Spencer drew a deep breath as he turned the old car into his uncle’s driveway. The ski cabin stood at the end of a long, winding mountain road, and Spencer had missed too many curves on the way up.
I’m lucky I didn’t skid off a cliff in this piece-of-junk car, he thought. Why don’t they put guardrails on those turns?
He was still shaking from the dangerous drive. But now that he had arrived, he could relax. He waited for Diane, Lenny, Cassie, and Jordan to join him for the weekend.
His uncle promised that there was plenty of food at the cabin, and wood for a roaring fire. Cable TV. And his uncle’s artificial Christmas tree waiting to be decorated.
Spencer couldn’t wait for his friends to show up.
After last night’s snowfall, the slopes would be perfect. Everyone would be impressed by his uncle’s cabin. The only way the weekend could be better was if he had a girlfriend with him.
Spencer hated being the only one without a girlfriend.
His friends thought he was shy. They always teased him about it. Especially Lenny.
They didn’t get it.
Spencer knew he could find someone to date. But he was picky about who he went out with. She had to be smart, pretty, and fun. Someone perfect.
Someone like Diane.
Thinking about Diane, Spencer scowled.
When Diane broke up with Bryan, Spencer thought for sure she would go out with him. They had been friends for years, and he knew Diane liked him. But Spencer had waited too long. Lenny asked Diane out first.
And then it was Diane and Lenny, together all the time.
Spencer climbed out of the old car and waved at the headlights of Jordan’s Jeep. Jordan came from a rich family.
It must be nice to get cars as birthday presents, Spencer thought. The last birthday present he got was a pair of out-of-style sneakers from his dad’s store.
As Jordan pulled into the snow-covered driveway, he gunned the engine. The wheels picked up snow, flinging it over Spencer. It whipped into his face, stung his cheeks, and soaked the fur hood of his parka.
Spencer groaned and wiped the water from his eyes. He saw Diane and Cassie in the backseat. They pointed at him, giggling.
Jordan jumped out of the Jeep. “Hey—my aim is getting better!” he declared, laughing.
Lenny climbed out next. “Yo, Spence!” he called. “We saw your car leaning too far to the left. Maybe you should cut down on the Snickers bars!”
The joke angered Spencer. So what if he was a little chubby? Who gave Lenny the right to make fun of him in front of Diane?
Lenny is a jerk, Spencer decided angrily. A total jerk.
Diane climbed out of the Jeep and began pulling bags from the back. Spencer watched in silence. He had tried to convince Diane that her new boyfriend was bad news. But Diane told him she didn’t need his advice.
The worst part was that she brought Lenny with her everywhere. To the movies. To Pete’s Pizza. To the mall.
To Spencer’s uncle’s cabin.
“Hey—this is excellent!” Cassie’s voice interrupted Spencer’s thoughts. “Thanks for inviting us.”
Spencer felt a little better. Cassie could always cheer him up. “No problem,” he said softly. He stepped over to the girls and slung an arm around each of them.
He watched Lenny stiffen as he passed by. It made him smile. “Let’s get a fire started,” Spencer suggested to Diane and Cassie.
He pulled open the cabin door. Dark. And very cold. Spencer searched for the wall switch and flooded the place with light.
His uncle’s cabin was beautiful. With a wide, stone fireplace, a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, and a cozy loft.
“How pretty!” Diane exclaimed. She studied the room as she pulled off her gloves and ski cap.
“Whoa!” Jordan cried as he dropped his backpack onto the living room couch. “Your uncle must have some major bucks. Check out the stereo system!”
“I always knew your uncle Jarvis was loaded!” Lenny agreed. “Hey, Spence, how about a loan?”
Diane shoved him playfully. “Give Spencer a break,” she scolded.
Yeah. Give Spencer a break, Spencer thought bitterly. Take a long walk in the snow, Lenny. And don’t come back.
“Spencer,” Cassie called. “It’s freezing in here. Building a fire was a good idea.”
Spencer nodded. “Sure. I’ll have it warm in here in a few minutes.”
He pointed down the hallway. “The cabin has three bedrooms. You have your choice. Go settle in while I build the fire.”
His friends disappeared, checking out all the rooms.
Spencer carefully stoked a flame in the fireplace. He concentrated on building the fire.
But a few seconds later, Lenny’s angry voice from down the hall broke into Spencer’s thoughts. “Stop telling me what to do, Diane!” Lenny warned. “I didn’t want to come up here in the first place. I came along for you.”
“You didn’t have to,” Spencer heard Diane reply. “You don’t have to follow me around everywhere I go.”
“You follow me. I don’t follow you,” Lenny insisted.
Spencer heard Jordan step into the argument. “Will you guys give it a rest? We’re supposed to have fun this weekend.”
Spencer heard some muttered words. He couldn’t make them out. He heard Lenny mention his name. Then he heard Jordan laugh.
Are they laughing at me? Spencer wondered.
Spencer felt his cheeks turn red. Before Lenny joined their group, Jordan had been a really good friend. Was Jordan laughing at him now?
Diane and Cassie drifted back into the living room, talking quietly. Spencer bent over the fire. He didn’t want them to know he had heard them.
