Mark, Brian, Ryan, and I are all rooming together. Tonight is going to be epic, drinking and skiing, but not in that order.
“Night ski!” Brian comes waltzing into our cabin. “Who needs state when we’ve got the senior ski trip, baby!” Brian is already slurring his words. I know he doesn’t blame me for state, but the words still sting.
“Whoa there, you need to slow down,” Ryan says, prying the Solo cup from Brian’s hand.
“Here, eat this.” Mark shoves half of his sub sandwich at Brian. “You need a base, or you’ll never make it through the night.”
I shake my head and laugh at the three of them. I love these guys. I wouldn’t trade this for the world.
***
Somehow, the party ended up in our cabin, where it’s wall to wall people. We haven’t actually made it to the slopes yet tonight, and at this point, I’m not sure we’re going to.
“I love you, man.” Brian drapes his arm around me and pulls me into a head lock. Then he does a chin nod across the room. I follow his gaze to Blythe. “And I love my girl, too. A girlfriend; who would have thought?” He leans in and says lower, “I’m head over heels for that girl.” And now I know he’s wasted because he’s never this open.
I unwrap his arm from my shoulder and try to help him stand up straight. “So much for the base,” I say with a smile.
“What? I’m good.”
“Right.”
Mark catches my look from across the room, reading it perfectly. He’s currently all over Amanda, a cute girl who has always been more interested in running track than guys, until tonight it seems. She’s currently very interested in Mark as she is equally all over him. He whispers something to her, and I see her smile then plant herself on the couch. Mark pushes through the crowd to get to Blythe, whispers something in her ear, and then they both make their way over to me and Brian who is now singing the National Anthem. I’m not sure why. Then he abruptly stops as if a new thought just entered his brain.
“Come on, we’re going to miss the night ski,” he says to the three of us, pouting like a three-year-old.
“Um … You’re not going anywhere,” Blythe intercepts as she wraps her arms around him.
I give Mark a smile. We both know she’s the only one he will listen to at this point.
“Come on, baby; don’t you want to go down my slope?” he asks in what I think was intended to be a whisper as he gyrates his hips in her direction.
Blythe throws her head back and laughs. Then she takes his hand and starts to lead him toward the bedrooms. She looks back and winks at me and Mark.
“Our job here is done,” Mark says.
We both give each other a head nod with a smile before he makes his way back to meet up with Amanda, who has been patiently waiting for him on the couch.
I start to miss Ash, but quickly shake it off as I make my way over to Ry, who’s across the room with Gretch and a few other people. Before I know it, Rebecca steps in front of me, blocking my path, and it’s clear she’s had almost as much as Brian.
“Hi, Todd.” She runs her hand down my chest.
“Hi, Rebecca,” I say flatly as I remove her hand.
“You know what?” she says, looking up at me. “I miss kissing you.” Then her fingers start to trace the buttons of my shirt.
I merely smile and try to push past her, but she’s surprisingly quick for someone who has had too much to drink.
“You. Are. A. Very. Good. Kisser.” She moves her fingers up from button to button on each word.
“Uh … Thanks?” I remove her hand again.
“You know, it’s too bad your girlfriend wasn’t allowed to come since she’s not a senior. What is she, a freshman? Oh, wait”—she waves her hand in the air—“she’s your ex-girlfriend, right?”
I press my lips together. I would never hit a girl, but right now, I wish Rebecca was a guy so I could cold cock her.
“Girlfriend. No ex. She’s my girlfriend, and you know that.” I try to contain my frustration, but it’s not really working. I’m so done with this girl, done being nice. Just done.
“We were really good together.” She smiles like she wants to do so much more than talk, making my stomach start to turn. “In the play, I mean.”
“Hey, Todd, can I talk to you?” I glance with relief in the direction of the voice. I could kiss Blythe right now.
“Sure. See you later, Rebecca,” I say with a quick smile while I pry her hands off my waist.
“Thank you,” I say quietly to Blythe as I approach her.
“You looked like you needed saving.” She smiles. “Brian is sound asleep.”
“Good. Thanks for that, too.”
“Anytime.”
We both join Ryan’s group who are all standing around the make-shift bar that has been set up on the kitchen counter. After an hour or two, most of the party has cleared out. Other than our core group, there are just a few guys from the team left. I am definitely feeling whatever drink Blythe has been making for us. I’m relaxed for the first time in months. This is exactly what I needed. I’m numb with joy, and it feels good. Being here makes me excited for college where there are no parents to hold you back from anything, to tell you what to do or who to date.
“Hey, where’s Brian?” Rick, one of the guys on the team, shouts from across the room.
“Yeah, where is that pansy?” someone else shouts. “I thought we were doing a night ski? What the fuck?”
“There’s no way you can ski right now,” Mark says as he slams back another shot.
“Who says?” Ryan jumps down from the countertop. Ryan is always the voice of reason, so maybe he’s right. Maybe we can.
“I’m pretty wasted,” Mark says with a pride-filled grin.
“Brian is asleep, and you’re all too wasted to go skiing,” Blythe says from behind the bar. “I know, because I’ve been making drinks for you guys from this ridiculous concoction of alcohol you have here.”
“Hey, it’s not like we can just walk into a liquor store and choose whatever we want.”
“Speak for yourself,” Mark interjects.
“Then where is it, slick? This is whatever we could sneak in,” Adam says.
“Hey, I’m not complaining.” Mark holds his hands up in surrender, spilling some of his drink down the front of his shirt.
“Point made.” Blythe smiles. “You are all too drunk to go tonight.”
“I’m going to wake Brian up.”
“Oh, no, you’re not, Adam.” Blythe steps in front of him, and I see Mark straighten like he’s ready to tackle him.
“No need. I’m up.” We all turn around to see Brian standing there fully dressed in his ski pants and jacket, skis in hand. “Let’s go.”
“It’s not a good idea, Bri. We need chaperones to ski,” Blythe says calmly.
“Please. Who says? We’re all practically eighteen. Some of us are eighteen.” He looks over at Mark who thrusts his arms up in the air in acknowledgment. “Mark can be our chaperone.”
“You know what I mean,” Blythe says, stepping forward.
“Come on, baby. This is our senior ski trip. You only get one.” Then he looks at Adam. “Well, Rogers might get two.”
“Fuck you!” Adam shouts back with a smile.
“You wish.” Brian smiles back.
“Hey, hey, two-year-olds. No one is going skiing,” Blythe says a little louder, getting everyone’s attention.
“Watch me. Get your skis. Slopes in ten minutes!” Brian shouts to the room.
Every part of my brain agrees with Blythe, but I know I can’t let them go without me. I can’t miss this, and someone needs to look out for Brian.
“MC?” Brian asks at his hesitation.
“Fine. I’m in,” Mark says. “I mean, you need a chaperone, right?”
“Baby?” He runs his hands over Blythe’s hips as he pulls her closer.
Blythe shakes her head. “You’re an idiot, but I love you.” She kisses him. “Fine, I’ll go.”