Hey Romeo, Don't You Think You're Just a Tad Overrated?
Circumstances
I inhaled deeply as I stepped outside the lodge, the crisp, cold, mountain air stinging the inside of my nose. It was a nostalgic feeling.
"Where do you want to go first?" Cam asked, walking up from behind me. In his hands he held a pair of black and yellow rental skis and poles.
"I think I should be asking you that question," I replied. "Have you ever skied before?"
"Yes," Cam answered immediately, defensive.
I cocked an eyebrow. "Okay then, let's hit the double black diamond runs!" I mock-cheered, snapping my goggles into place.
"Wait? What? No! Aurelie—wait!"
I turned back around. "Then the bunny slopes it is," I said, grinning from ear to ear.
Cam gave me a dark look and pushed past me, his heavy ski boots plodding through the snow.
Ah, the fun I would have on this trip. This would exactly be like the Saturday we spent bowling—one of the few times when I was actually better than Cam in something. Savor the moment, Aurelie. It may never come again, I chided myself as I followed Cam through the snow towards the ski lift.
____________________
"So, are you sure you won't be needing lessons?" I asked nonchalantly as we were slowly launched into the air by the lift chairs. I couldn't help but tease him—this was just too good to be true.
Cam's scowl darkened. "It's not like I've never skied before."
"Sure," I answered cynically, dragging out the first syllable in the word.
"Shut up, Aurelie."
"Touchy, aren't we?"
"Well, at least you're in a good mood today."
I lifted the security bar over our heads as the lift chair neared our destination. "I bet you five bucks you fall down on the first run!" I yelled behind me as I stood up and let my skis smoothly ease me down the small ramp.
I didn't wait for Cam; I started down the rather flat slope, making wide S turns down the mountain almost lazily. In less than a minute I was already at the bottom of the hill. Well that was boring, I thought to myself.
I let my gaze run across the slope in front of me, searching for Cam. It took me awhile to pick out his black waterproof jacket, coming halfway down the slope. He didn't look half bad, I had decided. From his form and his speed, he had at least more than a few times of skiing experience under his belt. I almost thought he would be able to make it down the mountain completely without falling, until he reached the bottom. Cam couldn't stop properly, skidded, and fell flat on his side a few yards away from where I was waiting. I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing.
"Shut up and help me up," he grumbled as I made my way over.
I reached down to take his hand and with some effort I pulled him up to his feet, still laughing. Separated by two pairs of thick gloves, I could still feel the warm tingling where his hand had grasped mine. Cam shook the snow off his shoulder, looking disgruntled. I smiled toothily.
"You owe me five bucks now," he said flatly, turning and making his way to the ski lift again.
The smile left my face. "Hey, wait! I was joking! I meant that figuratively! I don't have to give you five bucks!"
"You owe me, Aurelie!" he yelled backwards.
"Stupid idiot," I muttered as I used my poles to push myself across the flat ground.
Cam Gallagher was not called a genius for nothing. After half an hour of making easy runs, you almost couldn't tell that this was only his third winter skiing. We now hit the bottom of the hill nearly at the same time, and his signature cocky grin was slowly making its way back onto his face.
I scowled. Stupid smart people. They learned everything within seconds, and they were good at it too. It looked like I was right to savor the moment when his skills were still rusty. From the rate he was progressing, he would be able to make his way down the blue and green runs easily. And maybe by the end of the trip, he might be as good as me, or no, even better! I shuddered at the thought. If it only takes Cam only two winters plus four days in order to reach the level that I was at…that was shameful. I've been skiing for nearly ten years!
"Why the long face?" Cam asked me with a smirk as he halted next to me.
"Nothing," I muttered sourly, the fact that Cam might be skiing better than me by the end of the trip still bothering me.
He somehow managed to pick up with his genius skills that I wasn't too pleased by the rate he was improving. "Come on, Aurelie. I'll race you down the green run," he challenged.
I scoffed. "As if you'd win."
"So what if I do?"
I hesitated. "I'll…do whatever you want for the entire day tomorrow."
Cam grinned. "That's rather heavy," he remarked.
"Only because I know you'll never be able to beat me," I answered confidently. "And if I win? Which I know I will anyways."
Cam looked thoughtful for a minute. "I'll treat you to hot chocolate later tonight."
"That's it? That's not fair! That's like nothing compared to mine!" I whined.
Cam shrugged. "You said yourself you're one-hundred percent sure you'd be able to beat me. Who am I to judge?"
"Fine," I said decisively. "It's a deal." I stuck my gloved hand out and he shook it once, firmly, and we headed towards the ski lift again, this time, to the green runs.
_____________________
"Ready?" I asked as we both stood at the top of the steeper slope, peering down. The people at the bottom of the hill were but miniature ants.
