Mountain Bike Mania Read online

  But Will shook his head. “Danny asked about one when school started. They had one last year, but the guy who organized it graduated to high school. And no one seems to have wanted to form it this year.” He didn’t add that Danny was too shy to try to do that himself. His parents, who knew Danny well, didn’t ask, anyway.

  “Why don’t you give Danny a call and see if he wants to go with you on Saturday?” his dad said. “I’ll drop you off and pick you up, and you guys can go, just the two of you.”

  “Okay!” Will said, jumping up to get the phone. Finally they were getting somewhere!

  Danny Silver picked up the phone himself. “Hello?” he said in his funny, nasal voice. Danny always sounded like he had a cold or something. It didn’t bother Will — at least you knew it was Danny when he picked up the phone. But a lot of kids made fun of him for it, and for the thick black glasses and weird clothes he wore.

  Will often felt like giving Danny some fashion advice — not that he himself got into that stuff. But he knew Danny would take it the wrong way. Danny thought designer labels were stupid and a waste of money, and he didn’t care whether the cool kids liked him. Not trying to fit in made him unpopular at school, but it was one of the things Will liked best about him.

  “It’s me,” Will said, knowing that Danny would recognize his voice. “Wanna go hiking Saturday? My dad will drive us there and back.”

  “Sure!” Danny said eagerly. “I haven’t been hiking since the summer. I’m getting really out of shape.”

  “Me, too,” Will said. “That’s kind of why I called.”

  “Huh?”

  “Never mind. I’ll tell you when I see you.”

  “Man, I hope the weather stays good,” Danny said. “Listen, I’ve got some astronaut food I can bring, and stuff like that. If you have binoculars, bring them along, okay? In case we see any deer or bears or birds or stuff like that. Oh, and you’ll need your backpack, because I always bring a lot of water, ‘cause you never know, and it’s heavy and I’ll collapse if I have to carry it all myself.”

  Finally Danny ran out of breath and came up for air. He always did that when he got excited about something. It never failed to make Will laugh.

  “Relax, we’ll figure it all out before we go,” Will said. “We’ll pick you up about nine, okay?”

  “I’ll be ready!” Danny said, and hung up.

  “Okay, we’re on!” Will told his dad as he came back into the dining room. “Now, what about after school? If I get some exercise on Saturdays, can I veg on the weekdays?”

  “We’ll see,” said his dad, scowling. “We’ll see.”

  That meant no, as Will well knew.

  “Don’t worry, Will,” his mom assured him. “You’ll find something you like. I’m sure of it.”

  Will sighed. He wished he was as sure as she was.

  “Hey, where’s that astronaut food? I feel like I’ve lost ten pounds already!” Will plopped down on the grass at the side of the trail. Exhausted, he threw off his backpack, fished a bottle of water out of it, and took a long drink. Danny sat down beside him.

  “Drink a lot of water — that’s the secret,” Danny advised. “You can get really wasted otherwise.”

  “Too late.” Will wiped the sweat out of his eyes and looked around. It was a hot, sunny day, and the hills around Montwood were green and beautiful. The air smelled like pine needles, and birds were calling to one another across the treetops. Way up above, a big bird — a hawk or buzzard — glided along on the warm air currents, looking for a meal.

  They were sitting at the junction of two trails. Their trail sliced across the hillside and was fairly level. The up-slope side was lined with low growing brush. The other trail, a narrow, rutted track, zigzagged down the hill, flattening out only here in the clearing. The second trail met the first near some brush.

  Will was just wondering what had made the ruts in the second trail, when Danny interrupted his train of thought.

  “This was a great idea of yours, going hiking up here,” Danny said.

  “Well, to tell you the truth, it wasn’t exactly my idea. My parents —”

  “Say no more,” Danny interrupted with a wave of his hand. “It really bites, being a latchkey kid.”

  Will nodded. He knew that Danny was speaking from the heart. His dad had died when he was only five — before Will had even known him — and his mom had to work two jobs. Danny was alone a lot of the time. Will had always felt sorry for him, but now he was glad to have a friend who could really understand what he was up against.

