"I'm so excited!" Ji-ho said as he lifted my suitcase into the trunk of his car. I had told my mom that this was a school trip and that my friend would be picking me up in the morning. She'd believed me, thinking we were going to the mountains of Oklahoma City. I was beyond excited, but I hid it behind a blank expression.
"I can't believe my mom agreed." I whispered as I lifted the bag up and immediately dropped it. It was too heavy, although, it didn't feel that heavy when I had packed it yesterday.
"Me neither. This is going to be so fun." I felt giddy as Ji-ho moved around me and picked up the suitcase that I'd been unable to lift.
"Are you feeling okay?" He suddenly asked.
"Yep!" I exclaimed, "why?"
"This bag is really lightâ and you couldn't..." he continued, I was feeling dizzy and light-headed, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. I'd gotten used to it.
"You're just really strong." I responded with a smile. He smiled back, tilting his head under the trunk of the van and looking at me with sparkling dark-brown eyes. My heart skipped a beat and I looked away at my mother who had just exited the front door of our duplex and was quickly approaching in her pajamas.
"Morning honey," she said, "I'll see you in the next two days, take care of yourself, okay! And tell me everything you learn about the geography of the mountains there! Call me twice a day." She hugged me, "why have you gotten so boney." She felt the need to point out and I ignored her comment on my weight and hugged her back.
"Thanks for letting me go." I smiled, my balance was on strike when she released me and I quickly grasped Ji-ho's arm to steady myself. "Sorry." I muttered, flustered.
"And it's very nice to meet you Jy-oh, Phoebe has told me a lot about you. I am sure you'll be a good friend to her over this trip and keep her out of trouble." Mom said, completely butchering his name and threatening him all in one breath.
"Of course Mrs. Masters. I'll take care of Phoebes like she's a glass castle." He grinned cheekily, shifting his gaze to see my reaction before returning his eyes to my mother.
"Okay," mom said warily, "do you have everything?" She asked and I nodded. I walked over to the passenger seat and hopped in. Mom hugged me one more time as Ji-ho shut the trunk and climbed into the driver's-side seat. I felt reckless and rebellious and slightly guilty for lying to my momâ but I knew she'd never have let me go otherwise. "Stay safe, I love you." Mom said as Ji-ho started the car.
"Bye mom!" I said at the same time as Ji-ho said, "bye Mrs. Masters!"
He backed out of my driveway and turned on the radio, blasting a song that we both liked listening to. He drove for a couple minutes before parking in front of his house.
"Finally!" His sister rushed outside as his mother followed and started speaking in Korean. I couldn't understand a thing they were saying, but the language sounded very cool.
"Hello! Nice to meet you." His mother bowed, speaking in a light accent as I mirrored her behavior.
"Nice to meet you too." I smiled at her. She began speaking again in Korean and looking between me and Ji-ho. It seemed like she was commenting on my appearanceâ maybe the way I dressed or the size I was. I noticed that I was significantly larger than his mother. She was stunning: thin, tall, beautiful. Ji-ho's mother was everything I aspired to be.
"Let's get this show on the road!" A broad, tall hispanic man rushed out of the house holding giant suitcases. He made them look like they were light as he casually lifted them.
"Phoebe, this is my dad." He smiled as the man approached and tossed the suitcases in the trunk beside mine.
"Hi! Nice to meet you." He said as I repeated the words back to him. I looked between him and Ji-ho in shock. They looked too similar in height and stature.
"And this is my sister, Seok." Ji-ho said, leading me toward his sister as the young girl smiled at me. She was also very thin and pretty.
"Hi! You're really pretty." She said. I was taken aback momentarily before thanking her and returning the sentiment. "Ji-ho talks about you all the time! It's Phoebe this and Phoebe that, personally, I think he's obsessed." Seok said.
"Seok." Ji-ho warned, glaring at his sister as his cheeks turned a pale shade of pink. I bit my lip to try to hide my smile; it was funny watching Ji-ho become so flabbergasted.
She stuck her tongue out at him, turning to face her mother who was also glaring at her now too.
"Mark, let's eat breakfast with the kids before we go." Ji-ho's mother said as she watched her husband shut the trunk and step aside. He nodded.
"I already ate, I'm stuffed, so I can wait out here." I smiled, hoping I didn't sound ungrateful or disrespectful.
"No worries," his mother said, "we hope you don't mind if we eat, come inside! You might like my cooking!" She smiled and I complied, giving Ji-ho a wary look.
They sat around a table as his mother gave me a glass of water. They talked animatedly as the sun slowly came up and finally entered the car and drove to the resort. It was beautifulâ I'd never seen that much snow in my life.
The mountain was ginormous with layered white peaks and sultry snow surrounding it. Everyone that was there was in their suits and I watched as several people were gliding down smoothly. I had never gone skiing before, so I was beyond excited. Watching them was very enjoyable, regardless of the temperature.
I followed behind Ji-ho and his family as they dragged the suitcases into a giant building that resembled the weeping-woods buildings in Fortnite. It, however, had sparkling lights and chandeliers and glass walls. The cabin-hotel-weeping-woods building also had many more stories to it and from what I figured, we would all be sharing a two bedroom cabin on the third floor. I assumed that they'd booked this prior to inviting me and I quickly felt awkward for being there.
