Well, so, I managed to win at least once more after Ellie claimed the second round. So with two out of three in my favor she resigned herself to the terms of her bet. I decided to not think too hard about it and just do whatever came to mind that seemed the silliest when next we got onto Panarena instead of plotting it out all week. There were other things to enjoy, after all, since we were on vacation. That first night ended with the rest of us joining the others at the amusement park, where Christina replayed our little racing competition for the others, much to their amusement.
Everything had a wintry theme to it. The carousels had reindeer and sleighs; the ferris wheel was red and its cabins were red-colored, decorated with holly and candy-canes, as were the bumper cars; there were contest games with wintry or holiday themed prizes; the food stands all had at least three items in theme, such as the North Pole Sundae that Rachel convinced me to try with her despite the cold. We followed it up with a Cup of Christmas Cheer, hot cocoa with cinnamon and hazelnut added to it, served in a complimentary green and red mug appropriately decorated with a wreath and holly on either side. Once the others found out we got to keep the mugs they couldn't resist getting one themselves.
And there was a roller coaster. A red roller coaster. Each car of it was decorated with a different item; the first one had reindeer with reindeer horns on the front, the second had candy-canes, the third a Christmas Tree, the fifth a holly sprig and wreath, the sixth a pair of cardinals, and the final one had a homely small-town holiday vista upon it, complete with church. I saw Rachel tense up a bit, and she clutched my arm.
“Ahh... no go, right?” I said with a soft smile.
“Hrrmm...” she sighed, taking a deep sip from her mug.
“W-we don't have to, really,” I continued.
“B-but... they're s-scary... but I... w-wanted to... at least once... m-m-maybe...” she said with an indecisive look. “A-and... if y-you're with me... I d-don't think it'll b-be too... h-h-hard...”
“R-Rey, I can feel you trembling,” I said in a quiet voice.
“Sh-shush!” she whispered back. “I, I-I-I w-want to!!” she then declared adamantly, her knees still knocking together. I let out a sigh, smiling gently at her. “B-b-besides... y-you can p-pay me back, n-now... f-for that t-time in the V-V-Valley...” she continued, trailing off.
I had a quiet reaction of fright that played out across my face as I remembered exactly what she meant: the Vale of Stingers on the border of the Ghoulwood.
“Ahh...” I returned uncertainly, looking around to make sure no one had seen it, then cleared my throat. “If you're sure this is the time, then I'll do it.” I told her, looking her in the eyes. She nodded back. “All right... I won't talk you out of it, and I won't compare it to anything...”
“P-please don't!” she wryly smiled at me.
We then got in line for the ride in question. I couldn't see where the others had gotten to. Maybe we were the only two left in the park for now? It was about six o'clock, so they may have gone to dinner without us.
“I can hear Ellie griping now about 'those two lovebirds always dallying somewhere by themselves',” I said, and Rachel slowly started giggling, looking over at me with a smile.
“You were imitating her just now!” she told me.
“Eh? Was I?” I asked, genuinely surprised.
“It was pretty good, too!” Rachel laughed.
“Ahh, heh-heh... best not do it near her...”
“You'd lose a hundred points, for sure!”
“Hyeck!”
The two of us got so caught up in our banter that Rachel didn't even really register it when we finally boarded the coaster car. By the way, all of them have a shape like Santa's sleigh. When I took her now-empty mug and put it in my inner left pocket, placing mine in the right pocket, she suddenly recalled where she was and gulped. Ehhh... I thought to myself anxiously, wondering if this was such a good idea after all. I put an arm around her waist, and she reached over to take my free hand, holding it tightly. After all those who were getting aboard had gotten aboard, the coasters set off, heading along at a steady pace and climbing that first ascent which led to the first terrifying drop.
Oh, as a side-note, the ride is called “The Blitzen”. As we got near to the top, that fact suddenly hit me again, and I absentmindedly starting singing.
“You know Dasher and Dancer, and Prancer and Vixen; Comet and Cupid, and Donner and--”
At that moment, we who were in the first car experienced the first shocking thrill or fright of heading down at a breakneck speed on that fantastically designed winter-coaster known as:
“B-B-B-BLITZEEEEENN!!!” I cried out as several other people screamed in excitement or terror; Rachel squeezed my hand tightly, her own scream ripping out a second after I got my last word out.
Up, down, round and round, upside-down then right-side up, round and round and loopity-loopity-loop. After her first scream, Rachel settled for holding her breath a few times until the ride was over. I wasn't particularly scared of the ride: I was more scared that Rachel would pass out or get sick. Which she didn't. Behind us, I heard someone shout in definite joy at the sensation of what this thing was doing, and when it was finally over, I gently helped my brave little girlfriend out of the coaster car and back onto solid ground. She took a few deep breaths as we stood to one side, letting other people go ahead of us.
