Growing Pains

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Gwen

We drove an hour up the small nearby mountain called Bear Cliff. We left exactly at 9:30, pressed by Courtney's color coded schedule. I was riding with Courtney along with Bridgette and DJ. The other boys piled into Trent's Jeep, which took some of the tension out of my shoulders. I swore Bridgette and Courtney looked more relaxed too.

Bear Cliff had a small town called Bear Village that seemed like it belonged more in Sweden than Wawanakwa. There were pretty buildings with white details decorating their exterior. All of the stores and restaurants were one of kind, no chain store for miles.

It was like some kind of pretty wonderland.

Today we were skiing on the like ten trails it offered, but everyone seemed excited. Everyone except me that it. I was a horrible skier. I preferred sitting by the outdoor heaters and sketching the pretty pine trees that stretched out of the mountain, but today wasn't my day to pick our activity. Today it was Courtney's choice.

I fought the urge to glare at her as we put on our too tight ski boots. I fought it once more as I nearly fell on my way to a ski lift. Something told me that that feeling would itch at me throughout the day.

"Here comes the bar," Bridgette said with a smile as she pulled down the ski bar; the one thing preventing me from falling and landing in the white powder that coated the mountain below us. Bridgette had an easy smile as she shifted in her seat, her snowboard shifting with her.

I wasn't sure how she did it. I tried snowboarding once and as I tried to get off the lift I fell flat on my face, earning a chuckle from the workers. Duncan also snowboarded and he always found a way to show off his pretty cool stunts when Courtney was around.

"One of the workers said today was some of the best ski conditions they've seen yet," Bridgette said with smirk, her green eyes glittering against the sunny morning. I suspected it was because of the worker who was clearly flirting with her in line, and I didn't fail to notice the scowl that hung on Geoff's lips.

"How exciting," I drawled, my voice as dry as the cold air that bit at our faces as we rose.

She gave me a look, "C'mon, today will be fun."

"Never said it wouldn't be." She rolled her eyes, that same smile playing on her lips.

"Hey, losers! Don't look down," I heard Duncan's voice call from behind us. I turned around, flicking him off, as I looked back to see him and DJ smiling in response.

"And here I thought your ego would exceed the lift's weight limit," Bridge yelled back with a teasing smirk of her own. I laughed at that, the most genuine laugh I had all week. She noticed it as she darted her sparkling eyes to me. I merely shrugged, looking away from the two boys behind us.

I still hadn't talked to Trent, but I looked at him this morning, and acknowledging his existence was a step in the right direction. I was moving past all of this. I mean, I knew that we still needed to talk, but maybe when it came, I'd be ready.

"Bar's going up," Bridgette stated. I swung my skis off, clinging to the back railing of the chair as their weight pulled me a bit forward. She lifted up the bar, preparing to launch herself from the chair.

"God, save me," I muttered as I pushed myself off of the chair and my skis hit the snow. I wobbled as I moved my skis into a triangle shape to try and slow down, but I thankfully did not fall on my ass like I thought I would.

"Nice," Bridge complimented, genuinely looking impressed. She was there the day I fell face first with my heavy snowboard, so she knew my snow sport skills were pretty limited.