CHAPTER 1

THE COMPETITION

“There it is,” Dad said.

It was Friday morning. Dad guided the family minivan carefully along the winding and snow-covered road, headed for their vacation destination.

In the seat at the far back, Will Pastora leaned forward to get a look. Ahead, a modest mountain, thick with pine trees, boasted a swath of cleared faces.

Ski slopes.

“Looks pretty good,” Mom said.

“Not bad, I guess,” Will said.

The truth was, since Dad took early retirement, the Pastora family had to cut back on a lot of expenses, including this winter’s ski and snowboard trip. The last couple of years, they’d gone to a much nicer resort with bigger mountains and better snow.

This white stuff was probably man-made, icy and chunky. The resort was small, and there weren’t many ski and snowboard trails. Hatchinson, the nearby town, was also small.

“Tilly says Hatchinson is super cute,” said Will’s big sister, Eve. Tilly was Eve’s best friend. “Her family’s been here a bunch of times.”

Dad pulled the van into a sunken gravel parking area. The lodge loomed over the lot. The A-frame building cast a shadow and blocked out the bright sky.

A wooden sign hung across the building: Sorenson Resort. Beneath that a banner flapped in the icy winter breeze, reading: Welcome Junior Snowboarders!

“What do you think that means?” Will asked as he climbed out of the van.

Dad read the sign aloud. “They must mean you and Eve,” he said.

“Right,” Will said. “I’m sure they put up a banner just for the Pastora kids.”

Dad crossed the lobby to get the family checked in at the main desk. Will, Eve, and Mom brought in the bags and gear. They set everything down at the porter’s desk.

“I’d love to check out the town,” Eve said. She sat down on her suitcase. “Tilly told me about a great coffee shop that also sells vintage clothes.”

“Let’s get settled in at the room first,” Mom said. “I don’t want to make Dad get right back in the van now that we’re finally here.”

“You can take the shuttle bus,” said a boy walking by. He looked about Will’s age. He had long, dark hair tied into a ponytail and wore a mismatched outfit of snowboarding pants, coat, and boots. “It leaves from right out front and goes directly into town. They go back and forth all day long.”

The boy pointed out the front door. A small white bus was parked there, its engine running and its door open. Small black letters on the side of the bus said SORENSON RESORT.

“See?” he said. “It’s there now.”

“Is it free?” Eve asked.

The boy nodded. “I think so,” he said. “I’ve never paid anything.”

“Mom, can I?” Eve said, turning her pleading face toward Mom.

“I don’t know,” Mom said. “By yourself?”

“Mom!” Eve said. “I’m sixteen. I’ll be fine.”

Mom looked at her a moment and then over at Dad. He was still busy talking to the hotel clerk at the check-in desk.

Mom looked back at Eve. “Fine,” she said. “But be sure to find out when and where the shuttle picks you up to come back, and don’t stay too long.”

“I won’t,” Eve said as she got up and ran for the bus.

“Do you have any money?” Mom called after her.

“Yes, Mom!” Eve said. She hopped on the bus. A moment later, the door closed and the shuttle sputtered away.

“Where’s Eve going?” Dad asked as he walked over, keys in hand. He handed a card to the young woman at the porter’s desk. She took it, smiled, and began moving the Pastoras’ gear into the locked checkroom behind the desk.

“Into town,” Mom said. “There’s a shuttle.”

“Alone?” Dad asked.

“She’ll be fine,” Mom said. She winked at Will.

“And who’s this?” Dad asked. He smiled at the boy who had told them about the shuttle.

“I’m Jasper,” the boy said.

Mom held Will by the shoulders. “This is Will,” she said. “We’ll be at the resort for the next few days.”

“Hi,” Will said.

“Well, I’m starved,” Dad said, patting his stomach. “Who wants lunch?”

“I do,” Mom said.

“Jasper,” Dad said, “you’re welcome to join us if your parents say it’s okay.”

“I already ate lunch,” Jasper said.

“I’m not hungry either,” Will said.

“Suit yourself,” Dad said.

He handed Will a key with the number 302 engraved on its face. “Here’s the key,” he said, “but they’re still cleaning the room. You won’t be able to get in until three.”

Will checked the clock hanging over the porter’s desk. “That’s almost two hours,” he complained.

“I’ll show you around,” said the boy. “I’ve been here loads of times.”

“You do seem to know your stuff,” Mom said. “Sound okay to you, Will?”

Will shrugged. “I guess,” he said. “Anything to do around here besides hit the slopes?”

“Not much,” Jasper said. “But there’s a TV in the lodge.”

“Have fun, boys,” Mom said. She and Dad walked off hand in hand toward the chalet’s restaurant.

“This way,” Jasper said. He led Will through the lobby toward a big open doorway. Beyond, Will could see the dark wood furniture of the lodge and the flickering orange glow of a fire.

“Are you here for the youth snowboarding competition too?” Jasper asked.

“Oh, that explains the banner,” Will muttered to himself.

“What?” Jasper said.

“Nothing, nothing,” Will said.

Of course, Will hadn’t heard anything about the competition. But if this kid was in it, maybe it would be fine for Will to enter too.

“Yeah, I’m here for the competition,” he said.

In a way, it was true. Now that he was here, he’d be in the competition. What difference did it make if he came up here just for that purpose? He didn’t want to seem like he didn’t know what was going on.

Besides, Will loved snowboarding. He’d gone two times before on his last two winter vacations.

“Did you sign in yet at the registration table?” Jasper asked as they stepped into the lodge.

There was a single step down into the lounge. Will stumbled a little. The room was darker than it had been in the lobby. It took a few moments for Will’s eyes to adjust.

“Um, no,” Will said. “Where is it?” He looked around the big, dark room, expecting to find a table where he’d sign in.

“It’s not in here,” Jasper said. “But we can cut through. Come on. It’s over by the equipment rental shed. I’ll show you the way.”