Broken Snow

Camping Trip

"I'll be the first to admit, this isn't what I expected when you said that we'd be taking a family vacation, Aunt Christine." My Cousin, Kenzie said, before adding, "Seriously, who goes camping anymore, especially on a mountain?" She said, now starting to breathe heavily, it seemed like the walking was weighing on the goth teen.

Kenzie's bratty tone made me roll my eyes, hard. Why does she always have to be like that? I thought, adjusting my pack to better accommodate my shoulders, it was starting to get heavy. Even when we were kids, she was like this. So annoying. 

I sighed, her bratty attitude went well with her outfit and color palate at least. Heavy black clothing, leather boots, and a leather jacket even though it was a decent seventy degrees before we started coming up this mountain. Her outfit was matched with once-blonde hair now dyed black, followed by blue eyes, I always thought that she was pretty, if she just wasn't such an insufferable bitch. 

Though her clothing was completely stupid earlier, now her clothing choices make more sense, since as the higher we climbed, the colder it was getting. Thankfully, Blackwoods Mountain wasn't exactly the highest mountain in the world, or even in the United States, and the temperature had only dropped to fifty degrees, of course, the very top of the mountains were covered in snow, but we weren't going that far up anyway.

"Oh come on Mackenzie, you don't see Claire or Jay complaining!" At the mention of our names, me and my boyfriend, Jay Jackson, both snap our attention to my mother. My mom, Christine was a pretty nice lady, if I say so myself always very kind and easygoing, even in the face of jerks and bitches, like Cousin Kenzie. She, like me, had short, golden locks of hair and blue eyes, unlike me however, she kept it all up in a nice bun and, something that I could never do. I Hate having my hair tied up at all. 

"Well Claire enjoys hiking! I'm more of an inside person if you didn't know." Kenzie snapped, disgust filling her voice at the word enjoys, as though my enjoyment of the woods was physically detrimental to her, "And Jay-" She continued "-Plays football for the team." I looked at Jay, and briefly noticed how his dark skin contrasted with the white of the clouds above us. Which I couldn't help looking at since he practically towered over me with how large he was. He looked down at me and we both shared a small giggle as Kenzie put her hands on her knees and almost fell over while trying desperately trying to  gather enough air to finish our trek. Honestly I have no idea how she keeps her figure with how little she works out. I hike in the woods practically every day and I barely fight off my fat, she stays inside either moping, listening to some death-metal, or watching YouTube all day and night. Or at least that's what her parents assume she does. Despite her gothic exterior she was quite the promiscuous one, and her usual partners were of the feminine persuasion. Maybe that's how she keeps her figure so good, sex does count as exercise..

"Well think of it this way; We're almost there, and by the time we get there you mother and father will have set everything up, you'll have a place to sit, and the cooler is filled with enough soda for a week, and you can drink as much as you want." My mother glanced back and delivered one of her award-winning smiles, which finally manages to shut Kenzie up.

"Alright, whatever. How much longer do we have anyway?" She said, crossing her arms, causing the leather of the fabric to rub against itself.

"Ten more minutes." My mom replied, cocking her head softly to the side. Kenzie groaned, but stayed silent the rest of the way.

I looked back at my mother in wonder, how could she be so easygoing? Didn't she deal with unruly teens all day as a teacher? I hold her in the highest of respects. That would drive me insane, trying to keep people my age from being total asses, all day, all week.

We walk in silence, and ten minutes later we find ourselves in a small clearing where the ground leveled out a bit more and we were no longer on a slope. In the middle I can see my stepfather Dave tending to the fire in the pit, I quietly wish he'd fall in. My Mom married him three years after my dad died, and I have never liked him. He worked as Lawyer, and was never far from a suit, it wouldn't surprise me if he had one packed in his suitcase, don't ask me how he got that thing up here. He was always working in my more tentative years, which caused a rift between us as, when I actually needed a father, he was too busy with work. And in more recent times, he's disapproving of my relationship with Jay. I'm not sure if it's racism of if he's trying to be the stereotypical father type and is just hating my boyfriend because he's my boyfriend.

He saw us and smiled, "Christine! Girls! Jay. How was the hike?" He asked, and Kenzie quickly had him in a hug before he could say much more. Oh? Did I forget to mention? He is really chummy with Kenzie and her family, and whenever he drops by their house he might as well change his occupation to Sugar Daddy, because Kenzie will bleed him dry for as much money as she possibly can. As she's a lesbian, she doesn't use seduction on him but rather she uses a combination of pouting and pretending she likes him to get him to spend more and more.

"Uncle Dave! It's so great to see you, the hike was great!" She said, giving him a huge, excruciatingly fake, smile.

Well, I can respect something about Kenzie at least, she sure knows who to suck up too to get gifts from. Can't respect dave for falling for it though..

"Oh! Kenzie, how's my favorite- and only - niece doing?" He said, smiling back.

"I'm just a little tired. Where's dad, and the sodas?" She asked, looking around. 

Dave pointed behind him and I, along with Kenzie, looked where he pointed. My Uncle, and Kenzie's dad was in the back with his other child; Joseph Jr. They were pitching the final of three tents.

Joseph Sr., also known as Joe, stood straight and looked at them, "I bet you girls are thirsty!" He called in his usual hearty and jovial tones, "I sure as hell was after I climbed up here. Not like my boy here though." He slapped Joseph Jr on the back hard, and the soldier laughed at his father's antics.

"Aw I dunno dad, didn't have many mountains to climb when I was deployed, I could probably use something now." Joseph chuckled, and his dad laughed with them.

Kenzie put her head in her hand, "You guys are so annoying, where is the cooler?"

"Ah, lighten up Kenz." Joseph laughed, before pulling a can of Pepsi, her favorite kind of soda, and tossing it to her.

Kenzie caught it and actually gave a genuine smile to her brother, "Thanks bro, I'm glad we sent you guys up here first, otherwise my soda would be warm." She said, before taking several long gulps of soda and stalking towards her mother, Aunt Emma to me, and grabbing a foldable chair.

Jay leaned next to me and whispered, "She has the right idea."

"For once I guess." I reply, "Grab me some soda, will you? I'll go set up our chairs." I reply, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Yeah, this will be the first time I'll be meeting your other family members guess I'll go make some new friends." He said, and I could hear the nervousness in his voice, I guess I'll have to calm his fears.

"Don't worry, no-one in my family is racist, except for probably Dave. I'm sure my Uncle would love to hear about your football stories. Just don't forget my soda." I said, giving him a reassuring smile.

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A/N: Well, I'm trying a shorter chapter system for this story, tell me what you think! Do you want longer or this-sized chapters? Tell me! I love to hear feedback!