Cosmetic Bliss

“So what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you this morning boyfriend?” I ask Asher, walking over to him after cleaning the last plate off the breakfast table. Everyone else has retired to their bedroom. I’m sure to sleep off their overly full potbellies.

Sitting on the couch with his back against the shoulder and long legs stretched out to the opposite end, he holds his arms out for me. I climb on top of him and rest my head on his chest. Closing my eyes, I listen to his heart beat as he wraps his strong arms around me.

“I need a reason to come see you?” he asks, moving my hair to kiss my forehead.

I shake my head. “Of course not, I just thought we planned to meet later this evening that’s all.”

“We were but Porter said he-”

“Wait my Porter?” I interrupt.

“No Porter from the team. His family has some land on Pinehurst Mountain with a couple cabins on it. He invited a bunch of people up tonight for New Years Eve. So I thought you, me, a fireplace, a bear rug…” He drifts off in a sly smile with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

I cock my head to one side and think about it. “Can Leighton come?”

He lets out a frustrated sigh. “What?” I ask sitting up to look him in his eye.

“Sage…I love Leighton, I really do. But sometimes I want it to be just me and my girl you know?” He kisses my cheek then begins to kiss my neck.

I lean my head back so he can get full access to my neck. “I know baby and it will be just me and you for the most part, but I know Leighton would really enjoy it.”

A muffled grunt is blown against my skin but he continues kissing my neck.

“And I’ll tell her to bring someone to keep her company when we’re not there.” I continue trying to persuade him. He shrugs, nonchalantly, then lays me back and positions himself on top.He continues to kiss my neck moving down to my chest. I place my palm on his chest and push him away so I can look him in is eyes.

“Plus if you do this for me…” I run my hand down his chest, stomach, then my finger onto the top of his jeans. “I’ll do something for you at the cabin.”

His eyes jump with excitement. I bite my lip trying to hold back a laugh, hoping it looks sexy. I slide my finger from side to side on the rim of his pants.

“Do we have a deal?” I whisper in his ear knowing it drives him crazy.

“What about now?” He asks, clearly wanting to get something started.

I pull his shirt off over his head. “Just a taste.” I compromise.

“Deal.” He decides diving into my chest, face first, as I squeal with delight.

***************

“You know you could pretend to be excited to see me jerk!” Leighton says to Asher, jumping in the back seat. “A smile or something.”

He rolls his eyes. “Oh I’m smiling on the inside. Deep, deep, DEEP inside.”

“Whatever.” She mutters, putting on her sunglasses.

Her front door opens and a boy struggling to carry bags and keep the door open comes out.

“Leighton…who’s that?” I ask.

“Blake.” She answers not bothering to look his way.

“Is he your date or bellman?” Asher jokes hoping out the car to help the poor guy.

She laughs. “C. Undecided.”

I cluck my tongue in disapproval. “Leighton, you really shouldn’t treat people like that. The poor guy probably really likes you and thinks-”

The back door opens from the trunk and I see two heads and two pairs of eyes peeking over the seats.

“Hi!” I greet changing the subject quickly. He smiles warmly at me and puts the bags in the trunk while exchanging words with Asher. I see them laugh about something and Asher playfully punches him in the arm as if they were old friends. They shut the door and get in the car with Leighton and me.

“Hey I’m Blake.” He greets me officially.

He pushes his dark brown, shoulder length, hair to the back so it is out of his face. He has beautiful light brown eyes, which shine as he smiles at me. His sun-kissed tan skin is lightly covered with stubble around his jaws, chin and above his mouth. I usually don’t like the look, very homeless, but gives him a rugged sexiness.

“You must be Sage.” He continues.

I nod happily. “So you’ve heard of me?”

“Like this one talks about anyone else.” He wraps his arm around Leighton.

“You too man?!” Asher exclaims, clearly feeling the same way about me.

I squint my eyes at him. “Hey you just keep driving. No extras from the peanut gallery.” I smile.He grabs my hand and kisses it, eyes focusing on the road.

“Oh yeah.” Blake agrees. “I have a theory.”

“And what’s that?” Leighton asks, seeming interested for the first time.

“You’re lesbian lovers.” He declares seriously.

“What!” I yell at a lost of words.

“What?” Leighton questions, laughing hysterically.

“Makes sense.” says Asher.

“What!” I repeat looking at him, insanely, for even considering this. Leighton and I lovers?There is so many things wrong with that.

