Continuing...
Trixie moved quietly down the scantily squeaking steps and down to the main lobby of the lodge,her mind was convulsed with too many thoughts and even her favorite hip-hop song seemed to make her dizzy.So finally reaching ground level,she lowered the volume on her Ipod and crossed the room to sit on a over-stuffed red couch in the corner by a crackling fire place.Plopping down cross-legged,she placed a pillow on her lap and clutching it to her chest with her elbows,began to massage her aching temples fervishly.As though all of this stress and worrying was finally affecting her greatly.
"Hey there,"Came a medium,male's voice,which startled Trixie just enough to make her bolt straight up and stare up with surprise at an older looking boy with a ruffled mass of orange hair and impertinent intense emerald eyes,"What's a pretty girl like you doing out of bed so late?"he inquired her with a suspicious smirk,taking a few steps closer to her."If you want,you can tell me what's up."
"You wanna know what's up?"Trixie retorted at him petulantly,immediately set off by his arrogant disposition towards her."The fact that I came out here to be alone and according to my never-been wrong-once-in-my-life eyesight..."she harangued him through gritted teeth,her mind racing and her pulse increasin."...I'm anything but alone!So why don't you take you're no-good,smooth-talkin',irratatin',no class,none considerate,totally trippin' self and get to steppin."
But as she was about ready to return to her brooding,she sensed him reaching out and felt him lightly placing his hand on her retreating shoulder to hindrance her.She was about to jerk away but something about his touch was gentle and calming,that sent a strange sensation through out her body and made her freeze in her tracks on contact.Mesmerically,she turned to face him with these unfamiliar feelings still pulsating in every direction within her and was captured instantaneously by how piercing his jade eyes really were,though he wore a bit of a puzzled look at her gaping one as he carefully lead her back a few steps and she dropped back onto the sofa in a entranced state,
"Sorry I came on a little over-bearing."He told her with a hint of apology in his voice,as he sat down about a foot from her with his arms crossed behind his head and one leg folded on his knee."I just wondered what one of the younger lodgers on their first class Ski trip would be up to so late out here in the foyer,"she could hear him go on casually,his whole mood seeming to take on a more complaisant way yet still generally laid back."I'm Teige,by the way.What's you're name?"
"Tri...Trixie."She replied precipitously,finally finding her voice after what seemed like an eternity without it,"S-so um..."continueing on a bit stammeringly,Trixie tried to speak in her malapert way but could only manage partially as she struggled for control of the overwhelming emotions she experienced whenever she turned to look at him directly in the eye."I'm guessin' you work here or something?Seein' as you knew I was on this whole class Ski trip and everything,uh,right?"
Teige chuckled a bit,"You haveareal personality issue,don't you?"he inquired her playfully,his eyes still cast out to a little drizzle of snow that was slanting a bit by the currently gentle coast of the wind but he dropped his toothy grin upon catching a quick glimpse of the irked expression that was starting to lurk on her face again."Hey...I'm just joking.It's been a while since I've found anyone out here and it gets kind of lonesome sometimes when all the staff has gone their own separate ways."
Her thin brown brow rose in surprise,as she asked him verisimilarly."Then why aren't you home?"
"Well..."The corners of his lips returned to a stretched and somewhat smug state,as he told her stintlessly."My parents own the place,so it's kind of hard to returnto a place you really live in and go somewhere else you have no idea even exists..."he let his words trail for a few moments,before he shifted his now softened verdal eyes to her and taking in for a few more seconds,finally smiled in such a natural way it made her heart leap into her throat as he extended a hand to her and offered a bit eagerly,"Why don't we take a walk outside for awhile?The inside is nice and warm if that's mainly why you're here but somehow you seem more of the outdoorsy type."
Trixie automatically began to reach out to accept but withdrew momentarily,considering what she wanted at the moment.On the one hand,she still didn't like the fact that he was trying to get all up in her grill when all she really wanted in the first place was some time to think on her own.Yet,the other side of her kept nagging at her to take a chance and go for it.Truthfully,he had guessed correct on determining what she rather be doing if it were lighter out.So,glacing over to a black clock hanging on the farside wall of the lodge's lobby and indicating it was just a little pass eight,she finally obliged in her own way by propulsving herself up and sweeping his hand away from her,he only shrugged in return and the two made their way to the front entrance.Though as he proceeded to open the door for her,she halted him and briskly went first in order to show she still had the reigns.
