Mountain Bike Mania by Matt Christopher Read Free Book Online

Will said.
    “Don’t jive me,” Ace said, looking him right in theeyes as they rode side by side. “What’s going on? Tell me.”
    Will sighed. “It’s my best friend, Danny. He hates mountain biking. I wish I could get him to try it.”
    “He hates mountain biking?” Ace repeated. “Will, forget about him, man. Just dump him. He’s a loser.”
    “He’s not a loser,” Will protested, startled by Ace’s curt dismissal of Danny.
    “Whatever,” Ace responded, clearly unconvinced. “Tell me one thing. Has he ever tried it? Huh? Has he ever even been on a
     mountain bike?”
    “I don’t think so,” Will had to admit.
    “I rest my case,” Ace said. “Do what you want, but I’ll tell you, if it were me, I wouldn’t bother with anyone who doesn’t
     like mountain biking. Mountain biking, that’s what I’m all about. You don’t like it, you don’t like me.” He looked sideways
     at Will. “And I got a feeling mountain biking is gonna be you, too. Am I right?”
    Will nodded. “Yeah,” he said, looking ahead at the road. “Yeah, I guess so.”
    But inside, Will knew he didn’t mean it. He likedmountain biking a lot — even loved it — but it wasn’t “what he was all about.”
    If only he could find a way to get Danny interested in the club! But he knew it was impossible.
    Glancing over at Ace, he felt certain that Danny and Ace would never hit it off. Not in a million years.

6
    T hat night, Will didn’t sleep well. He kept dreaming he was on his mountain bike, going down a sloping trail at full speed.
     Suddenly there stood Danny, right in front of him! Danny opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Instead, from behind
     him, Will heard a maniacal voice yelling, “Ya-hoo!” He woke up in a cold sweat, his heart pounding.
    On Saturday morning, he called Danny first thing and invited him to go hiking again. But Danny wasn’t exactly overjoyed to
     hear from him.
    “I thought you’d be out mountain biking with your new pals,” he said.
    “Hey, new friends are great, but old friends are greater,” Will assured him.
    “Yeah, well…” Danny’s voice trailed off.
    “So, how about it? Should we get a good hike in?” Will asked.
    “I don’t think so,” Danny said. “I don’t really feel like it today. You go ahead, though.”
    “I can’t go by myself,” Will said sourly. “You sure?”
    “Yeah,” Danny said. “I don’t know why. I guess nearly getting killed last week, then having you turn into one of the killers,
     turned me off to it.”
    “Oh, come off it, Danny,” Will said in frustration. “It wasn’t that close. We got out of the way okay, didn’t we?”
    “Just barely,” Danny said. “Hiking’s not what it used to be. Not since the mountain bikers took over the trails.”
    This was going nowhere, Will could tell. “Okay, see ya,” he said, and hung up quickly. Danny’s rejection had stung him badly.
     What had he done to deserve that?
    Sure, he’d taken up mountain biking. If Danny was really his friend, he’d be happy for him! And so what if Will had made friends
     with the kids in the club? It was only natural, wasn’t it, to be friends with people you had things in common with?
    Well, if Danny didn’t want to be his friend, that was his tough luck, Will decided. He hadn’t done anything to offend him,
     and if Danny was going to be like that, let him.
    Will got dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen, where his parents were eating breakfast.
    “Hi, sleepyhead!” his mom greeted him. “It’s nine o’clock already. We decided to eat without you!”
    “It’s okay,” Will assured her, plopping down into a chair.
    “What’s up with you today, son?” his dad asked, putting down his newspaper.
    “Nothing much,” Will said with a shrug. “Could we go to the mall? I could use some biking shorts and a shirt or two.”
    “Uh-oh, here we go,” his dad said. “The money pit—”
    “Bob,” Will’s mom interrupted. “We haven’t