Tori rolled her eyes at Kapri's horrified reaction. "I just meant that you two are the busiest people on campus," she told the other girl. "Taking classes, working in Ninja Ops... doing practically every extracurricular activity there is. I don't know how you guys do it."

Marah seemed to consider that list. "You're right," she said at last, but she didn't seem very happy about it. Then, suddenly, she brightened. "I know! Maybe I should get a job!"

Tori blinked. "Um, yeah," she said dryly. "And maybe you could run for office or something while you're at it. I hear the White House is short on smarts lately."

"You could always work here," Tori suggested. "Kelly could definitely use the help."

"And, like, Dustin would be totally into it," Kapri enthused.

Marah positively squirmed. "I don't know," she mumbled, unable to hide the smile sneaking across her face. "I mean, what do I know about extreme sports?"

Tori huffed in amusement. "If there's an extreme event around here that you guys haven't crashed, I'd like to hear you name it. What, you didn't pick up anything in all this time?"

"Hunter!" Marah called. "Want to give me a ride to Thunder Gulch? Pretty please with a cherry on top? I promise I'll remind Cousin how nice you are to me if you do!"

Hunter gave her a dark look, then decided to pretend he hadn't heard that. Instead he addressed the ceiling with a look that asked for patience. "Is there anyone around here who isn't pairing up?"

"Only someone who's too scared to make the first move," Tori said sweetly.

Marah licked her index finger, tapped Tori's shoulder, and made the hissing sound of water on a hot pan. "Girl," she exclaimed, "you are smokin' today!"

Practicing on a free set of steps off to one side of the competition proper, Shane rocketed off the top of the stairs and onto railing. His board slammed into the metal, skidded down, and he tensed as the railing leveled out at the bottom, pushing his board harder against his feet. He leaned back on his left foot and looked up at exactly the wrong moment.

Kapri was standing nearby, talking to Kelly and Porter.

Shane's aborted attempt to bring his right foot around hobbled the skateboard and he leapt free instinctively. It clattered to the ground and he shrugged uncomfortably as all three of them turned to look at them. Great omen for the competition, he told himself.

Kapri might as well have read his mind. "You're not planning to do that in front of the judges, are you?" she asked dubiously.