  “How can you stand it?” Will wanted to know. “I mean, you must watch more TV than anybody!”

  “Nah,” Danny said, tossing a pebble at a nearby stream. “Most days I just read. You know, at the library.”

  “Yeah, that’s right. I forgot.” Will frowned.

  That was one big difference between Danny and him. Danny was a real brain. He would have gotten all A’s without even trying, but he always read up on all his subjects to learn more. It was like he wanted to know everything there was to know about everything.

  Will wished he felt that way, but the truth was, reading made his brains start to bubble after about half an hour. And the thought of going to the library made him break out in hives.

  “My mom and dad are never going to lay off me until I find some activity to do after school,” Will said, tearing open a pack of freeze-dried astronaut ice cream. “Want some?”

  Danny took a piece, and they lay there on their backs in the grass by the side of the trail, under the shade of a big pine tree that swayed in the breeze. “What time is your dad picking us up again?” Danny asked.

  “Three,” Will said. “But it’s only one-thirty. We can rest for a few minutes before we head back. Man, my whole body hurts.” He chuckled. “My dad would say, ‘It’s good pain!’”

  “There is no good pain,” Danny said. “Unless it isn’t yours.” And they both laughed.

  Just then, there was a loud cracking noise as the underbrush near the junction of the two trails parted. Suddenly three people on mountain bikes came barreling through and landed on the steep, rutted trail. Their faces had wide grins plastered on them. One of them was yelling, “Ya-hoooo!” at the top of his lungs.

  “Look out!” Will yelled. He and Danny rolled and dove to get out of their way. The cyclists never even slowed down, though one gave a little wave to the boys, laughing loudly. In seconds, the bike riders were out of sight, and the clearing was silent again.

  “What jerks!” Danny muttered. “I can’t believe it! They almost killed us!”

  Will’s heart was racing, and he, too, had been scared. But there was another feeling rushing through him, mingling with the fear.

  Exhilaration. Those cyclists were as free as could be!

  Will saw them again in his mind’s eye, speeding down the mountain trail on a bicycle with the wind in their faces, smiling, laughing, shouting — and he could see himself with them.

  Will stared at the trail where the bikes had disappeared, and the thought hit him: That’s it — that’s what I want to do! I want to mountain bike!

  It had to be the coolest thing to do on the face of the entire planet!

  3

  Can you believe those idiots?!” Danny said, incensed, as he picked himself up and dusted himself off. “Look at all this mud they got on me!”

  “Chill, Danny,” Will told him. “We’re okay, that’s what counts. I’m sure they just didn’t see us in time. We were lying down in the high grass, after all.”

  “What were they doing off the trail, anyway?” Danny continued. “They’re supposed to go single file and watch out for hikers and horses. But none of them do. They’re nuts, I’m telling you. Mountain biking is strictly for jerks.”

  Mountain biking. Will had heard of it, lots of times. But he’d never actually seen mountain bikers in action, rocketing down a trail at top speed. Again, he pictured himself doing it. Awesome!

  “I don’t
know, Dan,” he said. “I think you’re just mad, that’s all. You’ll get over it.”

  “This time,” Danny grumbled, hoisting his backpack onto his shoulders. “Come on, we’ve got to get back. Your dad will be waiting.”

  They walked down the trail in silence, each thinking his own thoughts. Will’s were all about the brand-new mountain bike he’d soon be riding — that is, if he could talk his parents into it.

  “I figured out what I want to do after school,” Will told his mom and dad that night at dinner. Tonight it was home cooking, for a change. His dad had put together a big salad, and his mom had made lasagna.

  “Oh, yeah? What’s that?” his dad asked, looking curious and hopeful.

  “I want to mountain bike!” Will said.

  “Mountain bike?” his mother repeated. “On a mountain?”

  “Mom,” Will said, rolling his eyes at her ignorance. “Mountain biking means you bike down all kinds of trails, not just on mountains.”

  “Is it safe?” she wondered aloud. “I don’t want you getting into anything dangerous.”

