CHAPTER 9
I’m in so much trouble, Evan thought. He wiped his sweaty palms against his pants. How did they know I was here?
Evan walked back to Ryan. He tried not to look, but he could feel his family watching him.
“Nice run,” Ryan said. “Not bad for your first competition.”
“Too bad it will be my last,” Evan said. “I’m busted. My whole family is out there.”
Ryan turned and looked.
“Don’t look, Ryan!” Evan shouted. “I’m already in enough trouble.”
“Why are they here?” Ryan asked.
“I don’t know! I didn’t say a thing about it to anyone,” Evan said, shaking his head. “I even told Chris I wouldn’t compete.”
“Grandma,” both of them said together.
But that didn’t make sense either. Grandma Narita thought Evan had asked for a skateboard. I never said anything about a competition, Evan thought. There’s no way she could know I’d be here.
Both Ryan and Evan were quiet for a moment. The next skater started his run.
“What are you going to do?” Ryan asked.
“I should probably quit and accept my punishment,” Evan said. He adjusted his elbow pads and clenched his fists. “I can’t believe this! I was so careful.”
“Or,” Ryan said, looking over at the Narita family, “you could finish your runs, and then go over. I mean, you’re already in trouble anyway, right?”
Evan glanced over at his family. They were all watching the other skaters. No one seemed to be in a hurry to find him.
“Maybe you’re right,” Evan said. He wasn’t in a hurry to get yelled at. What could it hurt to finish?
* * *
After what seemed like forever, it was Evan’s turn again. His second run was a disaster.
He couldn’t focus on his tricks, and he bailed three times during his two minutes. When the air horn signaled the end of his run, Evan was relieved.
“It’s over,” Evan said when he reached Ryan again. “I can’t do anything with my parents watching me. They’re going to ground me for the rest of my life.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, Evan, no one is doing that well,” Ryan said. “Your first run is still in the top five so far. You could win if you bust out a bigger trick.”
Evan groaned. He didn’t want to try a third run. The last one had been a mess.
But I could win, Evan thought. Maybe I should give the eggplant a try.
“Okay,” Evan said. “I’ll try something bigger. What have I got to lose?”