WINTER VACATION

The week after Christmas was officially vacation time, families all over Broad meadows were packing their cars and driving up to the mountains for a week or so in a lodge spending their days skiing and drinking absurd amounts of hot cocoa.

Except a few families, like Barry’s and Tracy’s, both of whom families were going on a cruise. Barry had tried and tried to get his parents to let him go with Terrence up to the ski lodge they were staying in but they said no and he was stuck in the middle of the ocean soaking up some sun.

Tracy didn’t care, she didn’t care for sun and she didn’t care for snow but she did care that she was stuck on a boat with her dad and Patty, right after all that marriage proposal stuff. But at least she had a reason to go out and spend a ton of money on bathing suits.

The Brown family were going up to their cabin for some skiing and hot chocolate drinking, and along with them were Fedora’s family and Bryan’s family. Bryan’s family had their own lodge, it was next to the Browns’, but Fedora and her family were staying with the Browns.

Heather’s family was also going to the ski lodge, the same place where the other families owned them, but her family didn't own one they just stayed at the lodge. The whole place was full of A.L. High students, it kind of felt like school but in a vacation setting. Heather just wished that Tracy could come like she usually did.

And just about everyone else was going to that lodge, Lexi and Honey’s, Layla’s family, Ella and Mariah’s Family, etc etc.....

Arrival day to the lodge was busy busy, everyone of those A.L. High families were trying to get checked in at the same time, except, of course, the one’s who owned cabins. They didn’t have to check in, they could just go in.

“I love this place,” Fedora said, spinning around in the snow. Harriette, Collin and Tamarai were staring at her with disbelief as they stood shivering in their heavy jackets and scarves and gloves while Fedora were a jean jacket and a pair of fingerless gloves with a light scarf.

“Remember when I used to love this place too?” Harriette laughed, leaning into Collin for some warmth. “I’m freezing.”

“Let’s get inside,” Collin said, putting his arm around Harriette’s shoulder and guiding her into the cabin. Tamarai stayed behind watching Fedora.

“Hey, wait up,” Fedora said, stopping her spinning abruptly and causing herself to lose balance and almost fall face first into the snow.

“Does it snow a lot in New york?” Tamarai asked, kneeling down and running her hands through the snow. Tamaria was still amazed with snow, even after almost ten years of going to the ski lodge.

Fedora laughed, “You bet it does!”

Tamarai smiled, “Maybe I’ll move there too, after I graduate.”

“Everyone should,” Fedora said, “Now come on, I don’t want to be left out.”

“Okay,” Tamarai said, following Fedora into the wonderfully warm cabin. Collin and Harriette were sitting by the fireplace, out of their jackets now and under a blanket.

“Hey, babes,” Fedora said, “you disappeared. Where’s the hot chocolate?”

“Water’s on the stove,” Harriette said, opening up her side of the blanket and gesturing for Fedora to join them.

“Great, I need some,” Fedora said, taking a seat next to Harriette, “Hey, Tamarai, over here.”

Tamarai smiled and joined them next to Fedora.

The whistle on the kettle blew and Tamarai jumped a little, shocked, making the rest of them laugh.

“I got it,” Mrs. Brown said, heading into the kitchen.

“This is ridiculously cozy,” Fedora laughed, “Can you believe we’re sitting here under a blanket in front of a fireplace, and your mom is about to get us some hot chocolate?”

“Actually, yes, because we do it every year,” Collin said.

“Oh, shut up,” Fedora said, pushing Harriette so Harriette would push Collin for her.”Hey,” Harriette said, “I don’t want to push Collin!.”

“You baby him,” Fedora playfully scoffed.

Harriette just stuck out her tongue at Fedora.

“Hot chocolate is coming!” Mrs. Brown sang as came from the kitchen carrying a tray of mugs.

“Yums,” Fedora said, grabbing her mug quickly as soon as Mrs. Brown set down the tray in front of them.

“And I put some cinnabuns in the oven,” Mrs. brown said.

Fedora grinned, “this day cannot get better. It just cannot.”

Mrs. brown smiled at all of them, then slipped back into the kitchen.

“Are you guys actually gonna help us unpack?” Bentley asked, setting down someone’s bags right beside them.

Fedora glared at him, “can’t you see we’re having a moment?”

Bentley laughed and shook his head before saying sarcastically, “I’m soo sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“Shut up,” Fedora said.

“I’m sorry,” Collin said, standing up, “I’ll help.”

Bentley grinned, “And that was the right answer.”

Fedora just shook her head and looked at Harriette, who was looking at Collin.

“Do you want me to help?” harriette asked.

“No, you stay and be warm,” Collin said.

Harriette smiled and looked at Fedora as if to say “isn’t he perfect?”

“I’ll save you a cinnabun,” Harriette said.

“I’m sure it won’t take that long,” Collins aid, “but thanks.”

“I’ll help too,” Tamarai said, standing just as Bryan came through the door carrying two bags.

“That’s all,” he said, setting the bags on floor.

“Oh,” Tamarai said, “Guess we weren’t needed after all.”

“Cinnabuns are done!” Mrs. brown announced as she stepped into the living room with a tray of food.

“Ah, is everything inside?” she asked as she took in the scene.

“Yep,” Bryan said, “I gotta go help my mom unpack, see you guys later!”

“Want a cinnabun for the road?” Mrs. brown asked, holding out the platter.

“Oh, sure, thanks!” Bryan said, quickly taking one before heading out the door.

“Alright, kids,” Mrs. brown said, “take your bags into your rooms and then you can come back and have some food.”

Fedora frowned, she wanted a Cinnabun now, but you didn’t say no to Mrs. Brown so she found her bags and brought it to the room that she, Collin and Harriette were sharing. They always had the same room, year after year. It’s gotten a little harder for them to all stay in one room as the year passed, when they were little kids it felt huge but now it was kind of cramped. But there was room for three beds, so they stuck to it. It was one of the charms of staying at the lodge.

But now that the family has grown, so they all had to share rooms. Bobby, Fisher, and Bentley shared a room, Tamarai and the Twins shared a room, Fedora’s parent’s shared a room, of course, and Mrs. Brown and Grayson shared a room.

After they loosely unpacked they gathered back into the living room and ate Cinnabuns and finished their hot chocolate as Mrs. brown made dinner.  Dinner was a quick beef stir fry and buns that were made beforehands and just need to be heated up. After dinner Bryan’s family came over to the Browns’ cabin and they played charades in the now incredibly crowded living room.

After that they split up and went into their room and “went to sleep”. Fedora, Collin, and Harriette stayed up talking, Fisher and Bobby stayed up chatting on their phones, Bentley stayed up because he just couldn’t sleep, but everyone else, they went to sleep.

And the day one of the ski trip was over and done with.