OMG! We looked totally RIDONKULOUS!
I pleaded with Dad to let me change into the snazzy designer stuff from the resort so I’d fit in with all of the other skiers.
He insisted that we wear our homemade ski outfits, since Mom had poured so much love into decorating them. But we DID get to use the resort’s helmets, boots, and skis.
When we went on the ski lifts, everyone just stopped and STARED at us in AWE!
And not because our suits were SUPERugly. Which they were.
People were gawking because our snowsuits were such a freakishly BRIGHT YELLOW that they mistakenly thought we were the SUNRISE! Even though it was almost noon.
OMG! I thought I was going to DIE of EMBARRASSMENT dangling a thousand feet in the air. . . .
PEOPLE STARING AT US ON THE SKI LIFT AND MISTAKING US FOR THE SUNRISE!!
And Brianna didn’t have a CLUE!
She was actually smiling, waving, and blowing kisses to everyone like she was a contestant on Toddlers & Tiaras or somebody.
But I guess things could have been a lot worse! Thank goodness Dad didn’t purchase those buy-one-get-one-free bright orange jumpsuits that came complete with serial numbers, flip-flops, handcuffs, and leg shackles from the county jail.
Instead of sanitation workers, we’d look like a family of thuggish PRISON ESCAPEES!
Anyway, since Brianna and I had never skied before, Mom suggested that we both start at the bunny hill, which is for beginners.
I was really excited about finally learning how to ski. And Brianna was really excited about meeting the BUNNY (don’t ask)! But it was a total bummer being in a class with three- to six-year-olds.
Brianna must have been embarrassed too, because she pretended like she didn’t know me and kept calling me “Hey, you!” . . .
ME, ACCIDENTALLY RUNNING INTO ANOTHER LITTLE KID
But I couldn’t help it! Whenever my skis would go crooked, I’d lose control.
Anyway, after about an hour, I was starting to get the hang of things. And finally I could make it down the bunny hill without falling.
Or knocking over any little kids. Woo-hoo!
That’s when I noticed this really sweet ski outfit with a coordinating shearling headband.
It wasn’t the typical stuff you’d find at a store. It was a designer, goose down, high-performance suit you’d see on the cover of a pro ski magazine.
As I was trying to get a closer look, the person slowly turned around and stared at me with her icy-cold blue eyes!
OMG! It was MACKENZIE !
I was so shocked to see HER there, I almost threw up my breakfast right on her designer ski boots.
Had she actually come to Swanky Hill to attend our listening party?!! Especially after she’d . . .
1. thrown that big hissy fit about me missing a dance practice last week
2. threatened to report me to Trevor Chase
AND
3. spread all of those malicious lies about me on camera!!
MacKenzie glared at me with this condescending smirk and eyeballed me from head to toe.
“OMG, Nikki! So that was YOUR family in those hideously tacky ski outfits! You guys look like city garbage workers. Trash pickup at this resort is on Monday, not today.” MacKenzie cackled like a witch.
How dare that girl insult my family right to my FACE like that?!!!
Okay! So maybe MacKenzie was right.
We WERE dressed like city garbage workers.
But STILL!
Our personal wardrobe choices were none of her ding-dang business.
Sorry, but I was SO sick of her STANK attitude!
Right then I wanted to SCREAM . . . at the top of my lungs . . . for the . . . abominable snow creature . . . to come rushing down from the mountaintop and . . . snatch MacKenzie by her . . . lovely hair and . . . drag her off . . . to be his . . . um, PERSONAL POOPER-SCOOPER . . . for the rest of her PATHETIC little life!
But no such luck !
“Very funny, MacKenzie! But we’re NOT garbage workers. And just in case you’ve forgotten, Chloe, Zoey, Violet, Marcus, Theo, and I have a televised listening party later this evening,” I said, gritting my teeth.
Suddenly she stared at me with a quizzical look on her face and smirked. “Oh, really? Well, I hope you don’t mind me asking a personal question, but . . .”
