Powerslide by Jeff Ross Read Free Book Online Page B

think it’s so stupid, then why are we doing it?” I asked.
    Goat sighed and laid the mass of papers against his leg. He turned to Jack. “Would you like to hear what I’ve come up with?”
    â€œSure, man,” Jack said.
    â€œAll right, I was reading the script—” said Goat.
    â€œWhat script?” I said.
    Goat turned to me and said very slowly, “The movie script.”
    I hadn’t read a script. I didn’t even know there was one. “Why do you have it?”
    â€œI asked for it,” Goat said. “We need to have competitions that have something to do with the actual film, right? So I figured I’d read the script and see what whoever becomes the stunt double will have to do.”
    â€œYou can have a copy as well, Casey,” Jack said. “You just never asked. I was telling my agent about Goat, and he had no problem sending a script over. I’m sure he would do the same for you.”
    Great, I thought. Now Jack’s been talking to his agent about Goat. “Sure, send me the script,” I said.
    â€œAll right, so there’s this old-school scene near the end of the script,” said Goat. “It’s a downhill.”
    â€œYeah,” Jack said. “That’s a throwback to old skate films. What do you think?”
    â€œI love it,” Goat said. “And it got me thinking we should have a competition like that.”
    â€œLike what?” I asked.
    â€œA downhill.” Goat held the script out. “In here, it says the skaters ride long boards.”
    â€œYeah, that’s right,” Jack said. “I’ve never been on a long board.”
    â€œThey’re like normal skateboards, only longer, and the wheels are bigger,” I said. “You can go way faster on them.” Goat liked long boards. I could ride one, but they weren’t really my thing.
    â€œIs there somewhere around here you guys could do a downhill run on long boards?” Jack asked. He smiled and brushed his floppy hair out of his face.
    â€œBeacon Hill,” Goat said.
    I shook my head immediately. “No way, Goat.”
    â€œWhat?” Jack said. “What is Beacon Hill?”
    â€œIt’s this road that’s only open in the winter,” I said. “It’s just for trucks and plows to get up the mountain during ski season.”
    â€œA kid died skating down it last year,” Sara said. “Skateboarding on it is banned now.”
    â€œSure, sure,” Goat said. “Skateboarders are banned from everywhere. Who will know? It’s not as if anyone lives on the road or even drives on it.”
    â€œHow do you get up there?” Jack asked.
    â€œThere’s another road that cuts across the top of the mountain. You can walk to Beacon Hill from it,” I said.
    â€œIs it really that dangerous?” Jack asked.
    â€œYes,” I said.
    â€œIt’s all right if you know what you’re doing,” Goat said.
    I did not want to ride Beacon Hill. I had heard of skaters going fifty or sixty miles an hour down it. There’s no way to control yourself at that kind of speed.
    â€œWell, a stunt like this is going to be in the movie,” Jack said.
    â€œExactly,” Goat said.
    Jack looked at me. “So, you would have to be able to do it for that, Casey. I mean, if you’re going to be my stunt double and all.”
    â€œExactly!” Goat said again.
    â€œWhat do you think, Casey?” said Jack.
    I shook my head. “It’s dangerous, Jack. Really dangerous.”
    â€œDon’t think you can handle it?” Goat said.
    â€œNo, I can handle it. It’s just…”
    â€œPerfect. All right. How about we meet here tonight,” said Goat. “Say around seven? I can drive us to the top of Beacon Hill, and Jack can leave his car at the bottom.”
    â€œSure,” Jack said.
    â€œI’ll bring a bike you can ride down behind us,” Goat