by Cylin Busby
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
About the Author
By the Same Author
For the Jennies at the JCC
(and Molli, too)
Chapter 1
It’s another cold, gray day when you get to school on Thursday morning. Winter break is just two weeks away, but before you can relax and take some time off from school, there are all those end-of-the-semester tests, papers, and projects due. Thank goodness it’s the school ski trip this weekend, otherwise you’d be going out of your mind with stress! Before you even go to your first class, you head over to the main bulletin board to check out the sign-up sheet for the ski trip one more time.
“I can’t believe it’s finally here!” your friend Heather says as she comes up behind you. “Tomorrow—no school, we just hit the mountain. I cannot wait!”
“Look at this,” you say, pointing to one name on the list.
“Dan’s going? Wasn’t he, like, in love with you last year?” Heather jokes, and you have to laugh.
“I guess so.” You grin. “But now I hear he likes somebody else.”
Heather blushes. “I don’t know about that!” “Oh please, he follows you around everywhere, just like he used to do with me,” you say, but Heather just looks down at her shoes shyly. “And I’m getting the feeling that you might like him back….”
“Maybe just a little,” she admits, pinching her thumb and forefinger together.
“I guess a romantic ski trip to the snowy slopes will help you figure it out!” you joke, hooking your arm through hers. “We better get to class,” you say, just as the warning bell rings.
“Did you hear that Marshall High is also going to Mount Frost this weekend?” Heather asks you with a sly grin.
“You know I did,” you say back, “because you’re the one who told me!”
“I just can’t help wondering if a certain former crush is going to be there,” Heather goes on.
“Look, I haven’t seen Mitch since he moved away over the summer,” you explain. “ It’s been months.” You stop outside the door to your classroom. “And just because his new school is going on this trip, it doesn’t mean he’s going to be there.”
“Uh-huh,” Heather says, cocking her head to one side. “So the thought hasn’t even crossed your mind? You and Mitch, sipping hot chocolate, talking about those long days at the pool last summer, that time when you almost kissed…”
You move to swat her with your backpack, but she jumps back just in time. “Knock it off!” You laugh. “Seriously, what if he’s not even there?”
“I have a feeling he will be,” Heather teases as the final bell rings. “Eek! I’m late!”
“Call me tonight—let’s talk about what we’re going to pack, okay?” you yell after her as she races down the hall.
“Okay! Later,” she yells back.
Very early the next morning—when it’s still practically dark out—you meet up with Heather and all the other students going on the ski trip.
“I feel like a snowman in this thing,” Heather says, patting the front of her big, puffy white jacket.
“I know what you mean,” you say, zipping up your own coat. Mrs. Bulow, the teacher who organized the trip, comes over to the group crowded around the bus.
“Everyone, listen up!” she says, clapping her gloved hands together. “I’m going to be the head chaperone on this trip. If you have any problems or issues, come to me.”
“I have an issue,” Heather whispers to you. “I’m freezing to death! When do we get on the bus?”
You can feel your feet getting numb—it is a really cold morning.
“We have two other teachers coming along on the trip, and we have four seniors from the school who have volunteered to be junior chaperones.” Mrs. Bulow points to the guys standing next to her. “This is James,” she says, introducing a tall guy with dark hair. “And this is Glenn,” she goes on, “and Max,” she says, pointing to a blond guy in a puffy down vest standing next to her. “And, of course, Cathy.” She motions to the petite girl on her other side. “All of these students are seniors and have been on the school ski trip in the past. And they are all excellent skiers.”
“Excellent indeed…,” you hear Heather murmur next to you.
“Shhhhh,” you whisper back, but she’s right— the guys are all amazingly hot.
“What?” Heather says. “Like you wouldn’t die for that guy to ride the chairlift with you?” She nods at the dark-haired senior.
You take another glance at him—just when he happens to look your way! You quickly look down.
“Busted!” Heather says under her breath. You feel your cheeks turning even redder as Mrs. Bulow goes on.
“Respect the junior chaperones. They are not just fellow students; they are here to look out for you. Treat them exactly the same way you would treat us teachers,” she says, motioning to the two other teachers standing near her.
Heather starts doing a little dance from one foot to the other, trying to keep warm, just as Mrs. Bulow happens to look over. “Does anyone need to use the bathroom before we go?” she asks, and a few of the boys in the group start laughing. “It is a two-hour trip,” she says, looking pointedly at you and Heather.
Heather stops hopping. “ Ohman, could she embarrass us more?”