  “I think it’s a great idea!” his dad said enthusiastically. “And don’t worry, Maggie. Millions of people are taking up mountain biking. According to everything I’ve heard, it’s safe so long as it’s done properly.”

  “Well, I’d want to know lots more about it first,” she said cautiously. “Can’t you just bicycle around town, Will?”

  “Mom, it’s not the same thing,” Will protested.

  “Well, who would you be biking with?” his mother wondered. “I don’t want you going by yourself. Does Danny go mountain biking?”

  “Not a chance,” Will replied, shaking his head. “It’s not his thing. But I’ll bet there are kids in school who do. Maybe there’s even a club or something.”

  “Why don’t you check and report back to us,” his dad suggested. “Mountain biking sounds like a fine idea — lots of exercise and being outdoors — but you get all the particulars first, and let us know, okay?”

  “Okay!” Will said excitedly. He could see himself now, sailing down the mountain trail on his hot new bike!

  That Monday at lunchtime, Will went into the school’s main office and approached Ms. Henshaw’s desk. Ms. Henshaw was the school secretary. She knew everything about everything that was going on at the school — or at least how to find out.

  “Ms. Henshaw,” he began, “I’d like to —”

  “Will Matthews, right?” she asked, smiling at him through her granny glasses. “Ms. Milligan’s class?”

  “That’s right,” he acknowledged. “I’d like to find out whether there’s a mountain biking club after school.”

  “Mountain biking?” she repeated, thinking for a moment. “Yes. They meet outside the gym entrance after school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.”

  “Do you know who’s in it?” he asked her.

  “I couldn’t tell you that offhand, but the president is Gail Chen. Do you know her?”

  “Eighth grader?” he asked, picturing a tall girl with almond eyes and black hair in a ponytail.

  “That’s her,” Ms. Henshaw said. “She’s senior class treasurer as well, and head of the yearbook committee. I don’t know how she gets it all done.”

  “Do you know where I could find her?” he asked. But just then, the bell rang for fifth period, and Ms. Henshaw got up.

  “Sorry, Will, but I’ve got to take care of some things for the principal. Why don’t you just show up at the gym entrance after school? That’s where the club meets.” And she was gone, before he could say okay.

  At the end of the day, Will rushed to the gym and through the doors to the outside, only to find that it was pouring rain. He waited around for a while, but nobody showed up. Everyone was just running outside to get picked up by their parents.

  “Dang!” Will said after a few minutes, realizing that nobody was going to show up. He went back through the hallways to the front door, then made a mad dash for his old bike. He was soaked through before he even got to it, and by the time he made it home, he was a wet rag. A disappointed wet rag.

  He’d have to find Gail Chen tomorrow, one way or another.

  In the meantime, he knew enough to approach his parents for their agreement.

  “The club meets three times a week after school,” he told his mom and dad over supper — pizza this time. Even his dad had decided enough Chinese food was enough. “Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.”

  “Sounds great!” his dad said. “Three times a week? You’ll be back in shape in no time!” Then his face grew concerned. “I guess you’ll be needing a new bike, eh? It’s gonna cost a bundle, I’ll bet.”

  “Not so fast, Bob,” his mom interrupted. “Do you know anything about the kids in the club, Will?”

  “Well, I didn’t exactly get to meet them,” he admitted. “It was pouring, so nobody came to the meeting. But the president is this eighth-grade girl who’s the class treasurer and writes for the yearbook and stuff.”

  “Well, that says something!” his mother said, sounding impressed and a bit surprised. “I’m glad to hear that there are some older kids involved. Good students, too, it sounds like.”

  “So can I join?” Will asked, pressing his case.

  “What about Tuesdays and Thursdays?” his mother wanted to know. “If you’re going to be out biking three times a week, I want to make sure you get some work done, and some reading, on the other two days.”

  “Okay, okay,” Will agreed with a sigh. “I’ll come home and do my work, I promise.”

  “Oh, no,” she said. “If you’re here, you’ll be sitting in front of some screen with a bag of junk food in your hand. I want you to stay at the town library and wait for me to pick you up.”