"Yeah," Cam replied loftily from next to me. "Go!" he said, catching me off guard, and already starting down the course.
I pushed myself off the top, the cold wind splitting around my body and whipping my long hair back behind my knit cap. On the other side of the slope, Cam was racing his way down the run almost like a pro. I scowled, making my skis parallel and bending a bit to gain more speed. We were halfway down the course already, and I was ahead of him. It looked like I was going to be getting free hot chocolate tonight!
"AHHH, WATCH OUT, WATCH OUT!" a shrill voice screamed from next to me.
My eyes opened in shock as a small, ten-year old girl who was way to un-experienced for this course raced forward uncontrollably and cut across my path, screaming and covering her eyes.
I immediately jerked at my skis, angling my body sharply, throwing snow up everywhere as I tried to stop. Due to the velocity I was going at and the sudden braking movement, I fell on my side, the small girl crying at my feet, after tripping over my skis and landing in a heap.
"I'm so sorry!" A new voice said this time, as an older woman quickly and expertly skied her way over to our tangled mass of legs and skis. "I'm so sorry, are you okay? I'm sorry," she kept repeating.
"Mom!" the little girl cried. "I was going to fast and I couldn't stop and…"
"It's okay, Christina," her mother said as she helped us untangle. "I'm really sorry," she repeated again.
"It's alright. No one's hurt," I answered, smiling lightly. I used my poles to stand back up, shaking the snow out of my hair and off my jacket. We helped the little girl stand up.
"Thank you," her mother said. "Come on Christina, let's go back to the bunny slopes, okay? I'm so sorry," she said once again, looking at me.
"It's really okay," I assured her as both mother and daughter cautiously made their way down the rest of the run.
I sighed, brushing excess snow off of my sleeves. I looked down to the bottom of the hill and my heart sank; Cam was already there, standing and waiting. I pushed off, slowly making my way down. No point in racing now, he had already won anyway.
When I reached Cam, he had the widest grin stretched across his face. I quickly cut in before he got a chance to speak.
"I want a rematch! That was unfair! There was a disturbance!" I insisted.
Cam shook his head. "Nope," he said lightly, popping the 'p'. "You lose! Now what was the prize again? Ah, yes, you'd do whatever I want for the entire day tomorrow right?"
"Cam! There are circumstances!" I argued.
He continued to shake his head obstinately. "Whatever I want."
"Cam," I growled dangerously.
"Whatever I want," he replied gleefully, laughing as he turned and started making his way back to the lodge.
"Where do you want to go first?" Cam asked, walking up from behind me. In his hands he held a pair of black and yellow rental skis and poles.
"I think I should be asking you that question," I replied. "Have you ever skied before?"
"Yes," Cam answered immediately, defensive.
I cocked an eyebrow. "Okay then, let's hit the double black diamond runs!" I mock-cheered, snapping my goggles into place.
"Wait? What? No! Aurelie—wait!"
I turned back around. "Then the bunny slopes it is," I said, grinning from ear to ear.
Cam gave me a dark look and pushed past me, his heavy ski boots plodding through the snow.
Ah, the fun I would have on this trip. This would exactly be like the Saturday we spent bowling—one of the few times when I was actually better than Cam in something. Savor the moment, Aurelie. It may never come again, I chided myself as I followed Cam through the snow towards the ski lift.
____________________
"So, are you sure you won't be needing lessons?" I asked nonchalantly as we were slowly launched into the air by the lift chairs. I couldn't help but tease him—this was just too good to be true.
Cam's scowl darkened. "It's not like I've never skied before."
"Sure," I answered cynically, dragging out the first syllable in the word.
"Shut up, Aurelie."
"Touchy, aren't we?"
"Well, at least you're in a good mood today."
I lifted the security bar over our heads as the lift chair neared our destination. "I bet you five bucks you fall down on the first run!" I yelled behind me as I stood up and let my skis smoothly ease me down the small ramp.
I didn't wait for Cam; I started down the rather flat slope, making wide S turns down the mountain almost lazily. In less than a minute I was already at the bottom of the hill. Well that was boring, I thought to myself.
I let my gaze run across the slope in front of me, searching for Cam. It took me awhile to pick out his black waterproof jacket, coming halfway down the slope. He didn't look half bad, I had decided. From his form and his speed, he had at least more than a few times of skiing experience under his belt. I almost thought he would be able to make it down the mountain completely without falling, until he reached the bottom. Cam couldn't stop properly, skidded, and fell flat on his side a few yards away from where I was waiting. I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing.
"Shut up and help me up," he grumbled as I made my way over.
I reached down to take his hand and with some effort I pulled him up to his feet, still laughing. Separated by two pairs of thick gloves, I could still feel the warm tingling where his hand had grasped mine. Cam shook the snow off his shoulder, looking disgruntled. I smiled toothily.
