Still I felt good and the rest of team happened to be at the bottom of the slalom course when I did it, so I got cheers from them (slightly louder from the girls), and Carl got grief from the boys.

Ricardo said, "I wish we'd had you at the start of the season. If you're doing so well after two practices, think how good you'd be doing after ten."

I smiled and didn't tell him that two evenings a week I was jumping to Hokkaido to practice on my own. I usually did just an hour, but I didn't have to wait for the lifts, so an hour of boarding for me was like half a day's regular practice.

Brett made a space for me when we ate lunch at the midmountain lodge. I exchanged glances with Jade and she pushed me forward. I had butterflies but Brett just talked with everyone as usual. But I totally noticed when his leg or elbow brushed against mine.

At the end of the day, he was there, suddenly, when it was time to carry stuff down to the van. He grabbed my boot bag before I reached it.

I didn't want to ask about Donna, but I thought about it. When Jade and I slid into our usual bench, he took the third seat, beside me, instead of sitting where he usually did, in the very back seat with Joe.

About fifteen minutes into the ride, Brett pulled out his phone and said, "Damn. No signal." He looked at me and smiled that smile and I felt tingly. "How about your phone?"

I knew mine didn't. Even if there was a compatible network nearby, we weren't anywhere near New Prospect, so the phone's programming wouldn't even try to find a cell tower. Still, I fished it out and showed him that the top of the screen said "no service."

He plucked it out of my hand, saying, "Neat phone! We should take a picture." He tried to work the screen but the locked phone dialog appeared, asking for a four-digit pin to unlock it. "How do you get to the camera?" Brett asked.

I held out my hand. I was going to unlock it for him, but he said, "I can do it. Just tell me how."

Oh, shit.

I felt like crying. He wasn't being friendly because he liked me. He was trying to get at my phone, just like Donna had in the locker room.

Like Caffeine.

I said quietly, "Give me my phone."

He held it away still smiling.

Jade, who'd been ignoring us, said, "Don't be a dick, Brett."

Brett said, "Just tell me."

I said, "Give it back. Or else."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Or else what?"

I raised my voice. "Mr. Hill?"

Two rows forward, in the front passenger seat, Mr. Hill turned his head around. "Yes, Cent?"

Brett flipped the phone into my lap and I closed my hand over it.

"What time will we get back to the school?" I said.

Mr. Hill glanced at his watch and told me, "Usual time. About 5:30."

"Thanks," I said. I tucked the phone back into my inside jacket pocket and, though it was warmish in the van, zipped my jacket all the way up.

Brett looked at me like he couldn't believe I'd done that. Did he think his charm was enough to let him get away with stuff like that?

I was somewhere between hitting him and crying. Instead I said, "Did you do it for Caffeine or for Donna?"

His expression said one thing, his voice said another. "Don't know what you mean."

"Why don't you go back and sit with Joe," I said.

He got a stony expression on his face. "I'm fine here."

The van reached the long line of cars at the traffic light where we joined the interstate. While we waited for it to change, I unbuckled my seatbelt and climbed past Brett. His hands started to rise as I moved in front of him and I jerked my elbow up until it was right in front of his nose and I glared at him. He dropped his hands flat in his lap and leaned away from me. I went back to the rear bench seat, where Brett usually sat, and buckled in.

Joe, in the far corner, was dozing, but he jerked his head up when I sat. He blinked and looked up to where Brett was sitting. He opened his mouth to say or ask something, and I leaned back into the opposite corner and shut my eyes.

When we got back to the school parking lot I pulled my feet up and let Joe worm his way out with the rest of them. While they all climbed out, I reached over the seat back and fished my bags out of the cargo area. When the rear hatch began to rise, I jumped all the way to the Yukon with my stuff.

Mom wasn't there but Dad was, reading a book on the living room couch. "Hey. How was practice?"

I shrugged. I was afraid if I said anything I'd cry.

"Hmmm." He said. His eyes were narrowed and he was studying me carefully.

I jumped to the back hallway and stored my boards and boots. When I returned, Dad was slicing sharp cheddar cheese in the kitchen.

"You want soup with your grilled cheese?"

I nearly lost it. Grilled cheese and canned tomato soup was my comfort food. Mom's, too, which is why she used to make it for me when I had a skinned knee or a bad cold or an argument with Dad. But if I said yes, it meant I was in need of comforting and I guess I wasn't ready to admit that.

