Unfathomable

8.

Masada:

I woke up early the next day, which was a Sunday, making oatmeal with raisins and loads of salt in the microwave which I then covered in banana and peanut butter.

"You're up early", Sonia said happily.

"So are you. Sunday is your day off."

"Oh, well..." she said, blushing. "It's a special day today... Your parents have invited a guest over."

"They haven't told me about it", I said, mouth full as I chewed my oatmeal standing at the kitchen counter, too hungry to go all the way to the kitchen table.

"It's Hashirama Senju. They invited him for dinner, and he accepted."

I stopped dead, spoon halfway to my mouth. Izuna came running into the room then, opened his mouth and took the bite off the spoon.

"Oyy!" I complained.

"What's up with you?" he asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Nothing..."

I was meeting Lucas for skiing at lunch. We hugged when we met, for a long time.

"How are you today?" he asked, holding me at arm's length.

"Good, thank you. And thank you for taking care of me. I'm really ashamed."

He just smiled. "Don't even think about it. I'm a nurse, I'll do anything." Wow, a nurse...

The rest of the day passed amicably. We went up in the lifts together, chatting about this and that, and went downhill together in red and black hills, me on my skis, him on his snowboard. He was exceptionally good. Not better than Izuna (few people were), but not far from, either. At lunch, we sat in the cabinet restaurant on the top of the highest hill with a splendid view, eating fried fish with chips, vinegar and tomato salad, sipping beers. It was fantastic. We sometimes chased each other downhill, both of us skilled enough to do so safely. We even went off-piste, taking great care.

At the end of the day, at five, I was more exhausted than I had ever been after skiing.

"God, that was a good workout!" Lucas said happily. "Better than the gym."

"I wish we could do this again tomorrow", I said, and realised how true that was. Things hadn't heated between us today, but I'd had a great time.

Lucas hugged me then. "Add me on Facebook."

I felt my nerve endings tingle for some reason.

"Why are you so nervous?" Izuna asked from where he was sitting at my bed, reading something.

"Who says I'm nervous?" I asked defiantly.

"You've undone and remade your ponytail like, six times now." True... Izuna clambered out of my bed. "Let me help."

He took my comb from me and put it down on my dressing table, and used his fingers instead. He worked my scalp skillfully to collect it all, not too neatly but rather with some strands bulging, and let some strands loose so they fell and framed my face. He put the tie up high on my head.

"I look amazing", I said in awe.

Izuna kissed my cheek. "You always do. You're welcome."

"Thank you."

I had a dark grey T-shirt with a subtle upper body harness and black cargo trousers, trying to look as casual as I could. I put on some lipgloss but nothing else on my face.