Super Fast, Out of Control! by Louis Sachar Page B

wanted to ride down Suicide Hill, not him. He thought he remembered Nick bragging about how he’d ridden down Suicide Hill lots of times, full speed all the way.
    “I thought you said you’ve ridden down Suicide Hill,” he said.
    “No, I never said that,” said Nick.
    Marvin knew he was lying.
    He tossed a paper plate on the ground and stepped on it. Everyone had two paper plates. The paper plates were the wizzle fish.
    Clarence and Travis wizzled beside him.
    “Hey, Marvin,” said Clarence. “Are you really going to ride down Suicide Hill?”

    “Uh, I’m not sure.”
    “See, I told you he was chicken!” Clarence told Travis.
    “We’re not scared,” said Nick.
    We
? thought Marvin.
    “If Marvin says he’ll ride down Suicide Hill, then he’ll ride down Suicide Hill,” said Stuart. He patted Marvin on the back.
    But Marvin never said he’d ride down Suicide Hill
, thought Marvin.
    “When?” demanded Clarence.
    “Saturday,” said Nick. “At twelve o’clock.”
    “High noon,” said Stuart.
    “This I’ve got to see,” said Clarence.
    “I’m going to get a front-row seat,” said Travis.
    “It’s going to be the biggest wipe-out in history,” said Clarence. He and Travis laughed.
    Marvin didn’t know what to do. Everything was happening too fast. He felt like he was speeding downhill, out of control, unable to stop. He wanted to scream.

3

Tuesday
    Linzy was wearing unicorn pajamas. “Do you want to frolic?” she asked.
    “Frolic?” asked Marvin. He didn’t know what the word meant. He wasn’t sure it was a real word.
    “That’s what unicorns do,” Linzy explained. “We frolic.”
    She showed Marvin how to frolic. She skipped down the hall and sang, “
We’re happy, happy unicorns. Oh, happy unicorns frolicking
.”
    Marvin didn’t feel like frolicking. He wasn’t a happy unicorn.
    It was Tuesday night. Saturday was only four days away.
    He could see the light on in his brother’s room. Jacob was doing homework. Jacob had ridden down Suicide Hill before.
    Marvin knocked on his brother’s door.
    “What?”
    Jacob sounded annoyed. They gave a lot of homework in middle school.
    “I just wanted to ask you something,” Marvin said timidly.
    “What?” asked Jacob.
    Marvin wasn’t sure what to ask. “I don’t remember,” he said.
    Jacob glared at him.
    Marvin could tell Jacob thought he wasjust a dumb little kid. Marvin felt like a dumb little kid.

    He headed back to his room.
    The whole school was expecting him to ride down Suicide Hill on Saturday.He couldn’t figure out how it happened. He never wanted to ride down Suicide Hill in the first place. It was Stuart and Nick’s idea, but their parents wouldn’t let them.
    That gave him an idea. It was so obvious, he wondered why he hadn’t thought of it sooner. He walked quickly to his mother’s office.
    His mother was working on the computer. She turned and smiled at Marvin as he entered.
    “Sorry to bother you,” Marvin said.
    “Oh, that’s okay.” She took a sip of coffee.
    “In four days I get to ride my bike,” Marvin said.
    “That’s right,” said his mother. “I hope you’ve learned your lesson.”
    Marvin nodded. “You know the first place I’m going to ride it?” he asked, trying to sound excited.
    His mother smiled and asked, “Where?”
    “Suicide Hill!”

    “Sounds exciting,” said his mother. She entered some numbers into the computer.
    Marvin thought maybe she hadn’t heard him. Or maybe she thought it was no big deal, since Jacob had ridden down it lots of times. Didn’t she realize Jacob was a lot older?
    “
Suicide
Hill,” he repeated. “I’m going to ride my brand-new expensive bike super fast down Suicide Hill!”
    “I’m glad to see you’re so excited about riding your new bike. Your father and I were beginning to wonder.”
    “Stuart’s and Nick’s parents won’t let them ride their bikes down Suicide Hill,” said Marvin. “I guess they think it’s dangerous or