Avalanche

  Art Seen

  Avalanche

  Baby Mama

  Blurred Reality

  Cloud Warrior

  Instafamous

  Lost in Time

  Summer Lake

  The Throwaways

  Copyright © 2019 by Saddleback Educational Publishing

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, scanning, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher. SADDLEBACK EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING and any associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Saddleback Educational Publishing.

  All source images from Shutterstock.com

  ISBN-13: 978-1-68021-483-3

  eBook: 978-1-63078-837-7

  This digital document has been produced by Nord Compo.

  CHAPTER 1

  A First for Everything

  The bell rang a minute ago. I’m standing on the steps of the school. My body is frozen. It’s not because of the cold. Though it is late October, and it would be freezing in Montana. That’s where I used to live. No. I’m frozen in fear.

  Does anyone like the first day of school? No matter how much you plan, something always goes wrong.

  It starts with a forgotten locker combination. This means carrying all your books to each class. But the schedule is messed up. So you’re never in the right place. Teachers just keep glaring at you all day.

  Then there’s the whole social thing. Fitting in and making friends. Wearing the right clothes. It’s never fun. But this time it’s even worse. This is the first day at a new school. Classes started months ago. That means I’m seriously behind in everything.

  The building in front of me is so big. It’s scary to think of what’s waiting inside. There are 200 kids in tenth grade. My old school had 200 students. I’m talking total.

  “You’re late.”

  The voice startles me. A teacher? But it turns out to be two girls. One has on leggings and a tight top. The other is wearing jeans and a hoodie. My sweater dress is not even close to being cool.

  “You’re late too,” I say.

  “Yeah,” the girl with leggings says. “But on purpose.”

  “Maybe I’m late on purpose too.”

  Jeans shakes her head. It seems she’s not buying it. “You look like you’re about to puke.”

  She can tell?

  “What’s your name?” she asks.

  “Andrea.” I put extra stress on dray. It’s out of habit. I’m used to correcting teachers. They always read it wrong.

  “Dray,” Jeans says.

  “Really? You too?” I say. “Hi, Dray.”

  “Uh, no. You’re Dray,” she informs me. “I’m Cole.”

  “Oh! Right. Sorry.”

  Cole just stares.

  Rule 1. No full names. It’s going to take months to figure this out.

  “What’s your name?” I ask the other girl.

  “Alexandria.”

  Dray and Dree. That’s funny. Hold on. Why is she allowed to use her full name? Is there a test you have to pass?

  That’s it. Before even trying, I’ve given up. I’m going home and letting Mom know. We have to move back to Montana. There will be no going to school until then.

  “Are you going to the office?” Cole asks. “It’s on the way to our first class. You can follow us.”

  Don’t think, I tell myself. Just do what you’re told.

  CHAPTER 2

  No Joke

  Where are we going anyway? We’ve been walking forever. Maybe this is all a big joke. These girls are really leading me to a supply closet. But we do end up at the office.

  “Thanks,” I say.

  Cole sticks out her tongue. Alexandria says nothing. They head for their class.

  The woman behind the counter has questions. “Why are you late? What were you doing with those girls?”

  What does she mean by those girls? “Nothing. I’m new here. This is my first day.”

  Then she asks to see my schedule.

  “You’re supposed to be in PE.”

  This isn’t helping.

  “Right. Can you tell me where the gym is?”

  “All the way across campus. You’d better hurry. You’re already late.”

  “Thanks.”

  It takes forever to get to the gym. Now I’m super late. The kids have already changed. They’re playing basketball.

  “Hello?” I call out. Nobody hears me. This is my chance. I’ll hide out in the bathroom. Then the teacher looks over at me. It’s too late.

  “Can I help you?” he asks.

  “I’m supposed to be here.”

  The kids in the room are all wearing black shorts and T-shirts. An image of my gym clothes comes to mind. They’re pink. So much for not standing out.

