CHAPTER 6

A/N: Got Christmas?

Okay, ugh I STILL haven't got back out skiing yet, haha but we have a snow day today, score! But I'm too injured to ski, but it's my fault I'm a klutz…. And I do gymnastics on cement… haha. K story time:

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It had been half an hour and Eric had successfully managed to get Calleigh to the smallest hill. It had taken quite a while before she learned how to walk with the skis on, well not walk, but glide rather. "I have no idea how to get on that thing." Calleigh pointed just ahead to where the lift for the bunny hill was. Instead of a regular chair, handle or T bar lift, it was a moving lift that you stood on.

"Okay, go right up to it so the tips of your skis are almost on it," Eric instructed and Calleigh followed.

"Now what?" Calleigh wondered if she was ever going to make it to the top of this tiny hill.

"Now you move your skis up a bit farther…" Eric told her. She did, and with a whoosh, she was going slowly up the hill. She let out a squeal before Eric quickly got his skis on the lift and followed her up.

"This is fun!" Calleigh exclaimed with a giggle.

"Wait till you get on the bigger lifts." Eric laughed at her excitement over the bunny hill. "Excited to go down the hill?"

"Very!" Calleigh nodded, "Shit! How do I get off?"

"Don't worry." Eric told her, "With this lift, you just push your skis forward like you did on the ground when you get to the top and you'll go right off the lift and onto the snow, alright?"

"If you say so." Calleigh shrugged, she was in no position to argue with Eric, her teacher at the moment.

"Okay, ready?" Eric asked as they got to the top.

"I have to be." Calleigh pointed out before pushing her skis forward, nearly losing her balance, but not quite, and successfully making it off the lift.

"Good job!" Eric commended her after he was off the lift as well. "Now for the actual skiing part." He thought of how the best way to teach Calleigh turns was. He thought back to how he had learned when he first started skiing and decided to use that technique. "Alright, now, the most important thing to remember when you're skiing is to turn. If you don't turn, you'll end up 'straight-lining' it, which means you go down the hill in straight line, extremely fast, and you'll most likely lose your balance at some point and fall."

"No straight-lining, got it." Calleigh nodded, storing that fact in her memory.

"And to turn, there are a few ways, but the easiest way is to angle your ski tips so they make a triangle sort of shape," He did it wish his skis to show her, and she mimicked him successfully. "Okay, now when you're going down the hill, you'll want to keep your skis in this position which I like to call, the snow plough." Calleigh giggled at Eric's teacher-like manner but continued listening since he did seem to know what he was talking about. "Now when you're going down the hill, pivot your hips the direction you want to go, and shift your weight that direction too."

"Uh, okay." Calleigh knew what she had to do, but she wasn't so sure if she could do it.

"The first time, I'll help you, alright?" Eric suggested, mostly because he wanted to help Calleigh, but a little tiny part of it was because they'd have to get closer for him to do so.

"Okay." Calleigh agreed gratefully. Eric took off his skis and put his hands on Calleigh's hips, making her jump the slightest bit because she hadn't been expecting him to do that, but soon relaxing under his grip.

"Now go, slowly." He smiled, not wanting to trip and make her fall if she shot down the hill. "Start just like we did before when you were coming over to the lift." With that, she pushed her one leg forward and she was off, very slowly, keeping her feet in the 'snow plough' position. He instructed her to turn left, so she turned her hips to the left, with a bit of guidance from Eric, and leaned that way too, and voila, she turned to the left. Eric let go, telling her to try going to the right, which she did successfully. "Great job!" He called after her as she made two more turns. He walked quickly back up the hill to get his skis and went down himself, giving her a high five as he came to a stop. "That was great Cal! You caught on quick!" He smiled.

"Well, I had a great teacher! That was really fun! Let's do it again!" Her smile full of enthusiasm and excitement.

"Sure." Eric nodded and they headed over in the direction of the lift.

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Two hours and many runs down the bunny hill later, they were ready to take a break. "I'm hungry again." Calleigh exclaimed, blowing a piece of hair which had fallen out of her ponytail, out of her face.

"Me too, all that skiing makes me really hungry." Eric smiled.

"It does." Calleigh nodded, "We should go get something to eat, and then rest for a while, then we can come back out and I can try a bigger hill."

"Sounds like a great plan." Eric nodded as they headed off in the direction of the ski shop.

"Thanks for teaching me to ski Eric, you were a great teacher." Calleigh told him as they took their skis and boots off.

"No problem" Eric smiled, "You were a great student." They placed their skis and boots in the appropriate places to be returned and headed back towards their room.

"You know what? Supper is in an hour and a half," She told him, "So why don't we just grab a snack at the vending machines, and relax, then we can be extremely hungry for dinner."

"No objections." Eric shrugged. Truthfully, he didn't care what they did as long as they were together on this vacation, and besides, the one main point of the trip was to admit to Calleigh how he felt, and hope that she'd feel the same way, which would be easier to do in their hotel room than in the dining area. 'Not if Mindy keeps interrupting you with lame excuses," He thought to himself, shaking his head. Couldn't she have come up with something better than towels?

"Alright, let's go." They headed out of the ski shop and Calleigh immediately noticed how weird it was walking without ski boots now. "Do you ever get used to the feeling of taking ski boots on and off?"
"Not really." Eric smiled, making her scowl. "Calleigh, I never knew you whined so much." He joked.

"Only when I learn new things." She defended herself.

"Right." He smirked, she knew he was just teasing her.

"If you don't stop teasing me, you won't get any snacks." She threatened, trying to stay as serious as she could.

"How are you going to manage to keep me away from the snack machines?" He challenged.

"I have my ways." She winked. She knew that it would be next to impossible for her to prevent Eric from getting food, especially when he was hungry like now, but she was having fun teasing him back.

"Fine." He pretended to pout as they entered the front doors to the lodge. She took one look behind her at his face, which she had to admit, was cuter than ever in a pout, and burst out laughing, and it wasn't long before he did the same.

"Hurry up Eric," She told him as the warm air hit their faces.

"Nice to feel warm again." Eric commented as they looked around to see if they could locate any snack machines.

"Over there!" Calleigh spotted one, and they both made a dash for it.

"Ooo! Skittles!" Eric exclaimed when they reached it.

"Give me your money." Calleigh laughed, and Eric obeyed. "Ha, thanks. I didn't think you actually would." Calleigh smirked as he handed over a few bills.

"I want candy." Eric smiled, glad he was making Calleigh laugh.

"Me too." She nodded before they started arguing over which kinds of candy to get.

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A/N: Okay random chapter ending, I know hahaha but ohwell, I needed to end it and im in a suckie writing mood right now. But it's a SNOWDAY! SCORE! Haha, reviews are muchly appreciated, thanks to everyone who's been reviewing! MUCHLOVE!