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“Everyone say cheese!” Aunt Sandy clicked away

“Cheese!” We suffered through a fewto continue on the trail

“Bet I can beat you to the top of that ridge” Calder eyed ain and he was daring er kids Likehis own competitive nature as a motivator

“Are you capable of enjoying nature without a competition?”

“Nope” He grinned, and several people close by laughed “And it’s okay if you’re chicken—”

The laughter sealed my fate “You’re on”

The thing about Calder was that he was big like a tank that had two speeds, whereas I was sility on my side Also, I’d put in some serious treadly, I darted out in front of hi full well that he’d finish strong Sca up the hill, I let out a triu to win About damn time

“Arthur!”

I didn’t turn at the sound of my naoing to listen to a lecture about not racing or being a good exa Calder at one of these stupid challenges

The angle was increasingly steep and slick, but I kept , and then I was sliding back down the hill, crushing ferns and causing deadwood and rocks to tuainst the uneven terrain until I landed in a deep boggy, s, like ancient dinosaurs had chosen this exact pit to deco their eternal slumber

“Oh f—”

“Language!” my mom scolded me from the top of the hill “Little ears!”

“Sometimes no other ork, Mom”

“You okay?” Derrick had apparently raced after me, and now he reached a hand down to haul me out of the muck

I rolledhis help up “Yeah, I’ain”

“You could have been hurt!” Derrick’s eyes were hard, a greater level of concern than I would have expected “Why’d you do that?”

“You know Calder Always a bet I just wanted to win and figured this was my chance to prove I’m faster now”