Read Online This Is How It Ends by Jen Nadol - Free Book Online

sodas and made our way through the crowd and out onto the deck. The Peterses lived one ridge over from the ski trails. Not prime real estate, since you couldn’t get to the slopes from there, but the view was pretty sweet. John’s dad had grown up in this house. It wasn’t big or done up like the trailside homes, but he was pretty handy and had built an addition and I guess saved enough for a hot tub. They had it running, underwater lights changing from blue to purple to green. It looked really cool. If it had been at Marshall Blume’s house last year, there would have been about twenty people in it by the end of the night, naked or fully clothed. I was pretty sure the Peterses’ hot tub would stay empty, just there for decoration.
    â€œHey, loser.” Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I turned to find Matty Gretowniak leaning against the railing.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?” I said, still feeling the sting of his comments about the SATs but otherwise glad to see him. Most of the kids there were skiers or partiers or jocks. I was none of the above, and neither was he, as far as I knew.
    â€œHaving a Coke. Enjoying the view. You?”
    â€œTrolling for chicks.”
    Matty laughed. “Good luck with that. I came with my sister,” he admitted. “She’s on the ski team this year.”
    â€œAwesome,” I said. “Point her out, and I’ll troll in that direction.”
    â€œDon’t you dare.”
    Trip had continued on without me, and I saw him on the far side of the deck with the girls and John. “You run today?” I asked Matty.
    â€œAre you kidding?” he said. “That course is brutal. You ever done it?”
    â€œAbout five hours ago.”
    Matty whistled. “Impressive. Brains and brawn.”
    â€œYou know, Matty,” I said, “you keep talking like that, and I’m gonna start thinking you have a thing for me.”
    â€œWell, now that you mention it . . . ,” he joked. “Actually, I was checking out your friend.”
    â€œTrip? He’s got a girlfriend.”
    â€œNo, you idiot.” Matty cleared his throat, suddenly uncomfortable. “The girl. Tannis.”
    â€œTannis?” My eyebrows shot up. “She’s not—” I stopped, realizing that what I’d been about to say— She’s not a girl— was mean. I might rag on Tannis to her face, but I didn’t want to do it behind her back. “Not seeing anyone,” I finished.
    Matty nodded, glancing out at the view. “Maybe you’ll, you know, make the introductions later or something?”
    â€œYeah,” I said, a little shell-shocked at the thought of it. “I’m gonna go catch up to Nat and those guys.” I nodded toward where they stood.
    â€œYup,” Matty said, and then added, “I heard there was a bit of a scene at the base lodge today with her dad.”
    â€œA little. No biggie,” I told him, hoping it was true. If there was one cardinal rule in Buford, it was that you didn’t mess with tourism. I guess Nat’s dad hadn’t gotten the memo. I walked toward Nat, feeling bad that even Matty knew about it. His sister had probably told him, but still. It was one of the things I hated about Buford. Everyone knew too much about everyone else.
    By the time I made it across the deck, Nat and John Peters had ducked back inside, where the rest of the ski team was, and Mr. Peters had taken their place with Trip and Sarah.
    â€œIt was nothing,” Trip was saying.
    â€œYou’re too modest,” Mr. Peters said. “That was damn ugly. Bill Winston was steaming mad. Wants to press charges. I don’t think anyone at the mountain knew what to do, but word is, you diffused it perfectly.”
    Trip waved his hand in an Aw, shucks sort of way.
    â€œWhat are your plans after graduation?” Mr. Peters asked him.
    â€œI’m not sure,” Trip said.