Two large, green leather sofas faced each other in the middle of the room. The couples paired off and plopped down on them. Immediately they flipped on the wide-screen television.
Lenny wanted to see the hockey match. Jordan wanted to watch one of the Lethal Weapon movies. The girls wanted to tune in to a figure-skating competition.
Spencer sat on the floor and kept quiet. He knew Lenny would get his way. Lenny always got his way.
A loud howl burst through the cabin.
The back door blew open in the sudden wind and slammed against the wall.
The lights flickered once. Then the entire cabin went dark.
For a moment nobody spoke.
Then Lenny groaned. “Oh, great,” he said with a sigh. “A power failure.”
“No problem,” Spencer announced. “We’ve got candles and lanterns.”
“Do you have a candle-powered TV?” Jordan joked.
Spencer ignored him. He climbed up from the rug and walked into the kitchen for the propane lantern.
It took him a while to find it in the dark. Then he lugged it back to the coffee table and lit it. The room flickered with orange light.
“There. That’s better.” Spencer glanced at Lenny and saw an angry scowl on his face. Diane crossed her arms and stared straight ahead.
An argument. They must have fought while he was out of the room.
“I didn’t want to come here in the first place, Diane,” Lenny muttered. “Why do I let you convince me to do stuff like this?”
He stared right at Spencer as he spoke. As if he didn’t care at all about Spencer’s feelings.
Diane slid away from Lenny on the couch. “I’m really sick of your complaining,” she snapped. “You’re acting like a baby. If it’s so bad in here, why don’t you go out and sit in the car?”
Spencer almost laughed out loud. He loved seeing Lenny blow it. Maybe Diane would dump Lenny this weekend.
Lenny leapt to his feet. “Fine!” he snarled. “If you want me, I’ll be in the Jeep.” He grabbed his coat and stomped outside, slamming the cabin door behind him.
“Don’t you think you should go after him?” Cassie asked Jordan.
Jordan shook his head. “He’ll be back before you know it—it’s freezing out! He just needs to blow off some steam. It will be the best thing for all of us.”
“What’s his problem, anyway?” Spencer asked, sitting beside Diane.
“School,” Jordan answered. “What else?”
“Can’t we talk about something besides Lenny?” Cassie interrupted. “I’m sure Diane would appreciate it.”
Spencer shifted his gaze to Diane. “You okay?”
She shrugged. “Yeah. Fine.” She turned her gaze to the orange flames dancing in the fireplace.
A couple of minutes later, Jordan and Cassie snuggled close on their couch. They kissed. A long, passionate kiss.
Diane stared straight ahead, acting as if she didn’t notice. But it made Spencer uncomfortable. He decided to get some wood from the shed. “I’m going to bring in some more logs for the fire,” he explained.
“Can I come with you?” Diane asked softly.
“Sure,” he answered.
She hurried to get her coat from the bedroom. They left Cassie and Jordan kissing on the couch.
Spencer held Diane’s arm as they tramped through the snow. When they reached the shed where his uncle stored the firewood, he paused to light another lantern hanging from a peg.
He saw Diane shiver. She glanced at the thick evergreens crowding around the shed.
Spencer loaded kindling sticks while Diane took a seat on the chopping block. She sighed. “I thought Cassie and Jordan were bad,” she murmured, keeping her eyes on the trees.
“What do you mean?” Spencer asked.
“You know. Fighting all the time. But now, Lenny and I …” Her voice trailed off.
“What’s his problem, anyway?” Spencer demanded.
Diane sighed. “I don’t know,” she answered. “I really don’t. Sometimes we get along great. But sometimes he’s just impossible. Like tonight.”
She stopped to brush her straight, blond hair from her eyes.
“He’s always losing it,” she continued. “Especially when we’re not doing what Lenny wants to do.”
“He has to run the show, huh?” Spencer asked.
She nodded. And looked so sad that he dropped the sack of sticks to come over to her. He tenderly cupped her chin in his hand and gazed into her soft brown eyes.
Diane blinked and smiled.
Before he realized what he was doing, Spencer leaned toward Diane. Slowly. Until their faces touched.
Until their lips touched.
A hand grabbed Spencer’s shoulder roughly.
Spun him around.
He stared into Lenny’s angry face.
Spencer opened his mouth. But he didn’t have time to say anything.
Lenny punched him hard in the mouth.
The pain seared through Spencer’s jaw. He stumbled back.
He stared at Lenny. Stunned. Felt warm blood trickle down his chin.
Lenny came for him again.
But Diane stepped between them. “That’s enough!” she cried. “Lenny—have you gone crazy?”
Lenny tried to push past her. She threw her slight weight against him, long enough to force him to stop.
“Stay away from Diane!” Lenny screamed. “Or you’ll be sorry! You’ll be sorry!”
Spencer stared at Lenny, feeling his anger rise.
He lowered his gaze to the snow. Saw the blood from his cut mouth puddling darkly at his feet.
Dark blood on the white, white snow. Glowing in the lantern light.
When Spencer raised his eyes, Lenny was dragging Diane back to the cabin.
Spencer felt his fury build.
This isn’t right, Lenny, he thought. Not right at all.
You can’t treat people this way.
I can’t let you get away with this.