The Sugar Mountain Snow Ball (19 page)

Photographers took pictures of all the beautiful people arriving, and one woman even asked Eleanor and me to pause and pose for the newspaper! I had spots in my eyes from the flash, so for a minute I couldn't see anything. But then Anton got bossy as usual and told us to follow him, which was a good thing, because I was dizzy from the
fabulousness
of it all.

I turned to grab on to Lance to help me climb the staircase in my fancy new silver wedges, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“Where's Lance?”

Eleanor pointed. “I think he's down there by the bushes.”

“I'll get him,” said Anton.

“No, it's okay,” I replied. “I will.”

Lance's arms were crossed tightly in front of his white blazer and he seemed to be shaking. It was chilly outside, but I didn't think the temperature had anything to do with it.

“Is this hard for you?” I asked.

He shoved his hands in his pockets. That's when I noticed his binoculars were missing, and I wondered if he felt more anxious without them.

“I know you don't want to be here,” I said, “and that you're doing it all for me. But this has been so much fun already, Lance, it's fine if you want us to turn around and go home now.”

He peered up at me.

“It is?”

I nodded.

“I'm not sure if I can go inside.”

“Well, if you want to try,” I said, “I promise to stay right next to you the whole night.”

He gazed up the steep flight of stairs, at all the people dressed in white gowns and tuxedos, the cameras, the decorations, the music, the lights. Above it all, the moon was full and frosty and stars filled the sky, twinkling magically over the sugary peak.

I reached out and he took my hand.

Once all four of us were inside the front entrance, Lance relaxed a little.

For one thing, practically everyone on the staff knew who he was and seemed eager to take care of us. It was hard to believe, but we really did have reserved seats at the awesome VIP table, along with about thirty other important guests. That meant we got to sit up high on a platform in front of the entire crowd.

I have to admit, I had been nervous all day about bumping into those mean Outer girls, wondering what I would say. But now that I was at the ball, gazing across a sea of fancy gowns, I realized they wouldn't be wearing their ski jackets, hats, and goggles. So I
wouldn't recognize any of them even if I tried—not even Page, the unfriendly ski instructor!

Every single person was dressed up in the most beautiful shades of white, from their outfits to their shoes and accessories. And the inside was even more spectacular than the outside, with millions of tiny clear lights and shimmering decorations bedazzling the entire ski lodge.

Eleanor told me she had been wicked nervous too, but mostly about seeing JB. It turned out he was there, but not as a local guest like us—JB Knox was working as a busboy! His arm was no longer in a sling, but he still wore a brace. We spotted him as soon as we sat down at the VIP table.

Throughout the first course, a yummy creamy soup, I noticed JB sneaking glances across the room at Eleanor. So after the next course, a sweet salad with fruit and nuts, I convinced her to go over to the other side where he was working and say hello. I mean, it really didn't make sense for everyone to stay mad at each other. Especially on such a magical night.

As we ate our delicious entrées, a choice of steak or lobster, Eleanor told me she had found out JB had been working a few hours every week at the lodge all season, because it was the only way he could afford to join the ski club. And, like Mim, he got two complimentary tickets as an employee. But he said he didn't want to go to the Snow Ball after Eleanor turned him down, so he had signed up to work it instead . . . never in a million years expecting to run into her.

I knew that seeing JB waiting on the Outers, instead of flirting with them, made Eleanor think twice about how she felt. That maybe JB wasn't as arrogant and selfish as she had judged him to be. I realized even I had overreacted to the way JB had treated me. I mean, when I thought about the bunny slope incident, everyone else had been yelling at me about crashing into JB, but not him.

The whole meal was scrumptious—four courses in all! I almost died when I saw the dessert cart: everything you could ever dream of, including a huge variety platter of Mim's famous Monster Chunk cookies.

Between each course, Anton had mingled a lot, talking to everyone like he does at school. I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up owning Sugar Mountain someday.

But Lance didn't leave his chair all through the meal, not until later, when the floor was cleared and the band started to play. That's when he surprised me again, by asking me to dance! That kid was one big surprise after another. Turns out, dancing is one of his favorite things to do.

Other than JB, we didn't see anyone else from school at the Snow Ball . . . but it made me realize something very important. The Outers could have been anyone from plain old Paris. They laughed, ate, and talked to each other just like ordinary people do every day, all over the world.

Eleanor was right. Being able to afford fancy clothes and stuff didn't make them better or happier. Finding happiness is the same for everyone—it can only come from the heart.

Shortly before midnight, the time we'd promised our parents we'd end our evening, I insisted we warm up by the large fireplace before heading out into the cold. The night had been perfect, but I wasn't quite ready to leave.

After collecting our coats, the four of us sank into the large couch and placed our feet on the warm stone hearth. The crackling flames danced magically in front of our eyes.

A waiter appeared, carrying a tray of mugs, and asked, “A cup of hot chocolate before you leave?”

Across the room I saw JB clearing dirty dishes from a table.

“We'd love some,” I replied, and held up my hand. “Five, please.”

Finally, my dream felt complete.

28

Several days after the dance, the Petites invited the twins to spend the afternoon with their grandson, Jean-Philippe, who was visiting from Québec. It turned out Eleanor was free after school as well, since her mother no longer scheduled every minute of her day—not that she let Eleanor drop
everything
, but at least she had loosened up and allowed her to make some of her own choices.

Ms. Duncan rushed over to our lockers as we zipped up our jackets and loaded our backpacks. She was holding a clipboard.