Rachel clung to me with all the strength she had left -- which felt considerable, by the way, just so you know. Christina then popped up next to us as Rachel took deep breaths, myself patting or rubbing her back. The older girl placed a hand on her shoulder, gently smiling.
“Still hate them?” she asked.
“Hate 'em. Hate 'em. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate.”
“Ah-heh-heh...” I softly smiled, still holding her.
“I-I... I as-s-s-sked for it... b-b-b-but I s-s-s-still hate 'em. Hate. Hate. Hate.” she softly continued.
“D-do you wanna come back tomorrow? N-n-not to this one, something else!” I quickly amended.
“Can we?” she asked.
“Definitely.” I nodded.
“S-Sean...” she looked up at me.
“Yes?”
“C-can you let Chrissy take me back...? I wet myself.” she said in a barely audible whisper.
“Ahh...!! Y-yeah, sure, I'll -- wander, a bit, and see you, at dinner!” I told her as Christina and I then helped her to her feet.
“Th-thanks,” she replied, gently kissing me before allowing Christina, who smiled at me, to take her back inside. I watched until I couldn't see them in the crowds anymore, then looked up and quietly sighed.
Ugh. I need to do something super nice. I know she wanted to do it, but still, I reflected with a bemused look as I began wandering. A sound then caught my ears. Hmm? Oh, one of those old carnival games, where you shoot a cork-gun to knock off the prize you want.
!!!!
I looked over at the prizes. One of them was pretty far back and placed at an angle difficult to hit. It was a white snow-bunny, with a little holly sprig for a collar and a candy cane resting on its little paws. Oh if it's the last thing I do... I thought to myself at once, paying for a try.
So you get five shots at the target of your choice. I examined my weapon, then took aim with a careful eye, and shot towards the one I wanted. It didn't reach. Then I noticed you could rev up the firepower a bit; I revved it with a couple pulls and fired again. It overshot.
“Hmm...” I thought to myself, feeling decently certain I'd gotten a feel for the thing now. “This time, for sure...”
“Hm? Sean? You're not with Rachel?” Mary asked me as she, Anhe, and Mandy came up to see what I was doing.
“Long story, kinda. But right now...” I said, then revved the cork-gun once, lightly, took aim, and fired. This time I got the rabbit, and the onlookers, including my friends, clapped.
“Here y'are, kid!” the elf-dressed helper manning the game said to me with a grin.
“Thanks!” I smiled back, and he gave me a thumbs-up as I headed off, the girls following alongside me.
“Hmm? For Rachel?” Mandy asked.
“Definitely.” I replied with a wry smile.
“Uh-oh... what did ya do?” she wondered.
“I didn't do anything! She made me take her,” I softly pleaded.
“Hm? Ah, the coaster?” Anhe said. “It was a wild ride, huh?”
“D-definitely.” I agreed.
“And you let her walk back by herself, huh?” Mandy looked at me sadly.
“Oy! Christina was there! Rachel asked her to take her inside,” I returned at once.
“Ahh! Good.” Mandy brightened back up. “Sorry!” she apologized.
“N-no harm. I'm glad you're both here to watch over us.” I said with a smile.
“We're happy too!” she nodded. “Well, Andrea and Thomas also went back about twenty minutes ago... Ellie is...”
“Here!” the blonde girl said as she caught up to us. “What's up, we going back in?”
“For now! Almost dinner time, you know!”
“Yes, ma'am!”
“I wonder what they will have tonight!” Anhe wondered with delight.
“Ooh, I can't wait to see!” Mandy grinned as we made our way back into the hotel, the rabbit tucked safely under my arms.
As we headed inside, the girls went to go claim a table for us (or join Thomas and Andrea at one they had already gotten, or find another table altogether if it looked like the two of them were having a fine time on their own) while I returned to the room to see if Rachel was yet there. I entered the room, the door closing behind me, and looked around. Christina was not around; she was probably downstairs by now.
“Rey--” I started to say, when one of the bathroom doors opened. Rachel came out of it, wearing a towel. The both of us stopped in our tracks, looking in surprise at each other for a moment before I snapped out of it and quickly turned around. “Ahh--! S-sorry!”
“I-it's okay! I mean... you've seen Ari...” she replied.
“B-but still... that's... I mean... it is, but it isn't, I mean--” I stammered, and then I felt her arms wrap around me from behind.