  “Mom!” Will moaned in complaint. “Three hours in the library? I’ll —”

  “Never mind,” she said, cutting him off. “If you finish your homework, you can read a book or use their computers. Besides, Danny’s always there, isn’t he?”

  That’s true, Will thought with relief. And the library computers did have one or two games, as he recalled. “Okay. It’s a deal,” he said, offering his hand for her to shake. “Two days a week at the library, three days a week on my new bike!”

  “New bike? Now, Will, is that really necessary?” his mother asked. “What’s wrong with your old one?”

  “Dad!” Will said, enlisting his father’s help.

  “It is a little old and beat up, Maggie,” his dad put in. “And after all, we are bringing in more income these days. I think we ought to encourage this new interest of Will’s.”

  “Oh, I guess you’re right,” she said, smiling. “As long as you get a lot of use out of it.”

  “Believe me, Mom,” Will told her. “I definitely will.”

  “All right, then. It’s settled,” she said.

  Will smiled as she gave him her hand to shake. A deal was a deal. There was no way they were getting out of it now! And how bad could two afternoons a week at the library be, anyhow?

  Hey — maybe he’d even read a book!

  It was during lunch on Tuesday that Will found Gail Chen. She was in the back of the auditorium, meeting with her yearbook committee. Will had seen a notice about the meeting on the bulletin board. And he had snuck out of the cafeteria without a pass, because he figured that no aide or teacher would give him one without ten minutes of explanation.

  Gail was leading the meeting, it seemed. At least she was doing most of the talking. She had a big smile and braces, and seemed really likable. Just watching her made Will smile, she was so animated and energetic.

  He waited impatiently for the meeting to break up. When it finally did, he went up to her and said hello.

  “My name’s Will Matthews,” he said. “I’m interested in the mountain biking club.”

  “You’re kidding!” she said, widening her eyes.

  “Uh, no, I’m not,” he said, confused. “Why?”

  “No, I mea
n, that’s great! That’s fantastic! We need some new blood.”

  “Blood?”

  She tsked and rolled her eyes, then giggled. “You know, like, new people? Like you! Are you in sixth grade?”

  “Uh-huh. Is that okay?”

  “Sure! Fantastic. Gotta break ‘em in young.”

  “Um, how many people do you have?”

  “Only six,” Gail said. “It’s sad. Last year we had eleven, and it was great, but four kids graduated and one moved away. But if you join, that’ll make seven! So, like, you have to join.”

  “I do,” he said, smiling. “Who are the other kids in the club?”

  “Well, there’s Candy and Mitch McGeachie. They’re twins — you might know them. They’re sixth graders. And Steven Barrad, he’s in seventh. Then there’s Juliette Travis, who’s in my year, and me. Oh, and Ace.” She made a face. “How could I forget him?”

  “Ace?”

  “Ace Diamond. His dad owns the cycle shop downtown.”

  “Wow. What’s he like?”

  “You don’t know him?” Gail shrugged. “Oh, well. He’s different. You’ve gotta take the good with the bad, I guess.”

  “Huh?”

  “Some people think he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. Me? Well…” Gail glanced at her watch. “Listen, we’ve only got, like, thirty seconds, but… do you have a bike?”

  “A mountain bike? No. Just an old three-speed.”

  “Forget it. You need a new bike, like, now.”

  “Now?”

  “By like, tomorrow. We meet after school by the gym door and go out for a ride. Can you have a new bike by then?”

  “Maybe,” Will said uncertainly. He sure hoped he could. “What kind do you think I should buy?”

  Just then, the bell rang. “I’m going to 309. You?” she asked.

  “I’m in 111. I’ll walk you to the stairs.”

  “Okay.” She picked up her book bag, and they walked up the aisle to the swinging doors at the back of the auditorium.

  “First of all, go to Diamond Cycle,” she said. “There’s a guy who works there in the evenings. Julian’s his name. He’s about nineteen, and he knows, like, everything there is to know about bikes. He’ll tell you what you need to get.”