I was writing a story under the same name, with Emily and Spencer as protagonists, but as the story proceeded, I felt like it would be better with Alison and Emily. So I deleted my other story and decided to start over again. So to those who had already read The Ski Trip: The chapters I had already out will basically be the same, only with some minor changes because I'm using different charachters.
This story is based on real my real life, hope you enjoy !
I sighed as I stepped out of the train, mentally preparing myself for a few days of pretending everything was great, and some minor lies. I gripped my suitcase a bit tighter and started walking towards the car that I recognized as my mom's. I waved and smiled at her, before I opened the trunk and threw my stuff in. Then I moved to the passenger's seat and got in the car.
"Hey mom !", I said as cheerily as I could.
"Hey Emily !", my mom returned in a happy tone, "so how did your last exam go ?"
I almost started laughing sarcastically at what she said, but contained myself, and got into the first lie of the evening. "It went quite good, though it was difficult. I just picked a question that I didn't prepare very well, so that sucked, but that's how oral exams go."
"Yeah that's the risk you take of course. What language was it again ? Spanish ?"
I just nodded. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Just think about the holidays, you have now more than a week free. You really deserved that after studying so hard for more than a month."
She sounded so overjoyed. I wished I really had already holidays, but that was my own stupid fault. I just played along and pretended to be excited.
When I arrived at home, my dad pulled me into a hug. "Finally holidays huh?", he grinned as he pulled away and I smiled back as widely as I could. "Yeah, I'm finally free", I joked as I kicked my shoes off and went into the kitchen.
"What's for dinner ?"
"Well I figured there was something to celebrate, so I made your favourite: Pasta Bolognaise.", my mom smiled at me.
I cringed for what seemed the thousandth time today. It felt so bad having to lie about this. Not that I never lie to them, I do it all the time, but now it just sucked that they were celebrating something that wasn't to be celebrated – yet. There was nothing I could do about it though, so I just kept my game up. "Ooh that's awesomeee ! Thanks mom !".
She chuckled. "Dinner is in five, so don't go too far."
I just stayed in the living room and pulled out my phone. I went to the Facebook Messenger app and looked at the ongoing conversation in the group chat of the freshmen of my student club.
Translatio, god I was so happy that I had decided to join that club in the beginning of the year. I had met the president of it a few weeks before school started, and she had easily convinced me into joining. Not that I needed much of a conviction – I wanted to join a club, and Translatio was the one specifically for students of Applied Linguistics, which I was.
And it had been nothing but awesome. I met so many great people, and it was easy becoming friends with them since we had to work together to get through "the baptism". For some reason getting all filthy, being obliged to eat cat food and drinking until you have to throw up several times really creates a bond.
There was nothing interesting going on, so I started to type: Emily: Pfff, just got home and my parents are celebrating 'the end of the exams'. This sucks.
Because there were about 20 people in the chat, there was always someone online. It didn't take long before I got a response.
Tim: Lollllll
Tim: Your life sucks
Toby: Well, you could always tell them the truth xxx
Emily: Fuck you Toby
Toby: Lol, don't forget you have to put up with me for a whole week
Emily: Yeah, biggest mistake of my life.
Tim: Ooooooh, shots fired
"Dinner's ready !", my mom yelled. "Coming !", I answered as I got up and went to the dinner table.
"So, what are your plans for the rest of the week ? When do you leave ? Saturday ?", my mom asked as I put a fork of pasta in my mouth. I took my time to chew, going over my story one last time. I couldn't afford screwing up.
"I'm leaving Friday at 6PM, as I've told you several times", I chuckled lightly. "But I'm going back to my dorm room at like Wednesday evening or something already."
"Wednesday ? Why ? Are you going to take your whole suitcase to your dorm ?", my dad asked, a bit confused.
"Yeeeeah, you see, someone from the club kinda organized a party to celebrate the end of the exams on Wednesday. I want to go and it would be really stupid to come back Thursday, just to go to Philly once again on Friday, no ? So I figured I could just stay there." I felt so unbelievably stupid for saying that lie, it even started to be a bit humorous. I mean, who says they're going out, while in fact they are going to freakin' study ? It's supposed to be the other way around, this is like the world upside down.
