Free Skydive by Gary Paulsen Page A

where you’re wrong.” Buck playfully punched his young friend on the shoulder. “Idon’t remember ever saying this job paid anything.” The tall man walked down the corridor toward the practice hangar, the limp from his prosthetic leg barely noticeable. He looked over his shoulder. “Are you coming? I could sure use some help packing parachutes.”
    Jesse stored the broom and dustpan in a narrow closet and called after his friend, “Does this mean I’m being promoted from janitor?”
    “Shut up and get in here,” Buck said with a laugh.

C HAPTER 2
    “So to review: There are an endless number of ways to exit an airplane, but there is only one right way. At the jumpmaster’s command, put your feet on the step. Then grasp the wing strut and pull yourself forward to a crouched position, remembering to lean well to the front. On the signal, jump backward, away from the plane, and spread out into an arch. Your body should be arched from head to toe.…”
    Buck’s voice droned on, but Jesse’s attention was elsewhere. He was watching a girl with a blond ponytail approaching the edge of the training field.
    Jesse moved through the small group of students to meet her. “So you decided to come after all?”
    Robin shrugged. “I guess that depends on how you look at it. Let’s just say it was decided for me. Sorry I’m late.”
    “That’s okay. Buck usually takes the new people on a tour and lets them ask questions before he signs them up anyway.”
    Buck finished his lecture, dismissed the class, and walked over. “Hi, Robin. Glad you could make it.” He looked at his watch. “Jesse, I’ve got an important shipment due in about now. Would you do me a favor and show Robin around the place? I’ll be back just as soon as I look at the invoices.”
    “Sure,” Jesse said. “I’ll take her over to the hangar and let her check out the planes.”
    Robin unzipped the canvas handbag she was carrying and took out a thirty-five-millimeter camera. “Would you mind if I took some pictures? Photography is my hobby and I could get some incredible pictures here.”
    Jesse shrugged. “I guess not.” He led the way across the field to a large arch-shaped metal building.
    Robin used her zoom lens to take a picture of a small passenger plane that had just landed on the runway. She continued to snap pictures as the passengers disembarked. Two well-dressed men and a woman, all Hispanic, hurried down the steps. Through her lens Robin saw the pilot following. He was talking in a loud voice to one of the men and gesturing wildly. He looked in Robin’s direction and quickly ushered the passengers inside a nearby building.
    “Here’s where we keep the planes the jumpers use most often,” Jesse said, continuing the tour. He opened the door of the hangar, moved to the first plane, and touched the wing strut. “Buck’s using this one to give a special demonstration on Saturday. If you’re interested you could probably get a lot of good pictures from the landing zone.”
    Robin walked around the plane. “Do you ever go up? In one of these small planes, I mean?”
    “Every chance I get. Buck lets me spot the jumpers and check their gear before they hop and pop. It’s good experience.”
    “Hop and pop?” Robin looked confused.
    “You know. Step out of the airplane and pull the rip cord.”
    “Oh.” Robin snapped a picture of Jesse standingin front of the plane. “You really like the idea of all this, don’t you?”
    “What? Skydiving? You bet. Someday I’m going to be the best there is.” Jesse blushed. “I guess that sounds a lot like bragging.”
    “No. At least you know what you want. I do too.” She held up the camera. “But nobody cares. My father decides what he thinks will be good for me, and right now it’s conquering my fear of heights.”
    “You don’t have anything to worry about, Robin. Buck won’t take you up in a plane until you’re ready.”
    “That’ll be never in my case.”
    “Don’t