Winter Tales

Chapter 8 - Awesome

++Josh's POV++

It turns out that we are the first ones there when we arrive pretty much at 12:30 on the dot at the restaurant where we are supposed to meet for lunch. We have left our skis outside in the designated zones. Jack makes a beeline for the bathroom, while Ben talks to a waiter to figure out where our table is. I scan the room for any familiar faces, but nobody seems to be here yet.

"Over there, please follow me," the waiter says and grabs a stack of menus.

He leads us to a long table that can seat twelve people. Looking around, I see that every single other table is filled with people. Alex has done well, making a reservation. We normally do that, since most restaurants don't expect parties of eleven people showing up out of the blue.

Ben and I place our helmets, skiing goggles and gloves on the window sill behind the table and take off our jackets. We are just about to choose our seats when Alex and the twins arrive. My big brother has placed a hand each on their shoulders and is pushing them towards our table. At first, I am not sure if he has to manhandle them, but then I notice that his face looks pretty relaxed. He is smiling in our direction.

"Where's Jack?" Aidan asks as soon as they get here.

"Well, hello to you, too," I tease him and knock my fist on top of his helmet.

"Hi, Josh. Hi, Ben," Noah greets us enthusiastically.

His cheeks are red from the wind and the cold outside, but he looks very happy.

"Hey, buddy," I reply with a smile. "Did you have fun?"

"It was awe-some!" Aidan exclaims excitedly.

He has taken off his stuff and discards it thoughtlessly on the table.

"Put your things over there, please, Aidan," I tell him, earning myself a grateful look from Alex.

He is always glad when he is not the only one constantly reminding the younger kids of their manners. It gets tiring after a while, I know that from experience. But it is important that we keep it up to make sure they know how to behave. They are not bad kids, they are just overly energetic little boys with their minds normally preoccupied with stuff they deem a lot more important than rules and perfect behaviour.

"Jack!" Noah calls out as his older brother approaches. "Did you go to the snow park, too? Wasn't it totally dope?"

"Dope?" I repeat for Ben's and Alex' benefit, raising my eyebrow at them.

"That's how kids talk these days, old man," my brother, the teacher, replies with a grin. "Keep up."

"We did The Wall like a gazillion times, and I went on all the black runs!" Jack boasts.

"Woah, awesome, dude. Can we go there after lunch, too, Alex?" Aidan asks.

"Please," Noah adds nicely.

"Sure, I don't see why not. You guys did really well this morning," Alex compliments them and both of them beam at his praise.

"Cool," says Aidan. "But you gotta go on the snow park sometime, too, Jack, it's got a jump like you've never seen before. I totally aced it, bro!"

Ben and I exchange a look and start laughing at their excitement.

"What? It's true. Tell him, Noah!" Aidan defends himself, mistaking our laughter for us questioning him.

"It is, Josh. He flew like an eagle, it was incredible!" Noah is clearly impressed by his older twin brother's skills, and Aidan is literally basking in it.