Ski Lodge

9// Children, Please!

Monday

I must admit that I had two motives for going to the hot cocoa vendor. One, to get the kids hot chocolate. And two, to see if Becker eventually made his way there.

Out of all the emotions I expected to feel after throwing someone into the snow, regret was not the one I imagined would be the strongest. Perhaps it would have been if I had been throwing anyone but Emmett Becker into the snow, but seeing as how I did throw Becker into the snow, and I do mostly feel remorseful, I'm surprised at myself.

"You pushed Emmett!" Weston said between heavy breathes of hot cocoa sips. "My mom said that I am not supposed to push people because it's mean."

"Well if your mom asks," I started, "it was self defense."

"Was he going to push you?" Laura asked innocently.

"No," I replied shyly.

"Then why did you need self defense?" she questioned, pushing her cocoa aside in the pursuit of an interesting conversation.

"I was angry and he was just looking at me," I replied.

"He held your hands! Was he going to kiss you!" Weston joined in loudly. "Trisha and Emmett sitting in a tree...!"

I glanced up to the counter instinctively. The waitress, Phoebe, who my conscience told me I was searching for, was not there, however.

"No, he was not going to kiss me," I whispered sternly.

"My mommy and daddy kiss because they love each other!" Laura ignored me. "Does that mean that Emmett loves you?"

"No. He was not going to kiss me," I replied.

"Are you going to get married?" Laura continued, not paying attention to me at all now, "because I would like it if my favorite babysitter and my second favorite babysitter married, and then Weston and I could go over and say 'hi' because they would both be in the same place, and then we'd get the best of both of them, and they would cancel out the parts I don't like. And we'd all get to play together. Playing today was fun. I like the snow. Later we will go skiing, and I think I'll like that too, but I don't know if they'll let me because I don't know if they have skis small enough for me. And then I'll be scared to ski, but my mom will probably ski with me and so I won't be so scared. But I hope there's a hill for people who have never skied before like me."

"There will be," I answered, causing Laura to startle as if she didn't realize I was listening to her ramblings. I was glad for the change of subject, however; and I let the conversation between the three of us turn to snow and skiing.

Emmett Becker didn't show up to the hot cocoa place. I took Laura and Westin back to the lodge, letting them watch tv as I checked each floor to see if Emmett had returned to our lodge. After way too many episodes of Sophia the First, the parents returned, completely drunk and started singing Christmas Carols at the top of their lungs. None of them asked where Emmett was. I was starting to get nervous though, so I told my dad that I was going to go look for him before wandering out into the snow.

I checked the snowball field and the coffee house, but he wasn't there. After a couple more places, I texted my parents to see if he had returned. I got no response. Deciding it would be best to check back at the townhouse, I trudged back through the snowy field and that's when I saw Emmett Becker, sitting where I had pushed him into the snow... talking to Phoebe, the coffee counter girl. A pang of jealousy shot through me as I stopped and stared. I wasn't expecting it, and it threw me off course. I stumbled forward and caught Phoebe's eyes, about 30 feet away from me. She grinned at me before diverting her eyes back to Emmett and placing her hand on top of his. He looked up at her gaze, and she started to lean in. Her eyes flickered back to me, one eyebrow raised as if to say, "well, you don't want him." She kissed him. My face turned beet red, and I started running back to the lodge. I pushed him into the snow! Why did I feel hurt?