Free Snowboard Showdown by Matt Christopher Page A

Nate and Brad howled with laughter, slapping Dondi on the back.
    “Come on, Freddie,” Steve said. “Let's get out of here. We don't need to be around these losers.”
    Freddie nodded and followed Steve as he pushed off. The taunts followed them.
    “You did the right thing,” Steve told him when they next stopped for a rest. “It's not worth anyone getting hurt over.”
    “I hate that Dondi,” Freddie replied, swallowing hard.
    “Never mind him,” Steve advised. “Like you said, he's a punk. My dad always says if you want to know what somebody's like,
     take a look at who their friends are.” He grinned at Freddie and winked.
    Freddie laughed at the thought of it. He had great friends—Steve, Eric, and lots of others. Dondi was stuck with Nate Sherman
     and Brad Forest. What good were they?
    He felt sorry for Dondi, suddenly. It was kind of pathetic, the way he'd put out that dare just to impress those two jerks.
    “Yeah, I guess I did do the right thing,” Freddie said, shaking his head with a smile of satisfaction.
    When he heard about it the next day, Eric agreed wholeheartedly. “Going down Devil's Ravine would have been a big mistake,”
     he said in the cafeteria. “Being seriously injured is no fun. Take it from one who knows, okay?”
    Freddie could only imagine what Eric went through every day of his life, ever since that day thecar had hit him. No, it wouldn't have been worth it, taking that risk.
    They went on to talk about other things. “The whole school knows about you winning the contest,” he told Freddie. “But unfortunately,
     a lot of them are saying it was rigged. The best boarders hadn't taken part—Nate Sherman, Brad Forest, Dondi…”
    “Dondi? They're saying he's one of the best boarders?” Freddie asked in surprise.
    “A couple of people said that,” Eric confirmed. “Hey, he hangs out with Brad and Nate, so I guess the reputation rubs off.”
    “Hmmm.”
    “Now don't go getting any ideas,” Eric warned him.
    “I could make it down that ravine,” Freddie said coolly.
    “Maybe you could,” Eric said. “But it's not worth taking the chance. Anyway, your brother would wipe out for sure. He might
     really get hurt. You know about those other poor kids–”
    “I know, I know. That's why I turned it down,” Freddie said.
    Just then, Clarissa walked by their table. “Hi, Eric,” she said with a smile. Then the smile vanished. “Hi, Freddie.” She
     continued on her way—right to Dondi's table, where she gave him a dazzling smile.
    Freddie saw red. Everything Dondi had ever done to him crystallized in that one instant. His promise to his father flew right
     out of his head. His good feelings toward Dondi disappeared. His healthy fear of Devil's Ravine was gone. So everyone thought
     the contest had been rigged, huh? That the best boarders hadn't even competed? He'd show them!
    When Dondi got up to dump his trash, Freddie grabbed his arm. “You're on,” he said coldly.
    “Huh?” Dondi turned to face him. “What did you say?”
    “I said you're on. Devil's Ravine. You and me.
Mano a mano.
”
    Dondi blinked in shock. His jaw dropped.
    “What's the matter, Dondi?” Freddie said. “Not up to your own dare?”
    Dondi's face hardened. He pointed a finger at Freddie and said, “You want it? You got it. Only one of us is gonna win this
     time, squirt.”

13
    F reddie sped down the slope, out of control and at top speed. The rock just ahead was coming straight at him, as fast as a
     speeding car. He tried to get an edge, to steer the board away from the half-hidden boulder. But it was impossible. He started
     to scream just before he slammed into it!
    Freddie awoke with a start and sat bolt upright in bed. Sweat was pouring down his face, and he was gasping for breath. Had
     it really been only a dream?
    It had seemed so real. Freddie had never been to Devil's Ravine in winter, but he'd hiked there in summer once. It was a steep
     drop between two hillsides with