Chapter 17
(Lana, Clark, Pete, and Chloe all sit on a chairlift. Their feet dangle, their skis swaying back and forth, as they move smoothly up the mountain. In the chair behind them, Roby and Stacey sit with two strangers.)
Pete: "Last day skiing, right?"
Clark: "Yeah."
Lana: "It's been fun, though."
(They sit in silence for several moments. Chloe shivers slightly. Pete takes both of his poles in his left hand and wraps his right around her.)
Chloe: "Thanks, Pete."
Pete: "No problem."
(Below them, the mountain is mostly deserted. Several skiers pass by, but not many. The snow is slightly mushy with the coming summer. Clark stretches slightly, yawning.)
Lana: "Don't fall asleep on me, now! I need someone to catch me."
Clark (Smiling): "I'll try."
Lana (Smiling back): "You better."
(They reach the top and silently depart from the chairlift. It swings behind them as it turns about and proceeds back down the mountain. Pulling off to one side, they wait for Roby and Stacey.)
Roby (Gliding easily off of the chairlift): "Alright. We've got time for two more runs. What do you guys want to do?"
Stacey: "Let's go to the terrain park!"
Roby: "I'm not sure they're ready for jumps yet."
Stacey: "They could go along the side..."
Clark: "We'll tag along if you want to do it."
Roby: "You sure?"
(He looks around the group. They silently nod their agreement.)
Roby: "Alright. Follow me."
(Angling his skis to slow himself down, Roby moves around several people and starts off down the hill. He faces up towards them, moving backwards fluidly. The others unsteadily follow him. Stacey catches up with him after several moments and tries to ski backwards as well. Her tip catches, causing her to fall over. She slides on her butt, backwards. Sighing, Roby turns around and goes downhill of her. When she stops, he helps her to her feet, careful not to entangle his skis about hers. She laughs openly as she gets back up and starts down the hill.)
Roby: "Stace, go ahead and meet us at the entrance."
Stacey: "Sure!"
(She takes off, tucking down close to the snow.)
Roby (Mumbling to himself): "Just don't let ski patrol see you bombing..."
(He looks back uphill. Slowly making their way towards him, the others follow. Their skis are nearly perpendicular to each other. Clark makes it to him first.)
Clark: "How's that?"
Roby: "Great. Just work on getting your skis closer to being parallel."
Clark: "Sure."
(When the others reach them, Roby gracefully glides down another hundred yards or so to wait for them again. He watches them carefully, critiquing them when they reach him. Repeating this pattern, they reach the entrance to the terrain park ten minutes later. Stacey waits for them. A small hill rises up directly after the entrance, jutting up from the mountain.)
Roby: "Alright. Try to keep your speed up to make it up the hill."
(Hopping slightly, Roby skates up the hill in several swift strides. He stops at the top, turning back to them. The others follow, eventually turning sideways and hopping up the hill to the best of their ability. Clark follows up last. His jaw drops when he reaches the top. Off to the left of them, down a rather steep thirty feet, is a ten foot high jump. This, apparently, is considering the first of the 'small' jumps, as dictated by a sign stuck in the ground beside him. In the middle is a jump twice the size. Off to the right is a jump that looks like it launches you straight upwards into the air.)
Roby: "Alright. If you don't want to try the jumps, just go between them. We'll all meet where the jumps stop and the rails begin. Okay?"
(Everyone nods solemnly, looking at the jumps like they'll be their graves. Stacey looks excited.)
Roby: "Alright. Tuck slightly before hitting the jump. Stand up straight as you go off of it, hands out to either side. Try to keep your balance. It's not something you'll get the first time you try, I can guarantee that. Just keep your speed down and give it a go. Here, I'll go first."
Stacey (Stopping him): "Roby? Can I go off the middle ones?"
Roby (Turning back to her): "Sure. But you better not get hurt!"
Stacey (Grinning): "I won't!"
Roby (Nodding his 'okay'): "Alright. Let's go."
(Roby turns his body to face the jumps to the left. He quickly accelerates as he goes down the small slope and approaches the jump, tucking his tall frame down slightly. As he goes over the lip of the jump, he stands tall. They can see him for a moment more before he lands out of their sight. Gulping, Clark takes off after him. Air glides past his face as he moves down the slope. Feeling comfortable, Clark moves his skis to be parallel. Wind sweeps his hair back as he gains speed. His eyes go wide as he comes to the jump. Catching his breath deep in his chest, he soars off of the lip of it. Throwing his hands out to the side, he falters slightly. Obeying instincts, he leans backwards into a sitting position. There is a loud crunch as he comes back down on the snow on his butt. He skids for several feet before he tumbles once and his ski's edge catches, arresting his fall. He wobbly tries to get back to his feet, but falls back over and slides several feet more.)