"Okay Teige,this is how it works.I..."Her stubbornness instantly melted the moment she opened the door and was transferred into long land of cascading,shinning overlaps of snow that were illuminated by a full white moon seeming to engulf a chunk of the star-cleared deep blue and ebony sky which continued to let a light sprinkle descend from above."It's...beautiful,"she told him in a low and breathless voice as the two started to stroll side-by-side into the captivating winter wonderland,"I've never even seen what this place looks all lite up at night.It's so amazin'."
"Yeah,beautiful."He commented ambiguously but snapped back to reality when she turned strangely transformed hazel eyes his way,which caught him slightly off-guard and struck him akward as he quickly reverted his line of vision out into the distance,"Hey,want to check out this one place of mine...?"he inquired her curiously a few moments after regaining his cool and moving just a little closer to her so he could continue,"It's not far,although the impressive part isin on the inside."
Half-way between normalcy at the moment,Trixie agreed nonchalantly."I guess,lead the way."
As the two headed further away from the lodge,passed the ski lift and up in the shimmering panels of piled up snow,the distance between them was slowly enclosing as the wind was picking up a bit.It took a few minutes but finally after they had climbed and trudged a way uphill,Teige stopped her about six feet away from the entrance to a cavern in the side of the hill and as soon as he scanned around as if to make sure they hadn't been followed,he turned back to her and motioned forward.With a new found trust lingering before her,she snatched it up and the two went into the the dugout which was warm and dry,with a strange white light that was at the far back of it.
"This way."He told he suddenly,lacing his fingers through her's as they made their way towards it."I wanted you to see this before I told you what I still needed to tell you,"his words then started to come out more regardful,as he continued once they were nearing the source of the luminance and avioding some jagged rocks along the way,"It's important that you know that I'm not corrupt here."
"Cor-what?"Trixie prodded him lightly,these feelings that were rushing through her were starting to affect,even though there was still an urge to take control."What did you want me to see so-"
"Shh!"Teige hushed her instantly,a glint of mischief had returned to his eyes as he placed a hand on her to shoulder to crouch her down as he was doing,then he pointed out his finger in the direction the light had apparently vanished but now as they looked in unison a beautiful multi-color of flowing light was emanting,"My own version of the Nothern Lights."he grinned sheepishly when he once again witnessed her stunned awe,which pleased him yet made it even more difficult for what he knew must be done."Umm...so,what's you're family like?I already told you about my parents."
"My Mama works pretty heavy but my Dad is in the Military."She told him without evasiveness,somehow she felt she didn't have to try to hide anything from him."It's a bummer sometimes but I try to work through it,even if I can't change things,"her words came straight from her heart,as a sense of recovery and warmth bathed over her as the Aurora Borealis bathed the very end of the cavern's walls in an array of spectacular rainbow colors,her brown eyes now glowed with passion as it was beginning to become even more viberant,"This is so awesome."
"Very."
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close,while the light show continued on for a few minutes and then slowly faded like it had the first time.Trixie was defintely in another world,her mind was finally at peace for the moment being and she was starting to get the rather obvious idea he was attracted to her.But why?She wasn't really the preppy or popular type.Yet she didn't dwell on what she considered meaningless thoughts as she turned to gaze into his eyes and he wasn't far behind.Willing herself to take a few steps closer,the space between their bodies was almost completely closed as they brought intheir faces inch-by-inch and just as their lips brushed gently,she felt him grasp her shoulders and thrust her forward but with his hands still in tact to keep her from falling back.His emerald eyes were wide and startled,as if he had awoken from a bad nightmare.
"What's wrong,T?What is it?"Trixie inquired in confusion,her eyes lined with concern.
But he only replied with abrupt seriousness,"Come with me,"as he took her arm and lead her to the cave's large entrance and then releasingit,walked a few feet from her to it's side and scanning around the outside frantically,fell back inside once he saw nothing and allowed a few moments to go by as he was now panting heavily."I'm sorry I just didn't come right out with this,but I'm ready."
