On a Slippery Slope (11 page)

It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To

“H
ey
there, guys! It's the perfect treat to take the chill out of winter and a
super-delicious
drink to share with a friend,” I say, smiling at the camera. “Today we're making Friendship Tea!”

Andy gives me two
thumbs-up
which means lighting is great, sound is perfect, and she's happy with my intro. Even though I'
m here working at the station every day, I still can
't even believe it's happening! I almost have to pinch myself. I love being under the lights, the cameras all pointing in my direction. I feel like a superstar, until I glance at Gwendolyn, who is frowning as always.

(Speaking of Gwendolyn, as I expected, she said no to the whole “Learn to Ski With Hannah” idea. I don't even know what I was worried about. I knew she'd never agree to spending an extra penny on my show. And it was also no big surprise when she said no to me taking a week off work to go on the trip, and no
for the second time
to sponsoring our club. She was like, “No, Hannah!” then, “Absolutely not, Hannah!” and lastly, “Are you kidding me, Hannah?”)

Ignoring Gwendolyn's angry scowl, I continue with my segment. “Before we get started, I have a little confession to make,” I whisper, grinning at the camera. “I'm a tiny bit addicted to iced tea —” I hold up a tall, frosty glass and take a delicious sip “— which is great in the summer,” I say, licking my upper lip, “but not so great in the winter.”

Gwendolyn, looking beyond bored, motions with her hand to get on with it. Is that Chloe standing beside her? And Ivy, too? Is the entire school here?

“In the winter you need something that will warm you up. That's why I was so excited when I discovered this yummy wintery version of my very
favourite
summertime drink!”

I continue by listing the ingredients: Tang,
iced-tea
mix, lemonade mix, cinnamon, hot water … etc. I explain, step by step, how to put it all together and when I've made two steaming mugs of orangey deliciousness, I hear in my earpiece that one of my friends will be joining me on set to share the tea.

(I've found out that when you are on TV you just have to
go with the flow
and act like stuff was totally planned, when it was actually sprung on you at the last second.) Gabby, A.J., and Marcel came to watch me on set today. I wonder which one it will be. Probably not Gabby; she won't leave Marcel'
s side. Oh no! Don
'
t tell me
…

Suddenly, A.J. appears on set.

“Hi, Hannah. Is there enough for me?” He smiles at the camera.

“
Um
… sure.” I hand him a warm mug of tea. “Oh … this is my friend A.J. We go to school together.”

“Cheers!” He clinks his mug against mine.

We both awkwardly giggle and then take a sip.

His eyes widen. “Wow, this is really good! Perfect for a ski trip.” A.J. winks.

“
Um
… yeah. It would be,” I say, feeling a twinge of guilt. I haven't broken the news yet that Gwendolyn said no to
everything
, including me even going. As awful as I feel looking at A.J.'s smiling face, I have to ignore it and the sick feeling in my stomach, and keep going. I have a show to finish.

“So, it's as easy as that!” I say to the camera. “A delicious cup of friendship to share with someone special.”

A.J. pulls his head back, smiles and takes another sip of tea.

Why did I say
special
? Oh my gosh! He
totally
knows I have a crush on him. I hate that, and his annoyingly perfect hair, and perfect smile with perfect teeth. I'm so embarrassed. Grrrrrr. But I can't focus on that now; like I said, I have a show to finish.

“See you next week, when I'll be whipping up a wintery
warm-up
treat for the bath — some soothing, scented bath bombs! Check out my website, www.beawesomewithhannah.com, to find everything you'll need to join in the fun!”

Just as I think the segment is done, I see Andy coming up on set. She never comes on set. What's going on?

“
Hi, folks. I
'm Andy, in charge of production here at Channel Nine News. Please pardon the interruption, but I have a little surprise in store for our Hannah.”

What? What is going on? This is so random. Why is she on set? What is she talking about?

“Huh?” is all I can manage to say.

A.J. is wearing an
ear-to
-ear grin. Does he know what is going on? How could he know when I don't! This is even more annoying than him knowing I get weak in the knees every time he looks at me.

“A.J., why don't I let you tell Hannah,” Andy says, pressing her palms together with excitement.

“Tell me what?” I ask, anxiously. I don't like surprises, especially
on air surprises
!

“Channel Nine is coming with us on our ski trip!”

“What!” I yelp. “What do you mean?”

“Surprise!” A.J. says, grinning. “Hannah, in less than a month you're going to be at the top of Mount Sunshine skiing and snowboarding with all of Maine!”

“I … I … what?” I stutter.

“Cool, huh?” A.J. says, searching my face for a smile.

I am too stunned to give him one.

“Yes, Hannah,” Andy cuts in, “it's all settled. Mount Sunshine is expecting you, me, our crew, and about thirty of your friends to be carving up the slopes in a matter of weeks!”

