𝑺𝑬𝑬 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑨𝑮𝑨𝑰𝑵, javon walton

003

Anya and Mae ascended the ski lift, enjoying the view of the snow-capped mountains. Anya was skiing, while Mae had chosen to snowboard that day. At the top of the hill, Anya gave Mae a knowing look, and they both launched themselves down the slope at full speed. Mae could feel the wind rushing past her as she slalomed between skiers, taking quick glances behind her to ensure Anya was keeping up. But in one of those moments, Mae collided with someone, and they both went tumbling down the slope.

"Sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going, really sorry!" Mae said, disoriented but trying to get up.

"No worries, are you alright?... Wait, Mae?"

The voice seemed familiar, but it took Mae a moment to place it.

"Yeah, it's me. Who are you?"

"Javon, Daelo's older brother. We met earlier."

"Oh, right! Javon! I'm really sorry again."

"Don't sweat it, these things happen," Javon reassured her, standing up and offering her a hand.

Mae took it and got back on her feet. "I didn't hurt you too badly, did I?"

"I'm good. What about you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks," Mae replied with a relieved smile behind her mask.

They both glanced down the slope, where Anya zoomed past them on her skis.

"Do you want to finish the slope together?" Javon suggested.

"Sure, let's go."

They started making their way down the hill at a slower pace, side by side. As they reached the bottom, Javon glanced at her and said, "You're really good at snowboarding."

Mae chuckled. "Thanks. You weren't too bad yourself."

"Well, you definitely have more skill. How long have you been snowboarding?"

"Since I was three," Mae said with a shrug, laughing softly. "It's kind of second nature now."

"Yeah, I can tell," Javon said with a grin. "I've been boxing since I was four."

"Boxing? That sounds intense. How'd you get into that?" Mae asked, intrigued.

"My dad's a boxer, so I guess it runs in the family," Javon explained.

"Wow, that's cool. Do you box competitively?"

"Yeah, a bit of both, competitive and just for fun. My brother's more into baseball, though," Javon replied.

"That's awesome! I love how different siblings can be, you know?" Mae said, shaking her head with a smile.

As they continued walking, Javon gave her a sideways glance. "By the way, where's your accent from? It's British, right?"

Mae nodded. "Yeah, my mum's British, and I go to an English school, so I've picked it up."

"Ah, that makes sense. You've got a nice accent," he said, smiling.

"Thanks!" Mae grinned. "And you? Any accents I should know about?"

"Nah, just this regular ol' American one," Javon joked, making Mae laugh.

They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Javon asked, "So, what kind of music are you into?"

Mae's eyes lit up. "Oh, I'm into a bit of everything, really. But I'd say Frank Ocean, Tyler, the Creator, Kendrick Lamar..."

"No way! Same here. Frank Ocean is a genius," Javon said, excited.

"I know, right? His album Blonde is one of my all-time favourites," Mae added.

"Same! And Tyler's Igor, that album hits different."

"Totally! What about A$AP Rocky?" Mae asked.

"Of course, Testing is on repeat all the time," Javon nodded in agreement.

"Oh, and don't get me started on SZA and The Weeknd," Mae said.

"Yeah, SZA's Ctrl and The Weeknd's older stuff? Legendary," Javon replied, clearly passionate.

"Okay, we definitely have similar taste," Mae laughed.

"Guess so. I've been into PARTYNEXTDOOR and Travis Scott a lot lately too."

"Yes! PARTYNEXTDOOR has such a unique vibe, and Travis just knows how to get you hyped," Mae said, nodding.

As they reached the bottom of the slope, they exchanged grins, both of them still buzzing from the music talk.

"Well, looks like we're here," Javon said as they approached the lodge.

"Yeah, that was fun," Mae replied, smiling.

"Let's do it again sometime."

"For sure," Mae agreed as she spotted Anya inside the lodge, waving her over.

Later, inside the lodge, Mae found herself sitting across from Anya, who was nibbling on a cookie. She couldn't keep the smile off her face as she thought back to her conversation with Javon.

"So, how was it?" Anya asked, noticing Mae's smile.

Mae raised an eyebrow. "How was what?"

"Don't play coy. I saw you with Javon," Anya said with a knowing smirk.

Mae laughed. "Oh, that. It was fine. We just talked, mostly about music."

"Music, huh? And what's his taste like?"

"Surprisingly good. He's into Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator, The Weeknd, all the good stuff," Mae said, still smiling.

"Okay, I'm impressed. But did anything else happen?"

Mae shook her head. "Nope, we just chilled, nothing more."

"Come on, don't tell me that's it," Anya teased.

"That's it," Mae replied, laughing. "Honestly, he's nice. But I'm not getting into anything serious."

Anya gave her a sceptical look but said nothing, simply munching on her cookie with a grin.

Mae leaned back in her chair, still thinking about the easy conversation she had with Javon. There was something about the way he spoke, the way he shared his interests, that made her feel comfortable. Maybe Anya was right; maybe there was a little spark.

But for now, she was content to just enjoy the moment.