The Slope Rules

by Melanie Hooyenga

  “You can’t do that if you’re leaving.”

  His eyes darken and he leans over me, his eyelids heavy. “Maybe one last kiss.”

  My arms are around his neck before he can change his mind. The intensity between us makes me want things I shouldn’t be considering when Dad could walk by any second, but the risk of getting caught makes me kiss Blake that much harder.

  When we finally break apart, my mind is fuzzy. All I see is him.

  He leans back and I disentangle myself. We stare at each other for another minute before I stand. “I’ll get your clothes.”

  Once he’s changed—and I’ve fantasized about what he looks like behind the closed door—I lead him to the front door to send him off into the blizzard.

  He stops me from opening it. “Do you need a ride tomorrow?”

  Right, skiing. With everything that’s happened I forgot that I don’t have a ride. “Actually, that’d be great.”

  “Is ten okay?”

  I press a kiss against his cheek. “Perfect.”

  He exhales against my neck and I shiver. “Good night.”

  “See you tomorrow.” I close the door and swoon like the lovesick lead in a rom-com. All I need now is to race up the stairs, flop onto my bed, and clutch my hands to my chest and the part will be mine.

  I’m no less swoony the next morning. I slept like a rock—probably all that frolicking in the snow—and wake to a text from Sophia asking about the date.

  It was heaven.

  Did he finally explain?

  Yeah, and then some.

  I don’t want you to get hurt again...

  Me neither, but he’s so hot.

  LOL.

  But seriously. I get it now.

  Too much for texting?

  Yeah. I’ll call you later. He’s picking me up to go skiing soon.

  This is getting serious.

  Is it? I don’t know if I’d call this serious—not yet—it just feels right.

  Maybe.

  Be careful.

  Gah, between you and Dad...

  We love you.

  xoxo

  Now that I’m thinking of him, I have an intense urge to talk to him. I settle for texting.

  Good morning.

  That’s a nice way to wake up.

  And now I’m imagining him in bed with a lot less clothes and much messier hair and I kind of wish I hadn’t let him leave when I did.

  We still on for ten? I ask.

  Unless you’re ready sooner.

  The sooner the better. Does that sound desperate? He knows how much I love skiing so hopefully he’s thinking that.

  I miss you too.

  Even though he can’t see me, I blush.

  Be there in half an hour.

  I start to reply my standard sign-off with Sophia—xoxo—then quickly erase it. No need to scare him off now that we’re finally—I don’t know—together? Back together?

  I crawl out of bed and trip over my laptop. Ugh, I still have to write my life-changing event paper. Moving to Colorado is definitely the number two event that changed my life, and not just for the obvious reasons. I’ve never lacked a backbone or followed along with my friends just because they said to, but all the drama with Brianna’s shown me that I’d rather stand up for myself and have no friends than be bullied around. If we’d stayed in Vermont I might not have ever learned that about myself. Convincing Mike to ditch Brianna is just a bonus.

  Dad’s at his usual spot in the kitchen, an empty bowl of cereal and full cup of coffee in front of him. And his notebook by his side where it belongs. “Wasn’t sure if you needed a ride.”

  I pour myself a cup and grab a banana from the counter. “Blake’s picking me up in a little bit.”

  He raises an eyebrow. “Does this mean you’ve forgiven him?”

  “I haven’t completely let him off the hook. I made him explain all the crappy things he’s done and there was a lot more going on than I realized.” I tell him the highlights of our date—leaving out the kissing, even if he did see us—and how Blake explained why he acted the way he did, including what happened with his brother.

  “Wow, that’s a lot to deal with at his age.”

  I cock my head. I don’t mean to compare me losing Mom to Blake losing his brother, but I didn’t expect that reaction from Dad.

  “It was awful when your mom died, but we’ve never dealt with the kind of guilt that Blake carries with him.”

  I pick at the banana peel. “I guess I didn’t think about it that way.”

  He smiles. “Don’t be too hard on him.”