"You owe me five bucks now," he said flatly, turning and making his way to the ski lift again.
The smile left my face. "Hey, wait! I was joking! I meant that figuratively! I don't have to give you five bucks!"
"You owe me, Aurelie!" he yelled backwards.
"Stupid idiot," I muttered as I used my poles to push myself across the flat ground.
Cam Gallagher was not called a genius for nothing. After half an hour of making easy runs, you almost couldn't tell that this was only his third winter skiing. We now hit the bottom of the hill nearly at the same time, and his signature cocky grin was slowly making its way back onto his face.
I scowled. Stupid smart people. They learned everything within seconds, and they were good at it too. It looked like I was right to savor the moment when his skills were still rusty. From the rate he was progressing, he would be able to make his way down the blue and green runs easily. And maybe by the end of the trip, he might be as good as me, or no, even better! I shuddered at the thought. If it only takes Cam only two winters plus four days in order to reach the level that I was at…that was shameful. I've been skiing for nearly ten years!
"Why the long face?" Cam asked me with a smirk as he halted next to me.
"Nothing," I muttered sourly, the fact that Cam might be skiing better than me by the end of the trip still bothering me.
He somehow managed to pick up with his genius skills that I wasn't too pleased by the rate he was improving. "Come on, Aurelie. I'll race you down the green run," he challenged.
I scoffed. "As if you'd win."
"So what if I do?"
I hesitated. "I'll…do whatever you want for the entire day tomorrow."
Cam grinned. "That's rather heavy," he remarked.
"Only because I know you'll never be able to beat me," I answered confidently. "And if I win? Which I know I will anyways."
Cam looked thoughtful for a minute. "I'll treat you to hot chocolate later tonight."
"That's it? That's not fair! That's like nothing compared to mine!" I whined.
Cam shrugged. "You said yourself you're one-hundred percent sure you'd be able to beat me. Who am I to judge?"
"Fine," I said decisively. "It's a deal." I stuck my gloved hand out and he shook it once, firmly, and we headed towards the ski lift again, this time, to the green runs.
_____________________
"Ready?" I asked as we both stood at the top of the steeper slope, peering down. The people at the bottom of the hill were but miniature ants.
"Yeah," Cam replied loftily from next to me. "Go!" he said, catching me off guard, and already starting down the course.
I pushed myself off the top, the cold wind splitting around my body and whipping my long hair back behind my knit cap. On the other side of the slope, Cam was racing his way down the run almost like a pro. I scowled, making my skis parallel and bending a bit to gain more speed. We were halfway down the course already, and I was ahead of him. It looked like I was going to be getting free hot chocolate tonight!
"AHHH, WATCH OUT, WATCH OUT!" a shrill voice screamed from next to me.
My eyes opened in shock as a small, ten-year old girl who was way to un-experienced for this course raced forward uncontrollably and cut across my path, screaming and covering her eyes.
I immediately jerked at my skis, angling my body sharply, throwing snow up everywhere as I tried to stop. Due to the velocity I was going at and the sudden braking movement, I fell on my side, the small girl crying at my feet, after tripping over my skis and landing in a heap.
"I'm so sorry!" A new voice said this time, as an older woman quickly and expertly skied her way over to our tangled mass of legs and skis. "I'm so sorry, are you okay? I'm sorry," she kept repeating.
"Mom!" the little girl cried. "I was going to fast and I couldn't stop and…"
"It's okay, Christina," her mother said as she helped us untangle. "I'm really sorry," she repeated again.
"It's alright. No one's hurt," I answered, smiling lightly. I used my poles to stand back up, shaking the snow out of my hair and off my jacket. We helped the little girl stand up.
"Thank you," her mother said. "Come on Christina, let's go back to the bunny slopes, okay? I'm so sorry," she said once again, looking at me.
"It's really okay," I assured her as both mother and daughter cautiously made their way down the rest of the run.
I sighed, brushing excess snow off of my sleeves. I looked down to the bottom of the hill and my heart sank; Cam was already there, standing and waiting. I pushed off, slowly making my way down. No point in racing now, he had already won anyway.
When I reached Cam, he had the widest grin stretched across his face. I quickly cut in before he got a chance to speak.
"I want a rematch! That was unfair! There was a disturbance!" I insisted.
Cam shook his head. "Nope," he said lightly, popping the 'p'. "You lose! Now what was the prize again? Ah, yes, you'd do whatever I want for the entire day tomorrow right?"
"Cam! There are circumstances!" I argued.
He continued to shake his head obstinately. "Whatever I want."
"Cam," I growled dangerously.
"Whatever I want," he replied gleefully, laughing as he turned and started making his way back to the lodge.