“Right man!” Blake agrees. “Just think about it. They claim to be ‘best friends’ so no one will even blink an eye at all the time they spend together at ‘sleepovers’ or what they really do when they share dressing rooms at the mall.”

I scoff and turn to look out the window. “You’re sick.”

“And twisted. Just the way I like ‘em.” Leighton adds. Seconds later I hear sucking, heavy breathing, and low moans. I didn’t need to turn around to know what was happening.

I turn to Asher and roll my eyes. He makes a silent gag face and makes me laugh a little. I look back out the window and watch the white scenery pass by. The ground looks like a field of soft white cotton. Every tree has snow sprinkled on every branch. Some have long pointed icicles; deadly and beautiful at the same time. I feel my eyes getting heavier with each minute passing. I continue to watch until the white scenery turns into a white blur, and then complete darkness.

I wish it would stay like this forever.

The trunk door slamming wakes me out of my slumber. Leighton is sprawled out on in the backseat sleeping peacefully. Asher and Blake are carrying the bagsto the cabin, where Porter is at the door to greet them.

The cabin sits on a huge hill that the half a mile long drive way travels up.It is completely wooden from base to roof. It is divided into two floors. The first floor has large windows that fill the walls from top to bottom. A deck, supported on large wooden pillars, circles the entire cabin. Under it are smaller windows that indicate the second floor. Smoke fills the air from the chimney sticking out in the back.

On the right side of the cabin is a large, snow covered, hill where a cluster of trees reside on top. They continue past the edge on the hill, past eyesight. The rest of the area is pristine snow covered ground that goes on for acres.

I shake Leighton awake. “Wake up Leigh. We’re here.”

She murmurs something I can’t understand and rolls over so I’m faced at her back. Asher and Blake are walking back to the car for us.

“C’mon, everybody is waiting on us.” I try to persuade. She grunts in response. Asher opens my door.

“Good your up. I was just coming to wake you.” He grabs my hand and helps me out the car.

“Yeah that’s more then I can say for sleeping beauty back here.” I open the door to show a still sleeping Leighton. “She’s not moving. I’ve tried.”

“I’ve got it.” Blake states. He grabs her ankles and pulls her out the car so that she falls butt first on floor.

“Ow! What the hell!” Leighton shouts.

I look at him incredulously and help her up. “Are you an idiot? She could have hit her head the way down you ass.” I chastise.

He smirks. “Yet she’s unharmed. Right babe?”

She glares at him then gives the finger before stalking off towards the cabin. I follow suit grabbing Asher hoping Blake would get the message he’s unwanted and not to follow.

No such luck.

“Touchy, touchy.” He badgers following behind. I can see the stupid smirk on his face without turning around.

I wave at my classmates who are already sledding down the hill. Asher goes over too after I explain that I’ve got to change into my snow clothes and I’ll meet him after.

I walk into the house and I’m greeted by giant stuffed bear placed in the foyer. Great that’s exactly what I need; dead stuffed animals eyes looking at me all weekend. Lucky bastards.

“You like?” Porter asks walking in from the other room.

“Not exactly my taste in décor, but to each his own right?” I give him a hug hello.

He laughs lightly. “Yeah I’m not really into the whole shooting animals for a sport thing either.”

“But using them as a fashion statement gets a green light?” I nod to his fur coat.

“Hey some sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. If Porter don’t look good, the ladies won’t be happy then all will turn into shit. He took one for the team.” He says petting his coat.

I roll my eyes. “Always so modest Porter. But as much as I enjoy hearing you refer to yourself in third person, I have to go and change. You wouldn’t know where Asher put our bags would you?”

“Yeah in the making love room.” He scoffs and shakes his head. “He would pick that room. So. Fucking. Whipped.”

“The what?” Is he high?

He smirks. “You’ll see. Just go upstairs and hurry your ass up so I can beam you with a snowball outside.”

I push him playfully out the door and make my way upstairs.

Lord, now I get it.

Of the six closed doors, five were labels. First door; Hit it and Quit it Room. Second door; Group Sex Room: 3 People or More. Third door; Make a Movie Room: Camera Inside.

Only Porter. Not wanting to know the other rooms I make my way to my own. After changing, I hear giggling coming from the kitchen.

I find Leighton and Haley, a girl from our school, filling condoms with water at the sink. I sit down at the island and laugh slightly. “Do I even want to know why?”

Leighton turns to me with a mischievous smile. “We’ve got a little surprise for the boys when we get outside.” She says bouncing a filled condom in her hand.

