On Thin Ice Page 5

  “A snowball!” Emma S. told him. “I didn’t even need a snowflake to know the answer. It’s an old riddle.”

  “Here’s another one,” George called out. “What did the hat say to the scarf ?”

  Kevin held up a new snowflake. “You hang around while I go on a head!” he answered.

  George and Kevin both laughed really, really hard.

  “That was a good one!” George exclaimed. “I’ll have to remember it.”

  Katie really loved being in class 4A. Mr. G. always made sure that school was exciting. Everything they did was just a little bit wacky. And that made learning fun.

  She grinned. Even though it was freezing outside, being in her classroom gave her a nice warm feeling inside.

  Chapter 5

  “Did you know that snow is made of dirt and ice?” Kevin asked Jeremy as the kids sat down in the cafeteria at lunchtime.

  “Every snowflake has six sides,” Katie added.

  “And as snow falls, the flakes join together to make bigger flakes,” Emma S. said.

  “I guess you guys were learning about snow in class today,” Jeremy said.

  “Oh yeah,” George told him. “And we also learned where snowmen go to dance.”

  “Where?” Miriam asked him.

  “Snow balls!” George said. Then he started laughing. “That was one of the jokes Mr. G. taught us.”

  “Mr. G. is teaching you jokes now?” Suzanne asked. “Why would he do that?”

  “To make class fun,” Katie told her. “He always does stuff like that.”

  Suzanne shook her head and sighed. “You guys have the weirdest classroom,” she said.

  Katie sighed. She knew Suzanne was just jealous. She also knew Suzanne would never admit it.

  “Hey, you guys want to build a snow fort on the field during recess?” Jeremy asked.

  “Totally!” Kevin exclaimed.

  “That sounds like fun,” Emma S. agreed.

  “And we could build a snowman soldier to defend the fort,” George suggested.

  “I’m really good at building snowmen,” Becky told him. She picked up the banana from her tray. “This can be the nose.”

  Katie opened her mouth to speak, but Suzanne stopped her. “Katie and I can’t help you. We already have something planned for recess,” Suzanne said.

  “We do?” Katie asked. She had no idea what Suzanne was talking about.

  Suzanne pulled her video camera from her coat pocket. “We’re going to make a sportswear commercial. I’m going to be the star. I’ll talk about my gorgeous pink parka while you follow me around the yard.”

  Katie frowned. She did not want to spend recess walking around the playground filming Suzanne. “Come on, Suzanne,” she told her friend, trying not to sound too mean. “I’d rather help build a snow fort.”

  “But Katie, I need you,” Suzanne pleaded. “I’m making an audition tape to give to the director of Tony and Kerry’s commercial. How can I do that all by myself ?”

  Katie didn’t know the answer to that one.

  “I think you should be the director and the camera operator,” Suzanne told Katie. “And we’ll give you full credit on the tape. It will say ‘directed by Katie Carew.’”

  Katie thought about that. Suzanne had said Katie would be the director. That would mean she would be giving the orders for a change.

  “Okay,” Katie agreed finally. “But just this one time.”

  “Sure,” Suzanne said. “We can make the whole commercial in one recess. After all, I’m a professional.”

  George, Kevin, and Jeremy all started to giggle. George laughed so hard, chocolate pudding came out of his nose.

  Suzanne scowled. “Come on, Katie. We need to get started now,” she said, ignoring the boys.

  “But I’m not finished with . . .” Katie began, pointing to her dessert.

  “There’s no time for brownies now,” Suzanne said. “We have a lot of work to do on my audition tape.”

  Katie sighed. So much for being in charge. She took another bite of brownie, put on her coat, and followed Suzanne out onto the playground.

  Chapter 6

  When Katie woke up the next morning, it was snowing again. Hard.

  Really, really hard.

  Snow day hard.

  Quickly, Katie scrambled out of bed and went down to the kitchen in her pajamas. There was no reason to get dressed if there was going to be a snow day.

  Of course, Katie didn’t know for sure yet. It wouldn’t be official until a snow day was announced on the radio.

