Mega Sleepover 6: Winter Collection. Sue Mongredien

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      I love sports shops. I must have been in a million of them and it’s like being in Kenny paradise, surrounded by all the football stuff and tennis racquets and swimming costumes. Every time I go in I have this stupid fantasy where I’m a millionaire, come to spend, spend, spend – and I end up buying the whole shop!

      I walked around slowly, and then I saw Nick again, sorting out a box of sunglasses at the far end of the shop, just near the surf and ski section. Aha!

      He looked up and smiled as I walked over.

      “Hello again,” he said. “Kelly, wasn’t it?”

      I blushed horribly. Oh, no! Blushing! I was turning into a right girl!

      “Kenny,” I said. “It’s a nickname.”

      “Oh – sorry, Kenny,” he said. “What are you up to, then? Come back for another look at this snow gear?”

      “Yeah,” I said. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”

      He shook his head, eyes twinkling. “Oh, mate,” he said. “You’ve got it bad, haven’t you? You’re as bad as me! Only problem is, there’s no snow, right?”

      “I’ve been practising on my sister’s skateboard, but it’s not really the same,” I confessed.

      “It’s not a bad idea, though,” he said. “It’ll help you practise keeping your balance, I suppose.” He looked thoughtful. “Want to have a go on a real board? Just standing, I mean?”

      I nodded, feeling all shy again. For some reason, I couldn’t think of anything to say. Yeah – I know what you’re thinking. Me, motormouth, lost for words! I’d never had that feeling before.

      He got a turquoise-coloured board down from the rack and put it on the shop floor. It looked massive!

      “Are they all that big?” I asked, my eyes popping.

      He grinned at me. “There are junior sizes too, but we’ve only got the adult ones in the shop at the moment,” he said. “Take your shoes off, anyway. What size foot are you?”

      “Three,” I said, hoping it didn’t sound too babyish. I unlaced my school shoes and stood there in my socks.

      “Try a pair of these on,” he said, passing me a pair of black boots.

      I could hardly tie up the laces, my fingers had suddenly gone so trembly. “There,” I said finally. “Blimey, they’re heavy, aren’t they?”

      “Need to be, mate,” he said. “You need good, solid support round your ankles when you’re ’boarding. Don’t want you toppling over to the side, do we?”

      “Suppose not,” I said. I’m telling you, my feet really did look cool in those boots. I suddenly wished the others were there to see me, Kenny, about to have a go on a real, humungously big snowboard!

      “Now, step on to the board,” he told me. “Let me fix the bindings for you.” He fastened up some straps and clasps – and then suddenly my feet were firmly joined to the board. It felt dead weird!

      I tried lifting a foot up experimentally – and nothing happened, except I gave this sort of wobble…

      “Whoooaaaa!” I said, arms flailing about.

      Nick grabbed hold of me. “Easy, tiger,” he said, laughing at my face. “Not as easy as it looks, is it, just standing still?”

      “It’s so weird!” I said. “And you can really slide down snowy mountains on one of these?”

      “Oh, yeah!” he said, chuckling. “And it’s a lot more exciting than just standing in a sports shop in Cuddington, I can tell you! To take a corner, you just have to lean to the left or right – and round you go!”

      I closed my eyes and put my arms out to the sides to keep my balance. “OK, I’m in the Swiss Alps,” I said, imagining as hard as I could. “It’s a gorgeous sunny day and there’s tons of snow everywhere.”

      “And you’re right at the top of this awesome. mountain and… you’re off!” Nick said, going along with my pretend. “And you’re whizzing down as fast as you can go, snow spraying up on either side of you – to the left, to the right – watch out for that tree!”

      I opened my eyes with a jump, and we both started to laugh.

      “You’re pretty good for a beginner,” he teased. “Shame about the tree, though!”

      “Oh, well, it shouldn’t have been in my way,” I joked. I looked down at my feet and sighed. “I wish Leicester wasn’t quite so… flat,” I said.

      “Not many mountains around, are there?” Nick agreed.

      “I’m trying to talk my mum and dad into a snowy holiday over Christmas,” СКАЧАТЬ