I glance over at Gwendolyn, who looks livid.

“Wow, this is a surprise,” I say, trying to force a smile.

This is awful. Beyond awful. Epic awful. I never ever, ever said I could ski! Not even once! It's not my fault! I can't help it that everyone assumed I could! And snowboarding, I heard, is even harder than skiing. I am going to be a laughingstock! I might even lose my job! This just keeps getting worse. I feel my breath getting shorter. Luckily, I have really been working on my breathing techniques.

“I have one more surprise for you, Hannah!” A.J. says, smiling into the camera.

“What's that?” I bite my lip. I don't need any more surprises.

“Channel Nine is going to sponsor us and it's all because of you!”

“
No
…” I shake my head. “But … but … Gwendolyn said …”

Suddenly, Gwendolyn appears on set. This is getting crazier by the second!

“Hannah,” Gwendolyn says, interrupting my stammering. “Channel Nine is proud to offer Maple Ridge Middle School's Ski and Snowboard Club our generous support by becoming your official sponsor in the upcoming Mount Sunshine Alpine Championships.”

“Really?” I say, feeling a little faint. How am I going to get out of this?
Pull it together, Hannah!
I tell myself
. Just pull … yourself … together…

She puts her hand on my shoulder and forces an awkward smile. “So, what do you think?” Gwendolyn demands, sounding almost suspicious.

“
Um
… it's a shock … I mean, it's great!” I smile, sort of.

I can see Phillip whispering something into Gabby's ear. Suddenly she is grabbing Marcel's hand and pulling him up on set. Why not? It's like we're having a party up here anyway! (A party that everyone wants to be at except me.)

“I'm Gabby, Hannah's best friend, and
co-president
of Maple Ridge Middle School's Ski and Snowboard Club,” Gabby squeals. “And this is Marcel, he's in the club, too.” She bats her eyelashes at Marcel and then turns to me. “Isn't this exciting, Hannah?

I nod. “Yeah.”

Just then, I see Phillip walking toward the set holding a humongous cardboard cheque.
OMG
, he
'
s coming up here too? Will he even fit up here? This is nuts!

“All of us here at Channel Nine are extremely proud and excited to support our newest, and might I add, quite fabulous addition to Channel Nine, Hannah Smart, and her Maple Ridge Middle School Ski and Snowboard Club,” Phillip says looking straight into Gwendolyn's doubtful eyes. “We are delighted to be bringing
Be Awesome with Hannah
to Mount Sunshine! If you ever wanted to learn how to ski or snowboard, then tune in for a show you won't want to miss!” Phillip winks at me. “So without further ado, I would like to present this cheque to the Maple Ridge Middle School Ski and Snowboard Club.”

Phillip passes the giant cheque to Gabby and Marcel. Marcel looks down and his mouth drops open.

“
Gabb-eee
,” he exclaims in his very French accent. “
Regard!
I mean, look!”

“Oh my gosh!” Gabby exclaims. “That's a lot of money!”

“I … holy cow … I don't know if you realize how much this means to us,” A.J. says, his hand going to his forehead in disbelief. “It means good, talented kids who have been struggling to find a way to the championships can go! Thank you!”

“I don't even know what to say.” Gabby's eyes are wide and sparkling with gratitude. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Channel Nine, and thank you, Hannah!”

Suddenly, my hand is being squeezed. I look down as A.J. lets go. The squeeze lasts only a second, but it is an amazing, unforgettable second. “Thanks for this,” he whispers, sending instant butterflies to my stomach. “Is there anything you can't do, Hannah Smart?”

I hear in my earpiece: “Wrap it up, Hannah. Fifteen seconds to commercial.”
Thank goodness!

“Well, it has been quite an exciting day here at Channel Nine News. This is Hannah Smart, on behalf of our entire Channel Nine News Team saying thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for taking time out of your day to spend with us. Without you viewers at home, we'd be nothing. Until next time.”

As soon as the
ON AIR
sign goes off, Phillip claps his hands together loudly. “Great show, everyone!” he exclaims.

“Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts? Without you, we'd be nothing?” Gwendolyn huffs. “A little over the top, don't you think?”

“I loved it, Gwen!” Phillip says, beaming. “It was brilliant. Do you realize that since Hannah has been with us, not only has our TV viewership increased dramatically, but according to our social media team, our online traffic has gone crazy! She and her dad have breathed new life into this station! Old ladies are checking out Marty's weather report posts on Facebook, kids are uploading their
Be Awesome with Hannah
creations to Instagram, everyone is checking out Marty and Hannah's segments on YouTube, and Twitter is exploding with Hannah and Marty Smart tweets! The simple fact of the matter, Gwen,” Phillip says, sounding suddenly serious, “is that we're lucky to have the Smarts on our team, and I think we would be wise to remember this.” Phillip throws a wink at Gwendolyn. “Agreed?”