“I know it’s cold out here—let’s line up and climb on the bus!” Mrs. Bulow finally says, and everyone races for the door. When you and Heather finally make your way up the stairs into the bus, almost every seat is tak
en. “Here?” Heather says, pointing to a seat right behind the driver. It’s not exactly the best seat, but you don’t really have any other choice—the bus is totally packed.
When everyone is sitting, Mrs. Bulow comes onboard. “We have a tiny problem,” she starts. “I need to ride on the bus, too, but as you can see, it’s full. So I need someone to give me their seat and ride up to the mountain in the van with the junior chaperones.”
“Let’s do it,” Heather whispers to you, nudging your arm.
“We’ll volunteer,” you say quickly. “Heather and I don’t mind.”
“Yeah, no problem,” Heather agrees, standing up and grabbing her backpack.
“Sorry, girls, I only need one of you to give up your seat,” Mrs. Bulow points out. “And there’s only room for one person in the van, too. But if you don’t mind going alone”—she looks directly at you— “this seat would be perfect for me, right up front where I can keep an eye on everyone.”
You look over at Heather. “It’s up to you,” she says, though you’re sure she’d rather not have to sit by Mrs. Bulow for the two-hour bus ride. You can’t help thinking about that junior chaperone, James, and how cool it would be to get to know him better. You look back at Heather. It is just a ride up the mountain, after all, and you’ll get to hang out with Heather for the rest of the weekend….
“Let’s get a move on here!” the bus driver says, turning around to look at you. “In or out, missy?” He pulls the handle to open the bus door, and a rush of cold air comes in, hitting your face. You take a deep breath and decide to…
Stay on the bus with Heather.
Join the junior chaperones in the van.
Chapter 2
“I think I’d rather stay on the bus with my friend,” you tell Mrs. Bulow.
“I’ll go,” a guy sitting across from you quickly volunteers.
“Perfect!” Mrs. Bulow says. “See you up there, suckers!” the guy yells as he goes out the door of the bus.
“What a loser,” Heather whispers to you. “He’s probably right, though—the van will make it up there a lot faster than this old bus,” you say.
“Are you wishing you’d gone in the van?” Heather asks, looking hurt.
“No, I’m just saying…,” you start, but then notice someone leaning over you—it’s Dan.
“Hey,” he says, pushing his shaggy blond hair back from his eyes. “I was just wondering if maybe I could sit with Heather,” he asks, looking at you.
“Um…” You’re about to say no, but then notice that Heather is giving you a hopeful look. Maybe you should have gone in the van after all!“ Sure, I can move,” you mumble.
“Great!” Heather says. “I was sitting right back there.” Dan points back to the only empty seat, and you make your way down the aisle as he sits next to Heather. When you get to the back of the bus, you realize that Dan had been sitting with this cute guy—all you know about him is that he skipped a grade and he’s supposed to be super smart.
“Is it okay if I sit here?” you ask him. “ Dan wanted to move up front.”
Go to Chapter 5.
Chapter 3
“Okay, I’ll ride in the van,” you tell Mrs. Bulow. You hear Heather let out a sigh, so you turn to her. “I’ll see you up there,” you explain. “Please don’t be mad.”
“I’m not.” Heather smiles. “ Just wish I was coming, too. Say hi to James for me, ’kay?” She winks.
“No problem,” you say as you go down the stairs and leave the bus. The driver follows you and opens the luggage compartment. You see your bag right on top and grab it. “Thanks,” you tell the driver with a wave as he climbs back onto the bus.
You walk over to the van and hear music blasting out of the open doors. “Hi! Mrs. Bulow asked me to ride up with you guys,” you tell the girl junior chaperone.
“Cool,” she says, grabbing your bag and tossing it into the back of the van. “I’m Cathy. You can sit with me while this maniac drives.” She gives James a little punch in the arm.
“Maniac on the slopes,” James corrects her. “Behind the wheel, never.” He grins over at you. “Hey, I’m James,” he says, putting out his hand, and you tell him your name.
“Let’s go, people!” says Mr. Abbott, one of the teachers chaperoning the trip, motioning everyone into the van. You sit next to Cathy in the first row of backseats, while the two other seniors sit behind you. When James goes to sit in the driver’s seat, Mr. Abbot says, “Not so fast,” and grabs the keys from him. “I’ll be doing the driving.”
James grumbles but sits in the passenger seat and instantly starts messing with the CD player. “Okay, passengers, what do we want to hear? Some death rock, acid beats?”
You let out a laugh because you assume he’s joking—he doesn’t really listen to that type of music, does he? In a second, you realize you’re wrong as James slips in a disc of the worst music you’ve ever heard.
