perfecting the cloud nine

thirteen

anna

i landed the first trick of the cloud nine run perfectly. i was amazed at myself because i hadn't practiced it since i had butchered it and gotten my snowboards taken away. the half pipe was empty and the lodge area was also emptying up so i figured i was probably safe to do a few laps. i tried the trick again and landed it perfectly. i tried it one more time just to make sure i wasn't dreaming and landed perfectly. dink was on his feet waving his arms around and clapping for me as i came down the trail.

"no way! you made that look so easy!" i laughed and pulled him into a tight hug. i felt adrenaline coursing through my veins and was so happy i wished i could live in this moment forever.

"anna!" my stomach dropped and i unwrapped my arms from dink. i turned towards the voice and looked into will's hard eyes. dink slowly backed away from me as he felt the tension between will and i rise.
"will, i-" he cut me off, approaching me fast. i wasn't one to back down from an argument but his size intimidated me. his eyes were fierce and mean, and i knew i was in for it.
"don't. save it, i don't want to hear it. i saw you. i told you not to try it but i wasn't joking. you're going to get yourself seriously hurt, anna. you have to stop." i put my hand on my hip and cocked my head to the side.
"you don't get to tell me when i stop. why are you so sure that i won't land it after you just watched me nail the first trick?" he rolled his eyes and scoffed at me.
"you're too stubborn. you're going to get yourself killed. that move is easy, you should've landed it first try no problem. the fact that you didn't tells me everything i need to know."
"oh, really? bold coming from the guy who won't even pick up a snowboard. i bet you wouldn't land it first try either." he stepped closer to me, now towering over me. my chest was a few inches from his and i could see his hot breath leave his lips as he glared down at me.
he looks so hot right now.

i blinked and forced the thought from my mind as i focused on the argument i was supposed to be winning. 

"me landing that trick would prove nothing and you know it. i've landed it before. it's you i'm worried about." i scoffed and rolled my eyes at him. 

"why are you so worried about me? you know i can handle myself." his eyes darkened and he looked at me more closely. he seemed to be pleading with me to listen to him. 

"because i care about you! i'd rather not see you pulled off the mountain on a stretcher while skye sailor laughs at you. i know you'd never recover from that." i breathed out. 

"that's what this is about? you're worried about me embarrassing myself?" the thought was almost laughable. i felt humiliated just standing in front of will right now. i felt embarrassed that i had trusted him and even started to develop feelings for him. he didn't think i was good enough to compete in fire and ice against skye. 

my mind flashed back to all of the times that he had sent me off on the ski lift, smiling and waving at me. i remembered with vivid detail all of the times that he had thrown his arm over my shoulder and told me 'that's my girl' after i had landed a new trick successfully. he had always been so encouraging and supportive, but i see now that that was all a lie. 

"no, anna that's-" i waved my hand through the air and cut him off. i pushed lightly on the center of his chest to break up the distance between the two of us. 

"save it, will. i thought you really cared about me, but that was just a lie wasn't it? you doubt me. you may even be jealous of me. whatever it is, i don't care. i don't need to know. i'll see you at fire and ice. don't stand in my way again." i brushed past him, making sure my shoulder crashed into his as i did so. i felt humiliated at my own feelings and just wanted to be as far from will as possible. 

how did it come to this?