Nope on the Slope (ONC 2024)

Chapter 10: Rock and a Hard Place (Levi's POV)

"There you are, pretty thing. You haven't been hiding from me have you?" Of course, stupid Justin had to climb the ladder and find me with Kelsi. It's not unusual to find me with Kelsi, but we've crossed over today in more ways than we ever have before. I might need to step down for a while if Kelsi can't let Justin go. I won't know for sure unless we talk.

"Hey there, Levi. I didn't see you. It's good to see you taking care of our pretty thing. I got thinking about her today while I was playing my video game."

Our eyes meet. We both know that's a reference to him jacking off and getting turned on to that virtual vixen from the other day. He's doing it to piss me off. I've never done anything to make my cousin such a jerk.

"What game was it?" Kelsi asks oblivious to the awkwardness that Justin is spewing into the air.

"I don't remember, pretty thing. But one of the characters looked just like you. She even sounds like you sometimes. You are much prettier though. Want to go on a date tonight? Maybe you can come to Levi and bring that little sister of Orion with you. What's her name?"

Does Justin know that Kelsi and I were intimate? Did he hear her breathing? Did he watch us? Why is he taking her away from me?

"I can't I have other plans." I can't sit and watch Kelsi go on a date with Justin.

"I can't tonight either, Justin. I got into a big fight with Scarlett and I kind of owe it to her to fix things. It's my fault really."

"You can start fights? I didn't think that was possible. Now why do I have a hard time believing that? What did you fight about?"

"A boy. Let's leave it at that." Kelsi finds my eyes and blushes a little. That's a dead giveaway. It has something to do with me.

"That's kind of hot that you fought over me, pretty thing. How about we go on a date tomorrow night? You can come over and we can use my hot tub? It can be just the two of us."

Kelsi looks at me and doesn't know what to say to Justin. She's always been into him for as long as I can remember. But now she's involved with me, sort of. If she picks Justin I don't know if I'll ever recover.

"I'll think about it, Justin." Kelsi's eyes find mine and I can tell she's still thinking about us and what transpired between us.

"Playing hard to get are we? You sure like to keep a man on his toes. But for you, pretty thing, I'd do just about anything to date you. We can still wait for the ski trip like you said. I can't wait to get together then. Just don't go sneaking around with someone else or I might not be so friendly to you if you do."

The way he talks to Kelsi makes me want to barf. I knew he was a man whore but this is over the top and in front of me no less.

She's my best friend, go get your own.

I suppose that was my role for him once, around the time he saved me from drowning on that frozen ice. We've done a lot of growing up since then and a lot of things have happened between us since we were those two young boys.

"I'll talk to you later, Justin. Thanks for stopping by and don't worry I'll text you later about tomorrow."

"Alright. Bye, for now, pretty thing." Justin gets off the ladder and disappears. I stick my head out of the window to make sure he is actually gone. It would be more awkward if he were to have stuck around.

"I'm glad he's gone. I need to go too, Kelsi." Kelsi grabs my hand and stops me from leaving.

"Levi, aren't we going to talk about what just happened between us? We can't pretend something didn't happen."

"I can't right now. My cousin has ruined my mood. I need to go, Kelsi. Enjoy your hot tub date with Justin and pretend that nothing happened between us. I know I've already forgotten about it."

It's not Kelsi's fault that Justin climbed up her ladder. But I still can't help but wonder if our moment meant anything to her at all. Justin offers himself on a silver platter and because I'm around she probably can't give him her real answer which we both know is yes.

"Don't be like that, Levi. Please don't go. We need to talk about this. Levi..." I ignore Kelsi and flee down the ladder the same way my cousin did. I knew falling for Kelsi was a mistake.

The even worse mistake was to go against our pact. Now everything is fucked up and my best friend will never feel for me what I feel for her. Our relationship is so damn frustrating. I don't even want to teach her how to snowboard, I don't care about her impressing Justin anymore. Clearly, that doesn't matter to him, all he wants to do is get into her pants on the ski trip and she'll let him.

She said she wanted her first time to be with me. Is that even a plan anymore? Were those empty words to mess with my head? Why did Justin have to come over and ruin everything? Now I'm the petty jealous bastard. But despite it, I just have to blow Kelsi off before something else hurts us even more than Justin showing up uninvited.

I head to Orion's house, the one true friend I have left. He knows that I'm pissed and offers me a beer. I chug the whole thing and barely let myself take a breath when I do.

"What happened to you? Did something stupid happen?"

"Something always stupid happens. I'm not in the mood." I say opening another beer and stealing his bag of sour cream and onion chips. The chips make crunching noises between my teeth and remind me of middle school when that's all we had at every meal.

"Then why did you come over here? To sulk and be a douchebag? Something or someone is bothering you. Let me guess it's about Kelsi?" He takes a sip of his own beer. Since we've now both started drinking I'm pretty sure I'll be spending the night and using his clothes.

"Yep. It's about Kelsi. We've crossed a line." I'm halfway through my next beer as I take another mouthful of chips.

"So you fucked her? Good on you." He leans in and smiles like I should be proud.

"No. I didn't fuck her. I touched her everywhere else and then Justin invited himself into her room via her room ladder and he interrupted us. Then he asked her on a date in front of me. He even had the audacity to let her know about that video game character that looks like her. What the actual fuck is his problem? Kelsi isn't his property but he sure treats her like it. Now I don't know where Kelsi and I stand.  I just blew her off because I am too pissed from seeing Justin to talk about us and what happened. I might pretend it never happened. I told Kelsi it meant nothing and to forget it."

Orion stands up and crushes his beer can under his foot. He takes my beer can and does the same thing. We polish off the chips before Orion says anything.

"I don't blame you for needing space. Kelsi needs to figure out if she wants Justin. If I were you I'd let her go until the ski trip. It's a huge thing that's happened between you both. I think you love her and I think she loves you back. But you need time for her to realize that. Anything else you want to share with the class?"

"She did ask me to have sex with her for her first time. She said she only wanted it to be with me and no one else."

Orion opens a third beer for each of us in response to my reply.

"Shit man. You guys are definitely more than friends. Give her time. I'm sure she'll come around. Are you going to go through with it? What about your pact?"

"We've made changes to the pact and I've agreed to have sex with her when she's good and ready. Can we drop this conversation it's too much man."

I open a bag of something that tastes like pretzels. The salty flavor is good on my tongue. I need something on my tongue, and it sure ain't going to be Kelsi.

"Cheers to that, man. Let's watch the new Avatar the Last Airbender live-action series on Netflix. That will take your mind off Kelsi."

He turns it on and my mind wanders to earthbenders and a fantasy world in which I will never live. He's right I need the distraction from Kelsi Long because right now we are somewhere between being in love and ending our friendship.