“If I wasn't afraid to show you my virtual self after all this time, do you think I'd be afraid right now?” she asked me gently.
“I-I... no... I don't think you would. B-but... chaperones...” I said, and I felt her silently giggle behind me.
“True. And I don't want to be one of those couples in high school. We can wait. I just want you to know that I feel perfectly safe right now.” Rachel told me. I felt calmer at those words.
“That, makes me happy. Maybe that's--”
“Perfectly fine.” she said before I could finish my thought -- which was probably for the better. I was most likely about to say something incredibly stupid, no matter how genuine it may have been. “By the way... what's in your hands?” she then asked me.
“Heh? Oh!” I said, and she let go of me as I began to turn around, still a touch red-faced. “Th-this little one, I saw it at one of the, you know, the carnival games, and I...” I trailed off as I held the Christmas Bunny up for her, watching her face light up with delight and her eyes get slightly misty, cupping her hands over her mouth.
“Sean!!” she cried, seizing me with both arms around the neck and kissing me.
I kissed her back, overwhelmed with emotion right now, the little bunny gently squeezed between us. I heard something fall to the ground as the kiss ended, and as soon as I realized what had happened I turned my head until Rachel had the bunny, and then turned around again.
“Sean...?”
“R-Rey... your towel...”
“Ahh--!!”
As soon as Rachel had gotten herself dressed, we headed downstairs to join the others at one of the larger tables. They had actually held off on ordering food to wait until we had both gotten there, and we sheepishly put in our drink orders as the waitress came around again.
“So? What did you name it??” Mandy asked Rachel when our server had gone to get our drinks.
“Hmm...” Rachel sat back thoughtfully, pondering the question. “I haven't thought of one, yet!” she then smiled. “Were you there when he got it?”
“Yep, and Mary and Anhe, too.” the older girl nodded.
“It was really cool, you should have seen him!” Anhe remarked excitedly.
“Ah-heh, too much time playing video games...” I said with a bashful grin.
“And that was a cork gun, too, not a bow and arrow. Kind of impressive, honestly,” Mary said with a smile.
“Hmm, now I want to try it!” Andrea said. “I loved those things when I was a little girl. Daddy used to play them for me all the time!”
“Your dad did?” Thomas wondered in amazement.
“He might not look it, but he was in the service before I got to grade school.” Andrea said to him.
“Ohh, that's right!” Ellie nodded. “Wasn't he almost made a general or something?”
“Right before he got the option to retire, but accepting the promotion would have meant at least five more years of service for good measure, so he chose family instead.” the other girl smiled.
“Aww, that was sweet of him!” Mandy remarked cheerily.
“Definitely!” Rachel agreed. “Mr. Summers is one of the best dads, for sure.”
“Not yours?” Christina wondered. Rachel sighed, shaking her head as Christina wryly smiled back. “I get it. I'm pretty much in the same boat, after all.”
“Come to think of it, Myanihia said you two had different fathers,” I recalled.
“That's what she said.” the other nodded. “I'm not sure, but I'm almost certain now that the man who was raising me wasn't my dad, but hers.”
“I still don't get how two children can be raised by the same parents and not know about each other...” Ellie shrugged.
“That was bugging you, too??” I said to her, and she nodded.
“You know, I'm not sure either,” Christina admitted. “Must be a rich people thing.”
“Pfft! No, sorry, but that was kind of funny!” Mandy said, holding up her hands apologetically.
“It was kind of funny.” Christina returned with a grin. We all laughed then, and the mood lightened up again. “What about your folks, Sean?” the black-haired girl said to me.
“Ehh... my dad is a cartoon-watching prankster and my mother is an obsessed real estate agent I hardly see.” I replied.
“Hmm.” the older girl smiled back.
“Your dad, too, huh?” Thomas grinned. “Classic Cartoon Central?”
“Twen-ty-four seven.” I nodded in affirmation.
“Same here; my mother is in the service now, working as a communications officer.” he said.
“Oh wow!”
“Neat!” Rachel and I remarked.
“And of course,” Ellie then said, “We all know Mary's dad runs a school, and Anhe's mother is a teacher.”
“My grandfather also owns a restaurant, and my extended family owns several retail stores in the city.” Anhe added.
“Oh right, sweet! I'll have to check them out!”
“We would be honored to have you as a customer!”
“What about your family, Ellie?” Mandy asked.
“Ehh, we're a bunch of lunatics and oddballs who work weird jobs or odd jobs. A couple of them work in the red-light sector...” she said with a distant and bemused expression.
“R-red-light, you say?” the older girl returned with a hesitant laugh.