  “Did they say if the Cherrydale schools are closed?” Katie asked her dad as she walked into the kitchen.

  Mr. Carew shook his head. “They haven’t read the school closings yet. I think they’ll announce them after this commercial.”

  Katie sat impatiently at the kitchen table and listened along with her mom and dad. The commercial—something about a new brand of air freshener—seemed to go on forever. And then, finally, the announcer came on.

  “And now for the school closings in our area . . .” he began.

  Katie crossed her fingers and toes really tight for luck.

  “Schools will be closed in Apple Valley, Brighton Bay, Carlton County, Cherrydale . . .”

  Katie leaped up as the announcer read the name of her town. “You heard it!” she said to her parents. “He said Cherrydale. It’s another snow day for me!”

  “Ruff! Ruff!” Pepper started to bark. His stubby little tail wagged back and forth. He had no idea what was happening, of course. But just hearing Katie so happy made him happy, too!

  Rrringg . . . A minute later, the phone rang. Katie rushed over and picked it up.

  “Did you hear? We have a snow day!”

  Katie giggled. “Hi to you, too, Jeremy,” she said.

  “Oh, yeah. Hi, Katie Kazoo,” Jeremy corrected himself. “Do you want to go sledding?”

  “Definitely,” Katie said.

  “Cool. Meet me at the big hill on Surrey Lane at ten o’clock,” Jeremy said. “I’ll call Andy, Manny, George, and Kevin.”

  “And I’ll call some of the girls,” Katie assured him.

  “Great. See you there,” Jeremy said.

  Katie grinned as she hung up the phone. This was going to be a great day.

  Or maybe not.

  SURREY LANE CLOSED.

  That was what the sign said when Katie and her friends arrived at the big hill. There were ropes blocking the hill from traffic, and policemen were all around. In the distance, Katie could see workers putting up a big tent.

  “Sorry, kids,” one of the policemen told them. “You’re going to have to sled somewhere else today.”

  “But this is the best hill in the whole town!” Jeremy insisted. “No place else is as steep.”

  The policeman nodded. “I know,” he said kindly. “But we had to block it off so they can get ready for Saturday’s big party.”

  “I know all about that,” George told the policeman. “Tony Raven, the snowboarder, will be on the red carpet.”

  “Yep,” the policeman said.

  “Look!” Jeremy said. “He just pulled up in the white limo over there!”

  George gasped. His face turned as white as the snow on the ground.

  The policeman stared at George. “What’s the matter with him?” he asked Katie.

  “Nothing,” Katie replied. “He just can’t believe he’s standing so close to his hero.”

  “I’m going to ask Tony to autograph my snowboard,” George said when he was finally able to speak. And with that, George ran off toward the limousine.

  But he didn’t get very far. Katie could see one of Tony Raven’s bodyguards stopping him.

  “You can’t come over here, kid,” he said.

  “But I just want Tony to sign my board,” George explained. He held up his snowboard.

  “Not now, kid,” the bodyguard insisted.

  Katie and her friends all watched as Tony climbed out of the car, st
ood up, and walked away, without ever looking in George’s direction.

  Katie felt awful for her friend. His hero had just ignored him. She hurried over and stood by George’s side.

  “That was so mean,” she told George.

  George shrugged. “He didn’t even say hello,” he murmured, sounding like he might cry.

  “That stinks,” Andy told him.

  “I can’t believe Kerry Gaffigan would have a boyfriend like that,” Emma S. added.

  “When I’m a celebrity, I’ll sign my autograph for you, George,” Suzanne assured him. “No matter how many times you ask.”

  The kids all stared at her.

  “What?” Suzanne asked them. “I was just trying to make him feel better.”

  Katie turned her attention back to George. “You know what?” she asked him. “Tony Raven doesn’t deserve a fan like you, George. He’s a big jerk.”

  “Whatever,” George said sadly.

  “And just for that, none of us are ever going to buy Winter Wildness clothing, ever!” Katie exclaimed.

