Well, um, I don't have too much to say about this chapter... Guess you'll find out.
Hot chocolate was on my mind and apparently everyone else's. When I pushed the door open to the cafe in the lodge a burst of warm air hit my face. I was relieved, feeling so cold from skiing. I noticed all my roommates had gathered at a table.
Focused on them, and lost in my thoughts, I collided with a being just as oblivious as myself.
"I'm sorry!" I exclaimed with a polite smile and made sure they were alright. After a quick glance I offered a wave.
"Hey." I greeted him smiling. Inevitably, it was Jack. "I didn't know you were staying here." I said raising my eyebrows curiously.
Jack nodded, "Well I think it might be the closest lodge to these slopes." he said simply. "Unless I roomed with the abominable snowman."
I laughed exaggeratedly pushing him slightly as I did so. "What cabin are you in?" I asked after gaining some control over myself.
He paused considering and finally answered "Three."
"We're all in five." I said nonchalantly jerking my head toward the table they were sitting at.
"I guess, since we're just across the way, I might see you around sometime." Jack said with a sly wink.
"Yeah, sometime..." I replied smiling, yet distracted a little. I waggled my fingers in a wave as he walked away. Turning back around, I headed toward the gang's table. I bit my lip in thought, he made me get a weird feeling in my stomach, which I ignored for now. I sat next to Taylor, who was watching Jack leave.
"Nice you could join us," she said eyeing me suspiciously.
"Yeah, took you long enough." Chad piped in.
"Don't tell me that you all waited for me." I said looking around at each of them.
"Nope, I just like pulling your leg." Chad replied proudly with a quick sip of his hot chocolate.
"So..." I said cringing as I did so. Of course, the awkward silence settled in. I swear, if silence could be directed at someone, right now it would've been aimed directly at me. "How was your ski run... or what ever you call it." I asked with a forced lighthearted chuckle.
Sharpay looked up from her latte suddenly, joining in the conversation. "Ugh! If I have to fall anymore, I think I'll scream!" she huffed crossing her arms. The rest of us stared at her for a moment.
"Did you break a nail?" Zeke and Chad asked at the same time in their best baby voice. They roared with laughter and slapped hands triumphantly.
Sharpay scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Of course not, that's so cliché!" she replied inspecting her nails just in case. "Well, it looked like you had a good time." Sharpay directed toward me, with a smirk eager to change the subject.
I suppressed my smile, which was surprisingly easy to do. I shrugged instead, "Yeah, I guess learning was fun." I said pretending to be indifferent.
"I bet it was." Ryan spoke all of a sudden, with a twinge of bitterness in his voice.
"What is that supposed to mean?" I retorted defensively.
"Oh, I thought you said 'flirting was fun'." Ryan shot back, looking straight at the table. He glanced up at me briefly, before returning his gaze to his drink.
"Excuse me? I was not flirting. And why should you care anyway?" I asked now clearly irritated.
"I'm going back to the cabin." he said quietly standing up from his spot at the table. He made his way through the crowd to leave the cafe.
"Somebody's jealous..." Sharpay sing-songed, inspecting her nails casually. Chad and Zeke snickered but stopped abruptly when I shot them a glare. Taylor cleared her throat when the dreaded, awkward silence arose.
I sighed frustrated and stood up. "I'm not thirsty anymore." I muttered leaving the cafe.
I pushed past the people blocking the entrance and pulled my jacket closer to me as the cold air outside hit me. I ran my fingers through my hair and shivered refusing to go inside. I was warm-blooded, hardly a snow bird. I grew up in New Mexico, so I would never get used to this cold climate. I looked up at the sky only to find tiny snowflakes falling down. I spotted Ryan just up ahead, but decided to leave him alone. I was sure that I was the last person he wanted to talk to at the moment. He turned in my direction, and I pretended not to see him. A difficult task.
None other than Jack came up behind me and scared me half to death. "I love the snow." he said putting an arm around me. I forced a smile, but couldn't really complain because he was warming me up significantly.
"Me too..." I replied lamely, mentally kicking myself afterward. I let him pull me just a bit closer. I glanced at where Ryan had been. He was still there.
Jack inched closer to me, only inches away from me. "Jack..." I began, looking over at him. He raised his eyebrows curiously, permitted me to continue. Our faces were unbelievably close when I turned to face him, so I looked back in front of me.
"I uh..." I trailed off taking his arm off my shoulders. "I have a boyfriend." The lie spilled out of my mouth.
"Oh really?" Jack asked cocking an eyebrow. I sensed he didn't believe me. Now, for something to make him believe me more.
"Yes. I do." I said nodding stepping away from him as he tried to be close once again. "He's right over there." I blurted looking in Ryan's direction, but not daring to point. I scolded myself inside my mind. I was confused as to why I had said something so untrue. Yes, it was most definitely untrue.
"Him?" Jack scoffed with an arrogant smirk. I shook my thoughts away to process what Jack was implying, leaving me staring at him for a minute.
I stepped away from him again looking at him with slight disgust. "Yeah... and?" I asked narrowing my eyes.
Jack shrugged, "Well, you can do much better. I mean..." He looked down at himself wiggling his eyebrows with one of his playful winks.
I stared at him, mouth open. "What is that supposed to mean?" I asked accusingly. For being annoyed with Ryan, it was the last thing that I would've predicted. To transfer the feeling to Jack, whom I just met. On top of it all, to be defending Ryan as my 'boyfriend'.
Jack shook his head with that repulsive smirk on his face, as if implying that I was too naive to understand. I shook my head as well, but mostly at myself for not realizing what a jerk Jack was.
I started clapping slowly in a fake applause. "You should be proud of yourself. You just delivered a fantastic performance of a decent person. It was so believable..." I said pretending to be in awe of his presence. "Had me fooled." I muttered, wiping off the fake expression to a disappointed frown. I walked off toward the cabin shaking my head absently in my rambling thoughts. They seemed to drown out any of my surroundings.
We'll see what happens... Dun dun dun! D
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-Ali x3