The waitress then came back with our drinks, and then took our dinner orders before heading back to the kitchens with them.
“What about your family, Mandy?” I asked her.
“Ah! Mostly ordinary folks here. My dad works at one of the hospitals and my mother is an editor for a couple of the big magazines in the area. And my aunt runs one of the bus companies now.” she told us.
“Cool!” I said.
“Definitely!” Rachel agreed.
“What... if it's okay, do your pare-- err, maybe your mom, do, Rachel?” Mandy then asked as delicately as she could.
“Hmm... I guess she's in New Syria right now, enjoying her high profile job that she took because the one here wasn't as high profile.” she said with a sigh. I took her hand, and she smiled at me.
“Well, I'm glad you didn't go with her!” Mandy smiled.
“I am too.” Rachel smiled softly, leaning her head onto my shoulder.
“Your brother's still working around the area, isn't he?” I asked her.
“Joshy's getting in to some sort of new job to take his mind off of a break-up.” she replied.
“Ehh? With Jane? I thought they were pretty tight,” I said in surprise.
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“Mm... so did he, but I guess she wasn't feeling it. So he quit his job when she gave him the news and got to work at another place to keep it from getting awkward.” Rachel replied.
“Aw.” Andrea sighed.
“Poor guy... good luck to him in his new job, though,” I said.
“I'll tell him you said so!” my girlfriend smiled, and I nodded.
A quiet sigh of contentment escaped my lips, and I closed my eyes for a moment. For that brief moment, I could almost see something. All of us, maybe a couple of others, gathered around a table like this, laughing and celebrating. We were older, and we had come a long way together, but we were still friends, each and every one of us. There were hints of sorrow, and maybe of tragedy, that had befallen us on the way; but there was also joy, joy beyond measure, and a love that could not contain itself in a human heart, spilling out to show itself to every eye that could see it. I felt a pang in my heart, and then I felt Rachel's hand wiping something off my face.
“You okay?” she asked me as I opened my eyes again. Apparently a tear had fallen out. The others looked at me in concern. I looked around at them, smiling with reassurance.
“I'm fine, really.” I said.
“It looked like you were going to cry, though?” Anhe said, placing a hand on my shoulder as she quietly searched my face.
“Just... thinking. About us. All of us. And how I hope moments like these never stop happening between us.” I replied softly, leaning back in the chair. I felt Rachel squeeze my hand more tightly, and Anhe smiled.
“Me too.” the younger girl said, and the others around the table nodded as well. We smiled at each other. Somehow, I knew it would happen. No matter how far apart we might drift, there would always be a closeness with each other deep in our hearts.
***
Our evening meal continued with witty banter and lighthearted fun, the nine of us smiling and laughing all the way back to our -- suite, I guess? I don't get out much, but we knew that. Anyhow. The conversations went on until late in the night, after which some of us just fell asleep where we were instead of going to our beds. Christina quickly wrapped a blanket around herself before settling in, setting on some old holiday-themed cartoon film that was still around after nearly a century or so. I saw Anhe drifting off nearby, and Ellie yawned, getting a glass of water before heading in to her room.
Rachel and I slowly fell asleep in a chair together, fixated on the movie. Apparently it was called “The Year Without A Santa Claus”, from just over eighty years ago. I heard Christina say something about how she had loved this one, and several others like it, since she was a little girl. It was definitely good fun.
Come to think of it, this is the first time that Rachel and I are gonna fall asleep together for real, I thought as the two of us quietly snuggled closer. Some time later she fell sound asleep, and I joined her in slumber moments later.
“Shhh! You'll wake them before I get a picture!” someone's voice hoarsely whispered, and then there was the sound of a giggle as an imager clicked a couple times. There was a delighted squeal of victory, and I slowly opened my eyes.
Rachel was still sound asleep, and Christina was standing a few paces away with Mandy and Andrea, who were quietly gushing over the pictures that had been taken. I suddenly realized that the two of us on the chair had been the unwitting subjects of this little photography shoot, but I was too groggy to care. Whatever floats your boat.
“Ughh. They're too cute.” Andrea sighed.
“So are you and Thomas, though,” Mandy remarked.
“I guess, but somehow other couples are always cuter, you know?”
“Ah-heh, I don't really get it but I kind of get it.” the older girl said.
“You never dated anyone?” Andrea asked her.
“N-not yet!” Mandy smiled bashfully. I thought I saw Christina let out a quiet sigh; she glanced over subtly at the older girl with light-blonde hair, a soft smile on her face.
“Ahh!!! 'M-morning, Sean!” Andrea said as she turned back to see me waking up.