“These guys and their heavy metal,” Cathy grumbles to you over the loud music. She puts on her own headphones and starts listening to her MP3 player, looking out the window. By the time Mr. Abbott pulls the van out onto the freeway, you already have a headache.
“This album is so rad—this is the best ski music ever!” you hear Glenn, the other junior chaperone, say from behind you.
“Get ready to party!” James says loudly, and Mr. Abbott shoots him a look.
“Can you please turn that noise down?” Mr. Abbott asks. “I’m trying to drive, here.”
“Noise?” James says. “This is one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time!” He turns around in his seat and looks at you. “You dig it, right? I mean, how awesome are these guitar licks?” James plays air guitar along with the song for a second, and you almost burst out laughing. Even if his taste in music is terrible, he’s still adorable.
“It’s not exactly my type of music,” you tell him, smiling.
“When we get up to the mountain, we’ll teach you how to really party,” James says knowingly. “Right, dude?” he says to Glenn, and gives him a thumbs-up.
“Righteous!” Glenn yells over the music.
Are these guys for real?
“Oh no,” you hear Mr. Abbott say suddenly as the van starts making a funny thumping sound— chug-chug-chug—and then it stops altogether! “Sorry, guys, I thought this van might give us trouble,” Mr. Abbott says as he pulls over to the side of the highway. The van comes to a stop, and Mr. Abbott turns around. “I’ll go have a look at the engine, but I think we may need to call a tow truck.” His face looks glum as he climbs out of the van. He lifts the hood, and black smoke comes billowing out of the engine!
“That’s not good,” James jokes.
Mr. Abbott pokes his head back into the van for a second. “ The bus is coming up the hill right behind us, so if any of you want to flag down the driver and get on, feel free. This looks like it’s going to take a while,” he explains.
You want to get up to the mountain so that you can ski this afternoon with your friends, but you were also looking forward to this road trip with James the cutie. You look over to him for a second. “I’m staying, man. The bus is for losers!” he says.
“Here comes the bus. Anyone want me to flag it down?” Mr. Abbott says again, and you decide to…
Stay and wait for the repairs on the van.
Flag down the bus and squeeze on.
Chapter 4
“Great,” the guy says. You tap Zac on the shoulder, and when he slips off his headphones, you quickly explain what’s up.
“So I’ll see you later,” you say as you move over to sit by Molly.
“Definitely.” Zac grins back. Looks like you’ve made at least one new friend on this trip already!
Once you get settled into your new seat, you turn to Molly. “You’re new at school, right?” After the words are out of your mouth, you feel silly. Obviously she’s new!
“Yeah,” she says, nodding. “We used to live a couple of towns over, so it’s not that
different.”
“But it must have been hard to leave all your friends,” you continue.
“That wasn’t easy, but I still see them sometimes. Actually, some of my old friends from middle school go to Marshall now. One of my best friends, Sierra, is going on this trip—I’m psyched to meet her up there.”
“How cool,” you say, but just the mention of the other high school instantly makes you think of Mitch. “I have a friend from last year who goes to Marshall. So maybe he’ll be there, too,” you tell her.
She raises her eyebrows. “Friend? Or boyfriend?” she says with a grin.
“Well…” You feel your cheeks flush as you struggle to answer.
“You don’t have to explain,” Molly says, pulling her long blond hair into a high ponytail. “I know all about those kinds of friends!”
You realize that Molly is actually really easy to talk to—she’s funny and super nice, too. “When we get up there, do you want to room together?” she asks. “I don’t really have any friends on this trip, so I was just going to stay with whoever was left.”
You had been planning to stay with Heather and her friend Carrie, but it might be fun to room with a new friend—especially one who has Marshall connections! And Heather is so wrapped up with her crush on Dan, she probably wouldn’t even notice…but then again, she is your best friend….
You’d rather stay with Heather.
You want to room with the new girl, Molly.
Chapter 5
“Sure,” he says, “I don’t think we’ve ever met, but I’m Zac.” You tell him your name and he quickly responds, “Oh, I know who you are—I thought that project you did in English last week was really amazing.”
“Thanks.” You smile. You had thought it was pretty cool, but none of your friends even mentioned it to you. “So, you skipped a grade or something, right?” you ask him.
“Yeah, the teachers thought it might be a good idea, so I was bumped up,” he says, looking out the window. It seems like he doesn’t really want to talk about it, but you’re so curious.
“How is it going? Is it really hard to keep up?” you ask.
“I’m only a year younger than everybody else, so it’s not that big a deal,” he explains. “ But some people want to make it a big deal, you know?”