“The first Paris Middle School Ping-Pong Club convenes tomorrow, girls, and I want the co-captains to be on time.”

“We'll be there,” said Eleanor.

“Three p.m. on the dot!” added Ms. D as she hurried away to the next gym emergency.

“Got it, Coach!” I called down the hallway.

I had never called anyone
Coach
before, but I liked it.

Both Eleanor and I had been pretty surprised when Ms. Duncan asked us to be on the new team, and totally shocked when she asked us to be the captains. But it felt good. It made me realize—
like everything else we'd been through lately—that a lot of stuff you think will happen doesn't, and stuff you never thought would happen does. So it's best to be open to anything and everything life throws at you, because you never know where it will take you next.

As we followed the crowd of kids toward the exit through the old wooden doors, I heard Mr. Tankhorn's voice above the commotion.

“Haven't seen you in a while, Ms. LaRue.”

He was standing by the cafeteria, blowing his nose.

“That's because I'm not tardy anymore, Mr. T!”

“Happy to hear that—they won't put up with those shenanigans in high school!”

A half-foot of snow still covered the ground, but little signs of spring were everywhere. The days were much longer now, and birds sang from every tree.

We decided to walk into the village and stop by all our favorite places, starting with Dream Central. Someone was sitting at our old picnic table, which bothered me at first, but Eleanor pointed out that it would happen more often now that the weather was getting warmer. It was time to share it with others.

Across the street, we noticed the carpenters and painters working away on the new bakery, which was due to open as soon as Pop finished his last cross-country haul. Now he would be home all the time, working for Mim, his new boss.

We also dropped by the Treasure Chest to visit with Mrs. Wilder, who begged us to start up our business again, which we were thinking about doing over summer vacation, since Eleanor's parents had
agreed it would be okay—as long as it didn't interfere with her brainiac activities and cello lessons.

Afterward, we moseyed over to The Avalanche, but unlike the old days when I would have polished off a large mocha ripple milkshake all by myself, Eleanor and I shared a raspberry yogurt smoothie instead.

As we sat at the little round table, sipping our pink drink together, Eleanor pulled something out of her pocket and showed it to me. Two notes.

“One for you. One for me. They were at the bottom of my locker.”

I unfolded the tiny yellow paper and read it out loud: “Hi, Ruby. I want you to know I am not that person you crashed into at Sugar Mountain. It was an accident, and I shouldn't have let everyone blame you. I'm sorry. I hope we can be friends. JB Knox (P.S. Thanks for the hot chocolate by the fire.)”

I still wasn't sure how I felt about JB, but I knew it took a lot of guts for him to write an apology like that. So maybe he would never be the love of my life, but at least we could try to be friends. I mean, who couldn't use another friend in this crazy world?

“What does yours say?” I asked Eleanor.

She grinned like she was too embarrassed to read it, but I reminded her of the promise—that there would be no more secrets between us. She read: “Dear Eleanor—You were the prettiest girl at the Snow Ball. Maybe next year you'll go with me? If not, Anton seems like a nice guy. I hope you two had a fun evening together. NA.”

“Aww, you should go with JB . . . that note is so sweet and wicked romantic.”

“Maybe,” she replied, “but I actually had a good time with Anton.”

Then Eleanor grinned and asked, “How about you, Ruby? Are you going to the Snow Ball again next year?”

I couldn't help giggling. “Lance said he would take me every year for the rest of my life.”

“Aww,
that's
so sweet and romantic!” cried Eleanor, and we laughed until we couldn't laugh any longer.

After finishing up the smoothie we hurried off to our last stop, Wonderland's Used Books. Eleanor immediately beelined over to the front shelf to check out the latest arrivals, while I wandered over to the community bulletin board.

And that's when I saw it.

“Pssht, Eleanor!”
I said, exactly the way she does when she wants my attention, except I think everyone in the store must have heard me.

Eleanor glanced over and squinted.

“
Look!
” I whispered as loudly as I could through my cupped hands.

She dropped her armful of books back on the shelf and rushed over.

I was
so
excited, I practically shouted the words out loud:

I'm telling you, the two of us
squealed
, then tore out of that store and down the sidewalk, turned right where the Dumpsters usually stood (but were mysteriously missing again!), past the wooden sign that read Apparition Way (which was mysteriously hanging again!), and up the mushy-snowy alley without saying a single word to one another.

We arrived in front of Madame Magnifique's glowing entrance at exactly the same moment, both of us puffing large clouds of frosty breath into the bright, cool air.

“
Bonjour, les filles!
”

“
BONJOUR!
” we yelled together.

She was dressed exactly as she had been before, red feather and all, except she appeared shorter. But maybe we had grown a little taller?

“
S'il vous plaît
, come in, girls.
Vite, vite!
I have much to tell you.”

We followed her down the same narrow hallway (that still smelled like warm gingerbread) to the same table in the same back room, melting in golden light and velvet, exactly as it had been back in December!

“And you are—
who?
” she asked, tilting her head to one shoulder.

I was surprised she didn't recognize us.

“We were here just a few months ago,” I said. “Don't you remember? You told us our deepest dreams.”

“I see many, many faces, and you do look familiar. Did you want a refund?”

“No, our readings were free!” Eleanor blurted. “Plus, our dreams came true, just as you predicted.”

Madame M grinned. “Well, then, what can I do for you today?”

“For one thing,” I said, “we want to thank you for helping us with your magical powers.”