The Trail Rules Read online

  THE TRAIL RULES

  By Melanie Hooyenga

  Left-Handed Mitten Publications

  Also by Melanie Hooyenga

  THE SLOPE RULES

  FLICKER

  FRACTURE

  FADED

  Praise for THE SLOPE RULES

  Gold Winner (YA Fiction General) 2017 — Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards

  Silver Winner (High School Romance) 2017 — Children’s Literary Classics

  Bronze Winner (YA Romance) 2017 — Readers’ Favorite

  “There aren’t enough books like The Slope Rules out there in the world of romance. This is a can’t miss for anyone who wants more sweet than spicy and needs their hearts thawed on cold winter nights. No one will regret spending time on this book.” —YA Books Central

  “A fun, romantic story with a likeable protagonist and a familiar, yet enjoyable dramatic storyline that will appeal to teen readers.” —IndieReader

  “Author Melanie Hooyenga tells it like it is in this remarkably honest coming of age story. The Slope Rules offers drama, action and age-appropriate romance all wrapped up in an inspiring, page-turning read.” —Children’s Literary Classics

  “Both sporting fans and readers who love emotionally charged novels will adore The Slope Rules,... a great romance for young adult readers... that explores love, coming of age, and personal growth.” —Reader’s Favorite

  THE TRAIL RULES

  Copyright © 2018 by Melanie Hooyenga

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including informational storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from Melanie Hooyenga except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

  THE SLOPE RULES is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Published by Left-Handed Mitten Publications

  ISBN-13: 978-1984240583

  ISBN-10: 1984240587

  UPC

  Book design, cover design, and ebook formatting by Left-Handed Mitten Publications. Author photo by Jenn Marie Photography.

  Author website: melaniehoo.com

  Email: [email protected]

  Facebook: facebook.com/MelanieHooyenga

  Twitter: @melaniehoo

  Instagram: @melaniehoo

  Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/1bscf

  For Sara and Nadine,

  the two best friends a girl could ask for.

  I’d follow you anywhere.

  Chapter 1

  “Mike, you’ve got this!” Evan’s waiting at the bottom of the trail. I can’t actually see him, but I know he’s there because I watched him ease his mountain bike down the path barely wide enough to fit his body like he was strolling down the sidewalk in front of his house. I adjust my grip on the handlebars. My arms are too stiff—he’s told me that a hundred times—but you try to relax when you’re facing a twenty degree incline with nothing but a plastic helmet and a few scraps of spandex to break your fall. With one final squeeze to test my brakes, I take a deep breath and let gravity carry me down the trail.

  A girlish shriek pierces the air. I’d be embarrassed except I am a girl—Mike is short for Mikayla—and I’m more worried about staying on my bike and not decapitating myself on a tree branch than anything as silly as my pride.

  My front tire winds its way down the path and I focus on staying upright. On staying on the path, where the trees are sort of cleared away. A rock catches my back tire and my center of gravity shifts, but I’m moving fast enough that it doesn’t topple me over.

  Deep breath. You’ve got this.

  The dirt on the next turn is churned up—Evan keeps telling me it’s called loam or something, but whatever—and I tighten my grip. The ground hardens as the path straightens, but the danger isn’t over yet. A root snakes into the clearing up ahead and if my wheel isn’t perfectly straight I’ll be up close and personal with that cypress in two seconds. I squeeze the brakes as the root nears and yank up on the handlebars like Evan taught me. The front wheel clears the ground and a smile breaks over my face.

  “Yes!” Evan shouts from the bottom of the trail. “You show that root who’s boss!”

  A giggle escapes me but I don’t look up. Wiping out at the bottom is not an option. I guide the bike through the final turn and come to a shuddering stop next to Evan. My arms and legs are rubbery and I collapse against the handlebars.

  “That was your best run yet.” Evan’s voice is close to my ear. I turn my head and startle for the millionth time at how bright his green eyes are and how beautifully they contrast with his dark skin. A smear of dirt on his cheek only makes him look better. He’s half a head taller than me and I fit perfectly into the space beneath his arm—when I’m not wearing a helmet.

  I push a loose piece of hair out of my eyes and look up at Evan. “I don’t know how I let you talk me into this.”

  “Because you can’t resist me.” His lips curl into a smile that lights up his eyes, but rather than kissing me like I deserve after tackling that hill, he tucks my hair under the strap of my helmet. “Ready to go again? We can fit in a couple more sessions before it gets too dark.”

  I glance up the trail and scowl at the cypress that almost jacked my run. Part of me wants to be done and relax on the tailgate of Evan’s SUV while the sun sets before we head to Austin’s party, but another part—a newer part that I’m still learning to appreciate—wants to get this right. “One more.”

  “Two.” It’s neither question nor command. More like a challenge. Like he can sense the old Mike battling with this new girl who stands up for herself and doesn’t take crap from anyone.

  Well, I’m still working on that part.

  “One and a half?” I flutter my eyelashes at him and he closes his eyes in an attempt to resist my charms, a smile playing on his lips.

  It doesn’t work.