Once we entered the giant wood-coated cabin room, which in my opinion looked more like a very fancy hotel like the one in boy-meets-world, we were met with beautiful white plush couches and giant televisions. It made me wonder how people would want to leave a room like this even if there was snow to be played with outside.
"Soâ Ji-ho and Seok and Phoebe, you can all share a room. Mark and I will be in the other room. I was told there were two beds in your room so you can work out who sleeps where." Seok and Ji-ho's mother said. "After we get settled, the itinerary has plans starting from dinner tonight in the lower cabin with the other families."
I was bright eyed, but wary as his mother spoke. Eventually, we went to the rooms and I buried my suitcases under the bed that was closest to the door.
"Seok and I can share a bed, Phoebe, you can get your own bed." Ji-ho said when we all walked in. I was slightly nervous, but I nodded along anyway.
"No way! I'm not sleeping next to you!" Seok complained, "why don't you sleep next to your girlfriend!?"
"I'm not his girlfriend." I responded, watching piercing brown eyes turn to face me.
"I don't careâ look, you said if I went on this trip, I'd get my own bed. So this," Seok threw a suitcase on the bed closest to the giant glass window, "is my bed. You can figure out the rest on your own." She shouted. I watched, shocked and uncertain if coming here was even a good idea.
"I can sleep on the couch in the living room." I offered as Ji-ho's eyes widened.
"No, my mom would kill me if she saw you there. You're our guest, it's rude if you sleep on the couch. I'll sleep on the couch snd you can have the bed." Ji-ho said. I blushed at his selflessness and looked the other way.
"No," I heard myself say. "We can just keep a few pillows between us. I don't want to disrespect your parents or make you uncomfortable. But also, this is your family trip and I don't want to invade your privacy. We can share this bed, it's big enough for two people and we can built a pillow wall between us." I said.
Ji-ho froze for a few moments while his sister snickered softly. She glanced between us and I looked anywhere but at them. I wished I knew what he was thinking.
"Sure." He finally said, his voice slightly shaky. "Let's go check out the place before they start the two-day plan here." Ji-ho said, tossing his suitcase carelessly on a table and walking out of the room. When neither Seok or I followed, he returned and looked between us. We only had a limited time here at the ski resort. We would be here for the next two days and would return home by the end of the second dayâ tonight was day zero.
"I'm unpacking. You two can go." Seok said, a smug smile on her face. For a thirteen year old, she seemed very manipulative. I shook my head.
"Maybe I should unpack too." I said, "I'll wait for the tour person later to show us around."
"Are you sure?" Ji-ho asked, looking wary and nervous at the same time.
"I want to be alone." Seok announced, glaring at me. I was afraid that she didn't like me. I wanted her to be my friend too; I could deal with the hatred that gleamed off of classmates at school, but I hoped Ji-ho's middle-school-aged sister wouldn't hate me as well.
"Um, sure." I nodded at her, "sorry." I said. Her eyes sparkled as she turned to face her suitcases. Her side profile was one that I was absolutely jealous of. I wondered how she'd been able to completely abolish any double chinâ I wondered what she ateâ if she ate.
"I guess you're stuck with me," Ji-ho laughed as I walked up to me.
"Woe is me." I placed the back of my left hand on my forehead dramatically as he snort-laughed and I laughed at his laugh. The bright red "NO" was very clear and his eyes didn't bypass the word.
"Let's hope I can prove you wrong by the end of today." He laughed. Suffice to say, we had a lot of fun exploring the resort and the cabin. We played several door-bell pranks on our neighbors and ended up exhausted when dinner time rolled around. And took many pictures together, but I couldn't bring myself to look at any of them afterwards.
"I'm starving," Ji-ho said as we walked back into the building. It had been freezing outsideâ but also worthwhile and very fun. I hadn't laughed that much or had that much fun in ages.
"I'm still full from breakfast." I responded, lying through my pale, slightly yellow-tinted teeth.
"No way, we walked so much." Ji-ho said.
"No, actually. I'm really full. And the sun set an hour ago. I think I should call it a night! I can't wait to go skiing with you all tomorrow though." I smiled, nodding in his direction before turning in the direction of the bed.
"Why are you lying to me Phoebe? I thought we were friends." Ji-ho's words halted me in my tracks as I turned around to face him.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, sounding more defensive than I intended to.
"I know what you've been doing." He whispered softly. I had no expression on my face as I stared blankly.
We were frozen in our spots staring at one another and I was waiting for him to say another offensive sentence. I held in my breath, but instead, he simply approached me and wrapped his arms around me. It was a hugâ one that was more comforting than I had expected it to be as I felt my eyes randomly water.
"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice was shaky and I was frozen in my spot.
"Why do you do this to yourself?" He whispered and I pulled back slightly.
"Do what?" I asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
"Starve yourself." His words were calm, but my heart suddenly sank in that moment. I was frozen, staring at him and hoping he meant starve as in archaic dialect which meant to be very cold.
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