  “You must be the new student,” the teacher says.

  He blows a whistle. The noise comes to a stop. Everyone looks at me.

  “You’re behind,” he adds.

  Like I don’t know that.

  “We already warmed up,” he says. “Go get changed. Then give me 25.”

  “Twenty-five?” I say.

  “Dollars,” a voice calls out.

  It’s Cole.

  “Yeah,” she says. “Mr. Lee is broke. It’s embarrassing, really. Asking students to lend him money. Happens all the time.”

  Who speaks to a teacher like that? It wouldn’t happen at my old school.

  “Detention, Cole,” Mr. Lee says. He doesn’t seem mad, just tired. Now he’s looking at me. “You still owe me 25.”

  Alexandria steps up to explain. “Push-ups,” she says.

  “Really?” I say.

  Mr. Lee nods his head. His arms are crossed. This is not a joke. I’ve never gotten detention in my life. I’m not about to start now. So it’s off to the locker room.

  When I get back, the kids are playing ball again. Mr. Lee is waiting for me. This is my cue to drop into proper push-up form. I’m on my toes, not my knees. My body is in a straight line.

  Twenty-three. Twenty-four. Twenty-five.

  Off to one side, I see Alexandria. She’s nodding approval.

  “You actually did it,” she says. “All 25.”

  “Yeah.” It’s not a big deal. I was on a ski team. Pushups were part of practice. We did double that amount. It must not be normal at this school.

  Mr. Lee gives a sigh. “Get back to the game, Alexandria.”

  Yeah, Alexandria. Mind your own business, I think. Who runs this class?

  “Grab a basketball,” he says to me. “Let’s see what you can do.”

  CHAPTER 3

  No Sweat

  Basketball is not my game. I don’t score once. Even Cole and Alexandria are good at it. They don’t seem to sweat. But they also don’t play the whole time. Mr. Lee has to keep yelling at them.

  Me? I’m soaked in sweat. My finger jams when I catch a pass wrong. Ow! Being the worst player sucks.

  The whistle blows. Relief! There’s a race to the locker room. I’m thinking about my next class. Where is math from here? This school is a maze.

  “Hold up,” Mr. Lee calls to me.

  Great. He’s going to make me late. I’ll pretend not to hear him. But something makes me stop and turn around.

  “Have you thought about wrestling? I coach the team. We need players.”

  Is he kidding? Sweating is one thing. But being that close to someone else’s sweat? The thought makes me cringe. There’s only one sport for me. That’s skiing. “Is there a ski team?”

  “No.”

  He might as well have kicked me. What will I do for fun?

  “But there is a ski trip coming up,” he adds.
>
  This is good news.

  “Stop by the office. They’ll give you a form. Your parents have to sign it. Be sure to bring it back tomorrow.”

  “Thanks!” Mr. Lee is pretty cool. I hurry to the locker room and change.

  It’s a surprise that I’m not behind in math. But I might as well be. It’s my worst subject. The next class is my favorite. Science. At my old school, we were studying plants. Here, they’re finishing a unit on energy. Just what I need, more math.

  By lunchtime I’m grumpy. Making friends is the last thing on my mind. Most kids go to the cafeteria. That’s when I head outside.

  It seems strange eating outdoors in October. That wouldn’t happen in Montana. It’s snowing right now. But this is Seattle. Freezing here is warm. It just rains a lot. Now I notice my shoes and socks. They’re soaked through. I’m so ready for this day to end.

  After lunch is English. Of course I’m behind. We’re talking about books I haven’t even read. History is last. Bor-ing.

  Finally the bell rings. Cole and Alexandria are nowhere around. They should be headed for the bus. Oh, wait. That’s right. They have detention. I’ve never had friends like that. Friends might be a strong word.

  “How was it?” Mom asks when I get home.