I just knew she was going to make a big deal about Brandon possibly NOT being here to support me and the band at such an important event.
It wasn’t that he didn’t CARE!
I had insisted that he NOT come.
His scholarship was way more important than him being the drummer in our band.
She glared at me and then asked a very probing question that was none of her business. . . .
MACKENZIE, ASKING ME ABOUT THE BUNNY SLOPE
“Who, ME?! Of course NOT! I’m just here . . . um . . . teaching my little sister to ski. Actually!”
“Oh really?” she said, eyeballing me like I was lying to her or something.
“Really! I’ve been downhill skiing at, um . . . Dead Man’s Drop for years!”
“Dead Man’s—? Wait a minute! Isn’t that the name of the hill my little sister and her friends sled on?”
“Of course NOT! It’s a totally different place. I’m talking about Dead Man’s Drop luxury ski resort! It’s the playground of the rich and famous. It’s even SWANKIER than Swanky Hill,” I lied. “It makes THIS place look like a dump! Actually.”
“Yeah right, Nikki! Just tell the truth! I know why you’re really out here on the ski slopes today!”
“You D-DO?!” I sputtered, wondering how she’d found out Trevor had paid for my family to stay at Swanky Hill! Holiday Inn was a big splurge for us. We couldn’t afford this place in a million years!
“If you’re a downhill skier, then you’re obviously out here to see the Extreme Ski Competition. Especially since BRANDON is covering it for the school newspaper. Come on, I’m NOT stupid!”
“Okay! Yes. I AM here for that ski thingy. Actually,” I lied again. “And Brandon’s really covering it? Yep. I knew THAT too!”
“Well, I have to go. I’m NOT a spectator like you. I’m actually competing. So wish me luck! Loser!” MacKenzie cackled as she shushed away.
That’s when I decided to ditch the bunny hill and dump Brianna with my parents. It was more important for me to try to talk to Brandon and clear the air. That is, IF he actually showed up.
By the time I took the ski lift to the top of Paranoid Peak, the competition was just starting for the middle school division. I expected MacKenzie to be good, and she was. . . .
MACKENZIE, SPEEDING DOWN THE SKI JUMP AND LANDING A BREATHTAKING DOUBLE FLIP!!
I hated to admit it, but MacKenzie was better than good. She was AWESOME!! All of the spectators cheered for her, and she smiled and waved.
I wasn’t surprised that she got the highest score for our age group: 8.7 out of 10.
When MacKenzie came back to pick up her gear, I warmly congratulated her. But she totally ignored me and high-fived all of her CCP friends. And yes! I felt like a stupid outcast !
That’s when I suddenly noticed a cute guy in a familiar blue jacket taking photos of the skiers at the bottom of the hill.
OMG! It was BRANDON!
Apparently, he had decided to hang out at Swanky Hill after all. Against my advice.
I shouted his name and waved, but he didn’t hear me. So I very carefully scooted to the edge of the ski ramp and called him again. “BRAAANDON!!”
Finally he heard me. A big smile flashed across his face, and he waved and yelled, “HI, NIKKI! SMILE!”
BRANDON AND ME, SPOTTING EACH OTHER IN THE CROWD AND WAVING
Then suddenly somebody PUSHED ME!!
OMG! On the way down the slope, I . . .
1. hit a boulder
2. did three front somersaults
3. smashed into a tree
4. did a double backflip
5. did two aeria
l cartwheels
6. lost my ski poles, and then
7. . . . AAAAAAAHHHH!!!
As a skier, I was EXTREMELY . . . AWFUL ! But lucky for me, it was an EXTREME Ski Competition.
I was actually a SUPERclumsy beginner, barely able to make it down the bunny hill. But the judges thought I was a SUPERgutsy daredevil.
And this is the KA-RAY-ZEE part!!
I LANDED HEADFIRST IN A SNOWBANK, SCORED A PERFECT 10, AND WON FIRST PLACE!
SQUEEEE !! MacKenzie came in second place, and she was NOT happy. Sorry, MacKenzie! But that’s what you get for pushing me off that ski jump!