"Oh, okay. I guess you have a point."
"So wait, you're leaving Wednesday, and we won't see you again until after your holiday ?", my mom asked.
"Yeah, something like that", I half-smiled.
"And how are you going to get to the airport, all by yourself ?"
Finally there was something that I could answer honestly. "Don't worry mom, I'm just going to take the bus to Toby's, he lives in Philly, and his mom didn't mind driving me to the airport.
"Oh, well, okay". She kept quiet for a moment, probably thinking of things I had forgotten, but didn't seem to find something. "I guess that's fine then".
I silently let go of the breath I had been holding during the conversation. Thank god they believed the whole story and went with it. The hardest part of the whole 'operation' had been conquered.
The rest of the evening went normal. I sat in the couch, roaming through Instagram and talking in the group chat. Suddenly, I got a notification from the group chat named "SKI HOLIDAYS MOFO". It was a chat that the four of us made after we heard of the ski plans Translatio had, a few months ago. The club had organized a ski trip in April, during the holidays. I really wanted to join, but my parents didn't allow me as we were going skiing with our family that week.
Luckily for me, I wasn't the only freshman that wanted to go, but couldn't. Hanna, Toby and Alison were having the same problem. We started talking about it, and from one thing came another: we decided to go with the four of us at another time. After the exams of the first semester, begin February, we had a week off before classes started again, and we decided then would be a great time.
Looking back, it had been kind of a rash decision. Certainly in regard to Toby. But too late is too late and the only thing there was to do, was to make the best of it. And that was what I was going to do too.
I opened the chat and saw Alison's name popping up.
Alison: Hey you guys, what's our plan regarding alcohol ? Are we just gonna buy everything here or ?
I smiled at myself. Of course Alison would be the first one to think about alcohol. I heard another ping and saw and answer from Toby – that guy is always online.
Toby: I suppose we could take some bottles from here, France is expensive
Toby: But don't forget that our bus makes a stop at that store
Riiiiight, I thought, this is going to be awesome. The organization we went with, had fixed a bus to take us from the airport to the apartments, and that bus stopped at some store the organization owned where cheap liquor was sold.
Emily: I'd say we take some from here, like whatever fits in the suitcase, and then we buy the rest in that store
Emily: There is no such thing as too much alcohol right ?
Toby: loll true
Alison: I still got a bottle of Passoã, I'll bring that
Toby: I think I've got some bottles of white wine
Emily: Oeeeeh nice, I'll go get some bottles of champagne !
Hanna: I'VE GOT 2 BOTTLES OF APPLE LIQUOR !
Classic Hanna, not really participating in the chat, except when she's excited – like over apple liquor.
Hanna: THEY ARE MY BABIEEEEEEESSSS
Emily: Okay Hanna, we get it, calm the fuck down
As we were all quite excited for the holiday, the conversation kept on going, and we found ourselves talking about the practical stuff.
Hanna: Hey Em, you booked our apartment right ? What is it like ?
Emily: Uhmm, I'm not sure but I think there were three beds in the living room, and one double bed in a separate room
Toby: Outch I'm so claiming the double bed !
Alison: Like hell you are
Alison: Emily and I claimed it months ago, so we could spoon
Emily: Can confirm !
I couldn't help but smile when I saw Alison type that. I had buried my crush on her some months ago, but I couldn't help but think – or hope - something would happen on holiday. I sighed as I thought back to October and November. All these little things that happened during those months, these things that made my heart flutter and my head fill with hope. And then that one day at the end of November, where she crushed my heart like it was a cookie in the hands of a toddler – but she didn't know any of this.
I sighed again, deeper. That one sentence she said that day haunted me. Everything she did – and had done – that made me think she might like me in that way, became overshadowed by that stupid sentence. But this trip was going to be different. This trip was letting go of everything for a week, no worries, no problems. We were all going there without limits.
Maybe that crush wasn't as buried as I let myself believe, but what the hell. I was not letting my head get crazy by her without getting anything. I was not going to convince myself that all those little incidents weren't flirting. And alcohol and a twin bed in a separate room might be a dangerous combination.
