Adopted by Zerkaa

• Ski Lodge (2) •

***
Mia's POV
***

"Just go slow and don't worry about falling"

"Yeah, and we'll be right in front of you"

"If you fall on us and break our legs, then that's on you, but no biggie, really"

I groan and hold onto the handlebars of the ski lift tightly. Initially, I was going to put off skiing for as long as I could, but Josh and Freya and the others managed to convince me to start today. Harry and Tobi have offered to take me to the bunny slopes to practice, and I feel my stomach drop when I see kids below us, whizzing past, laughing, and having fun. It couldn't be that hard if kids could do it, right?

The bar raises and we push off of the lift, my heartbeat hammering against my chest as thoughts of falling from the chair and breaking my neck down on the snow below fill my mind. I don't have long to think about it though, because before I know it, Tobi and Harry take each of my elbows and ski over to the top of the mountain. I feel my heart drop into my stomach, and again, feel terribly embarrassed and ashamed when LITERAL toddlers ski past me in a rush.

I take a deep breath and look down the mountain. The snow is leveled and smooth, and the people sailing down the mountain seem to not be having any trouble. I see adults with their kids slowly maneuvering down and other teenagers my age or young adults being guided by their instructors. I feel better knowing that I'm not the only person my age learning, and I start to feel more comfortable.

"Okay, we're going to start with the basics," Tobi says, turning elegantly to face me.

He swoops around and leads a small trail before inverting his skis and turning again. The turn seems really easy, and when I try, I manage to do it. Yes, I shake and almost fall, but luckily I manage to stay upright. Harry smiles.

"See, you're a natural. You'll be ready for the diamond slopes in no time"

I feel my stomach flip. I've seen videos of people being injured on those slopes and I do not want to go anywhere near them. Tobi must see my face because he glares at Harry.

"Don't freak her out!"

"I'm just saying!"

Tobi shakes his head and turns to face me again.

"Now, to stop, invert all the way...like this-" Tobi does it again, and this time stops. "-Like a slice of pizza, your skis should barely touch at the tip"

Harry snorts and Tobi and I look at him. He's so immature.

I try the new move and almost end up doing the splits, but I do it in the end and Tobi gives me a fistbump.

"Well done," he smiles. "Now let's get you down the mountain!"

***

"Fucking hell I never wanna do that again!"

Tobi and Harry laugh at me as I bury my face into my gloves. I was doing well in the beginning, having Tobi's voice in my head instructing me on what to do, but halfway down when it got a little steeper, a kid zoomed past me and I didn't know. I couldn't brake in time and I tripped over the child, falling face first into a pile of snow on the offside of the mountain. The kid laughed at me and then was on his way, acting as if nothing had happened.

Little shit.

"It's not that bad," Harry pipes up, trying to make me feel better. "Have a few more goes and I'm sure you'll pick it up in no time"

I groan but follow the guys over to the ski lifts again.

***

It's two hours later when the boys decide to take a break and stop subjecting me to the torture that is the bunny slope. I never undersand how people make it past it, if I'm being honest. We clomp our way across the snow to the cafe at the top of the hill and I watch as the boys click out of their skis, gathering them neatly, and then stacking them together by a post. I try to do the same, trying to be subtly cool, but end up falling again and filling my mouth with snow. I taste blood on the corner of my lip and sigh. Today is not my day.