  I top off my coffee and kiss his cheek. “I better go get ready.”

  An hour later, we’re cruising down the highway in Blake’s Jeep, my skis and his board strapped to the roof and our boots and helmets in the backseat. When we arrive at Eldora, I reach for the gear in back while Blake stands on the running board to get our equipment. His shirt lifts in the front, revealing a patch of his belly, and I can practically feel the drool running down my face.

  He pokes his head inside to smile at me and I flush. The shit-eating grin hasn’t left my face since he picked me up. He hops down and for the first time in forever, I’m actually nervous to ski. It’s stupid because he’s seen what I can do and thinks I’m amazeballs, but I can’t help feeling like I need to impress him. I guess hanging out with guys all the time has rubbed off on me. They’re always showing off to impress a potential mate.

  Blake slides his hands over my waist and nuzzles his nose against my cheek, and my insides turn to mush. “Ready?”

  I shake my head.

  He pulls back to look at me. “I thought you were in a hurry to get here.”

  I duck my head so I’m not looking in his eyes. “I was... but then you went and did that and...” My face is so hot I’m sure I’m melting the snow in the parking lot. I look up at him through my lashes, expecting to find a teasing smile, but his face is serious. I rise on my toes and he meets me halfway, kissing me like he did last night outside my bedroom.

  We break away, both of us breathing heavily. He presses a gentle kiss to my lips. “If we keep doing this we’re never going to get out of the parking lot.”

  That wouldn’t be so bad. Except I need the practice. I pick up my gear and we head for the lodge. In another ten minutes we’re on the chairlift to the terrain park.

  He rests his hand on mine. “I didn’t know if we’d ever do this again.”

  ‘This’ could be so many things. “Me too.”

  “Have you been practicing for the Dash?”

  “Amber led me through the race course on Wednesday but I want to be more familiar with it.”

  “Want to hit that first?”

  “I thought you weren’t entering?”

  He shrugs. “I’m not, but that doesn’t mean I can’t race you.”

  Lightness fills me. That, and adrenaline. “Oh, it’s on.”

  Skis by nature go faster than snowboards, but Blake is stronger and more agile than Amber and he doesn’t waste time cutting from side to side. From the second we drop off the top lip of Corona, he’s crouched low, barreling straight down the mountain. His aggressiveness shouldn’t surprise me, but I’ve never seen him on a straight-away so I didn’t know how intense he is.

  I especially like that he isn’t going easy on me.

  Everything’s a blur except the trail ahead. I shift my weight from left to right, letting my edges do the work, while the rest of my body remains in a tuck. I whip past him midway down the run, but let up enough so that we hit the final drop side by side. We both catch air, and for a moment the entire world stops. We’re flying feet apart from each other, our bodies locked in position, trees and other skiers frozen in time. My heart yearns to look at him but I stay focused on the bottom of the run.
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  The chairlift.

  The finish line.

  My knees bend as I land and I don’t let up until I reach the line of people waiting for the chairlift. Blake slams to a stop seconds after me, his spray barely missing a couple kids from our school.

  A huge smile lights up his face. “Not bad. Go again?”

  I beat him three more times before he calls mercy and we make our way to the terrain park. We pause at the top, assessing the boarders already there. He shifts so our arms are touching but his attention stays on the tricks. “I knew you were good, but you’re good.”

  “Thanks?”

  He smiles. “Almost makes up for the fact that you don’t board.”

  “What?!” I smack his arm and he pretends to lose his balance.

  “I’m just saying.”

  “Yeah, well say this.” I push off, but instead of the big jumps like I normally do, I cut for the series of boxes and rails. They aren’t my favorite, mainly because they’re so hard on your gear and you have to wax more often, but I can hang. I go easy on the first rail—a simple one-eighty mount, then one-eighty dismount. The box is next so I twist to start in reverse, then let my skis carry me off. I stay backwards leading up to the next rail, spin to land on the rail going forward, then take a deep breath and pull off a full three-sixty dismount. I come to a stop at the bottom and watch for Blake.

