Snowboard Showdown Read Online Free PDF Page B

said.
    Freddie squirmed. Dondi did have something up his sleeve, he could tell. Dondi wouldn't have agreed to enter a contest in
     public if he didn't think he could win.
    Suddenly he was feeling tense and anxious about the contest. With the articles in the paper, there could be a big crowd. What
     if he didn't win? What if something happened—if he fell, and Dondi had his best day ever? It could happen, Freddie knew. On
     any given day, anything could go down.
    Eric interrupted his thoughts. “Say, where are we going?” he asked, wadding up his napkins and crushing his empty drink container.
    “I don't know,” Freddie said, looking around now. “There's Buddy's. Wanna go spy on Dondi?”
    “Sure!” Steve said happily.
    Freddie didn't tell them why he really wanted to spy on his brother. It had occurred to him thatClarissa might be there too. He hoped not, but he had to take a look and make sure.
    Clarissa wasn't there, Freddie quickly noted with relief. But what he did see made his worry level rise to new heights.
    Dondi was in the store window, lifting a glittering new snowboard off its stand. Looking at it lovingly, he tucked it under
     his arm and patted it with a satisfied look, as if to say, Come to Papa!
    Freddie gulped. Was this the surprise Dondi had up his sleeve?
    “Hey, Freddie!” Dondi greeted him, hopping down from the display window onto the floor of the store. “That's nice, you came
     to visit me, man. Hey, guys.” He waved to Eric and Steve.
    “Hey.” They waved back without enthusiasm.
    “You like this board, squirt?” Dondi asked, holding it out to Freddie. “'Cause if you like it, it's yours.”
    Freddie stared at his brother, open-mouthed.
    “Nah, just kidding. Actually, this baby's for me,” Dondi said laughing as he yanked the board back.
    Freddie's eyes were glued to the price tag. It wasmore than three hundred dollars! “You're b-buying that?” he spluttered.
    “That's right,” Dondi said, looking mighty pleased with himself. “Me, myself, and I. Can't be entering contests with my ratty
     old board, can I?”
    Dondi's old board wasn't exactly prime, Freddie had to admit, but his own was even worse. Splinters stuck out from the edges,
     and the layers of laminated wood were starting to come apart where the glue was wearing out.
    This new board might not make Dondi a world-class snowboarder. But it could give him enough of an edge to beat Freddie and
     make a monkey out of him next Saturday.
    Freddie swallowed hard, and Dondi laughed with pleasure. “Glad you like it, bro,” he said, holding it up for Steve and Eric
     to admire. “Nice, huh? Maybe someday I'll let you try it out—after I break it in, of course. Like after the contest, sucker!”
    With a big laugh, he headed for the checkout counter where he stowed the board behind the cash register. “Don't want anyone
     else buying it before I do,” he explained.
    “How can you afford that much?” Freddie demanded.“I saw how much birthday money you had—it's not nearly enough. And don't tell me one week's salary is going to make the difference.”
    “No, that's true,” Dondi agreed. “But the boss likes me, see—he likes my style, the way I am with the customers and all. He
     told me I could put a down payment on it Friday with my first paycheck and work off the rest as I go, a little bit every week.”
    “Man!” Freddie said unhappily, kicking the side of the counter. “It's not fair.”
    “Hey, you don't like it, you can go get your own job,” Dondi suggested.
    “You know I'm not old enough,” Freddie said through gritted teeth.
    “Oh, yeah, that's right!” Dondi said, slapping his forehead as if he'd completely forgotten. “Well, be patient, squirt. Someday
     you can be just like me.”
    “I'd rather eat raw onions for a week,” Freddie said, turning away. “Come on, you guys. Let's get out of here.” And with Steve
     and Eric trailing behind, he left the store, Dondi's laughter ringing in his