Oh shit. Odette’s the last person I want to see right now. I cringe as she steps forward to kiss me on either cheek. Can she smell her girlfriend on me?

“Have you seen Saskia?” she says.

I gulp. “No.”

“She was meant to have breakfast at mine.” Odette looks worried, and I remember how she stormed out of Glow Bar last night. I still don’t know what they were fighting about.

Over her head, I scan the line of people waiting to board the cable car. Is Saskia among them? Whatever happens, I need to get to Saskia before Odette does and tell her I didn’t mean what I said this morning. Odette can’t find out about our night together. She’d be devastated.

“You look so nervous,” Odette says.

My cheeks flame. Her gray eyes always seem to pick up on things that nobody else picks up on.

She steers me to the window. “Don’t talk anymore. Look at the mountains and find your focus. I always do this before a competition.”

I was wrong yesterday. Odette isn’t like Saskia. I can tell she feels bad about gate-crashing a British contest. Like she said, she’s only doing it because she needs the points.

At the midstation we walk across the plateau to the pipe. Saskia isn’t there, nor are any of the others, which is weird. We sign in and collect our bibs. British flags flap alongside French ones.

“Let’s warm up,” Odette says.

I can’t focus. Where is everyone? They’re missing the warm-up. If Brent’s late, he’ll be in huge trouble with his sponsor. The Smash girls are here in full force in their bright orange jackets, handing out cans of the drink to everyone who’ll accept them. Odette keeps checking the clock on the side of the lift shack and I can tell she’s as puzzled as I am.

Just before the first heat is due to be called, Curtis shows up at the top of the pipe. He has his board on—must have ridden down from the glacier. Odette and I hurry over to him.

“Where are the others?” I say.

Curtis looks around. “Isn’t Brent here?”

“No.”

He seems preoccupied. “He was on the glacier. Said he was coming. Heather was with him.”

“Heather?” I say.

“Was Saskia there?” Odette asks.

“Apparently.” Curtis looks away. “But I didn’t see her.”

Guilt blasts me once again. There’s only one reason Saskia would have gone up there. To try a Crippler over powder. A desperate last-minute attempt because of my lie yesterday.