Mountain Bike Mania (3 page)

“Well, who would you be biking with?” his mother wondered. “I don’t want you going by yourself. Does Danny go mountain biking?”

“Not a chance,” Will replied, shaking his head. “It’s not his thing. But I’ll bet there are kids in school who do. Maybe there’s
even a club or something.”

“Why don’t you check and report back to us,” his dad suggested. “Mountain biking sounds like a fine idea — lots of exercise
and being outdoors — but you get all the particulars first, and let us know, okay?”

“Okay!” Will said excitedly. He could see himself
now, sailing down the mountain trail on his hot new bike!

That Monday at lunchtime, Will went into the school’s main office and approached Ms. Henshaw’s desk. Ms. Henshaw was the school
secretary. She knew everything about everything that was going on at the school — or at least how to find out.

“Ms. Henshaw,” he began, “I’d like to —”

“Will Matthews, right?” she asked, smiling at him through her granny glasses. “Ms. Milligan’s class?”

“That’s right,” he acknowledged. “I’d like to find out whether there’s a mountain biking club after school.”

“Mountain biking?” she repeated, thinking for a moment. “Yes. They meet outside the gym entrance after school on Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays.”

“Do you know who’s in it?” he asked her.

“I couldn’t tell you that offhand, but the president is Gail Chen. Do you know her?”

“Eighth grader?” he asked, picturing a tall girl with almond eyes and black hair in a ponytail.

“That’s her,” Ms. Henshaw said. “She’s senior class treasurer as well, and head of the yearbook committee. I don’t know how
she gets it all done.”

“Do you know where I could find her?” he asked. But just then, the bell rang for fifth period, and Ms. Henshaw got up.

“Sorry, Will, but I’ve got to take care of some things for the principal. Why don’t you just show up at the gym entrance after
school? That’s where the club meets.” And she was gone, before he could say okay.

At the end of the day, Will rushed to the gym and through the doors to the outside, only to find that it was pouring rain.
He waited around for a while, but nobody showed up. Everyone was just running outside to get picked up by their parents.

“Dang!” Will said after a few minutes, realizing that nobody was going to show up. He went back through the hallways to the
front door, then made a mad dash for his old bike. He was soaked through before he even got to it, and by the time he made
it home, he was a wet rag. A disappointed wet rag.

He’d have to find Gail Chen tomorrow, one way or another.

In the meantime, he knew enough to approach his parents for their agreement.

“The club meets three times a week after school,” he told his mom and dad over supper — pizza this time. Even his dad had
decided enough Chinese food was enough. “Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.”

“Sounds great!” his dad said. “Three times a week? You’ll be back in shape in no time!” Then his face grew concerned. “I guess
you’ll be needing a new bike, eh? It’s gonna cost a bundle, I’ll bet.”

“Not so fast, Bob,” his mom interrupted. “Do you know anything about the kids in the club, Will?”

“Well, I didn’t exactly get to meet them,” he admitted. “It was pouring, so nobody came to the meeting. But the president
is this eighth-grade girl who’s the class treasurer and writes for the yearbook and stuff.”

“Well, that says something!” his mother said, sounding impressed and a bit surprised. “I’m glad to
hear that there are some older kids involved. Good students, too, it sounds like.”

“So can I join?” Will asked, pressing his case.

“What about Tuesdays and Thursdays?” his mother wanted to know. “If you’re going to be out biking three times a week, I want
to make sure you get some work done, and some reading, on the other two days.”

“Okay, okay,” Will agreed with a sigh. “I’ll come home and do my work, I promise.”

“Oh, no,” she said. “If you’re here, you’ll be sitting in front of some screen with a bag of junk food in your hand. I want
you to stay at the town library and wait for me to pick you up.”

“Mom!” Will moaned in complaint. “Three hours in the library? I’ll —”

“Never mind,” she said, cutting him off. “If you finish your homework, you can read a book or use their computers. Besides,
Danny’s always there, isn’t he?”

That’s true, Will thought with relief. And the library computers did have one or two games, as he recalled. “Okay. It’s a
deal,” he said, offering his
hand for her to shake. “Two days a week at the library, three days a week on my new bike!”

“New bike? Now, Will, is that really necessary?” his mother asked. “What’s wrong with your old one?”

“Dad!” Will said, enlisting his father’s help.