BRANDON TOOK LOTS OF PICTURES!
Including one of me and my family posing with my new trophy. I had to admit, we looked SUPERcool in our FUNKY homemade ski gear. . . .
OMG! People were begging to know where we got all of our “designer” skiwear and equipment!
But it was OUR little secret !!
After all of the excitement, Brandon and I decided to hang out inside the resort. We found a SUPERcozy spot to talk and sipped on steaming mugs of hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows. YUM!!
Although I was happy to see him, I still felt really bad about that fight we’d had at the recording studio. And deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was mostly my fault that his scholarship entry had been rejected.
It was quite obvious. After Brandon had chosen to write about me, MacKenzie, in a jealous rage, had retaliated by stealing his topic and competing against him. Then she had manipulated my schedule to make it nearly impossible for Brandon and me to get his entry finished and submitted on time. I hated to admit it, but the girl was an EVIL GENIUS!!
Suddenly I noticed Brandon was really quiet and seemed totally lost in thought, like me. We just sat there kind of staring at each other. Can you say AWKWARD?
Finally I cleared my throat. “So, um, what did you decide to do about your scholarship entry?”
“I stayed up most of the night trying to come up with another idea, but it was hopeless. It took me practically three weeks to complete my first entry. So there’s no way I can do a new one in just a day or two,” he explained sadly.
“But what about your tuition?!” I asked, trying to swallow the huge lump in my throat.
“I—I don’t know,” Brandon stammered. “I’m actually considering transferring to another school. But we could still be friends and hang out. Right?!”
I felt like I’d just been punched in the stomach.
BRANDON WAS LEAVING WCD??!! !!
“NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!” I screamed inside my head as I blinked back tears.
“You might TRANSFER?!” I croaked in shock.
He stared at the floor, sighed, and nodded. “I don’t want to, but I really don’t have a choice. After I gave up on the scholarship entry, I figured I might as well hang out at Swanky Hill and attend our listening party with friends. Plus, I had volunteered to cover the Extreme Ski Competition for the school newspaper since I was going to be here.”
His gloomy expression faded slightly as he browsed through the photos on his digital camera. “Wow! Just look at these photos. I had no idea you were a skier! And why didn’t you tell me you were competing today? I was really surprised.”
“Yeah, I was REALLY surprised too. You have no idea! The whole thing was totally unplanned.”
Then he showed me all of the action shots he’d taken of me during the Extreme Ski Competition.
I told him his photos were AWESOME and he was a SUPERtalented photographer. Then he told me I was an AWESOME skier. That’s when it occurred to me that between MY skiing and HIS photography, we made an AWESOME team!
A wave of sadness washed over me. OMG! I was going to miss him SO much if he transferred to another school !!
“So, Brandon, um . . . you’ll at least finish out the year at WCD, right?” I asked, dreading his answer.
“I’m not sure. There’s a big meeting with Principal Winston next Thursday,” he answered glumly.
Then we just sat there, staring at each other and feeling hopeless. It was almost like we were already missing each other. I think both of us were trying to keep from crying. Probably. That’s when I suddenly got the most brilliant idea. I started laughing really loud, like an insane person.
Brandon was totally confused. “What’s so funny?!”
He grabbed the school newspaper’s iPad and within minutes had e-mailed in a new entry. Then he brushed his shaggy bangs out of his eyes and gave me this huge smile. I blushed profusely (although I had a really CREEPY feeling someone was watching us).
WE SAT IN FRONT OF THE FIRE, SMILING, BLUSHING, AND FLIRTING WITH EACH OTHER, LIKE, FOREVER!!
Before we knew it, our listening party was starting in less than an hour. So I told Brandon I’d see him later and ran up to my suite to get dressed.
I was even more excited about the listening party now that Brandon was going to be participating !
As much as I enjoyed the celebrity of having my own camera crew following me around and studio recording sessions with some of the best producers in the industry, I was really looking forward to just going back to being plain ol’ ME!
