Ski Trip Trouble (13 page)

You shake your head. “Yeah, two years,” he says, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. “Then we started high school this year and I don't know, something just changed. She started hanging out with different people, and so did I. We just weren't that into each other anymore, I guess.” He shrugs.

“Wow, two years!” You don't know what else to say.

“She hates it when I flirt with other girls,” Alex admits. “So I usually don't do it in front of her, but then I saw you today…” He blushes a little and
looks out the window. “I knew if I didn't talk to you right away, I might not get another chance, so I just did it.”

You watch his face while he's talking. You can't believe a guy you just met would be so honest and straight with you—and you love it!

“I'm glad you did,” you say quietly.

He looks away from the window and right at you. “Yeah, me, too,” he says, and takes your hand across the table. Now the quiet between you isn't awkward anymore—it's great, because you get to stare into his dark, dreamy eyes for as long as you want.

END

You take a deep breath and try to think of something to say. “So…,” you start awkwardly. “You, um, seen any good movies lately?”

Alex laughs, “Actually, I've been really busy with school, and I'm on the football team, so…”

“Wow, you play football, huh? I never would have known by the way you throw a snowball,” you tease.

“Ouch!” he says, laughing. “If you must know, I was going easy on you today—in fact, I want a rematch,” he says, leaning over the table to tickle your side. “Tough girl!”

“Hey!” You scoot away from his hand, laughing, just as you notice someone standing by your table. “Oh, Sierra, hi,” you say quickly.

“Oh man,” you hear Alex say under his breath. “What is wrong with you?” Sierra glares at him. “You promised me that you wouldn't do this on the school trip!”

“Do what?” you ask, confused. “He hits on my friends because he knows it
drives me crazy!” Sierra says to you. “He saw a chance with you, because you're new, you didn't know about him. That's why I told you not to fall for it!”

“You really need to get over yourself,” Alex says to Sierra.

“No, you're the one who cheated on me, and now you have to hit on every single one of my friends,” she yells at him, her voice rising. “Why are you doing this to me?”

You push your chair back from the table and start to walk away, but Alex is so busy fighting with Sierra, he doesn't even notice. So much for meeting a “nice” guy on this trip!

END

If you'd rather ask Alex about Sierra yourself, go back to Chapter 40.

“Actually, I think I would like to meet your friend—the one who needs a roommate,” you tell Zac quickly, and he gives you a big smile. You know he's younger than you, but he's still really cute— and so sweet!

“Hey, Molly,” he calls to the blond girl across the room. She looks up, then comes over to where you two are standing at the desk. “Do you still need a roommate?” he asks her.

“Yeah, I do.” Molly smiles and looks over at you. “Well, is there a reward involved?” Zac jokes. “Because I've found you one.”

“Of course!” Molly says, and she looks genuinely happy. “The reward is a big, fat thank-you from me.”

“Aw, shucks.” Zac grins. “I'll see you guys later,” he says, and walks off toward the stairs.

“Hi, I'm Molly,” she says, turning to you, and you tell her your name.

“Zac seems like a great guy,” you add, once you know Zac is out of earshot.

“He
is
a great guy—and so smart, it's scary!” she laughs. “So, we'll have a room with three beds. I asked my friend Sierra from Marshall High to join us, too, if that's okay,” Molly explains.

“Marshall High?” you ask. That's where Mitch goes to school—maybe you can find out if he's on the trip! “Sounds perfect! Let's go check in!” you say.

Go to Chapter 10.

“It's so sweet of you to offer, but I think I'd rather just stay with my friend Heather,” you tell Zac, and you see his face fall. Just then you see Heather from across the lobby, and she starts walking over to you. “Actually, that's her now!” you tell Zac. “But maybe I'll see you later or something?” you say quickly.

He smiles. “Yeah, that would be cool. Maybe we'll see each other, or, um….” You can tell he's scrambling for what to say.

“Yeah, sure.” You nod to him, just as Heather runs up. “I'll see you,” you call out as Zac walks away. Should you have made some plans with him?

“Where were you? What happened? I heard the van broke down or something?” Heather asks, pulling your attention away from the Zac situation.

“More than that,” you whisper, “but I'll have to tell you later.”

“And James?” Heather asks quickly, raising one eyebrow.

You shake your head. “A loser. And kicked off the trip!”

“What?” Heather practically screams. “I'm dying to hear the whole story!”

Go to Chapter 84.

When the bus stops, you turn to Heather and say, “You know what, I think I'd rather stay with someone else on this trip.”

“Why? What's wrong?” Heather says, scowling at you. “Is it because of what I said about that Zac guy? I was just kidding….”

“It's not that,” you explain. “I just heard that the new girl at school doesn't have anyone to room with. And honestly, I don't think I can stay in the same room with Carrie, you know how she gets on my nerves.”