“It is a little old and beat up, Maggie,” his dad put in. “And after all, we are bringing in more income these days. I think
we ought to encourage this new interest of Will’s.”

“Oh, I guess you’re right,” she said, smiling. “As long as you get a lot of use out of it.”

“Believe me, Mom,” Will told her. “I definitely will.”

“All right, then. It’s settled,” she said.

Will smiled as she gave him her hand to shake. A deal was a deal. There was no way they were getting out of it now! And how
bad could two afternoons a week at the library be, anyhow?

Hey — maybe he’d even read a book!

It was during lunch on Tuesday that Will found Gail Chen. She was in the back of the auditorium,
meeting with her yearbook committee. Will had seen a notice about the meeting on the bulletin board. And he had snuck out
of the cafeteria without a pass, because he figured that no aide or teacher would give him one without ten minutes of explanation.

Gail was leading the meeting, it seemed. At least she was doing most of the talking. She had a big smile and braces, and seemed
really likable. Just watching her made Will smile, she was so animated and energetic.

He waited impatiently for the meeting to break up. When it finally did, he went up to her and said hello.

“My name’s Will Matthews,” he said. “I’m interested in the mountain biking club.”

“You’re kidding!” she said, widening her eyes.

“Uh, no, I’m not,” he said, confused. “Why?”

“No, I mean, that’s great! That’s fantastic! We need some new blood.”

“Blood?”

She tsked and rolled her eyes, then giggled. “You know, like, new people? Like you! Are you in sixth grade?”

“Uh-huh. Is that okay?”

“Sure! Fantastic. Gotta break ‘em in young.”

“Um, how many people do you have?”

“Only six,” Gail said. “It’s sad. Last year we had eleven, and it was great, but four kids graduated and one moved away. But
if you join, that’ll make seven! So, like, you have to join.”

“I do,” he said, smiling. “Who are the other kids in the club?”

“Well, there’s Candy and Mitch McGeachie. They’re twins — you might know them. They’re sixth graders. And Steven Barrad, he’s
in seventh. Then there’s Juliette Travis, who’s in my year, and me. Oh, and Ace.” She made a face. “How could I forget him?”

“Ace?”

“Ace Diamond. His dad owns the cycle shop downtown.”

“Wow. What’s he like?”

“You don’t know him?” Gail shrugged. “Oh, well. He’s different. You’ve gotta take the good with the bad, I guess.”

“Huh?”

“Some people think he’s the greatest thing since
sliced bread. Me? Well…” Gail glanced at her watch. “Listen, we’ve only got, like, thirty seconds, but… do you have a bike?”

“A mountain bike? No. Just an old three-speed.”

“Forget it. You need a new bike, like, now.”

“Now?”

“By like, tomorrow. We meet after school by the gym door and go out for a ride. Can you have a new bike by then?”

“Maybe,” Will said uncertainly. He sure hoped he could. “What kind do you think I should buy?”

Just then, the bell rang. “I’m going to 309. You?” she asked.

“I’m in 111. I’ll walk you to the stairs.”

“Okay.” She picked up her book bag, and they walked up the aisle to the swinging doors at the back of the auditorium.

“First of all, go to Diamond Cycle,” she said. “There’s a guy who works there in the evenings. Julian’s his name. He’s about
nineteen, and he knows, like, everything there is to know about bikes. He’ll tell you what you need to get.”

The noise in the hall was deafening as five hundred
students talked at once. Will yelled to make himself heard. “Julian at Diamond Cycle?”

“That’s it. See you tomorrow!” Gail yelled back, and climbed the stairs with a wave.

Well, thought Will, continuing on down the hall. It looked like he was in the mountain biking club. And he didn’t have to
try out, either. Best of all, tonight he was going to get his parents to take him to Diamond Cycle and buy him a brand-new,
first-class mountain bike!

D
iamond Cycle was not a huge store. But there were bikes hanging everywhere: from the walls and ceilings, from pipes and wires.
The place had the feel of a jungle full of bicycle trees, ripe with tire fruit. Will had to wade his way down the aisle, brushing
the swinging tires out of his path.

At the end of the path stood a big wooden counter. Behind the counter stood a college-age guy with a dark brown ponytail.
His grease-stained bowling shirt had the name Julian stitched on the pocket.