  The look on her face says it all. She has a big smile. Her eyes are open wide. She’s hoping it was a good day. That would make her feel better. It’s because of her we moved here. She just had to leave Montana. That was after Dad left. Her goal was to get as far away as possible. Now she’s feeling guilty. Good. She should.

  “Awful,” I say. “I’m behind in everything. And I didn’t make any friends.”

  The smile leaves her face.

  “But there’s this.”

  She takes the form from me and reads it. “A ski trip? That’ll be fun. But it’s on Saturday. That’s in three days. Not much notice.”

  “No. But that’s okay.” It’s skiing. What else matters?

  Mom signs the form and hands it to me. Wait till my friends hear about it. But we won’t be able to talk until later. They have ski practice on Wednesday.

  After a couple of hours, I check online. Still, nobody’s around. It makes sense. They’re tired. Practice is like that. All you want to do after is eat and go to bed.

  I lay back and look around the room. Reminders of my old home are everywhere. There are pictures of me and my friends. Many are ski team photos. Awards we’ve won are displayed on a shelf. Posters cover one wall. One shows the Montana State ski team. The Bobcats are the best. It was my dream to be on the team.

  Now that I’m really looking, it hits me. The whole room is blue and gold. These are the school’s colors. And the state of Montana’s colors. No wonder I’m so homesick.

  It’s awful being stuck here alone. Seeing my best friend smiling in a photo doesn’t help. Does Jamie even miss me? Maybe nobody misses me.

  There’s only one thing left to do. And that’s go to bed.

  CHAPTER 4

  Don’t Wake Me

  A blanket of snow stretches out below me. I tip my skis over the ledge and drop in. Everything disappears. The sky and the trees are gone. There’s only white. Gravity takes me. For a few minutes, it’s like floating. Then suddenly it all comes to a stop.

  “Huh?” What’s going on? Where’s the mountain? This isn’t Montana. And I’m not skiing. Oh, right. We live in Washington now. The thought makes me want to stay in bed.

  There’s still the ski trip coming up. That’s just two days from now. This gets me up and going. But there is one more dilemma. What do I wear? Yesterday’s sweater dress was so wrong.

  Wearing all black seems boring. But somehow it feels right. Or maybe safe is the word. It’s better than standing out. Reminder to self. Buy a new wardrobe of boring clothes.

  I also grab shorts and a T-shirt. Whose idea was it to make PE first period? You get all ready just to sweat.

  Today I don’t feel so lost. And nobody is staring at me. Wearing the right clothes is everything. It’s all about blending in. Being early to PE is also a good thing. Mr. Lee doesn’t get mad at me. Instead he wants to talk about wrestling.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to try it?”

  How many times is he going to ask? “I’m sure. But here’s my permission slip.”

  The class isn’t any better today. Basketball is still not my game. But at least I don’t have to do push-ups. Cole and Alexandria do. Well, they’re supposed to. Instead they get detention.

  These two are always in trouble. Do I really want friends like that? At least they talk to me. It’s better than nothing.

  Alexandria is standing nearby. “Catch,” I call to her.

  She turns in time to catch the ball.

  “What’s the deal with Mr. Lee?” I ask. “You guys give him such a hard time. Why?”

  “He’s fun to mess with,” she says. Then she changes the subject. “Are you trying out for wrestling? I heard him ask you.”

  She doesn’t wait for me to answer.

  “He got me to join, but I had to quit. It’s hard to wrestle with a belly ring.”

  Is that even allowed? Someone could get hurt.

  Cole comes up to us. “And I got kicked off.”

  It sounds like she’s proud of this. I’m not even going to ask why. “There’s only one sport I like. Skiing.”

  “Ooh,” Cole says. “I can just see it. Spandex from head to toe. A spaceship helmet. Racing down the mountain.”

  Close. But I’m not owning it. “Jumps and rails are more my thing.”

  “You going Saturday?” she asks.

  “On the ski trip? Yeah. Do you ski?”

  “We snowboard,” Alexandria says.

  “Great,” Cole says. “We can all go to the terrain park.”