  His eyes open and lock onto mine. “One it is.”

  I stand on tip-toes to press a quick kiss against his full lips, then fling my leg over my bike and give him a nod.

  He leads me along an easier route that winds uphill to the top of the trail I just barreled through. It’s marked as a green—they’re labeled the same way as ski slopes—and I can’t imagine what blues or blacks look like. I’d love to try going back up the way we just came but Evan doesn’t think I’m ready.

  My thighs burn as I force the pedals down, down, down. We’re in granny gear and going so slow I could walk faster, but as Evan likes to point out, that’s cheating. Everything about mountain biking is challenging. Going up is brutal because it takes all your leg power to keep moving. Going down is a lesson in willpower overcoming the sheer terror that you’ll lose your grip and smack into a tree, or you won’t turn fast enough and smack into a tree, or you’ll hit an obstacle like a tree root or rock and—you guessed it—smack into a tree. I’m also afraid of breaking my arm falling on a rock, but right now the trees are my biggest concern.

  We stop in a small clearing that’s semi-level and Evan faces an opening in the trees to take in the view. The parking lot looks tiny down below, and miles beyond that sits Boulder and the smaller town of Louisville, where we live. It’s crazy to think my whole world is right in front of us. The drama and everyday problems that seem so big and threaten to overwhelm me can disappear in a blink. I close my eyes and they’re gone. Open them, and they’re still far enough away that I can push them aside—for now. But in two more days my biggest problem will be back: it’s the first day of junior year and I’ll have to face Brianna for the first time in m
onths.

  Evan faces me. “Ready?”

  “Last one, right?”

  He touches my arm. “Yeah. We should probably head back if we’re gonna make the party.”

  No sunset lounging for us. It’s Austin’s end-of-the-summer bash and I’ve never missed one. A twinge of sadness catches in my throat. Our group has changed so much since last year—the Snow Bunnies and Moguls are disbanded and Reece, Evan’s best friend, is dead. I’m not sure what to expect tonight.

  Evan peers at me from beneath his helmet. “You okay? We can take this one slow if you’re tired.”

  I run my hands over my thighs. They’re aching, but it’s a pain I’ve learned to appreciate. I smile. “I don’t think it’s possible to go slower than I already do.”

  He fiddles with his gears and laughs. “Mike-speed coming up.” He mounts his bike and pushes off, moving as slowly as we were during the climb.

  I take a deep breath to steady myself, then plunge into the trees behind him.

  Chapter 2

  Evan parks behind a beat-up orange Jeep and I exhale. Cally and Blake are already here. I shouldn’t be nervous. A year ago I was at the top of the social hierarchy. People cleared a path for us wherever we went—well, they cleared a path for Brianna and as her BFF, I benefitted from her status—and while I wasn’t always comfortable with how she treated people, I never doubted where I stood. But all that changed when Cally convinced me to stand up to Brianna and Kenzie—even though Cally took the brunt of their abuse for me, including getting elbowed and tripped in the hall, ending with a bloody lip and suspension for Brianna. I broke free from Bri’s clutches and the ridiculousness that was the Snow Bunnies, but now it’s like I’m walking on mushy dirt and can’t find my footing.

  Evan’s waiting for me next to the Jeep. I move to his side and he slips his hand into mine. The best part of the Brivolution, as Cally calls it, is Evan and I are back together. He hates Bri and her BS and broke up with me because I wouldn’t stand up to her. When I finally found my backbone, he was waiting.

  Music drifts down the long driveway as we approach the stone house. Light spills from every window, but we skip the front door and follow a brick path that winds to the backyard. Strings of paper lights frame a massive deck filled with kids from school, who are laughing and sipping from red plastic cups, living in the moment, not worrying about the first day of school that’s less than thirty-six hours away.

  I let Evan lead me through the bodies to a long table covered with soda and fancy sparkling waters and grab a berry-flavored water. “Do you see Cally or Blake?” I ask Evan.

  He shakes his head. “I didn’t know there were this many kids at our school.”

  “And you know not everyone’s here,” I say. He tilts his head, trying to decipher my meaning, but I could mean so many people. Brianna—who Austin swore he’s officially done with so there’s no risk of her being here—and there are a lot of kids who Austin would never consider inviting to his house. Things have gotten a little better since the blow-out, but change doesn’t happen overnight.

  The crowd parts and a blond girl in a pink tank top catches my attention. For a second everything freezes. My breath stops and I grip my water so tightly a little spills out of the top. Then she turns and I relax. It’s not Brianna. Of course it’s not.

  I wish I wasn’t so scared to see her.

  Evan doesn’t notice my momentary freak-out. He peers over the people on the deck to a smaller group in the yard and smiles. “Over there.”

  We push our way off the deck and cross the cool grass to a ring of chairs near a fire pit. Cally’s sitting in Blake’s lap, one arm wrapped around his neck, the other holding the same water as mine. I move to her side and bump my hip against her arm. She looks up from Blake and a smile brightens her face. When Cally moved here last winter she joked that everyone here’s so good-looking that it’s like a school for models, but she fits right in. And unlike Brianna, she doesn’t act like she knows it. Cally’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met—and I’m not just saying that because she changed my life. She’s been through her own crap but doesn’t let it slow her down.