“Hey,” I replied, gently nudging Rachel. I couldn't help but notice how quickly the imager disappeared behind Christina's back.
“Coffee!” the black-haired girl said as she swiftly headed to our kitchenette.
“Somebody call my name?” Ellie's sleepy voice came to our ears.
“I'll make a pot, then.” Christina softly giggled.
“Mmm... lemme sleep...” Rachel mumbled a moment later.
“That's fine, but I'd like to--” I started, but she only wrapped herself around me more tightly. “Ahhh... heh-heh-heh...”
“Don' wanna... so snuggly...” she mumbled again, and I looked at her with a wry grin of helplessness.
“Girls and cats, the two things guys hate to disturb from a good cuddle.” Mandy nodded wisely.
“I don't know about the second, though,” I remarked with a soft laugh.
“You don't like kitty-cats?” she grinned.
“I like them, but we never hesitated to disturb old Gingerbell from a nap if we had to,” I told her.
“Aw! That's a cute name,” Mandy smiled.
“Ah! Sean, do you have to...?” Andrea then subtly asked me. I nodded with an awkward grin on my face at once. The red-haired girl then took pity on me. “Rachel! We're gonna be late for school!” she called out without a second's hesitation, and Rachel snapped awake, jumping out of the chair like a cat while I ninja-rolled out of the chair to head over to the little boy's room.
“Ruuuude!!!” I heard my girlfriend shout indignantly as I shut the door, the other girls laughing heartily at the prank.
“Honestly, what am I going to do with you?” Rachel smiled at me as we shared breakfast together.
“S-something nice, I hope,” I sheepishly grinned back, and she giggled.
“Wanna try skiing today?” she then asked, and I thought about it for a moment as I continued slowly downing my oatmeal.
“Hmm... I don't mind,” I said after a moment, “But we'll have to do the beginner's course.”
“That's fine, I can't really ski myself,” Rachel nodded back.
“I think I saw something about a snowman-building contest on a poster, too,” I remarked.
“Oh cool!” she exclaimed. “That'd be fun!”
“Definitely!” I agreed. As if on cue, we heard the words from one of those ever-ubiquitous Christmas songs.
In the meadow, we can build a snowman,
And we'll pretend that he is Parson Brown!
He'll say, “Are you married?” -- We'll say, “No man,
But you can do the job when you're in town!”
“It'd be nice to get married around Christmas,” Rachel said softly, her cheeks glowing.
“That would be nice.” I smiled back.
“Will you ask around then, someday?” she asked me.
“I'll probably surprise you on a day you're not expecting it.” I replied, and she smiled.
“That'd be good, too!” she agreed.
Yeah, I know. The two of us are light-years away from that point right now. But at that moment, it seemed like it could be tomorrow. Or maybe it would be, the way times flies by. One thing was for sure. All I could see right now was that gorgeous smile, absolutely radiant with the sunrise behind her.
So for most of the morning, Rachel and I went to the beginners' course for skiers, making it our goal to try and get the hang of it by lunchtime. Probably not too realistic, but hey. I saw Andrea, Thomas, and Christina on a more difficult course about thirty meters away from us. Mandy was just coming up to join them. I wonder where the others got to? I briefly wondered before pushing off, keeping myself steady and trying to go in a straight line as I slid -- err, skied, down the course.
We broke for lunch, where the others joined us, and we found out that there was a Winter Express tour which looped around the village. How I had failed to notice that earlier bugged me for quite some time after. After lunch, Rachel and I went skiing again for a couple hours, and then decided to call it quite so we could join in the snowman-building contest. We didn't win, but we got an honorary mention for our sculpture of a snowman and snow-woman holding hands and gazing towards each other.
And then Rachel led me along to where Anhe had told her the train was; it was a classic steam-locomotive, complete with coal-box and old-fashioned passenger cars, caboose included. As you might expect, it had a very winter-slash-Christmassy design aesthetic, especially the interior of the cabins and cars. We settled into a seat together, and the Winter Express took off around the village for its loop.
“This place must've taken a lot of work when it went up,” Rachel said as we observed the sights together.
“One of my grandpa's friends was a worker here when they were building it, he said it was a chore, but well worth it to see people's reactions that first winter,” I told her.
“Oh wow; not your grandpa himself, though?” she asked.
“He was a Professor of Mythology, Language, and Literature.” I shrugged.
“Nice!”
“Definitely.” I smiled. “What about your grands?” I then asked her.
“Hmm... I only really knew my mom's folks, thanks to that...” she mumbled for a moment, and then cleared her throat. “Grandpa George Vernon was a lawyer and a judge, and Grandma Nancy Mae was a homebody who helped out at bakeries when she could.”