“Hi,” Will said, coming up to Julian with his parents right behind him. “I’m Will Matthews, and this is my mom and dad. Um,
Gail Chen sent me to you. She said you’d help me pick out a bike and stuff.”

Julian grinned and nodded. He had a huge gap
between his two front teeth, but his smile was so infectious that it made Will and his parents smile, too. “Excellent,” he
said. “You came to the right place. Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, nice to meet you, too. You tell me what your budget limit is, and
I’ll get you the right bike.”

“Well,” Will’s dad said, looking down uncomfortably. “I’ll tell you, I couldn’t help notice the prices of some of the bikes
as we came in…”

“Tell you what,” Julian said. “Let me show you the pre-owned bikes first. Most stores don’t have them, but you can save a
lot that way. More bike for the money, you know?”

“Aren’t the new ones better?” Will asked, dismayed.

“Not necessarily,” Julian said with a shrug. “Sometimes you can pay the same amount for a better quality used bike as you
would for a lower-end new bike. And remember, you’ll still need some other stuff to go with it. Luckily you don’t need a new
bike to get the most out of mountain biking.”

Will looked up at him, surprised. “You don’t?”

“Nah, it’s not about how cool the equipment is,” Julian said. “Some people get into that, but it’s not
like you have to. Mountain biking’s da bomb diggity. It’s about going out with a gang of your friends, riding around whatever
trails you can find, getting dirty, and having a blast.”

He took them in back, where there was another, smaller showroom, this one for used, or “preowned,” bikes.

“We refit and refinish all these before we sell them,” Julian said. “So it’s just like getting a new bike, for about two-thirds
the money. And we’re the only store that sells pre-owned bikes. Most places don’t bother, so you’d have to find one at a garage
sale or through the want ads.”

“Whoa, look at this one!” Will said, gravitating to an all-chrome bike with metallic red trim and decals that rested on its
kickstand by the far wall.

“See?” Julian said, grinning again. “Who says you have to spend more money to have more fun? Yeah, I fixed this one up last
week. Pretty good paint job, if I say so myself. New brakes and cables, new wheels.”

“How much is it?” Will’s dad asked.

Will held his breath when Julian quoted the price.
Only when he saw his father nod his head and smile did he let it out.

Julian wheeled the bike away from the wall and put the kickstand up. “But before we sign on the dotted line, let’s see if
it fits. No sense buying a bike that’s too big for you. In fact, it’s dangerous. You can lose contact with the ground, and
that would not be good. You need to be able to put a foot down to steady yourself. There, get up on that seat, Will.”

“It fits fine,” Will said, ready to grab his bike and go. He loved it already. It was perfect. He could see himself on it,
flying down the mountain trails at top speed, the sunlight glinting off the chrome.…

“Mmmm, you’re right,” Julian said. “Okay. You guys want to buy it?”

Will looked hopefully up at his parents.

“Son,” his dad said, with a big smile, “ride it safely.”

“It’s yours, honey,” his mom agreed.

“Yes!” Will cried triumphantly. “All right! I can’t believe it!” He could hardly wait to get his new — er, pre-owned — bike
home. He was going to ride it
to school first thing in the morning, and by afternoon, he’d be off on the trail!

“Yo, Julian! You sold my bike!” The voice came from the doorway. They all turned to see a boy who must have been fourteen
but looked seventeen. He wore a black leather jacket, torn jeans, and black army boots. He had two earrings in one of his
ears and long black hair brushed back and slicked down. “You said you were gonna fix it up for me!”

“Ace!” Julian said, stiffening. “Hey, man, I did fix it up for you. Now you don’t have to pay your father back for the damage
you did when you took it without his permission.”

“I just borrowed it!” Ace corrected him. “I was trying it out to see if it ran right.”

“Yeah, right,” Julian said, rolling his eyes. “Be glad I saved your bacon this time, and don’t do it again.”

Ace looked away and blinked, as though he was just noticing that there were other people in the room. “Hey, don’t you go to
Hopgood Middle?” he asked Will.

Will nodded. “Sixth grade. I’m Will Matthews. These are my parents.”

“Hi,” Ace mumbled, then turned back to Will.
“Nice to meet you. Enjoy the bike.” He gave Will a nod, shot Julian an angry look, and walked back out of the room.

“Whoa,” Will breathed. “Now I see what Gail meant about him.”