"Just the sandwich, please."

Maybe I said it funny. Dad took a can of soup down anyway. "Well, I'm going to make some for me."

He used sourdough bread and butter, letting the cheese melt out from between the slices and sizzle on the iron skillet, where it formed a hard cheesy crust along the edge of the sandwiches.

That's the best part-the crusty cheese. He put mine down on a paper towel and added a cup of the soup.

"Where's Mom?"

He shrugged. "Bangladesh. The water hasn't receded and they've got another tropical depression approaching. They're trying to pre-stage supplies this time."

"Is she trying to bring them in herself? Does she need help?"

He shrugged. "Planning stages right now. I'm scheduled to move a shitload of water filters later."

"Do you need help?" I didn't say my help. I wanted to leave that open. Not that I didn't want to help. It was just that Dad didn't see me that way much. Sure, I might be hauled along to learn something, but as a resource?

He shook his head. "Not for the water filters." He paused and then said, "However, depending on how bad the storm is, we might need you later."

I blinked. That was a first.

"Besides, you have a meet tomorrow, right?"

I nodded.

"Well, then. You'll need some rest. We'll see what you can do after, right?" He gave me a one-armed side hug.

I drank my soup and was, well, comforted.

There were two voice mails waiting when I popped back to New Prospect to let my phone connect.

The first one was from Jade and the time stamp was right after I'd jumped to the cabin from home.

"Hey, where'd you go? My Dad's here. Do you need a ride home?"

There was a similar text from her as well.

The next voice message was from Joe. "Cent, you left before we talked about tomorrow, but the van leaves at the usual time."

The league meets were at Cedar Mountain ski area, which was pretty central to all the participating high schools. We'd have to drive farther, but the meet wouldn't start until midday, so we didn't have to leave earlier than usual.

Joe paused and then said, "If Brett is being a jerk, let me know. I will take care of it."

I stared at the phone. Oh, really? You'll make him like me for my own sake?

I texted his phone: CU@Van 7:30 a.m.

I texted Jade: Sorry phone was off. Thnx for ride offer but I was ok. CU a.m.

I left the phone on the charger in my room at the house and went back to the cabin. I showered and when I'd changed into pajamas and was sitting in front of the fire downstairs, brushing my hair, Dad brought me a dish of Rocky Road ice cream-my favorite.

"We didn't have this in the freezer," I said.

He raised his eyebrows. "What's your point?"

He'd gone and got it, as Iago said in Othello, "especial." I ate it too fast and got brain freeze. But I gave him a good hug before I went up to bed.

I tried to sleep, but kept coming around to Brett's face and his smile and his hair.

And his behavior.

I couldn't help it. The first sobs were soft, and I was burying my face in the pillow to muffle them, but they grew stronger, louder.

Earlier I'd heard Dad come up to bed, but he was probably still reading just across the hall.

I jumped to my bedroom in New Prospect and cried myself to sleep.

NINETEEN.

Millie: Floods There were heavy winds and torrential rain the first four hours, but then the rain slowed to a steady drizzle for the next two days. Millie thought they'd dodged this bullet. Up-country the soil had soaked up more water than expected, unlike during the monsoon season. The river did rise, but it was still within its banks.

"We might have to move the rations back to warehouse."

"Really?" Davy put his hand on his lower back. "I guess that's good, right? No one flooded out of their homes."

"You hurt your back?"

"It was the tent. I shouldn't have tried to move both bags at once."

Millie put her arms around him and rubbed his lower back.

"Mmmm." Davy said. "We should continue this in the tent. Or, better yet, at home."

Millie kissed him. "Whatever your feelings about Cent going to school, you've got to admit it's been nice to have the cabin to ourselves in the afternoon."

Davy's response to this was nonverbal. Millie returned to the tent two hours later. Though rain still fell lightly, there were breaks in the clouds, and sunlight shone through in glorious glowing columns.

"Well, do you think we're okay for this storm?" she asked Akash as he walked by.

Akash shook his head. "You haven't heard the forecast, I take it? That depression near Sri Lanka is now a tropical storm and it's coming straight up the Bay of Bengal. This-" He gestured at the clouds and light rain. "-is just a prelude.

"We're in for it."

TWENTY.

"Chukri."

Dad was gone when I got up, but Mom appeared shortly thereafter and made me waffles and eggs. "After all, it's your first athletic event. You need the fuel."

She looked tired.