  He hops forward to gain momentum and takes the first rail with a one-eighty mount and dismount. He copies my motions on the box too, and by the third rail, I’m bouncing in my boots. Follow the leader!

  He slows before reaching me and grabs my waist as he comes to a stop. He brushes a kiss across my lips and my eyes flutter closed. His face is as cold as mine but somehow his lips are still soft. I lean into him, kissing him back, when a snowball bursts against his helmet.

  We both jump. Luke is tossing another snowball in his hand, smiling.

  Blake shakes snow off his head. “I thought you were getting your beauty sleep.”

  He shrugs. “Ian convinced me I’m already beautiful.”

  “Well, let’s go!” Blake squeezes my arm. “I go first this time.”

  Ian catches up to us when we’re in line for the lift, cutting through people until he’s next to Luke.

  At the top, Blake eyes Luke. “No flips?”

  He holds out his hands like he could go either way, and Blake nods. “Follow me!”

  We take turns being the leader and all the stress from school and the party and even Blake melts away. I’m in my element flipping and twisting and hanging with the guys, and it’s like I’m finally home.

  Until we get to the top of the lift and the Snow Bunnies are there.

  I’m glad Mike’s not with them, but I feel bad that she’s not skiing today. Evan and the guys are in line for the big jump and the Half Pipes are right behind them. They wave at Blake and he gives them a thumbs up.

  I stop while he straps on his board and glare at Brianna. I don’t know if she knows her dad returned the notebook, but it proves she stole from me—from Dad—and I’m done being civil with her. “Did you miss a turn at the last green?”

  She rolls her eyes. “You think you own this run?”

  “No, but I’ve seen you ski.”

  Kenzie’s eyes narrow. “Where do you get off acting like you’re all that?”

  “Didn’t seem to bother you before.”

  She huffs, and I try not to smile. If these two want to make fools of themselves, who am I to stop them?

  Evan pushes off first, and Austin and Reece follow close behind. They hit the jumps right after each other—boom, boom, boom—and land perfectly at the bottom.

  “Ready, Kenz?” Brianna pushes Kenzie to go, and Kenzie hesitates.

  As much as I want to be a bitch, I know what can happen when you don’t know what you’re doing on a jump. “It’s harder than it looks.” My voice is flat. I really don’t want to help them. “Just keep your skis straight and don’t miss the landing or you might break your neck.”

  Andrew laughs. “Yeah, I’m proof of that.”

  Brianna’s eyes go wide, and Andrew is my new best friend.

  “Bet my helmet doesn’t seem so dumb now, huh?”

  She narrows her eyes at me and her mask of composure resets. “You people are ridiculous.” She uses her poles to get going and slides to the top of the jump, Kenzie at her side. With a quick glance at Kenzie, Bri straightens her skis so they’re pointing downhill and she starts moving.

  “This oughta be good,” Blake murmurs.

  Her skis wobble as she approaches the first jump—the first time I’ve seen a crack in her composure, at least on the slopes—and a high-pitched squeal echoes off the mountain when her skis leave the ground. Arms flailing, she somehow lands on both feet and immediately snowplows. By the time she reaches the second jump she’s going so slow that she coasts over the top, her skis never leaving the snow. All of us at the top exhale when she does the same on the third jump.

  She comes to a graceful stop at the bottom and Austin pulls her into a bear hug.

  “Well, that was anti-climatic.” I flick snow off the tip of my ski, sending it high above our heads.

  Ian laughs. “Show’s not over yet.”

  Kenzie’s still standing at the top of the jump. By now there’s a line of boarders behind her and their taunts carry to where we’re standing.

  “Go already!”

  “Get out of the way if you’re not jumping!”

  Luke cups his hands around his mouth and shouts, “Go back to the bunny hill!”

  She turns her head our way, mouth clenched in a firm line.