Tonight I was going to be filming the very last episode of my reality show. And to be honest, I was SUPERrelieved it was finally almost over. I’d had some fun and exciting moments. But mostly it was stressful, intense, and exhausting.
I don’t even remember the last time I went to bed before midnight or slept past 6:00 a.m.
Yes, this past month of my life has been SUPERglamorous. But I’ve had little or no time for my classes, my homework, my family, my BFFs, Brandon, and most important, ME!
I took the elevator from our VIP suite down to the convention center. At the main entrance, I could see that everything was already set up. Off to the right, crews were rushing around setting up equipment for the television and radio stations that would be covering the event live.
The Kidz Rockin’ performers were on a large stage on the left, running through a quick dress rehearsal.
The air was filled with the yummy-smelling aroma of a dozen food booths selling everything from cotton candy to hot dogs to elephant ears. Right in the heart of the festivities at center court was a large area cordoned off by velvet ropes.
There was a humongous banner hanging from the ceiling with our band’s photo and name on it.
OMG! It appeared to be at least half a block long. I gulped and immediately felt overwhelmed. . . .
ME, ADMIRING THE HUGE BANNER OF US HANGING FROM THE CEILING!
I found a seat with my name on it at the long table where we’d be signing autographs and meeting fans.
A series of ten-foot-tall speakers set up in the area would be blasting our music during the event.
One thing was for sure: Trevor Chase and his team had spared no expense to make sure that our listening party was a humongous success.
I just hoped everyone actually liked our music. And US, for that matter!
When Chloe, Zoey, and Violet finally arrived, they came in with their necks craned, staring up at the huge banner overhead just like I had.
We did a group hug and giggled with excitement.
Soon after, the guys arrived with two hotel security guards, each pushing a cart stacked high with boxes of our CDs.
As the guards piled the boxes under the tables, we all chatted with each other and tried to calm our nerves.
I couldn’t believe that people were already starting to line up outside the velvet ropes for our meet and greet.
We sat and watched in awe as the line grew longer and longer.
Soon a dozen or so security guards were stationed at posts nearby to help manage the crowd.
Our director rushed up to us, talking a mile a minute. “Can you believe this crowd?! They’re all here for you guys! I think we’re going to sell out! The live telecast will be starting in ten minutes! So let’s get these boxes of CDs opened so we’ll be ready to rock!”
W
e each grabbed a box, tore it open, and just stared inside in shock.
Other than paper and packing materials, they were completely empty!
I felt like I had been punched in the stomach!
All I could do was blink in disbelief and hope that my eyes were playing tricks on me.
“What happened to our CDs?” Chloe screeched.
“OMG! Nikki, what are we going to do?” Zoey moaned.
“Obviously, there’s been some kind of mix-up,” Brandon said, shaking his head.
I glanced at the noisy, impatient crowd that had swelled to what looked like a thousand people. And they were chanting our name. Just GREAT !!
Trevor Chase was going to fire us and then sue for all of the money he’d lost. Our listening party was pretty much ruined!
The director ran up to us again. “We go live in three minutes!” she exclaimed excitedly. “Take your places, please!”
I’d almost forgotten the worst of it. We were about to be publicly humiliated LIVE on television .
MacKenzie was probably gleefully watching this train wreck from the crowd with a big box of popcorn.
Right then I wanted to run to the nearest bathroom, lock myself in a stall, and NEVER come out.
Brandon stared at the growing crowd and chewed his lip nervously. “So, um, what are we going to do? Any ideas?” he asked, drumming his fingers on the table.
“I was considering just canceling the whole thing. But I think it’s a little late!!”
“Yeah, kind of!” Brandon smiled weakly. “But I’m sure you’ll think of something. You always do!”
“Well, none of that will matter when this angry mob tears us to shreds when we tell them there are no CDs to buy and they can just go home!” I muttered. “Kidz Rockin’ really needs this money, and I’ve let them down. I just feel like such a . . . LOSER!” I said, blinking back tears.
“Nikki, it wasn’t your fault! Somehow the boxes just got mixed up or something!”