Page 8 of Ski You Later
“My dream is for her to crash in the course and break her leg,” he says immediately after.
“Carlos! You can’t say that!” The shock of his words mixed with the intention behind them almost cause me to drop my phone. Even if she has single-handedly caused every problem I’ve ever had, it goes against everything I believe in to wish harm to her. Wishing ill will towards someone else will do nothing but cause someone bad karma and even worse skin.
“Hmm, alright, that was a little harsh. It’s just annoying how there’s never any repercussions for her actions! It’s infuriating, sister!”
“I know brother! But that is life sometimes. Just focus on yourself, and everything will be okay.” My words help center me and remind me of my beliefs, which successfully calms my anxiety filled body.
I can hear his grumbling on the other end, since he hates when I shut down his trash talking of others. His statement isn’t wrong though; Jasmine does whatever she wants without a care in the world. She always has and always will.
Come to think of it, the only person I’ve ever seen get mad at her was Roman, and the coaches later punished him for that. That’s just another point for Roman in my books.
“Ugh, I can’t stand even thinking about her right now. Okay, I have to go. Bye.” The line goes dead as I receive the classic Carlos goodbye.
My brothers’ goodbyes are always sudden and direct, but I’m just happy they call at all. The next time we’ll all be together again will be at the wedding.
The wedding where I’ll be bringing my boyfriend and introducing him to my entire family…
The boyfriend that I don’t have.
“UGH, I’m a disaster,” I yell into the empty room. Rolling myself into a blanket burrito and trying not to cry at the ridiculous situation I’m in. A knock sounds at my door and with my luck, Jasmine might be on the other side. She probably heard that I’m bringing someone, and she thought it would be appropriate to laugh in my face rather than over the phone.
“Come in,” I say weakly.
The logical side of my brain knew it was Aurora, but seeing her walk through the door was a relief nonetheless. She sulks in with a furrow between her brow, and flops onto my bed while wrapping her blanket tighter around herself.
“She beat me today,” she blurts out.
A confused expression crosses my face at this. Someone on our team was able to beat Aurora?
“Who beat you?” I ask quickly. Sitting up fully to look at her, I pray that it isn’t who I think it is. “If you say Jasmine then I’ll throw up on you.” I point my finger sternly in her face, so she knows I mean business.
“Isla! She beats me at everything. I just hate her and her stupidly beautiful face!” Aurora’s voice rises as she starts to strangle the air in front of her.
Everythingbeing the fact that she stole the heart of the guy Aurora’s been crushing on for the past couple years now. She has never explicitly told me she likes Liam, but it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
I don’t want to push her on this because I firmly believe her hatred is misplaced, but tonight is not the time to discuss that. “Do you want to watch the movie with the robots that fight those aliens?” Knowing that it’sone of her favourite movies, and I hope it will be enough to make her feel better.
A frown takes over her cute face as her watery eyes look up at me. “How do you not know the name at this point. I watch every week.” I can’t help but fully laugh at that, since I hate every part of that movie and refuse to remember the title.
We both start laughing at this point, and I decide that telling her my garbage news will take her mind off of her problems. There’s really no better way of doing it then just blurting everything out.
“Jasmine announced to the family that she’s bringing her boyfriend to Julian’s wedding. So, I told my mom that I’m bringing my new boyfriend.”
I can feel Aurora bolt upright beside me, the shock basically pouring off of her in waves. “NO,” Rora screams in my face.
Covering my ears from that attack of volume, I look her dead in the eyes as I purse my lips and nod.
“Rhodes, you don’t have a boyfriend.” She acts as if I didn’t know that fact, so I give her the most unimpressed glare I can conjure.
“Oh, really? I was under the impression I had one!” My voice rises with mirth as Aurora howls withlaughter. Clutching her stomach, she flops back onto the bed and absolutely cackles at the situation.
“There’s no way you actually told your mom you’re bringing your boyfriend, and she believed you!” Rora can’t contain her laughter at my expense, but at least the tears in her eyes are ones of joy.
“Okay, chuckles, I’m dealing with a serious problem here.” There’s no harshness to my voice though, as happiness at Aurora’s uplifted mood overtakes me.
“You’re going to have to come clean girl. There’s no way you can get away with this one. The wedding is in what, like five months?”
“Three,” I say dismally.
