Baby Steps (Mark McMorris FanFic)

Chapter 3

*Sorry if this chapter sucks, I'm crazy busy right now but I'm trying! :) *

   It was a long, long morning. I was woken up at 6:30am by my brother whacking me in the face with a pillow. I managed to get in a good hit to his gut, but it still didn't make up for my lack of sleep. At breakfast, I had to listen to a group of girls sitting behind me, gossiping about a hot ski instructor. Gag me. Our family then embarked on our first endeavour; cross-country skiing. I managed to get myself about 15 minutes behind the group, and I couldn't stop tripping over my skis. After face-planting in the snow for a fifth time, I called “Yeah, sure guys, you go right ahead, I'll catch up!” This was directed at nobody in particular, as everyone was probably too far ahead to even hear me. That little adventure took me right up to lunchtime, where I got to experience the pleasure of being the brunt of my family's jokes. “Hey Liz, are you having a nice trip? Maybe we'll come back next FALL!” After eating, my parents wanted to nap and my siblings were too cold to go back outdoors, so I decided to go do a bit more solo exploring. I wasn't supposed to try anything dangerous by myself-parent's orders-but nothing was stopping me from going to watch some of the outside action.

   I decided to make my way to a nice little café at the corner of the “village.” I sat alone in a back booth, and ordered a cup of coffee. My parents did not approve of my coffee drinking, so at this point I was feeling like a bit of a bad-ass. I spent 2 hours just listening to cheesy pop music and watching snowboarders race down one of the mountains. I had a surprisingly clear view of the slope, which made for a very entertaining time. There were some beginners, taking their time and just trying to stay up. I laughed every time I saw somebody nose-dive, and mentally ranked their fall on a scale from 1-10. There were also a few really talented athletes, flying down the hill faster than I could ever dream of going. However, there was one figure that really stood out to me. He was going down the slope faster than anybody else, leaving other borders in the dust. After a while, he started spicing things up. There were small piles of snow built up across the hill, and he (at least I assumed he was a dude) was using them as jumps. I couldn't believe the hang-time he could get off these small snow banks. And the tricks! He was doing flips and stunts that I had only ever seen on television. There were also rails along the side of the course, and he was riding them like it was a real slopestyle competition. I was very impressed. Soon, my attention was solely focused on him. Even from a distance, I could make out his tall and lean figure. He was very secure of himself, with the confidence that only experienced athletes have. He was mesmerizing.

   After 2 hours, this talented snowboarder decided to take a break. I watched him and a group of borders with a similar look descend the slope, and gather their boards. I watched them make their way back to the resort, and I was so busy staring that I didn't clue in to where they were going. Before I could come to the realization, the front door of the cafe jingled, announcing the arrival of new customers. I glanced around quickly, and noticed that the only empty booth was right across from me. Great. As the group came closer, I discovered that they were all boys around my age. In fact, I recognized a couple of voices from the night before, when I was in the lounge! Just my luck. Here I was, sitting in a cafe all by myself, with no phone, no food or drink, and in yoga pants and a ponytail. I just looked out the window and prayed that I could turn invisible. The boys took their seats in the booth, laughing and hooting, still feeling the rush of the slopes. Great, they're distracted I thought. I quickly and quietly stood up, looking to make a stealthy exit. It was looking great, until I stubbed my toe on the corner of their table. “Mother of abskflddgdfg....” I muttered. I was hoping to just scurry along like nothing had occurred, but the boys had become aware of my little accident. Of course, being boys, they were cracking up. “Nice one, graceful!” One laughed. My cheeks were beet red and as hot as a fire. Having the social skills of a rock, I had no clue what to do. Should I walk away and pretend not to notice, or make a joke about it? I didn't have time to decide. Another one of the snowboarders spoke up. “Ah, don't listen to Matt, he's a douche. Are you okay? Sit down kid!” Cautiously, I turned my head in the direction of my defender. Oh, my God. This. Could not. Be happening. Sitting in the booth in front of me, was my idol...Mark McMorris.