First Morning of the Ski Trip - Sam

The first morning of the ski trip arrived way too quickly, like it had snuck up on me while I wasn't paying attention. I woke up early, my mind already buzzing with excitement, but also a little bit of anxiety that I couldn't shake. The whole thing felt surreal, like a dream I didn't want to wake up from. There I was, at this stunning resort, surrounded by the soft, quiet beauty of snow-covered mountains, and ahead of me, a full week to spend with Jay. The idea of it was almost overwhelming, like there was too much to take in, too much to look forward to all at once. It was all so new, so different from anything I'd experienced before. And that was only part of it—what really had me fired up was snowboarding. I'd never done it before, but Jay had been talking it up for weeks, insisting that we should try it together. The thought of learning something new with him, of sharing that experience and making new memories, felt so perfect.

I threw off the blankets, feeling a rush of cold air as I got out of bed, and quickly began pulling on layers of warm clothes. The lodge was still quiet at this early hour, but the excitement in me was louder than any noise outside. After a quick breakfast with the group in the cozy dining area, we made our way toward the ski rental shop. The snow outside was still pristine, untouched by the bustle of the day's activities, and the early morning light made everything sparkle in a way that felt magical. I could feel the cold nipping at my nose and cheeks, but I didn't mind. It felt refreshing, almost invigorating, like the world around me had been wiped clean and was full of possibilities. Every breath I took felt fresh, filling me with energy

Jay was walking beside me, and his presence was like a reassuring warmth in the cold air. He was his usual self—easy-going, excited, and with that smile that seemed to put everything into perspective. He looked over at me, clearly ready for the day ahead, and the glint of adventure in his eyes made my nerves settle a little. "Ready for your first time on the slopes?" he asked, his voice carrying the same excitement I felt bubbling inside.

"Yeah, I think so," I replied, smiling back at him. I couldn't help it. It felt so natural being with him, walking side by side like this. No awkwardness. No uncertainty. Just me and him, like everything had clicked into place, I just wished I could hold his paw, glancing around there were too many familiar faces drawing their eyes on us, instead we smiled at each other an invisible barrier separating us.

We reached the rental shop, which was bustling with activity. The walls were lined with skis, snowboards, and gear of all kinds. The sound of skis and snowboards clattering against each other filled the air as people hurriedly grabbed their equipment, ready to hit the slopes. It was organized chaos, some choosing skis and others boards.

Jay grabbed his board and boots first making his way over to a bench to start putting everything on making sure it all fit correctly as I waited patiently in line for my own gear, there wasn't enough space to wait for anyone and the teachers were keen to get us to our first snowboarding lessons.

The cold air from outside mixed with the warmth inside, and the whole shop had a familiar, almost comforting energy to it. I looked around, taking it all in, when suddenly a voice broke through the noise.

"Look who it is."

I turned around, instinctively tensing. There, standing behind me, was Ben. Of course, Ben. Of course he'd be here. he seemed to appear everywhere I went lately, like a shadow that I couldn't escape. My stomach tightened, and I fought to keep my expression neutral, even though I could already feel a knot forming in my chest.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to sound casual, though my voice betrayed me with a slight edge. I could feel the tension building already, a familiar unease creeping up inside me.

"I'm snowboarding too" Ben replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He looked over at Jay, who was adjusting his snowboard boots over the other side of the room, oblivious to the interaction. Ben smirked, clearly not bothered by being obnoxious. "Guess we'll all be sharing a lesson, huh?"

I raised an eyebrow, fighting the urge to snap back at him. "What's your point, Ben?"

Ben smirked even wider, and for a moment, I wondered if he was trying to see how far he could push me, his eyes narrowing as he watched Jay. "My point is, I know what's going on with you and Jay," he said, his tone suddenly darker, colder. The words hung in the air like a threat, and I could feel the heat rising in my chest, my blood rushing to my head.

The impact of his words hit me like a punch to the gut. My throat tightened, and for a moment, I couldn't even process what he was saying. I hadn't told anyone about me and Jay—only Jays friends and they wouldn't tell anyone.

The idea that Ben had figured something out, that he even thought he had some claim on Jay... it set my heart racing in a way that I wasn't prepared for. I fought to keep my voice steady as I said, "You don't know anything."

"Oh, I do," Ben said, his voice growing darker, his smile twisting into something cruel. "I saw you two the other night. You think I didn't notice? You've been all over each other. But you know what? It's fine. I'll win him back, I know the only reason he's not texting me back is because of you" His gaze flickered over to Jay again, and there was something dangerous in his eyes now, a coldness that I couldn't ignore. "I'll make sure he knows who the better choice is."

My heart raced, and I could feel the tension in my body, like every muscle was coiled tight and ready to snap. His words were like a sharp blade, digging into me with every syllable. I was trying so hard to stay calm, but Ben's attitude was pushing all my buttons. My voice came out low, angry, but controlled. "You can't just come in and act like you've got some claim to him, Ben. He's his own person. You don't get to decide who he's with."

Ben didn't back down. Instead, his grin only widened, and I could see the challenge in his eyes.

Ben stepped closer, his presence towering over me. I could feel the weight of his words before they even left his mouth, like a physical pressure pushing down on my chest. "It's not just about who he's with, Sam. It's about what you're doing to him. How can you say you care about him when you can't even tell your friends the truth? You make him wait, you won't come out and you live in secret, and yet you think you've got the moral high ground?"

