Rock On Read Online Free

coward?”
    “Yeah, right,” Jonas replied, rolling his eyes. “Get real, already, will you?” And that was the end of it.
    That afternoon, X and his friends met up at the slope. “Isn’t that Ben?” Jonas asked. Sure enough, there was the rock-climbing instructor, craning his neck as if looking for someone.
    “Dudes!” he said as he spotted them. He knocked fists with each of them, then pulled X aside. “How you doin’, Letterman?”
    “Okay, I guess.” X eyed the snowboard Ben was holding. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here before.”
    Ben shifted uncomfortably. “That’s because I don’t know how to board. But Alison invited me to come by, and I couldn’t say no, you know? I’ve been standing here for fifteen minutes, trying to figure out a way to get down the hill before she gets here!”
    X tried not to laugh. “Why don’t you just tell her the truth when you see her?”
    “The truth, huh? Lemme snack on that idea for a sec.” Ben tapped his finger against his chin a few times, then smiled. “I got a better plan. How about you teach me how to board, and I’ll help you get over your fear of the wall?”
    X was caught off guard. “But — but learning to board takes time and practice. You can’t learn it all at once.”
    Ben shrugged. “You can’t get over a fear of heights all at once, either. But if you’ll take me through boarding one step at a time, I’ll do the same for you at the wall. I’ve done it with other people — helped them climb a little higher each day until they can do it all by themselves.”
    “Does that really work?”
    “Give me two weeks and we’ll find out.”
    X thought for a moment. “All right, but on one condition. Tell Alison the truth first.”
    Ben groaned. “Okay,” he said. He glanced at something over X’s shoulder, then back to X. “But I’ve got a condition, too. Stop letting everything Frank says gnaw at your brain.”
    “Deal.”
    “Starting now,” Ben said.
    “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Chicken Boy,” Frank drawled from behind X.

    X shot Ben an I’ll-get-you-for-this look.
    “Know what I heard?” Frank said. “I heard that chickens don’t fly because they’re afraid of heights.” His friends snickered. Frank smiled like he’d just said the funniest thing in the world.
    X narrowed his eyes. “You talk awful big for a guy who was standing
outside
the rope circle at the wall. How’s about we meet
inside
the ring in, say, two weeks” — he winked at Ben — “and see who makes it to the top of the wall.” He grinned. “I dare you.”
    Frank turned red. Then he shoved past X and disappeared down the hill. His friends looked at one another.
    “Come to think of it,” the girl said to the boy, “I’ve never seen Frank climb up anything higher than this hill. You?” The boy shook his head. “Huh. Oh, well. C’mon, let’s shred.” They
swished
down the slope after Frank.
    “Nicely done,” Ben said as he watched them go. X knocked fists with him, Jonas, and the rest of his friends. “Rock on,” he replied.

How to Start “Rockin’ On”!
    Rock climbing is a challenging sport that requires balance, concentration, and courage. Climbers study the rock face closely before beginning a climb. During the climb, they focus on each movement, taking great care to be sure each foothold and handhold is secure before moving on. For most climbers, the goal is to reach the top of the cliff — but how they get there is just as important.
    People new to rock climbing should try bouldering first. Bouldering is fairly simple and doesn’t require any special equipment beyond sneakers or hiking boots, comfortable clothes, and a big boulder. To boulder, climb up a few feet, then cross the rock face from one side to the other and back again. For safety’s sake, never go bouldering alone — and choose a boulder that has little or no debris around its base. Loose rocks, sticks, and underbrush can be hazardous in the