Page 18 of Sneaking Around with the Player
Beau: Nah, not really. Hanging with the fam. I might see if some buddies from high school want to head up to Show Low this weekend to ski. You?
Me: Not sure, but skiing sounds fun! I bet you’re pretty cute in ski goggles.
Beau: Only one way to find out. Come with.
We never directly talk about Felix, but it’s getting harder to avoid. Especially if I want to see Beau over the holiday break. I confirmed their rivalry by casually mentioning I was talking to a guy from Colorado University. The very first words out of my brother’s mouth were, “I hate their entire football team.”
I slide my phone into my backpack, without answering him, as I walk into the dining hall. Holly is already at our usual table.
“Hey,” I say, sitting across from her.
She pushes one of the plates on her tray toward me. “They ran out of blueberry bagels.”
“This is perfect. Thank you.” I tear off a hunk of the cinnamon bagel in front of me and smile. “Two more classes and we’re done! We’ll have survived our first semester as college students!”
“Felix already left,” Holly says, and then scrunches up her nose. “I hope the house isn’t trashed when we get there.”
Our parents took advantage of all their children being away at college and finally went on a two-week vacation. They won’t be back until Christmas Eve. Felix is house-sitting, which more than likely means he’ll be throwing a party every night until they return.
“What if we didn’t go home just yet?” I ask, an idea forming.
Holly’s wearing a red T-shirt and earrings in the shape of candy canes that dangle as she tilts her head to the side. “You want to stay on campus longer?”
“No. Let’s go to the cabin.” I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner. Our family has a vacation home in Flagstaff near the ski resort. It’s a small two-bedroom without a lot of fancy amenities, but the resort nearby is beautiful, and I can’t think of a better way to spend a few days than snowboarding and relaxing with Holly after our first semester of college.
It’s been a fun few months, but we have seen a lot less of each other due to our different schedules. And if I’m totally honest, I need a distraction. I can’t sit at home knowing Beau is an houraway and not want to do something reckless like see him. He’s insistent that Felix will freak out, which has me freaking out.
Holly is quiet as she considers my proposal. “By ourselves? We’ve never gone just the two of us.”
“Exactly. I think it’ll be fun. I miss you.”
She laughs softly. “You see me every day.”
“I know, but we’re both busy. It’s not the same.”
“Yeah,” she agrees. “Okay.”
I squeal and clap my hands.
“But only if we can still do all our usual holiday traditions. I’m so bummed Mom and Dad are going to be gone until next week. We’re going to miss out on baking cookies, decorating gingerbread houses, putting up a tree...” she trails off.
“Of course. We can do all that. Or as much as we can fit in a weekend.”
“All right, yeah. I’m in.” Her smile is filled with the same excitement I feel. “How’s Beau? Any plans to see each other over break?”
I can’t be sure, but I think my face turns red. Holly still doesn’t know that Beau plays football, but she knows we’ve been talking nonstop these past few weeks and that he is from Arizona, not far from where we grew up.
“No. I don’t think so. He has a bunch of family stuff going on.” I wave off her question and stuff another bite of bagel in my mouth.
“Too bad,” she says, “I’d like to meet this mystery guy you’re talking to all day, every day.”
“We’re just friends and it’s notallday,” I say at the same time my phone pings in my backpack. I reach for it, smiling when I see the text, a photo of Beau in ski goggles. His hair is sticking out everywhere, one brow is cocked, and he has a flirty smirk.
Holly laughs. “I think you just made my point for me.”
Beau has a big, final group project due tomorrow before he’s done for the semester, so we can’t talk on the phone. Instead, I’m packing and cleaning up my side of the room while Holly is across the hall, helping our neighbor with an English paper.
Beau: I hate group projects.