His words hit me like a slap to the face. I could feel my breath catch in my throat, my heart rate spiking as my mind scrambled to find a response. I swallowed hard, my throat tight, fighting to keep my voice steady. "You don't know anything about me or Jay. You don't get to talk about how I care about him. You don't get to judge me, it's not like you're out either," I bit out, each word sharpened with anger.

Ben sneered, his eyes narrowing with a mixture of amusement and venom. He knew how to push my buttons, how to get under my skin, and this time, I could feel the heat of his words settling in my chest like a burning ember. "I'm just saying, you might be able to hide behind all these 'excuses' in front of everyone else but I'm not going to let you take what's mine."

The air between us crackled with tension, and I felt my pulse racing, my fists clenching at my sides. I wanted to lash out, to hit him, to make him understand how much he was pushing me. I wanted to tell him exactly what I thought of his twisted sense of entitlement, his assumption that he had some kind of claim on Jay. But I couldn't. Not here, not now, not with everyone around us. Instead, I held his gaze, trying to make my words carry the weight of everything I felt.

Before I could even respond, the teacher's voice cut through the air, loud and firm. "Alright, everyone! Time to pair up. We're going to head out to the slopes in groups, so pick your partners!"

I was trying to ignore the tight knot in my chest as we stood at the base of the slopes, waiting for the instructor to gather everyone. My mind kept drifting back to Ben and his words, that damn smirk, I hated that he'd gotten under my skin, but I wasn't about to let him ruin this day. Not now.

Jay and I paired up together there was something about being with him that just felt right, even in the middle of all the chaos Ben was trying to stir. As we waited, I glanced over at Jay, his face lit up with that easy smile of his, even though I could tell he was nervous too. He'd never snowboarded before either. I could feel the same jittery excitement bubbling up inside me, despite everything else.

The instructor, a Fox in her mid-thirties with short blonde hair and a no-nonsense attitude, stepped forward. She smiled at us but immediately got down to business. "Alright, listen up, everyone. Today, we're starting with the basics. You'll be learning how to balance on the board, how to turn, and most importantly, how to stop safely." She gave us all a quick, firm look as if daring anyone to complain. "I don't want anyone on the mountain until you've got these fundamentals down. Are we clear?"

We all nodded, and I tried to focus on her instructions, willing myself to block out everything else. Ben's voice was still echoing in my head, but I refused to let him win. Not today.

"Good," the instructor said, her tone more encouraging now. "Grab your boards and follow me."

We followed her to a small, flat area at the edge of the resort where she had us all strap into our boards.

"Alright, first things first," the instructor called as she demonstrated the proper stance. "Keep your knees slightly bent, weight forward on the board, and keep your arms out for balance. Trust me, it'll feel awkward at first, but you'll get used to it."

Jay and I both struggled to mimic her stance, wobbling a bit as we tried to stay balanced. My heart was pounding in my chest, not just from the cold air but from the uncertainty of it all. I'd never done anything like this before, and the idea of falling didn't exactly fill me with confidence. But I refused to let myself think about the possibility of falling.

"Okay," the instructor said, her voice sharp. "Now we're going to start moving. Just take a few small slides forward, keeping your weight on the front of the board."

I pushed off tentatively, my body jerking with the motion. Jay was right beside me, trying to keep his balance, and for a moment, I couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't graceful, not at all, but it felt freeing.

The morning passed in a blur of clumsy attempts and small victories until we were given the green light the go up the mountain, we spent the next few hours going up the lifts, getting off, and snowboarding back down. Each time, we improved a little more, the fear and awkwardness slowly being replaced by confidence. The more we did it, the more natural it felt. My legs burned, my muscles screamed in protest, but I didn't care. The cold air was sharp and crisp, biting at my cheeks, but I loved every second of it.

Jay and I were starting to get the hang of it. By the time we made it to the top of the slope again, I could see how much progress we'd made. I was carving a little better, turning a bit more smoothly. Jay was getting there too, pushing himself a little harder each time. I couldn't help but feel a rush of pride every time he picked himself back up after a fall.

Still, Ben's words kept worming their way into my mind, despite my best efforts to shake them off. He'd said I was hiding, living in secret, and maybe, in some ways, he was right. I had been afraid of what people would think. Afraid of being judged, everytime I wanted to connect with Jay in a more intimate way or he did something that made me want to kiis him, I stopped, looked around and I couldn't, too many people we knew.

Jay didn't seem to suspect my dark thoughts, it almost felt like I was pushing him away a little each time I couldn't embrace him, instead as I glanced over at Jay he was grinning, his face flushed with the exhilaration of the ride

"I think I'm getting the hang of this!" Jay called over the wind as we glided down the slope, his voice bubbling with excitement.

"Yeah, me too!" I shouted back shaking off my thoughts and getting back in the moment, my heart racing in my chest—not from the speed, but from the rush of being here with him, sharing this moment.

We reached the bottom again, laughing and out of breath. It was hard to believe how far we'd come in just a few hours, how much better we were at snowboarding, but I wasn't ready to stop. Not yet.

As we got in line for the lift again, I glanced over at Jay, pushing the negative thoughts aside. We still had the whole afternoon ahead of us, and I wasn't going to waste another second of it thinking about Ben.