Chapter 2:
At lunch the next day Joan presented Adam with a form for the ski trip.
"I asks if I'm skiing or snowboarding? What if I'm not doing either?"
"How are you going to hang out with me if you don't snowboard?" Joan manipulated him, of course the puppy dog face helped.
"Jane, I don't know how." He looked helpless, like her was letting her down.
"Oh, I know! I can teach you!" She was getting good at this mission thing.
"Ok, so snowboarding it is." He smiled and checked the little box on his form.
The bus ride was very, very long, not to mention extremely boring. Adam sketched Joan at least four different times in the exact same position. The best part of the ride was when Joan decided to steal his stocking cap, in the process, slamming his head against the window. After five long hours of cramped legs and butts molding to their seats, they finally arrived.
Joan stepped off the bus still wearing Adam's hat. Adam clenched his chin to his jacket when the wind blew, he realized his ears were unprotected without his hat.
Joan loved the snow. She gave Adam a huge bear hug in the excitement, but was reprimanded by a chaperone reminding her of the PDA rules. She rolled her eyes after turning around.
The students entered their cabin, slamming down their bags, and rushing for the already lit fire place. Joan pulled Adam by they hand and they got there first, right in front of the fire. Adam looked at the content expression on her face, he knew how she felt.
"Ready?" Joan looked up from strapping Adam's boots to his board. He looked scared, but nodded in reply.
The first time Adam actually stood up was a disaster. He had no idea how to do it, and ended up ramming Joan and himself into a fence. His second try was even worse. He went under the fence and through the woods. Attempting to get out of the woods, snowboard still attached, he face planted into the snow.
"This is not working," he said in frustration.
"I have told you like a thousand times, don't roll on your toes. It makes you go face first into the snow."
He got back up and, to Joan's surprise, made it all the way down the rest of the slope. Joan tried to jump up and down in pride, but only tripped herself with her snowboard. With a mouth full of snow she laughed at her stupidity and cheered for Adam at the same time.
Two hours and three cups of hot chocolate later, Joan and Adam sat in a ski lift.
"My mom used to take me out here every winter." Adam confessed. " She always used to tell me she would teach me how to snowboard when I was old enough. I regret never taking that chance."
"Adam, I'm sorry."
"Jane, It's not your fault. You know, I actually remember the last time she asked me. She wanted to take me out all the way to Colorado, so she asked me in October."
The month before she died Joan thought.
Adam's eyes teared up. "When I'm out here I feel really close to her. Except it's you I'm out here with."
Joan stroked his face, wiping away the freezing tears.
"And maybe I don't mind." he gave her a quick kiss. Not too short, but pleasant. Joan knew he loved her.