Downhills From Here

Part 3: Not good at winging it

I was so happy Jonathan wasn't there to see me fall off the anchor lift. I think one of the skiers swore at me as he passed and then got a chiding from his wife. Some teenagers laughed at me as they slid around me, the anchor lifts pulling them upwards. I managed to dislodge my skis but caught only one of them, the other one started its downhill trek among the skiers in the lift slope.

"Fuck," I muttered and stumbled to the side when I was sent especially nasty looks from the other skiers. I would die if Jonathan came. I would die if the blondies came too. Die of shame. Was there a more embarrassing death? I had to think through my possibilities. I could see the slopes through the narrow strip of woods that snaked up the hill with the lifts. I could go there and make my way down the slope on one ski. I'd probably break my neck in the process.

I looked at the long line of skiers towards the top of the lift. I wouldn't be able to get up there. The anchors were retracted at the top, and the line pulling the skiers upwards was at least five meters up in the air. No way was I going to be able to get up to the top. And anyway, I'd have to go down to fetch my other ski. I turned downhills and let out a small squeak. Jonathan was standing right next to me, with my ski in his hand.

"This one came on an adventure all by itself. I figured its twin was still uphills somewhere." He grinned and lifted his goggles. "You disappeared on me yesterday."

I shrugged. "Didn't feel like falling and breaking my neck anymore yesterday."

"But you're back at it today?" He lifted one eyebrow and then actually winked at me before he bent down and helped me fasten my ski again.

"Yeah," I breathed out and watched as my breath turned into dissipating smoke. "I got bored in the cafeteria. Also, I don't want to spend all my funds on coffee."

"Wise choice," he told my boots.

He led the way through the slim strip of forest and we came out almost in the middle of a slope that was slightly larger than the kids' slope.

"What are you doing here?" He asked and I stared at him confused for a second, thinking it was pretty obvious what with the skis and the snowy slopes until he elaborated. "I mean..." He gestured up the piste. "This is too high for you, you should have started in the kids' slope."

Oh. I suddenly felt like a child that got told off. 

To be honest I didn't really know what I was doing there. I saw all the people head for the anchor lifts and thought I'd check them out and all of a sudden I was in the line for the lift. I had been too embarrassed to cause a scene by trying to reverse ski from the lift so I had just gone with the flow. Granted, going with the flow had gotten me into this mess. Maybe I wasn't so good at going with the flow.

"I was just going with the flow. But I think I'm not very good at winging it..." I shrugged sheepishly.

Jonathan gave me a tight smile and pulled his goggles down. I did the same and then he explained to me how we were going to get down this slope alive. Skis in a V-position all the way down.

We were almost at the bottom of the slope when I forgot to keep my skis like a V and crashed into Jonathan as he served in front to stop me. We both went over and rolled the rest of the way down. We lay in a heap at the bottom for a couple of seconds just taking our bearings. People were staring, I knew. I would stare too. I'd probably laugh too, to be honest. I didn't feel like laughing at myself right now though. 

Jonathan was the first to move with a groan, then he sat up and I followed suit. I had lost both my skis, Jonathan had lost one ski and he was covered in snow. I guessed I looked similar as I wiped some snow off my goggles.