𝘛𝘖𝘓𝘌𝘙𝘈𝘛𝘌 𝘐𝘛 ⇢ r.bowen

2

ELIZABETH'S POV- Friday, December 21st

When I wake up the next morning, Percy is gone, and there is a note on my bed side table;

E,
Last night was fun ;))) sorry I had to leave early this morning to grab my stuff for the ski trip. I'll meet you at the school okay?

Kisses, P

Huh. Glad he had fun. I grab the note and shove it into the drawer, not wanting to be reminded of last nights events.

Before I leave, I change my sheets out and take a long, hot shower trying to erase the feeling of him all over me. I'm definitely overreacting. He's my boyfriend, and I love him. But still, everything feels weird now.

I'm ready around 6:30 and realize I'm running way late. The bus is leaving at 6:45 and I live 10 minutes away from school....

There's loud knocks on my door and I know it's Ricky. I unlock it and in he comes, clad in the same pajamas he wore last night with disheveled hair. "I slept through my alarm. Are you ready?"

I nod. "Just need to put my stuff in your car." We had decided to just drive over together.

He glances around my room. "So, uh..." he scratches the back of his neck. "Where's White?" He asks casually.

"Oh, um, he didn't end up staying over. His dad called and said he needed him home."

Ricky nods and then we get everything ready, and finally leave. I'm not sure he completely bought my lie.

Ricky and I end up being the last ones on the bus.

"Oh my god, we thought you guys weren't gonna make it!" Nini says as we get on. Ricky slips into the seat next to her. "I worried about you." She says in a hushed whisper, only to him.

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you." He says. I look away.

I look around for Percy, and see he's sitting in the back with all the water polo guys. We make eye contact and he starts to get up, but I wave him off. He can sit back there without me, fine with me.

Instead I sit next to Ashlyn.

"What took you two so long?" She asks.

"We both slept in," I say, and I feel the bus start to pull out of the parking space.

I stare down at my hands.

"Is everything okay?" She asks.

"What?"

"Never mind."

I put my AirPods in and play my liked songs on shuffle and shut my eyes, pretending to be asleep while I can hear everyone talking and laughing around me. This is gonna be a long 4 hours.

~~~~~
We finally arrive at the resort around 11. Gina and I drag our bags up to our shared room.

Percy and I still haven't spoken today. He tried to come up to me when we stopped at a McDonalds on the way, but I quickly ducked into the bathroom to hide.

There was a knock on the door, and Gina walked over to get it as she was already up. As she was putting things away, I lay on the bed scrolling through Instagram.

At the door were Kourtney, Ashlyn and Nini. I felt relief wash through me when it wasn't Percy there.

Nini flops down on my bed. "What are we gonna do for the rest of the day?"

"I don't know about you guys," says Kourtney, "but I definitely wanna hit the slopes."

"I mean, for sure," says Nini.

"Guys I told you I don't know how to ski!" Ashlyn complains.

"Well that's the whole point of the trip!"

Gina rolls her eyes and lays down in between Nini and I. "What about you Liz, what do you wanna do?"

I shrug.

"Okay, Elizabeth, you've been like, gloomy all day. What's wrong with you?" Gina asks.

"Nothing," I say, staring up at the ceiling.

"No, something's definitely wrong. Even on the bus, you were really quiet and didn't talk to anyone." Says Ashlyn.

"I was tired. It was early." I say.

"Tired from whatever you and Percy did last night?"

I sit up quickly. "What?"

The four of them exchange glances, all smirking.

"I knew it!" Says Ashlyn. "I knew it when he said he didn't want you to open the box and that he was staying over with you!"

"Tell us everything!" Kourtney gushes. Her and Ashlyn sit on the edge of the bed.

I feel my face go red. "Guys."

"Oh, stop acting shy," says Nini. "Just tell us. What was it like? Did it hurt?"

"Yeah, but only for a little." I lied. "After that it was just... good."

They all laugh, and I fake one too.

"Well what did he do, did he just like, put it in or..."

"No!" I smack Gina with a pillow. "It was actually really romantic. He lit a candle, and asked me if it was okay before taking off my clothes and stuff, and kept asking if I liked what he was doing." Of course Percy did none of these things, but seeing the looks on their faces I felt like I had to lie. And plus, I didn't want them to think Percy's a bad boyfriend or anything.

"Awww. That's so cute." Nini hugs a pillow to her chest. "I wish Ricky would wanna do it already. But he could barely say I love you last year! Ugh!"

It feels weird to have Nini say something like that. Almost sounding like she's... jealous. Jealous, of me. I'm not used to that. She's the pretty one in our friend group. Ashlyn's the smart one. Gina's the most talented in everything, and Kourtney is all of the above. And me? I'm just... nothing. All I was known for was being the quiet one. The crybaby, too, ever since we were younger. I'm usually the one being jealous of them, not the other way around.

"Okay, I just barely even started dating Big Red. No room for sex yet." Says Ashlyn. "Gina, Kourtney, we need to find boyfriends for you."

Kourtney wrinkles her nose. "I'm good."

"Me too," says Gina, and we all laugh. Even though I still lied to them, it feels good to have gotten the secret off my chest.

"Wait, guys," I say, sitting up again. "Promise you won't tell anyone? Like, not even the boys. Please?"

"I mean, obviously." Says Kourtney. "But the boys probably know already, unless you asked Percy not to tell them."