“Oh nice. My grandma was the same way, more or less,” I smiled back.
“I got that vibe from her immediately!” Rachel smiled.
“Guess it's hard to mistake!” I returned, and we laughed.
The train slowly rumbled along its tracks through and around the village, passing through a forest of evergreens that had been decorated for the season as it wound its way up around the mountain on a steady incline. There was a tunnel that cut through the mountain looming ahead; I wondered how long it would be as we got closer.
“I never really talked about my dad, did I...” Rachel softly said.
“Y-you don't have to.” I told her.
“I need to, for a moment,” she said, her voice still soft. “My parents are actually divorced. It happened about two years ago, after we had been down in Mexico. He...” she trailed off, quietly gripping my hand.
“You don't have to say it.” I told her gently, filling in the blank for myself. “But he kept sticking around anyway, and then I suppose there were some consequences.”
“Mm. He finally admitted it a year later. That he had been a rat, and that Joshy and I now had a little brother that wasn't our full sibling.” she confided to me in as soft a voice as she could, trying not to explode. I gently squeezed her hand, and she leaned on to me. “Joshua was too nice, of course, though sometimes I wonder if he's secretly as angry as I am. My mother was indifferent, or at least she pretends to be. She would cry at night sometimes, and she hasn't gotten rid of her ring, even now. But she won't mention him, even though she still hangs on to it, and their wedding pictures.” she continued.
“I'm...” I started to say, then let it hang. There was nothing I could really say. Instead, I settled for drawing her closer, holding her warmly as the train entered the tunnel, trying to let my beating heart do the talking for me this time. I felt a couple of quiet sobs from her as she clutched me tightly, and I gently patted her on the back.
I love you.
I know. I love you too.
When the train ride ended, Rachel had perked up again, cheerfully enjoying the scenery and laughing at the more whimsical sights we got to see. I smiled, keeping hold of her hand as we enjoyed them together, thinking again about how grateful I was to be playing a part in this girl's life. I knew I wasn't the only joy she had now. All of our friends, all of our times and adventures together, they were adding up together in her heart and slowly pushing away bad experiences. Yet I knew I meant a great deal more to her than I would ever understand, and she meant the same for me, too.
We headed off the train, hand in hand, and took a stroll through the amusement park. I consciously avoided going anywhere near The Blitzen, if I could help it at all, but we did play a few of the carnival games together. After winning a couple more prizes we went to ride on the carousel, and then continued to just walk and enjoy watching the people around us having a wonderful time. I looked up as we got near the ferris wheel; I let out a smile as I saw Andrea and Thomas in the carriage now nearing the top, and deftly looked away as they reached for each other.
“Aww...!!” Rachel sighed happily as she watched them, then gently pulled me along to take a ride on it as well.
As soon as we got up to it we were ushered on, the young ladies manning it quickly and silently picking up on Rachel's intentions to be alone in one of the carriages. Slowly we went up, and the two of us watched as we rose steadily higher into the air. I let out a smile as I looked down; it almost seemed like one of those little toy villages with the train running through them. Rachel softly giggled when I mentioned this, laying her head on my shoulder.
“It definitely looks like that,” she agreed as we observed the scene below. Suddenly we were at the top, and the carriage halted.
“Oh, it stopped again,” I said.
“Mm.” Rachel nodded, and I turned to her.
I felt a gentle rush of feelings welling up inside. Our eyes locked together gently as she raised her head, cheeks glowing with a faint red as she looked back at me, her eyes closing, her lips parting. I closed my eyes as well, leaning closer, brushing my lips against hers, lightly at first but then more firmly, our arms wrapping around each other to hold one another close. Neither of us noticed when the carriage started moving again, blissfully unaware of anything but the person we loved.
***
On our third day, Rachel and I went to go try skiing again, with Anhe joining us this time. I had a feeling that, out of all of us, she was getting the most out of this trip. The three of us carefully guided ourselves down the beginner's slope a few times, and then we agreed to try the next difficulty.
As expected, this one was definitely trickier, yet it wasn't as difficult as it might have been had we gone for it right off the bat. We tripped up a few times, and I almost ran into a tree at least twice; then poor Anhe lost her balance and ran into a snowbank, after which we called it quits for the time being, helping her back to the rooms.
“It was definitely fun!” she exclaimed on the way back. “I will try again later with the two of you, if you want to,” Anhe then said.
“Sure!” I agreed.
“I definitely agree!” Rachel smiled.
“Yay!” Anhe raised a hand in celebration, and the three of us laughed together. “I hope some day we have more friends to do things with, although not too many!” she then said.
