“Minneapolis,” said Chloe.
“It’s cold there, huh?” asked Valeria.
“Yeah. You walk outside and your nostril hairs freeze instantly,” Chloe said as she made a goofy face.
Valeria and Mateo laughed.
“Chloe wants to learn to longboard,” said Mateo. “I told her she should hang with you — ’cause you’re the best.”
Used to be, maybe, Valeria thought. But now . . .
“Yeah,” said Chloe, “I figured you could show me how to break my arm. I’ve never done that and, hey, I need some attention. After all, I’m the new girl. I have to stand out in some way, right?” Then Chloe smiled at Valeria. “No seriously,” she said. “Mateo told me how you won all the local comps.”
Valeria smiled limply.
Chloe went on. “I’ve never even stood on a board, but it looks fun. Plus, my mother will freak out — and I’m still mad at her for moving here. So what do you say? Did I make you feel sorry for me yet?” Chloe sighed and made a pathetic face.
“If not here’s a little more: I’m adopted,” she said. “That usually makes people feel sorry for me. You know. Poor baby, abandoned by her parents.”
Mateo and Valeria stared at Chloe, but then Chloe laughed. “Gotcha! See? It works! Now you can’t say no, right?”
“Do you have a board?” asked Valeria.
“Not yet,” said Chloe. “Mateo said he’d take me to Keep On Skating after school.”
“My brother, Emilio, works there,” said Valeria. “But I don’t think they have any used downhill boards right now.”
“But they sell new stuff too, right?” asked Chloe.
Valeria’s eyes widened. A new setup — deck, wheels, trucks, grip tape — would be expensive. Valeria had to scrimp and save for a long time just to buy a set of wheels.
Chloe must have guessed what Valeria was thinking. “My grandparents gave me a wad of cash for my birthday,” she said. “I’m their only grandchild. They tend to spoil me.” Then she shrugged. “Hey, if I don’t like longboarding, you can have the stuff I buy.”
Chapter Four
BACK ON BOARD
The next morning Valeria had a sinking feeling. How am I going to teach Chloe if I’m too scared to step on my board? she thought. She was thinking about playing sick when Emilio knocked on her open door.
“Hey, gatita,” Emilio said. “Mateo just texted me. He wants to make sure you bring your board to school.”
“Got it,” said Valeria, rolling over and covering her face.
She didn’t know how to tell Emilio about her fear. She’d always been brave. Emilio was the one who got her on a board when she was only six. He was her biggest supporter. Once, he had even told her, “You could be a pro someday!”
Valeria forced herself out of bed. On her way out the door, Emilio shouted, “Don’t forget to sign up for the comp — registration closes Saturday!”
* * *
After school, Valeria carried her well-loved board over to the parking lot. Mateo and Chloe were waiting for her.
Chloe had a new setup: a stiff downhill board with red grip tape and bright graphics on the underside, Butterball wheels, and drop-through mounted trucks.
Chloe was also wearing standard protective gear — helmet, slide gloves, kneepads, and elbow pads.
“Nice board,” said Valeria.
“Thanks,” said Chloe. “Your brother and Mateo helped me put it together.
“How about all my safety gear?” Chloe rolled her eyes. “Mother’s rules. At least I talked her out of the hockey face mask.”
Valeria laughed. “Hockey mask?”
“I told her no one would hang with me if I wore it — then I started crying about moving,” Chloe said.
Valeria liked Chloe. She was funny.
Chloe bowed. “Okay, master,” she said. “I’m ready for lesson one.”
“So are you goofy foot or regular?” Valeria asked.
“Huh? Well, I guess my feet are regular,” said Chloe. “I mean, I don’t have any extra toes or anything. At least not anymore. I did have an extra toe, but they removed it. Does that make me regular or goofy?”
“Hold up,” said Mateo. “Extra toe?”
Chloe nodded. “My mom thought it would make buying shoes hard, which I guess is true. But, if I still had it, I could wear sandals and freak people out, right?”
