THE SLOPES | shawmila

ten.

Camila silently toasted to Nick as she opened another beer. The café was quiet this time of night, with no live music and everyone likely back in their cabins by now.

She pictured all the other people, tired from their day on the slopes, cuddling by their fireplaces with a warm drink. Maybe they'd watch one of those cheesy movies Camila never got to be in. Maybe they'd hold hands with someone the way Camila couldn't.

She hadn't mean to run out and leave Sofia and Aaliyah alone, but it felt like this day was determined to get worse with every second.

She knew it didn't mean a damn thing that Shawn was with Marlene, but she couldn't help the way it made her feel. Even running lines by herself would hurt, meaning she had nothing to do but continue to sulk until Sofia and Aaliyah came back.

"What's for dinner?" Sofia asked, dropping her boots by the door.

"Make something yourself for once." Camila snapped, flipping past the same stupid channels on tv.

"Where's Shawn?" Aaliyah asked.

"How should I know? Do I look like his keeper or something!?" She snapped, pretending she didn't notice when they looked at each other in mild curiosity at her callousness.

She heard them in the kitchen, rattling in the fridge and laughing as they pulled out whatever it was, likely leftovers from all the salad prep Shawn did. Camila shoved out the thought of how happy and cute Shawn was when he cooked.

She found the evening news, leaving it on as the weatherman droned on and on about the cold weather and the snow. Camila grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around herself.

"I fucking hate it here, it's too cold!" She growled. Sofia and Aaliyah couldn't hear her, laughing in the kitchen.

Camila couldn't even be happy when Nick texted her more about the part he got. His texts didn't make sense, a lot of misspelled words or just the wrong words entirely. She didn't have any room to talk, considering her consumption today, but she didn't know why today of all days, Nick had to get drunk. She could really use his reaffirming logical words right about now.

She turned the tv up louder when Sofia and Aaliyah's laughing practically into screams. She hated how cute their friendship was. She hated how alone she felt. She turned it up louder.

"Can you turn that down!?" Sofia opened the kitchen door, glaring at her. Camila smelled pizza.

"Can you guys shut up! What are you even screaming about?"

"Shawn!" Aaliyah squealed, stepping out of the kitchen behind Sofia, her eyes glued to her phone. "Shawn is on Marlene's page!"

"Woah..." Sofia looked over Aaliyah's shoulder as they both watched the screen.

Camila didn't need to see it, just hearing it seemed to put her in a trance. She turned the tv off as Aaliyah turned up the volume on her phone.

"...Tell me what's inside of your head. No matter what you say I won't love you less

And I'd be lying if I said that I do. I don't know what it's like to be you..."

Despite not needing to see it, Camila rose from the couch, the blanket dragging behind her as she stood behind them both, standing on her toes to see the screen.

They were cute. She was cute, with her perfect smile and personality, and he was cute with his perfect everything that she loved so much. She loved him, so she hated seeing this.

"I'm gonna send this to my parents!" Aaliyah said. Sofia was smiling, though it faded when she saw Camila's face.

"Hey, make sure the pizza doesn't burn!"