath away.
When she could no longer bear the feeling of falling into a dark, bottomless hole, she screamed. She continued to yell at the top of her lungs, afraid to keep going and afraid to roll off.
She sincerely hoped they would each remain in one piece when they came to the bottom of this gigantic, seemingly endless hill. When her mouth became too dry from screaming, she just clamped it shut and hated Mandy with all her might. It was all her fault. She was just showing off for John. Just when Lizzie thought she would faint from pure terror, the swishing sound slowed to a whisper and they swooshed to a stop.
Mandy was laughing helplessly.
Oh, well, we’re going sledding, Lizzie thought as she took a big bite, so I’ll work off all the calories in this wonderful pizza.
After they finished eating and had helped Cathy with the dishes, Lizzie and her friends zipped up their snow boots, buttoned their coats, and tied their white scarves securely. Talking and laughing, they wound their way across the road and up a long twisting path to the top of a hill. Since visibility was limited with the snow whirling past them, the boys set gas lanterns in the snow at different points to mark the trail they would sled down. The group pulled wooden sleds with runners, a toboggan, plastic sleds, round sleds—anything that would whisk them down the hill.
The girls mostly used the runner sleds and the boys piled on the long wooden toboggan, determined to see how many could fit on at one time and how fast they would go.
Lizzie wasn’t normally afraid of sledding, but watching the toboggan streak past her at such an alarming speed terrified her. The boys whizzed by so fast in one long dark blur, often losing one or two riders before they slowed at the bottom of the hill.
Later in the evening, the boys started a roaring bonfire in a small patch of trees, protected from the steady east wind and blowing snowflakes. One by one, the girls tired of sledding and sat by the fire to warm themselves.
Lizzie hadn’t realized that she and Mandy were the only remaining girls sledding until John Zook and Paul Esh asked them to try a toboggan ride.
Mandy quickly accepted, which really irked Lizzie. She’s probably as scared as I am, but if John asks her to go, she’ll go, Lizzie thought. She’d try to fly off a house roof if he asked her to jump.
“Come on, Lizzie!” Mandy shouted.
“I’m not going.”
“Come on!”
“No!”
“We won’t go as fast if you girls go,” Paul assured them. He was new to Cameron County, but he was easy to get along with and really funny. He had quickly become one of Lizzie’s good friends, and she often confided in him.
Lizzie looked at Paul skeptically. “I don’t know about you.”
“We’ll be careful. Come on, pile on. Ladies before gentlemen!” Paul laughed.
“How many are going?”
“Just you and Mandy, me and John.”
“I’ll push you,” Stephen offered, as he walked up to join them.
Her heart hammering in her chest, Lizzie seated herself behind Mandy. The boys piled on the back, telling the sisters to keep their feet on the sled. When the boys yelled “right” or “left,” the girls should lean in that direction in order to steer the toboggan. Stephen showed Lizzie how to hang on to the rope attached along each side of the sled. She bit her lip, sniffed, blinked the snowflakes from her eyes, and tried to stay calm.
Mandy was eagerly leaning forward. “What are we waiting on? Let’s go!”
There were a few thudding sounds as Stephen pushed on Paul’s shoulders before he leaped on the back. Then the only sensation was black, whirling, blinding speed. It was the most helplessly, horrifying feeling Lizzie had ever experienced. She could see nothing at all, except sometimes Mandy’s white-clad head bobbing up in front of her. The wind whistled so fast it was almost like a huge, sucking void that took her breath away.
When she could no longer bear the feeling of falling into a dark, bottomless hole, she screamed. She continued to yell at the top of her lungs, afraid to keep going and afraid to roll off.
She sincerely hoped they would each remain in one piece when they came to the bottom of this gigantic, seemingly endless hill. When her mouth became too dry from screaming, she just clamped it shut and hated Mandy with all her might. It was all her fault. She was just showing off for John. Just when Lizzie thought she would faint from pure terror, the swishing sound slowed to a whisper and they swooshed to a stop.
Mandy was laughing helplessly.
Similar Books