  Evan slips an arm around my waist. “So where’s our host?”

  Blake nods his head at the back of the house. “Somewhere in there. News about him and Bri breaking up spread fast.”

  Cally laughs. “Poor guy. Good thing he has so many girls ready to mend his broken heart.”

  Blake’s smile fades and he gives her a serious look, like they’re the only ones here. Their relationship didn’t start off the best and it almost didn’t happen—but they got through it and now they’re that couple you both love and hate because everything seems so perfect.

  I’m not saying I hate her. Or that I’m jealous. But I can see why others might.

  Cally breaks Blake’s gaze and shifts so she’s facing me. “You ready for Monday?”

  She’s the only one who knows how nervous I am. It’s stupid to miss a tradition when you hate the ringleader, but that’s where I am. I take a sip of water. “Almost.”

  She pokes my arm. “It’ll be okay.”

  “It sucks we don’t have lunch together.”

  Her smile fades. “You couldn’t get it switched?”

  I shake my head. “I believe Miss Mott’s words were ‘if I made changes for every student who came in here crying because they don’t get to eat with their best friend, I’d never get anything done.’”

  Cally’s eyes light up when I say ‘best friend.’ She’s got a best friend, Sophia, back in Vermont where she used to live, who visited over the summer. I loved her instantly, but she’s very different from Cally—more like Bri, minus the bitch factor—and I’ve wondered how long they’ll stay close since they live so far apart.

  “Blake, you ready for practice?” Evan asks. His smile doesn’t look as natural as it did a moment ago, and I wonder if snowboarding will ever be the same for him.

  Blake doesn’t notice. “Official practice starts in a couple weeks, but I started conditioning last week. Mostly speed and strength drills for now.” He smiles. “And tryouts are this week.”

  “I know,” Evan says, his gaze drifting away.

  “You have to try out,” I say.

  “You’ll make it, no problem.” Blake straightens as he talks and Cally pushes off his lap.

  She catches my eye. “Want to wander?”

  Part of me wants to stay with Evan to make sure he’s okay, but I can’t be with him twenty-four seven. And maybe talking to Blake will remind him how much he’s always wanted to be on the team. I press a kiss to Evan’s cheek. “We’ll be back.”

  He runs his hand down my arm and I follow Cally across the lush grass to the other side of the house. It’s quieter than on the deck, but not as cozy as it’d been near the fire. Couples are scattered around the yard in various degrees of making out and I glance back at Evan. He’s sitting on the ground near Blake, talking with his hands. That’s a good sign.

  Cally plops onto the ground and waits until I do the same before speaking. “Spill.”

  I take a sip of water and slowly twist the cap back on. It’s amazing that in six months Cally’s learned more about me than Brianna did in four years. She knows something’s bothering me, and she knows I’m stalling.

  “Did something happen with Evan?”

  My gaze flicks back to him. “No…”

  She folds her legs in front of her and leans back on her hands. “You tease me about being joined at the hip with Blake, but you two—” she pauses. “I don’t mean this in a bad way, but you’re very in tune with each other. It’s like if something’s bothering one of you, the other is upset.”

  I already knew that about us, but it’s nice to hear that she’s noticed it, too.

  “As soon as boarding came up, it’s like a light went off in Evan. And you kind of crumpled in on yourself, too.”

  “He’s still having a hard time with Reece’s death. He didn’t go out again after the Das
h, even though he was talking about trying out for the team, and as tryouts get closer he seems almost afraid to go up there.”

  “You don’t think you can coax him? You were hurt that day, too. I’m surprised you’re not afraid to ski.”

  A laugh escapes me. “I’m surprised too. The doctor said I’m fine to ski again, plus it’s not like I’m flipping through the air like you.” We fall silent, lost in the memories of that day last March. Cally had convinced me to try a black diamond—a much more challenging run than my typical blues—and halfway down, an avalanche struck. We didn’t know at the time that we weren’t in danger and we raced out of there like our lives depended on it. Until I fell and broke my leg and Cally had to practically carry me off the mountain. My leg healed, but Evan’s best friend Reece was one of twelve people who were trapped in the avalanche and one of three who died. Evan stayed at the base of the mountain, waiting for Reece, until long after the sun set and it’s like there’s been a piece of him missing ever since.

  A lump forms in my throat and I wipe at the tears that burn my eyes. That was also the day Evan and I got back together. He’s been more protective of me this time around, but how can I fault him for that?

  “Is that all that’s bothering you?”

  I shake my head, letting my hair fall in my face.

  Cally’s voice softens. “She doesn’t matter anymore.”

  A twinge of guilt pricks my heart. Bri may be a raging bitch, but she was my best friend and as much as I hate to admit it, I miss the little things from our friendship. Cally never got to see that side of her because Brianna was threatened by her from the day she arrived at Monarch High, but I know there’s a soft side to her, even if it’s buried beneath layers of dirty looks and expensive clothes.