One More Time (Bremmy 1)

Chapterish 52

[Quote Aesthetic of the Chapterish]

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It's been a hot sec since I've skied.

The last time was New Year's four years ago. We used to go all the time when I was younger. Went to mountains in New Jersey and some places in PA. Once or twice we went to Vermont. We'd load up the car and I'd squeeze in the back –skis and poles on one side, Trix on the other. She always came with us.

Good thing skiing is like riding a bike.

We're pretty divided right now. Trix, Nate, and I lock into our skis. Meg, Alex, Travis, Katie and Brooks strap their boots to their snowboards. Tried it once, but the muscle memory from skiing was not about it.

The slopes are crowded and I already miss the boozy brunch I left inside. Though I don't hate the way Brooks looks on a board. Seriously, who knew layers of snow gear could be hot? The sun bounces off the snow like one hundred blinding flashlights pointed in your face by a room full of six year-olds.

Travis is at the front of the pack, leading us to the first of 30 lift rides today.

I dig my poles into the ground and propel myself forward. The snow around the lifts is really just slick sleet, clumpy and as far from the color of snow that you want it to be. Gray.

It's a quad lift, so we split into two. Meg and Nate with Travis and Trix go first. Then they let a foursome from another line. Then us. I scoot up to the red loading line, Brooks on my left and Katie on my right. Their boards drag behind them. One foot in, one foot out. Just like me in my relationship with Brooks.

For those of you who've never gotten on a lift, it isn't hard. But skiers and snowboarders sharing a lift? Not the easiest. Especially when you try to get off it. Luckily for us, we have a half hour lift ride to enjoy. We pass over snow-dusted pines and heaping mounds of fresh powder. We spot the occasional beer can on the side of the trail. It's a winter wonderland.

No tree with bras though.

My nose already feels pink. I can't put enough balm on my lips.

"Oh can I get some?" Katie says next to me.

I'm still holding my SPF 15 between my fingers. She wants to share my lip balm? I think of Barbie –of how we became next level besties when we shared her glitter gloss. Halloween feels like it was a lifetime ago.

"Sure." I hand it to Katie.

"Lifesaver. Left mine in my other coat," she says, smacking her lips together. Hope her and Alex didn't do what Brooks and I did last night. Oops.

"These things take forever," Alex groans from the other side of Katie. He lifts his board up and down with the foot it's attached to.

Two chairlifts in front of us I can see Trix's long red pony hanging down her back. It'll be easy to keep track of her on the mountain at least.

"What's first?" Alex asks. "Blue? Black?"

"Uh, I'm feeling green," Katie says.

"Green!?" Alex scoffs, laughing. "Didn't realize I brought a beginner."

"I'm no beginner! I've just never been out west. A green is like a triple black at home!" Katie whines.

"Fine, one green first. Then we'll take the training wheels off." Alex says.

"How kind," Katie scowls.

Brooks turns to me, eyes smiling. "You don't still need training wheels, do you Em?"

"Nope," I laugh.

"Then we'll start black." He smirks, scrunching his nose up.

"Bastards," Alex curses under his breath.

Mid-mountain. We part at the lift, half of us going for the trail that leads to the gondola that goes up to the top. The other half goes down the front *easy* slopes. It really is like riding a bike, but I wouldn't hate training wheels. Brooks boards ahead to the top of the trail and watches me ski over to him. He looks like an ad in his black Edge snow shell and matching gray pants. Even his hat is Edge.

I side stop next to him at the top of the trail. The views from the top of the mountain are STUPID. In that they're so magnificent and spellbinding that they're rendering me stupid. Between the miles of mountainous horizon and the ocean depths of Brooks's eyes, I'm just trying to remember to breathe.

As my skis inch over the edge, glimpsing that first anticipatory drop, I can't help but make some real obvious analogy to my current ship with Brooks. How casually I can stand on the precipice and hardly bat an eye at the fall. In fact, the fall even looks fun. Maybe it all depends on your company.

"Race you." He smirks, his eyes wildly alive again.

"You're on," I grin. I ski over to his left side and line my ski tips with his board.

We nod and we're off.

You know, I always forget how exhilarating skiing is. The cold air. The speed. The trivial feeling of losing control. Not caring about any of it.

Eventually our group meets up again. We do racing runs, leisure trails, moguls, and more. We find every one of the chairlifts Travis had marked off on the map in his head. Some are overcrowded; some go to different parts of the resort; some are hidden and off the beaten track. The woods surrounding them are eerily quiet like static noise. The hum of the lift whines beneath the howling wind.

We take turns riding together –all the girls, all the guys, Brooks and Me, Me and Trix, Meg and Travis, Alex and Brooks. The gondolas offer a sweet reprieve from the cold. We take our skis and boards off and stand them against the walls. Our faces press against the glass windows offering views of the sprawling mountain, resort town, village, and the horizon.

What a horizon.

Endless possibility.

How poetic.