  “Not so nice when it’s directed at you, is it?” Blake’s voice is low, but the disgust is unmistakable.

  Kenzie inches forward until ever-so-slowly her skis begin to move.

  Blake shakes his head. “If she doesn’t pick up speed she’s not gonna clear the jump.”

  And that’s exactly what happens. Kenzie’s going so slow that she doesn’t have enough momentum to crest the jump and she starts to slide backwards.

  He snorts and I nudge him. “You should do commentary.”

  “Screw this. I’m hitting the rails.” Luke hops, slapping his board against the snow, then takes off down the hill. The Half Pipes follow him, leaving me alone with Blake.

  Kenzie tries to skate up the hill but her skis keep slipping. By now a small crowd has gathered above her, their shouts getting obscene.

  I shift my weight. “Should we help her?”

  Blake looks at me. “You’re joking, right?”

  “I guess.” Kenzie and Brianna have gone out of their way to make my life miserable, but she’s out of her element here. I remember how my stomach cramped the first time I pushed off the top of a scary mountain. I still get a twinge of nerves at the top, but I know I have the skills to get me safely down the hill. Kenzie doesn’t have that.

  What she does have is a cheering section because she’s given up trying to go uphill and cuts to the side, freeing up the run. Boarders fly by her—a couple even flip her off—before she points her skis toward the bottom and glides to Brianna’s side, head high and form perfect like nothing happened.

  Brianna gives her a quick hug at the bottom, then they get in line for the same lift.

  “They’re coming back for more?”

  I shrug. “Let’s wait until they’re on the lift so we won’t keep running into them.” We get in line for the jumps, but my adrenaline has faded. The Snow Bunnies are the only thing that make me not want to ski.

  “You okay?”

  I nod. “Just a lot of standing around.”

  “Mind if I go first?”

  I’ve never seen him do his thing from the top—er... from the top of the jumps. And now I’m thinking of really inappropriate things. I blush an
d Blake raises an eyebrow at me. “Go for it.” I flush even more and he leans his head toward mine.

  “I’m dying to know what you’re thinking.”

  “Not a chance in hell.”

  He winks. “Maybe later?”

  I smile. Later, when the Bunnies are gone and it’s just us and... “Mmm, maybe.”

  He pecks my cheek, then hops forward. “See you at the bottom.” Then he gives me another wink that sends my heart into convulsions. His first jump is a smooth three-sixty. He lands easily and crouches to gain speed for the second. As soon as he leaves the ground, he grabs his board behind him and arches his back. It looks like an easy move but it takes a lot of control to keep yourself steady.

  And a lot of muscles.

  Muscles.

  Like probably a six-pack.

  I bite my lip and give up trying not to blush.

  The third jump is all big air. Body tucked, arms steady, soaring far beyond where most people land. He sticks the landing and turns around to wait for me.

  My thoughts are so rattled from imaging him without clothes that I play the jumps safe and copy him—three-sixty, ollie, and big air—although his air was way bigger. I come to a smooth stop next to him and my hand reaches for his belly. I can’t feel muscles through his heavy jacket, but I can imagine.

  His brows furrow. “You okay?”

  I run my hand over his torso. “Better than okay. Let’s go.”

  We head back up and my stomach sinks. The Bunnies are still at the top. “Why would they come back up if they’re too scared to do anything?”

  “I’ve never claimed to understand what they do.” He glances at me and rests a hand on my thigh. “Hey, just ignore them. They don’t own this place.”

  “I know, it’s just...” I hate the squicky feeling I get when I’m around them, like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. “Being suspended clearly didn’t make Brianna change her ways and I trust Kenzie about as far as I can throw her.”

  He squeezes my leg. “Do you have plans for winter break?”

  Oh, right. That’s next weekend. When we first moved I’d hoped I could go back to Vermont, but I never made plans and now it’s too late. “What did you have in mind?” I realize he didn’t actually ask me out, but I never claimed to be bashful.