Roby (Calling from the vantage point he moved back up to by the jump): "Clark, feet below you!"
(Clark obligingly swings his legs to be downhill of him. He stands back up and gives Roby a thumbs-up.)
Clark: "How'd I do?"
Roby: "You did great, until you landed! We'll work on it, don't worry!"
(Roby turns back uphill of him.)
Roby (Calling out): "Alright, who's next?"
(Several seconds pass. Clark slides to the side, waiting for the next person. He guesses who it is long before he can see them. Pete sails over the edge of the jump. Clark watches as he easily touches back down, bending his knees slightly as he does. Spotting Clark, he skis over and turns his skis to do a hockey stop. Clark laughs as his edge catches and he tumbles over sideways. Indignantly, he stands back up.)
Pete: "Yeah? At least I landed."
Clark (Still laughing): "I was close!"
Roby: "Boys – boys! Take it easy down there."
(Lana and Chloe both ski down the side of the jump, purposefully missing it.)
Clark: "Roby, why don't you show us how it's really done?"
Lana (Showing her approval of the idea, eyeing the larger jumps near by): "Yeah!"
Roby (Blushing slightly): "I can't do a whole lot..."
Pete: "Bet you can do it better than us, though."
Chloe (Batting her eyes): "Come on."
Lana (Joining in): "Please?"
(Roby looks from face to face, and then sighs, shrugging slightly.)
Roby: "Alright. Ski down to where Stacey is, when you get to her, look uphill. I'll be hitting the middle jump..."
(He kicks off and begins making his way uphill of them. They watch him move out of sight before continuing down the hill. Carefully skiing by jumps that are increasing in size with each level, they eventually make it to Stacey. She is lying down in the snow waiting for them. When she sees them, she perks up and stands.)
Stacey: "Where's Roby?"
Clark: "He said to watch the middle jump."
Stacey: "Really? But... he hasn't jumped since..."
Lana: "'Since' what?"
Stacey: "Oh, nothing. He just accidentally jumped over a little kid."
Chloe (Making assumptions already): "He didn't hurt the kid, did he?"
Stacey (Pursing her lips together): "Well, yeah. It's just that the little kid was kind of... me... Anyways, he'll be coming soon! And he likes to show off so prepare your selves."
(Stacey winks at Clark, who is looking curiously at her. Chuckling, Clark looks back at the jump. Focusing his hearing, he hears a distinct rushing sound. Looking through the jump towering some several hundred feet away from them, Clark sees Roby quickly picking up speed as he approaches it. His face is determined and cool. As Clark watches, he bends his knees and waist, drawing lower to the snow now rapidly flying past his skis.)
Clark: "Here he comes."
(All eyes are now focused on the top of the jump. Bursting into sight, Roby soars off the lip of the jump. Time seems to slow down. He is looking over his right shoulder and is already beginning to spin. He drops his right shoulder, his head following it, down closer to his skis. Dropping his right hand down, he grabs the edge of his skis. He rotates in midair. Once. The ground is now nearing. Twice. The ground rushes up to meet him as time returns to normal. With an audible stomp he hits the landing. He holds his hands out, taking off his hat and goggles and looking at the group from Smallville. In a cloud of snow, he stops in front of them. It settles as he bows low before them.)
Stacey (Breaking the stunned silence): "That was AWESOME Roby!"
Roby (Pulling her hat down over her eyes): "Thanks, Stace."
Stacey: "You finally did a corked 720!"
Roby (Smiling): "Switched corked 720. But who's counting?"
Stacey: "Close enough!"
Clark: "That was great Roby!"
Lana: "Yeah! Where'd you learn how to do that?"
Pete: "And how? Crap man, that's really gotta reel in the chicks."
Roby (Blushing at Pete's comment): "I'm not much in the girl department, for some reason... But yeah, that's the first time I've land–"
Stacey: "It's about time, too! He's biffed it sooo–"
Roby (Clamping his hand over Stacey's mouth): "Oookay. That's enough, Stace. They don't need to know the details. Anyways, that little stunt cost us our last run. Come on, let's go."
(He lets go of Stacey's mouth. She indignantly backs away from him. Suddenly, her eyes light up.)
Stacey: "Back to the lodge?"
Roby: "Yup. Early morning tomorrow. Sooner we get back, the better."
Lana: "Pike's Peak?"
(Roby nods.)
Roby: "But only if you're up for it. It's going to be far from easy."
Clark: "We'll manage."
(Without a word more, they ski off down the hill. The camera leaves them, panning up into the cloudless deep blue sky. Far off in the distance, deep in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, a storm is gathering...)