"For what?"She asked him nervously,she was starting to get a little frightened at his caparious behavior even though she felt that there was maybe another reason for it."You don't have to hide whatever it is from me,"she spoke to him in a low,trembling voice as she took a few catious steps towards,"I can handle whatever it is.I...I trust you but don't keep it on the downlow from me."
"And I trust you,"He turned to tell her softly,walking over and gently running the back of his palm down the side of her cheek,he then grew earnest again,"That's why when I tell you this,I want you to know I started out with slightly unhanded intentions but the first second I laid eyes on you they turned to good ones."pausing to take a breath,he took both her hands in his and locked eyes with her."My name is Teige.Although only my Father owns the Ski lodge,my Mother who is part Leprechaun is in with a special force of Magical creatures that have are randomly located around the globe that take part in keeping other Magical creatures safe.Were a secret organization and even from most Dragons who rightfully serve as our protecters.It's ban in some countries in Magical communties for any other creature to interfere with the Dragon's work in that country.Although here in the U.S. it has yet to come into affect since the American Dragon is so new but I knew from the start you were associated with him."he clenched his hands withhers in them a bit tighter and continued."And I'm...I'm quarter Leprechaun and I'm a student enrolled in it at the moment.I was to keep an eye out for any signs of Huntsclan's doing while still trying to go undercover to manipulate or do whatever it took to get info on the American Dragon so we'd know what we were up againist...yet I knew I couldn't.The second I got to know you,my mission was already awry.I l-"
"YOU LIED!"Trixie blew up at him furiously,her eyes scorching with anger and hurt at him for what she was now horrifed to come to the conclusion that she had been tricked."All this time...you were useing me and I was stupid enough to fall for it,"she shot the words bitterly into his face and feeling embarrassed at having been made a fool of,threw his hands out of hers and stalked off out of the cave and stumbled down the hill as fast as she could,"How could I have let myself feel those fake things,"she mumbled in self-criticism,her vision starting to blur as she continued descending with the wind beginning to pick up in her face,as the once vast suffused white lands had been dulled by streaks of black clouds out of nowhere that now hid the moon,"I'm not like that...and I'll never be."
"Trixie...wait!"He called out for her solictiously,scampering down after her and for a being suppose to appear short his long legs allowed him to aviod any random clusters of snow that might make him trip."Trix,please,I know you're mad..."seeing her stop short with her back still turned to him,he paused about six feet from her and bent over slightly to place his hands on his knees in order to catch his breath,when he finally did he started to approach her more with his hand outstretched and his voice managing to come in a slow,careful tone."I never meant for thisto hurt you either way...it was wrong of me to do it in the first place but you have to understand,if I don't come out of this with a full report..."
"Stick it up you're piehole for all I care!"She whirled around to face him,her face pinched with tension and her dark hazel eyes till held their growing contemptment but they also seemed confused in a way."The last thing I'm needin' on this trip is more problems to deal with."her words came out blazing,as she stared him down to let him know she meant it."So,whether or not you're sorry aint the factor...cause I'd never let 'anything' slide about the AmDrag's personal life.Ya hearin' me,T?I don't owe you nothin'."
Leaving a concerned Teige in her wake,she turned away and raced back down the last few feet and then back up to the Ski lodge's door.Though when she reached it to go back inside,she thought she could hear someone moving swiftly through the slightly chilly Febuary wind but when she glanced over to the left of her to try and see who it was,all she thought she saw was a small part of a shadowy figure's back as it disappeared around the lodge.But shaking her head to keep it together until she was back safely inside,she jerked open the front doors and made her way quickly into the foyer and then up the creeky stairs two at a time and then finally into her room where she was relieved to seea slumbering Rose nestled in her bed without a hint of disturbance.So pressing the door closed gently with only a small squeak,she didn't bother changing and immediately slipped into her covers.Once settled,she allowed her gaze to travel from the shrouding darkness,to the bit of light seeping in through the cracked blinds.Light...the memory actually brought a small smile to her face and she was able to slip into a calming sleep.With her last thought on whether or not she'd be able to trust Teige after the first incident merged in her mind,she let it remainvacillant and not dwelled upon for the time being,at least until the next day began and she began her first Saturday testing out the slopes.Then,she would decide.
To Be Continued...
LP