Forty: ski resort

Temperance

Once we got to the resort, everyone put on their coats, scarves, beanies, or whatever they had. The teachers push us all off the bus and into the freezing snow.

We are forced to stay in place as our teachers conduct a head count. I shiver and put my gloved hands on my nose to keep my face partially warm. I look around. Everything is covered in snow. Great. I hate the cold.

I stand in front of the resort, taken aback by how big it looks. It looks WARM. Then without warning, the teachers usher us into the building we will be staying in.

I look around. It is beautiful. It is fancy. It is so warm. But it isn't just my school. No. There are two other schools already here. My eyes widen in fear that everyone I once knew could be here, watching me.

I make my way to Chris and Kenli, who happen to be standing together. Many people push around me to get to various places.I look at my cousins frantically. They look at each other, then back at me in confusion. 

Chris grabs my hand, pulling me out of the crowd.

"What's wrong?" They ask. I look at Chris, and he instantly figured out my problem. He knows that my old friends are here, roaming around as we speak. He knows I can't see them. He knows I am too scared to see them.

I want to see them. Don't get me wrong. I am just scared. Scared for multiple reasons. Scared they will be mad at me. Scared they won't want to see me. Scared, everything will be completely different. Scared of Austin and what he will do if they find out.

"What are you two on about?" Kenli looks at Chris and me in confusion. "It's nothing," Chris responds for me knowing I don't want to. They know I am not particularly eager to talk. They have calmed down with trying to force me to talk. Sometimes they nudge me, sometimes it's acceptance.

"Hello, students. I am principal Wesscott, and this is the owner, Jenson." The principal from my old school stands by the owner of the ski resort.

The owner steps up and gives us all a smile. "Hello, students." There are several hundred students in the room.

"Welcome to the ski resort. I expect everyone treats it with great respect, for I have worked hard to make my dream come true. I'll let your principal take over now."

Then the principal takes over. "Westring High school is going to be on the first floor. Fairview high school will be on the second floor. And Riverblossom high school will be on the third. We will assign rooms. Boys with boys. Girls with girls. Teachers will be patrolling the halls to make sure no girls go into the boy's room or Vice versa. And do not disturb the other guests here." After that, he takes a deep breath.

Then we can go put our stuff up. I take my suitcase into an elevator with me. Kenli is following behind me. Several people force themself on the elevator, and I prayed no one I knew was on that elevator with me.

As we are getting off. To my horror, someone grabs my wrist. My wrist stings. I whip my head around and yank my wrist out of their grasp.

My mouth drops open as I see Connor standing in front of me, his mouth gaping open. He stands in the middle of the elevator doors, not letting them close. Everyone on there is either annoyed with him. Or watching us like it is a soap opera.

"Y-you're here." He whispers, astonished. I feel a single tear slide down my cheek. No one ever sees me cry aside from Alec when I lived with him.

"I-I'm a fragment of your imagination." I struggle to find an excuse.

He eyes me, figuring out if I'm actually real or not.

"I- WE can't talk. We can't see each other." I wipe my tear and sniffle. Kenli looks back at me and eyes Connor with suspicion.

"Alec has been so lost without you. We all have. We miss you. It's not the same without you." He tries to reach out for me, but I back away as I choke on my own tears.

"Where is Alec?" I ask, looking down at my shoes avoiding eye contact. "He is on another elevator," Connor replies.

I wipe my tears. "Don't tell him about this. Don't tell him I am here. I can't see you guys."

"Why not??" He frowns. I shake my head and wipe my tears away. I take a few deep breaths to calm myself down. "I- I can't tell you." I sigh, my eyes shutting hard before I reopen them.

"Promise me you won't tell Alec," I say in almost a whisper. Connor takes a minute to reply, trying to study me, trying to figure out the situation I'm in. "I promise."

I give him a small smile before turning around to walk down the hall to my room with Kenli. I hear the elevator door close, and my heart stops beating so fast.

She hands me my keycard, and I open the door. The hotel room is nice. It is big. It has two queen beds, a big bathroom with a full shower and bath, and two sinks. Then there is another room. It is a living room and kitchen area. There are two couches and a flatscreen tv. And a full-size kitchen area.

Our mouths hang open at the sight of the room. This is the nicest place I've been in aside from my old house, which I don't remember much of. Alec's house was fancy. I know that. But not this fancy.

I know for a fact that this is the NICEST place that Kenli has been in.

"It's amazing!" She cheers, throwing her luggage on one of the beds and jumping on it. I smile at her and sit on the other bed, setting my stuff on the floor.

She sits up and looks at me. "Who was that guy in the elevator?"

I knew she'd ask that. I bite my lip and stay silent for a minute before I open my mouth to speak. "He is just someone I used to know."

She looks at me and cocks her head to the side in the question of me. "Why don't you wanna talk to him or Alec?"

I almost freak out that she knows Alec's name for a second, but then I realize that one: her brother works with him. And two: I said his name when I was talking to Connor.

"It's complicated. Can we please stop talking about this?" I want to end this conversation immediately as I lay down on the sheets behind me. She nods like she understands and goes into a peaceful silence.

Connor better keeps his promise to me, or Austin will bring hell on all of us. He probably already will if one of the people he pays saw us talking.

***************************************************************

Alec

I claim the bed closest to the window, and Zander weeps. "I wanted that one."

Then we hear a knock at the door. Zander and I look at each other in question. Neither of us invited anyone.

"Come in?" Zander yells with question overtaking his tone. The door opens slightly, and Connor squeezes his way in through the barely opened door. Why do my men have a fascination with squeezing through the barely opened door?

"Chris is also here." He warns. I look into his eyes. I feel like there is something else he wants to say instead. Something is stopping him.

What does he want to say? What is stopping him?

"Ok?" I lift an eyebrow at him, questioning his motives. He gives me an awkward, plastered smile and scratches the back of his neck. "What?" I ask him, a glare forming on my face.

"Oh, nothing." Then with that, he leaves. The fuck? What's gotten into him?

I look at Zander, who looks just as confused as I do. I shake my head in disappointment. Connor is Connor. That's what's wrong with him.

But then again. Maybe something wrong. Maybe something important happened. What won't he tell me?