pink nights / sally face

the cabin

"you know how excited i am?" sal's slung his backpack over his shoulder, eyes beaming at me.

i laugh because i did know how excited he was. it's pretty much all he's talked about since last night. "i could probably guess." the ground was plush with fresh snow since it started last night and hadn't stopped. we were in the mountains almost in the middle of nowhere, so the white blanket remained undisturbed and pristine. i looked up to the sky. it was grey and cloudy as it dropped soft snowflakes on the world. the house was surrounded by tall trees whose branches now held an accumulation of snow instead of leaves. "ash, this is so pretty."

her head pops out from the trunk as she lugs a duffel bag from the back. "i know! i can't believe my parents finally let me come alone."

larry steps out of the car and stretches his hands to the sky, "ugh, fuck! my bones hurt."

"you need to get in the hot tub," ash throws the back over her back and heads to the front door with keys in hand.

i'm unison, larry and sal exclaim, "hot tub?!"

ash laughs as jiggles the keys opening the large wooden door, "you guys are funny."

sal turns to me with wide eyes. he whispers, "a hot tub!"

"yep, that's what she said!" i smile and roll my eyes. i don't think i've ever seen sal so energetic before.

i didn't want to ask ash what her parents did but they HAD to be loaded. the inside of the cabin was even better than the outside. it had high ceilings, a huge fireplace, and a couch big enough to fit ten people. the log walls and wooden floors gave the place a warm feeling and when ash flicked the lights on, the whole place seemed to glow. between the snow outside and ash's luxurious winter home, i felt like i was in a hallmark movie or something. 

"holy shit, ash." larry dropped his bags at the door and walked into the living room, stopping at the stone fireplace. "THIS is the cabin your family comes to every christmas? you're kidding. like you're fucking kidding! i was expecting to feel like i was camping or some shit and turns out you're just fucking rich?!"

she laughs, now flicking on the fireplace. a line of low flames ignite and light up larry's face. "what? am i supposed to flaunt it? you know my dad's a doctor. you've known for years now!"

"i have no idea the annual salary of a doctor!"

"he does surgery?! it's pretty safe to assume that it's high?"

"oh so now you think i'm dumb? why? because i dont have a fancy winter cabin?"

"why are you trying to fight me?!" ash looks at me with a confused expression, "he's trying to fight me!"

larry scoffs, "you think i'm stupid because i didn't know you were rich!"

sal clears his throat, "maybe we should make some s'mores?"

ash looks back at larry and motions to sal, "would s'mores be a good apology?"

larry crosses his arms and thinks for a second. "yeah."

sal turns to me and whispers, "i got us s'mores!"

ash picks her bag up and exhales, "let's go upstairs and put our stuff down. lucky for you guys, there are enough rooms for everyone to have their own!" she slings the bag over her shoulder and starts up the stairs.

larry scoffs. muttering under his breath, "yeah, lucky."

i nudge him in the back as i follow up the stairs, "watch it, mister."