  Katie must have shouted really loudly, because just then a man in a dark gray wool coat looked in her direction. Then he walked over toward where Tony Raven was standing.

  The man began talking angrily at Tony. Tony Raven turned in Katie’s direction. His eyes were all squinty and small. He looked mad.

  Katie figured it was a good time to get out of there. “You guys, I’m cold,” she told her friends.

  “Why don’t we all go to my house?” Suzanne suggested.

  “Sure,” Katie said.

  “Why not?” Jeremy agreed.

  “I’ve got nothing else to do,” George said sadly. “I don’t feel like finding another hill and snowboarding, anyhow.”

  “Great!” Suzanne exclaimed. “We can watch a tape. And I know the perfect one.”

  Katie didn’t like the sound of that. Neither did the other kids. They all could guess just what movie Suzanne was talking about—the commercial she and Katie had been making at recess yesterday.

  “You know what?” Jeremy said suddenly. “I just remembered that I have homework to do.”

  “Me too,” Emma S. said. “I better get going.”

  “Yeah, I think I hear my mother calling me,” George said.

  “You live four blocks away, George,” Suzanne said.

  “I have really great ears,” George said, running off before Suzanne could question him further.

  A moment later, Katie and Suzanne were standing all by themselves. Suzanne looked curiously at Katie. “Was it something I said?” she asked.

  Chapter 7

  On Saturday night, Cherrydale’s Surrey Lane looked like it could be the Academy Awards. A red carpet led from the street to the tent at the foot of the hill. Spotlights shone so brightly, you could see them from anywhere in town. And there were photographers. Lots and lots of photographers.

  “Kerry, look over here!” one cameraman shouted as Kerry Gaffigan walked across the red carpet in a bright yellow Winter Wildness ski jacket and snow pants.

  “Kerry, turn around and give me a smile!” screamed another.

  “Kerry, when is Tony making his big entrance?” a third photographer asked.

  Tony Raven hadn’t arrived yet, but just about everyone else in town was there. They were all waiting to see Tony Raven snowboard down the big hill and stop right where his girlfriend, Kerry Gaffigan, was standing.

  Even if Tony Raven was a jerk, Katie couldn’t help being excited. After all, stuff like this didn’t happen every day in Cherrydale.

  “When the man who is going to be directing the commercial walks onto the red carpet, I’m going to rush up there and give him my commercial tape,” Suzanne explained to Katie.

  Katie frowned.

  “I mean our commercial tape,” Suzanne corrected herself.

  “They’re not going to let you anywhere near that red carpet,” Katie told her.

  “Why not? I heard there are going to be lots of models here,” Suzanne said.

  “Real models, Suzanne,” Katie told her. “Not kids who are taking modeling lessons.”

  “I am a real model,” Suzanne insisted. “I just haven’t gotten my big break yet.”

  Katie rolled her eyes. There was no use arguing with Suzanne. Besides, she didn’t want to ruin such an exciting night with a fight. This was a once in a lifetime event.

  And George was missing it. He was still mad at Tony Raven. Katie understood how he felt, but she hated the idea that her pal wasn’t here at this big event. He was really going to regret it on Monday when everyone in school was talking about it.

  Katie couldn’t let that happen! She turned suddenly, and started walking toward the edge of the crowd.

  “Where are you going?” Suzanne called after her.

  “To get George,” Katie said. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back way before Tony Raven snowboards over that mogul!”

  Within a few minutes, Katie had made it to George’s block. The street was completely empty. That wasn’t surprising. Everyone was at Surrey Lane. George was probably the only kid in town who was still home.

  Just then, Katie felt a winter breeze blow on the back of her neck. Whew. It was getting really cold out here. She pulled her long green scarf tighter around her neck.

  But a wool scarf wasn’t going to block out this wind. This was the magic wind. Nothing could stop it.

  The magic wind picked up speed, circling wildly around Katie. It was so cold and powerful, Katie thought she might be blown away. She shut her eyes tight and tried not to cry.

  And then it stopped. Just like that.