  “Sure. Whatever.” Inside I’m cheering. She said we!

  Morning classes go by slowly. None of my homework is done. Last night was spent feeling sorry for myself. My teachers don’t care. They just give more work.

  At lunch, Cole and Alexandria see me and wave. My plan is to try and act cool. I’ll let them come to me. But they end up walking away. What does it take to make a friend around here?

  Afternoon classes are a repeat of the morning. And I thought the first day of school was bad. Tomorrow has to be better.

  CHAPTER 5

  The New Normal

  The next day is not better. There is so much catching up to do. It’s hard to know where to start. When I get home, Mom doesn’t even ask how it went. It must be the frown on my face.

  We’re having lasagna. She knows it’s my favorite. Really, Mom? This is a bribe. She’s trying to make up for us moving here. It will not work.

  I’m silent during dinner. After a few bites, I get up to leave.

  “You’re not done,” Mom says. “What’s the rush?”

  “Homework.”

  She looks surprised. At our old house, I studied in the kitchen. Not anymore. Now being alone is better.

  “Can’t it wait?” she asks. “It’s the weekend. Tell me about school.”

  “The ski trip is tomorrow. Remember? I have to get ready.”

  When I check my laptop, none of my friends are online. That’s weird. Maybe Coach added a practice. They must have an event coming up.

  Tears fill my eyes. No! Don’t even cry! So you’re not on the team. They’re still your friends.

  Planning what to wear takes my mind off it. There are two jackets to choose from. One is plaid. It’s amazing, in my opinion. The other one is black.

  Suddenly I’m too tired to decide. It can wait till morning. It’s not like there’s a real choice.

  Somewhere there’s a buzzing sound. Slowly my eyes open. The clock on my nightstand says 5:00 a.m. This must be a dream. Isn’t it the weekend? My eyes start to close again. Then it hits me. Ski trip!

  Everything seemed hopeless last night. This morning I’m excited.

  Mom is at my door. She looks sleepy. “Do you want breakf
ast?”

  “I’ll eat on the way.”

  “Okay. See you downstairs.”

  All that’s left to do is get dressed. The black outfit does look good on me. Done.

  Mom is waiting in the kitchen. A banana and carton of yogurt are on the counter. “Is this enough for you?”

  “Sure. We better go.”

  The streets are dark and quiet. It feels like it’s midnight. We turn into the school parking lot. The bus’s bright headlights are shining. Even as cars drop kids off, it’s oddly quiet. They all must be half asleep.

  Mom starts to get out of the car with me. “Can I help you with your skis?”

  “No thanks. I’ve got it.”

  A pile of gear is on the ground. It’s mostly snowboards. Sigh. Another reminder of being different. The driver who is loading gear takes my skis.

  Mom waves. Without thinking, I say goodbye. Shoot! It’s too late to take it back. Now she thinks I’m not mad anymore.

  Cole and Alexandria look up when I get on the bus. Of course they didn’t save me a seat. The one I end up with is next to an adult. My plan is to sleep if she talks to me.

  Mr. Lee is seated in the front. He looks back at us, then says something to the driver. The door is about to close. That’s when a guy runs onto the bus.

  There’s only one seat left. It’s across from mine. He’s coming down the aisle. Our eyes meet. Then he gives a little grin. Oh, wow! This guy is cute. Wait. His eyes are looking past me. It’s someone behind me. Ugh, a girl. And she’s smiling back. Sigh.

  As the bus leaves the lot, my eyes close. It’s a two-hour drive. In Montana, the ski resort was minutes from our house. Might as well relax.

  My thoughts drift to the cute guy. What’s his name, I wonder. Maybe that girl is just his friend. I’ll have to look for him later.

  The woman next to me is speaking. That’s when I close my eyes to sleep.

  The next thing I know, there’s a nudge in my side. “Huh?”

  “Time to wake up,” the woman says. “We’re here.”