“Oh for sure. If we have too many more, Mandy and Christina might get overwhelmed!” Rachel agreed, and they giggled.
“Or they might gush even more and just put up with it,” I remarked, and we laughed again.
“I can see that too!” Anhe agreed.
“Right??” Rachel returned.
After we had helped Anhe to the suite, Rachel helped her clean up a bit, and then we went to have an early lunch. A brunch? Whatever. We had food. That was the important part. Well, second-most important. Next to being with each other. Andrea and Thomas came to join us about fifteen minutes later, and the others filed in as the five of us were finishing up. We stayed to talk for a bit, and then started splitting up again to go and do things. Rachel and I went with Anhe to go look at the shops in the village, deciding to wait for tomorrow to try and ski again.
“Hmm... Mi-Sun would like this one...” Anhe remarked as we browsed through a toy-shop. She was examining a panda plushie with a little Santa-hat on its head.
“Your cousin, right? She likes pandas, then?” Rachel asked.
“Yes to both!” Anhe nodded.
“Younger?”
“Mm, by two years.”
“Hmm, middle-school, huh?” I noted as I scanned the store, looking around in awe at the selection of merchandise, most of it hand-made. According to the labels, at least.
“True! She goes to another school, though. An all-girls school on... the north side?” Anhe replied, trying to recall as she picked up one of the pandas.
“Ehh... I kinda recall that... Saint Something-or-others,” I nodded, and the two of them giggled back. “L-like either of you know the name!” I quickly said, smirking back.
“Ha-ha-ha!” Anhe returned in helpless laughter.
“Oh, gawd, Sean!” Rachel sighed, and the two of them looked at each other before turning back to me.
“Adorkable!” they chorused as one.
“Hahhh...” I sighed resignedly.
“You really are a nice pillow.” Rachel said as she snuggled onto me later that night as we curled up to watch a few Christmas Classics with Christina and Mandy. Andrea and Thomas were in another chair, and the others were sprawled out on the floor.
“Th-thanks,” I replied, and she quietly giggled as I wrapped us up in a blanket. I looked over at Christina, who was again cocooned in a blanket of her own that she had brought along. “For all that you don't get cold you sure love that blanket.” I remarked.
“Oh, this isn't for me, this is for the rest of you.” she said with a wink.
“Heh?”
“Don't ask, kiddo.” Mandy smirked.
“Hmm? Chrissy, you sleep that way too?” Ellie asked her.
“All the time.” the other girl nodded.
Eh? ehh?? … guhyeck!! I thought as I suddenly internalized what they were implying, and then directed my full attention to the movie and its opening credits.
This time it was one about Rudolph, along with an Elf who wanted to be a dentist. And apparently the next one was going to be an even older live action film, often regarded as the quintessential Christmas holiday movie.
“Hahh... this one is so cute.” Christina sighed happily.
“Isn't it though?” Mandy agreed.
We all lasted through that one, and then as the second one continued our little movie night we started drifting off one by one. The last thing I recalled before falling asleep was how odd it was to be watching a black-and-white film in this day and age, but, at the same time, it seemed strangely appropriate.
Day four was a full day of skiing, with a couple of breaks in between our sessions as we slowly got the hang of that second-easiest course and progressed to the next one later in the afternoon, close to evening. I noticed that Christina was now on one of the master courses, gliding easily down the difficult slope. I'll be happy if I can get the hang of this third one, myself, I thought as I watched in amazement.
“She's good, huh?” Rachel remarked with awe.
“Very.” Anhe replied.
“I wonder where she learned,” I said as I nodded in agreement. The three of us then gently shoved off to try our new course.
Anhe and Rachel made it down without incident, though they said it was luck. As for me, I ended up getting one of my skis caught on something as I tried to maneuver out of the way of something else, and then ended up in one of those tumbles you see in the cartoons all the time -- except for the part where the unfortunate victim ends up in a giant snowball. But I did go splat into a snow embankment near the bottom of the hill which was there for clumsy people such as myself, and I lay there in a heap until the girls came over.
“Are you okay?!” Rachel said in alarm as she knelt down.
“U-uugghhhhh...” I managed to shiver out, seeing a few stars as I tried to move. Then I felt someone's arms around me, hoisting me off the ground. It was Christina.
“Come on, kiddo.” she said, placing my arm around her neck as Rachel and Anhe collected my skis and the ski-poles.
We trudged back to the rooms, and she helped get me out of my coat and stuff before setting me in a chair. Rachel, who had gotten there before us with Anhe, came over with a hot coffee, placing it in my hands. I smiled, and she smiled back at me.
