Read Online Fabulous Five 030 - Sibling Rivalry by Betsy Haynes - Free Book Online

Todd
really was good. He was trailing his group of friends, but he was holding his
own. Beth felt a surge of pride. "Good for you," she said quietly, as
she watched him thread his way through the mounds of snow called moguls.
    Beth wondered if the trail he was skiing was The Jaws of
Death. It certainly looked like an expert slope, but she hoped Todd wouldn't be
foolish enough to try The Jaws of Death. Everyone said that it could be
treacherous.
    As the girls' chairs approached the lift house at the top of
the mountain, she could see skiers coming out the far side and heading off in
different directions. Their colorful jackets stood out against the stark
whiteness all around them.
    Beth's chair moved into the building, and she inched toward
the edge of her seat. A lift operator grabbed the chair and raised the safety
bar from in front of her and the woman. Then Beth gently skied down the small
ramp and out of the building.
    "That was a fun ride," said Julie.
    "Yeah," agreed Brittany, "what a view!"
    "And those trails are pretty incredible," added
Sarah. "But don't worry. There are plenty of easier ones."
    Beth wanted to tell Brittany that she'd seen Todd skiing on
one of those trails, but she was still fuming over what Brittany had said to
her earlier. Instead she just gazed silently at the view below her. It was fantastic.
If only her friends were here to see it with her. Beth glided down a slight
incline away from the girls to a place where she could see better. There were
several people nearby, some talking, some preparing to start down the mountain.
Beth noticed several paths and wondered which one Julie and Sarah had meant for
them to ski down.
    She glanced back at Brittany and the others. They were still
talking and giggling. When Brittany noticed Beth, she called, "The
entrance to the trail we're taking is on your right. Go ahead. We'll catch up
with you."
    "Down through those trees?" Beth called back,
pointing into a wooded area.
    Brittany turned back to her friends and didn't bother to
answer.
    Beth shot a nasty look at Brittany's back. She was sick of
her sister's treating her like a pesky tag-along. Who wants to wait for her
anyway, thought Beth. I've been alone most of this vacation; I'll just meet up
with them on the trail.
    She pushed off and headed into the woods along a narrow
sloping trail. She found herself on a gentle incline that let her glide along
without using her poles. Beth looked up into the trees above her. There were
tall pines, mostly, with a scattering of white paper birches. The deep blue sky
was visible through the branches overhead. Its brilliance was startling behind
the greenish-black of the pine needles.
    She heard a chattering off to one side and saw two squirrels
chasing each other through the branches. This is so beautiful, she thought. I really wish Jana and Melanie and Katie could see this. And Christie, too. I'll bet
there's nothing like this in England.
    Beth came to an opening in the trees that overlooked a slope
and stopped above it. Turning, she looked back up the empty trail to see if
Brittany, Julie, and Sarah were coming. She couldn't see or hear them. Suddenly
a suspicion entered her mind. Bad Brittany sent her off in another direction so
she wouldn't be following her and her friends?
    "I don't know why I'm so surprised," Beth said in
disgust.
    Well, I can either stand here and be angry, or ski by myself
and have a good time, Beth thought.
    "Who cares about Brittany! Here goes," she said,
sliding over the ledge she was standing on.
    Beth carved a trail across the wide slope, turned and headed
to the other side, making her way down the slope gradually. She felt good, and
she was proud of the way she was handling her skis. If The Fabulous Five could
only see me now! she thought jubilantly.
    After several minutes of easy skiing, Beth could tell the
slope was getting steeper. She had to fight hard to keep control, and she kept
glancing ahead to see where it would get easier.
    She