“That sounds…cold.” I say. Getting wet in below freezing weather? I shiver just thinking about it.

She rolls her eyes. “Who cares? We’re gonna get Blake back for dropping me earlier.”

“And getting the rest of the guys is just an added bonus.” Haley adds with a grin.

I stand up to fill a condom. “Oh I’m down to get that inconsiderate jackass. Where did you even find him Leigh?” I wonder.

“Hell.” She says through clenched teeth.

Haley and I laugh at her seriousness. “Okay we can get everybody but Asher. He’s just an innocent bystander.” I say trying to save my man.

“Blah, blah, blah. We all know Asher is the perfect boyfriend.” Haley recognizes. I smile slightly at the thought of him. “But this is not about BOYFRIENDS. Its boys vs. girls. Battle of the Sexes bitch. Now are you going to stand by your girls or what?”

I stare at their faces and know the answer without giving it a second thought.

“Let’s do this.”

We fill the rest of condoms and call in some of the other girls filling them in on the plan. I look out the window and some of the guys are at the bottom of the hill and others are at the top. The only way to reach the guys on top without giving them time to retaliate is having some of us go on the deck.

We split up in two; one group on the deck and the other going out the front door. The girls on deck will drop the condoms on boys at the top, and while the boys at the bottom are busy watching them the rest of us will attack them from the back.

“When you hear us screaming as we attack you go okay?” Haley, who’s in the deck group, informs us, the other group. We all nod excitedly ready to do this. I peek out the front door and see the boys standing around drinking. Among them Blake and Asher. We wait, for what feels like hours, until we heard the others attacking. Our boys were looking at the commotion, not looking in our direction.

We creep up behind them and…

“GO!” I scream at the top of my lungs.

I hit Blake in the face and Leighton follows up. We high five each other in a laughing fit, before trying to dodge his retaliation. Asher comes beside him, evident whose side he’s on. I hold my arm up, condom locked and loaded.

“Baby” Asher says walking to me cautiously. “What are you doing? Would you really hit me? You know I love you.”

“Don’t listen to him Sage!” Leighton yells while beaming condoms at other boys. “He’s drawn his lines and he’s not on our side. He’s the enemy now. He’ll tell you anything!”

“I love you. Don’t do this. Not to me.” He says in is soothing voice. Staring at him, in those hazel eyes I love so much, I want to give in. Throw in the white flag. I’m weak for them.

But in my peripheral I see Leighton getting cornered and Anne, another girl with me, slip on ice and go down for the count. My team needs me.

“Sorry baby. I love you too…but this one is for the girls.” I launch the condom hitting him in the face and run over to Leighton with extra ammo to fight off the boys. I help her fight off a couple before I’m tackled from the back with the ground coming fast.

“Asher! Stop! Please!” yell through laughter.

“Oh no its war remember? This one is for the boys.” He stuffs a hand full of snow down my back. I jump up and immediately and jump around as if the ground is on fire until I shake all the now out.

“It is SO on Asher Montgomery!”

The war goes on until sundown, a couple hours later. But not before the heavy artillery, like the water hose and the Super Soaker Oozinator Blaster, came out. After the sun came down, the stupidity of getting wet in below freezing weather sat in. After changing again, a bunch of go looking for firewood, hoping there’ll be a few dry pieces for a fire.

Other than light from flashlights, that a chosen few had, the only light out was from the sky. The moon looks so big up on the mountains. Like if I climb one of these trees, to the top, I’d be able to touch it. The stars are out also, shining as bright as ever, giving the moon a run for its money. There are so many more to see up here than in the city, with city lights blocking them.

I look around and my day dreaming caused me to separate from the group. I keep straight, knowing I’ll run into somebody eventually. As I continue to walk I can see the end to the trees. I continue the path and see it’s not only the end of trees, but land completely.

It’s the edge of the mountain.

I look over the edge but can’t see the bottom because of thick, gray fog. I wish I was awake on the way up to know how I high I am. It has to be pretty high though. It is a MOUNTAIN, and they don’t call punk ass hills Mountains.

I stand at the edge so that my toes are running over. I hold my arms up, hoping a breeze will come past knocking me over.

But it doesn’t. It’s nothing but never ending fog.

Though…I could walk off.

It would only be one little step. That easy. It would give me what I’ve been begging for for so long. Just one step…

I close my eyes and lift my right leg off the edge into the air.

Just one step. Just put the leg down.

Just one step Sage.

One step and…

“What are you waiting for? Do it. Step off.” A voice behind me dares.
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