  The magic wind was gone, and so was Katie Carew.

  She’d been turned into someone else.

  But who?

  Chapter 8

  Katie slowly opened her eyes. Everything was kind of blurry. She blinked a few times, and then squinted to see where she was.

  Whoa! Wherever she was, she was sure up high. Down below, she could just about make out a white tent and a red carpet.

  The magic wind had blown Katie straight to the top of the big hill near Surrey Lane. Okay, so now Katie knew where she was. But she still didn’t know who she was. Katie glanced down at her feet. Her green winter boots had been replaced with a pair of thick red-and-yellow ski boots.

  Her winter jacket was gone, too. Instead, she was wearing a red and yellow ski coat. The words Winter Wildness were written like graffiti going down the sleeve.

  Katie had never seen these clothes before in her life.

  At just that moment, she spotted the bright yellow, orange, and red snowboard lying by her feet on the snow. Katie had never seen a snowboard like this one. For starters, it was much bigger than George’s. It was definitely a grown-up’s board.

  There was also something written on the board. Katie tried to read it, but the words looked all blurry. She picked up the board and held it close to her face so she could read it.

  PROPERTY OF TONY RAVEN.

  Katie gulped. That could only mean one thing. The magic wind had switcherooed her into Tony Raven, champion snowboarder.

  That meant all those people down there were waiting for her to come speeding down the mountain on that snowboard.

  Not only that, they expected her to leap over some giant frozen snow lump. What was it George had called it? Oh yeah. A mogul. And if Katie remembered correctly, George had said that was really hard to do . . . especially for someone who had never been on a snowboard in her life.

  Except Katie wasn’t Katie right now. She was Tony Raven. And all those people down there were expecting her to snowboard down to them.

  This was soooo not good!

  Suddenly Katie heard loud music blaring down below. It sounded like a huge marching band was playing. Then she heard a man’s voice over the loudspeaker.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, here he comes! Tony Raven!”

  Katie knew that meant she was supposed to get on Tony’s snowboard and glide down the big hill. But s
he felt as frozen as an icicle. She could just imagine the newspapers tomorrow. There would be big stories about Tony Raven being too chicken to snowboard down Surrey Lane. People would be laughing at him.

  Katie thought about that. Maybe Tony deserved to be laughed at. After all, Tony wasn’t a very nice man. Look at how he’d ignored George.

  She shook her head. No. No matter what, two wrongs didn’t make a right.

  “Here comes Tony Raven!” the man with the loudspeaker announced again, louder this time.

  In the distance, Katie could hear the crowd cheering. She squinted. The crowd was just a big blur. “Tony! Tony! Tony!” They sounded really excited.

  “Hey, Tony, can you hear us up there?” the man with the loudspeaker called up to Katie. “Kerry’s waiting for you. We’re all waiting for you!”

  Why did he have to say that? Katie took a big gulp. There was only one way she could get down that hill.

  Hey! Wait a minute! Suddenly Katie had a great idea! Well, maybe not great. But an idea, at least!

  Chapter 9

  “WHEEEEE!” Katie shouted loudly as she whooshed down the big hill at top speed. She held on tight to the snowboard.

  What were the reporters and fans going to think, seeing Tony Raven sitting—instead of standing—on his snowboard? They were probably going to be disappointed. But they’d be even more disappointed if he never arrived at the red carpet.

  Everything was a blur around Katie as she slid down the giant hill. In a way, Katie figured that was a good thing. It would be even scarier if she knew when that big mogul was coming. At least this way she’d be surprised.

  “YIKES!” Katie screamed out as the snowboard came in contact with the big icy bump!

  “HELP!” Katie cried even louder as the snowboard took off into the air. Katie looked down. The ground seemed far, far away. Snow shot out from beneath the board, blowing around her head, in her mouth, and even up her nose.

  Katie was flying . . . actually flying! “AAAHHHH!” she cried out.

  Thump! And then she landed, hard. The snow below may have looked soft, but it was no pillow. Ooh. Her rear end was going to be sore tomorrow.