“Well, I guess it's okay, then,” Heather says, grabbing her bag and moving to get off the bus. “As long as you're not mad at me or anything?” She looks you in the eye.

You smile. “I'm not mad. Maybe it will be good for us to hang out with other people on this trip. You know, we do spend a lot of time together at school.”

“Okay”—then she puts out her hand and smiles at you—“deal,” she says. “But we'll still hang out, right?”

“Of course,” you say, and you mean it. When everyone gets off the bus, you search for Zac at the check-in desk. When you finally see him, he waves over at you.

Go to Chapter 80.

“Dan, I just don't feel right about this,” you tell him. “Honestly, Heather has a big crush on you, and she's my friend. If you still like me, that's your problem, but I'm not about to do something that might hurt my friendship with Heather.” You turn and walk away from him fast, before he can say anything back to you.

What a total dog!
Ugh
. You're wondering if maybe you should tell Heather about what happened, when you see Mrs. Bulow coming around the corner. “Oh, I was just looking for you!” you tell her.

“What's wrong?” she asks you, looking concerned.

“Nothing bad,” you say quickly. “It's just that the third bed in our room isn't working—the Murphy bed. Do you think you could help us with it?”

“Of course!” Mrs. Bulow says. “Just lead the way.”

Go to Chapter 56.

“I'm so psyched that we're going to be roommates!” Heather cheers, leading you up the big wooden staircase in the lobby of the ski lodge. “Come on, let's check out our room,” she says.

You turn just in time to see a familiar face coming down—Mitch!

“Hey, you!” he says. “I was wondering if you were going to be on this trip!”

You stop on the stairs and look at him for a second. He looks exactly the same, with his brown shaggy hair and that amazing one-dimple smile that always makes you feel breathless. “We're just going to check out our room,” Heather says, grabbing your arm to pull you out of your mini-trance.

“Yeah, we're going to look at our room,” you say, then realize you've just repeated exactly what Heather said. You feel like such a dork!

“Cool,” Mitch says. “We're in room three-twelve. Come by and check it out.”

“We're in three-eighteen!” Heather says excitedly. “Practically neighbors!”

You can't think of anything to say, and suddenly you feel weird just staring into Mitch's dark blue eyes. “Well, okay,” he finally says.

“Excuse me!” a guy behind him says, trying to get down the stairs.

“Oh sorry, man,” Mitch says, and takes a few steps down to get out of his way. “So, maybe I'll see you later, or…”

“Definitely,” Heather answers for you, pulling you up the stairs. “'Bye, Mitch,” she says.

When he's out of earshot, Heather turns to you, “Boy, you've still got it bad for that guy! You were like a zombie!”

“I know,” you say, feeling embarrassed. “I couldn't even think of anything to say!”

“Um, just a simple ‘Hi, Mitch' would have been good!” she laughs.

“Did I look like a total idiot?” you ask her. “Don't worry about it,” Heather says as you reach the top of the stairs. “You'll have time to make it up to him!”

Go to Chapter 11.

Zac pulls off his headphones and says, “What did you say?” thinking that you were talking to him.

“Nothing,” you say, then whisper to him, “The guy sitting next to me was about to hit you up for homework advice.”

Zac glances over, then smiles at you. “I hope you told him that I'm on vacation.”

You laugh. “Yeah, something like that.”

After a few more miles, the bus driver pulls over at a rest stop, where about half the kids climb off, and Heather comes back to see you. “Hey, how do you like it back here?” She smiles.

“How do you like sitting with Dan?” you ask her back with a wink.

She smiles, then looks over at Zac. “Hi,” she says. “Hey.” He nods to her, then turns to you and says, “I'll be right back.” He scoots around you to get off the bus.

Once he's gone, Heather whispers, “Sorry we stuck you back here with that new kid.”

“He's actually really cool,” you tell her honestly.

“I don't mind sitting with him.”

“Cool?” Heather gives you a skeptical look. “He's two years younger than us.”

“He's a
year
younger,” you start to explain just as Dan comes up behind Heather.

“I guess we should trade back seats now,” Dan says to you, then looks over at Heather with a very lovey-dovey look on his face. “It's only fair, right?”

“Well…,” you start to say. It is fair—you're halfway through the trip, so you should get to sit with your friend. But honestly you don't mind sitting with Zac.

You want to move back and sit with Heather.

You decide to stay with Zac.

CYLIN BUSBY first chose a life as a book and magazine editor, before going back a page and becoming a full-time writer instead. She lives with two boys of her own choosing—Damon, her husband, and August, her son, in Los Angeles.

The Campfire Crush

The Dance Dilemma

Ski Trip Trouble