Alexis and the Lake Tahoe Tumult - Erica Rodgers [11]
Alexis loved snowboarding. She had learned to ski in fifth grade but had always felt awkward. In the back of her mind, she was always afraid her legs would tangle up at any moment and send her flying down the mountain on her face.
The next year, her dad had signed her up for snowboarding lessons. It was so much easier! Or at least she thought so. There was no chance that her feet could tangle, since they were anchored securely side by side.
There had been one time that a face-plant had brought the snowboard up from behind to whack her in the back of the head … not fun. But overall it was always a great time.
Bailey hadn’t skied much, so the girls spent the first hour on the bunny hill. Alexis taught her how to wedge the tips of her skis together (in the shape of a triangle), and they cruised along slowly until Bailey got the hang of it. It didn’t take long. Soon she was tearing down the mountain so fast that Alexis could hardly catch up.
“You should have your camera along!” Bailey called to Alexis. “Then you could do a documentary on a midwestern girl learning to ski! I could be a star!”
On their fifth run down the mountain, Alexis took her time. She always got more confident after a few hours on the slopes, so she wanted to try some smaller jumps. By the time she got to the bottom, Bailey had been waiting for almost ten minutes.
“Come on, Lexi! You take forever!”
“Sorry! I wanted to try some tricks!”
“Well, I’m starving,” said Bailey. “Let’s get lunch!”
The girls left their boards outside the lodge and went in to find the cafeteria. They ordered a pizza to share and then giant cups of hot chocolate. Alexis had to admit that it felt good to take her gloves off and wrap her fingers around something warm.
“The sun’s out,” said Alexis. “Want to sit outside?”
“Sure,” said Bailey. They wiggled their way through tons of tourists. Alexis thought she heard at least four different languages being spoken in the crowd. People came to Tahoe from all over the world it seemed. Alexis was trying to understand a woman speaking French when Bailey elbowed her in the ribs.
“Hey, look!” Bailey said. “Isn’t that the boy I hit in the head with our camera at breakfast yesterday?”
Alexis looked in the direction Bailey was pointing. Sure enough, the same boy was sitting on a bench looking up at the mountain. Alexis wondered why he wasn’t wearing any snow gear. Who came to the ski lodge and didn’t ski? As the girls got closer, Alexis noticed something else. The boy was holding a walking stick. But it wasn’t like the walking sticks people used when they hiked in the mountains. It was thinner and white.
“Bailey,” Alexis whispered. “I think he’s blind!”
“No way!” said Bailey. “Yesterday he walked all the way across the dining room without help. And he was carrying a tray of food!”
“I know, but that’s normal. Blind people don’t need help all the time—only when they’re in unfamiliar or crowded surroundings. Come on.”
And before Bailey knew what she was doing, Alexis was sitting down beside the boy on the bench. Bailey sat next to her, more than a little nervous. Was the boy still angry with her?
“Hi,” said Alexis. “I’m Alexis, and this is my friend Bailey.”
“Hi,” squeaked Bailey. The boy didn’t even turn to look at them when he spoke.
“Oh, it’s you,” he said. “Going to knock me in the head with a ski pole this time?”
“Of course not,” said Alexis. She was trying to be friendly. The last thing she wanted to do was argue. “So what are you doing up here?” she asked.
“Observing,” said the boy.
“Observing?” said Bailey. “But you’re—”
“Blind? Yeah, thanks for reminding me. I almost forgot.”
“We’re sorry,” said Alexis. “My friend was just curious. What kinds of things do you observe up here?”
The boy turned to Alexis but didn’t say anything. Alexis got the feeling that he wanted them to leave.
“Are you on vacation?” asked Bailey.
“Yep. My family and I come every