Free On Thin Ice by Matt Christopher, Stephanie Peters Page B

kids looked up just as Alison snapped a photo. She took two more shots, then tucked her camera safely inside her coat pocket.
    “If you guys want to do any more runs, you’d better stop clowning around,” Alison said. “The sun’s going down. I have to close the hill soon.”
    Without another word, Savannah and the others scrambled up, grabbed their boards, and rushed to the top of the hill. They each got in three more runs before Alison called an end to boarding for the day.
    Tired and happy, Savannah tromped with her friends to the parking lot. Looking at their smiling faces, she felt a wave of guilt for keeping her skating party a secret.
I’m going to invite them after all!
she thought.
They’re my oldest friends and I want them there!
    She opened her mouth to speak, when Jonas suddenly smacked his forehead. “I almost forgot!” he said. “My dad’s finally got our party planned. Get this: We’re going bowling! The bowling alley is putting in one of his video games next week. The owner said we could have a couple of lanes.”
    Mr. Malloy had the coolest job ever. He was a video-game designer. He got to work at home, thinking up fun games for kids — and adults — to play. Some, like the one that was going into the bowling alley, were made for arcades.
    “We can bowl and play his video game for a few hours,” Jonas continued, “then go to my house for the Christmas party!”
    “Ahem,” Mark Goldstein cleared his throat. “Sorry, Mark, I mean the
holiday
party,” Jonas amended. “You can bring your dreidel and show us how to play Hanukkah games. We can exchange gifts, too. Okay?”
    “Gifts? What makes you think I wanna give you a gift?” Bizz punched Jonas in the shoulder.
    “Back off, or I’m returning what I got you,” Jonas warned. Bizz held up her hands in mock terror.
    The talk of gifts reminded Savannah of her school skating party. “Jonas, when’s your party?” she asked.
    “Saturday, December 15, at three o’clock. The lanes are reserved for two hours.”
    Savannah’s heart sank. Jonas’s party was the same day and time as her Academy party!

CHAPTER FOUR
    While the other kids chatted excitedly about Jonas’s party, Savannah remained silent. She knew she should tell them she couldn’t go, but she couldn’t get the words out. How could she? She hadn’t told them about the Academy skating party. She tried to imagine telling them now, maybe even inviting them to come by after the bowling party. But somehow, she didn’t think that would go over so well. They’d want to know why they hadn’t been invited to the
real
party. And Savannah knew she wasn’t ready to explain
that.
She was glad when her mother finally pulled in.
    Bizz poked her head inside the door. “Hi, Mrs. Smith!” she said. “Can Savannah come snowboarding again tomorrow?”
    “Hello, Bizz. Not in the morning,” Savannah’s mother replied. “She and I are going Christmas shopping.”
    “Well, I certainly don’t want to stop you from doing that, just in case you’re getting something for someone special!” Bizz waggled her eyebrows and grinned. “But can she come tomorrow afternoon?”
    Mrs. Smith laughed. “If she wants to, it’s fine with me!”
    Savannah was eating her breakfast the next morning when the phone rang. It was Angela.
    “My mom says I can come over to skate this afternoon,” she said happily.
    Savannah had completely forgotten she’d invited Angela to her house. She couldn’t very well cancel those plans, even though it meant she couldn’t go snowboarding with Bizz after all. She thought about telling Angela that the rink was still covered with snow, but a peek out the kitchen window showed that her father had already cleared it. She couldn’t lie to her new friend, so she told Angela to come by after lunch.

    After she hung up, she called Bizz to let her know she wouldn’t be snowboarding that day. She got the answering machine.
    “Um, Bizz, I can’t meet you at the hill,”