I'm No Cinderella

Chapter 27

                I stood on the porch of our cabin and looked out across the whiteness. It was blindingly beautiful. The white mountains reflected the dim sunlight so everything looks bright and cold. We never had that much snow back in Ramses, so seeing this makes my heart warm. We usually have thin sheets of ice from snow that fall early in the morning. I rarely get to see the snow falling, let alone make snow angels.

                That is why, every summer, dad would bundle us all up in a car and bring us here for the weekend. Back then, when he was more alert and not focussed on the television. Leah, Andrew and me would race each other down the mountain as mom and dad sat in the cabin drinking hot chocolate. They were not really into adventures.

                I heard the door open behind me, and I turned to look into Ryan’s eyes. He gave me a smile which I returned. I couldn’t sleep well last night thinking about him. I probably slept late – about two in the morning and got up early to have coffee and waited for the sun to come up. Whatever turmoil that’s in my heart will have to take a back-seat today as I plan on having as much fun as I can for this trip. I’m pushing all thoughts of Ryan to a corner of my mind to be reached for once I’m back in the office, or never. He closed the door and stood beside me, looking up to the sky. I followed suit and watched the sky.

                “The last time we looked at the sky, we were looking for a shooting star,” Ryan said as I looked at him. Why did he have to bring up that piece of memory? I’ve been trying to suppress that part of the night because it hurts that he couldn’t remember our first kiss, but now he had the gall to bring it up. He turned to look at me.

                “Why are you looking at me that way?” he asked as I turned away and shook my head. Focus, Sam, focus. You’re here to have fun and not worry about how you feel for this guy.

                “Nothing,” I said, “Where are the others? I want to go down there and ski.”

                “Let’s go first,” he said, pulling my hand and walking forward, “Let them catch up.”

                “But…” I said, letting him pull me anyway. Aidan wanted to get on the cable car with me, but that’s just got to wait. We headed down to the cable ride where thankfully there weren’t many people around. I guess people just don’t like getting up early on holiday. We got the rental skiing equipment and headed for the car.

                “Are you any good at skiing?” Ryan asked me as we stood in the short line to the cable car. The group right at the front were middle aged ladies and they were quite slow.

                “A bit,” I said, distracted, “Are they going to be okay skiing down the mountain?”

                “They should be?” he replied, “Why are you concerned about them?”

                “Because they’re taking too long just to get on the cable car,” I said, “What if they block our path down the mountain? I don’t want them to hinder my journey.”

                “They’ll do fine,” Ryan said, shrugging his shoulders. I looked at him.

                “What about you then?” I asked.

                “What about me?”

                “Are you any good at skiing?”

                “I’m the best of the best,” he said, smiling sideways.

                “You really think so?” I said, raising my eyebrows, “I was told I was one of the best too.”