“Still dizzy?” Christina asked.
“A bit,” I admitted.
“Just relax for a while. Don't move around too much.” she said, patting my shoulder. A moment passed by in silence, the three of them observing me carefully.
“Where did you lean to ski, by the way?” Anhe then wondered softly to the older girl.
“Hmm? Oh, I got sent with... David, the man who acted as my father, to Norway for a month's vacation one year.” she shrugged.
“Straight from the home of skiing, huh?” I remarked.
“Don't think too much either,” she gently flicked me. “Which is not something I'd ever usually say to a guy,” she added with a smirk.
“Oy... quit hitting the injured when they're down...” I softly retorted, and they laughed.
“I'm just glad you don't seem to have any broken bones. Mandy would have a meltdown,” Christina sighed, softly smiling as she took off her coat and set it on a coat-rack.
“I bet,” I quietly agreed, taking a long but slow sip of warm coffee as Rachel curled herself up next to me. Anhe gave her a hug, and then softly kissed my cheek before heading out with a wave. Rachel snuggled against me, and I almost fell asleep right there.
“Don't let him get too active, he might have a concussion.” she said to Rachel. “Hmm... I guess if he shows signs of one, we'll have to cancel our nightly movies, too...” Christina mused.
“Not too active?” Rachel wondered bemusedly.
“No amusement rides, no carnival games, no sledding, no complicated board games or watching a screen... and no skiing!” she smirked as she slipped under her blanket to take a nap.
“I might be done skiing for the week, this time,” I said. I then idly noticed that it was snowing outside, and a smile came to my lips. The three of us sat there together in silence, watching the snow fall in companionable silence.
Later in the day, Mandy, who had some practical experience in patient care from learning with her dad, concluded that I did not have a concussion, thankfully, and said it was safe for me to resume more normal activities. We went to dinner after that, reflecting with a hint of sadness that it was our second to last supper in Hollydale. As Rachel and I curled back up in the chair together, I thought to myself with an amused smile that neither of us had actually slept in our beds for the entire week. Our first movie of the night came on, and we were soon caught up in the antiquated but wonderfully done animations, enjoying both it and the company around us.
“We check out after breakfast tomorrow, right? Or after dinner tonight?” Christina asked as we gathered at the table.
“I think tonight,” Mary said.
“Late night drive, huh?” Mandy remarked. “I'll have to get a coffee to go!”
“Hmm.” Christina nodded back. “So what should we do today?”
“Isn't there a stage play going on?” Andrea said as she took a drink from her orange juice.
“Hm? Oh right!” Ellie grinned. “There's a couple performances, actually, two of them on different stages. Let's see one for a matinee and then the other in the afternoon!”
“You guys are doing a Christmas show too, right?” I asked her.
“Eh, next week or so, yeah,” she nodded.
“I'll have to warm up my card tricks again...” Thomas noted to himself.
“You'll be fine.” Andrea smiled at him.
“Still!” he smiled back.
“What are the plays, by the way?” Anhe then asked.
“Hmm... I think one's a small-town holiday comedy, and the other's more of a fairy tale story,” Mandy said, picking up one of the schedules nearby to read it. “There we go; yep! I was right.”
“Vote time! What's first?” Ellie said.
***
We had a practically unanimous vote for the fairy tale play first, so we went to see this around nine. It centered around a few legends of Old Saint Nick and the North Pole, and how he began his Christmas journeys around the world. The second one was definitely comedic; it centered around a Post-Master General who was given a letter to deliver by a young girl, who wanted it delivered to Santa Claus.
This one followed the hapless and holiday-shunning PMG as he ended up making a journey that quickly turned supernatural, transforming him into a kinder, more warmhearted sort of person who ended up as the most enthusiastic holiday-lover of them all. The actors received a standing ovation, as well they should have for that performance. Not that I'm an expert on theater or anything, but I think we all know when a story is done well or excellently versus when it's just okay or even poorly.
After watching this one and joining in the standing ovation, we slipped out to take one last visit to the shops before having an early dinner, and then we got packed, checked out, and got back onto our bus to head home. We all smiled at each other as we settled into our seats again, wordlessly agreeing that we had to get together like this again sometime. And with that, Mandy started up the bus, a smile on her face, and started our journey home.
As Hollydale receded from view, I started falling asleep again. A smile came to my face. I hadn't known what I was in for this school year. I had expected it to be the same old, same old; and instead, I was introduced to a whole new world, not just in Panarena, but in my actual life as well. Real life wasn't so bad after all. But Lana Windstrider and her adventures were not yet over: that much I knew for certain.