Author's Note: Hey readers, thanks for 10K readers on this book. I am so happy people enjoy my writing. I usually do it for fun or as stress relief. I kind of wish it was Christmas time or New years. I hope you enjoy this story. Don't forget to like and comment. :)
Ricky's POV:
"Hey Nin's, good morning, I brought your favorite lemon herb tea and a gluten free sugar free donut." I said before I kissed my girlfriend Nini on the lips by her locker.
"Good Morning Ricky. Thanks for the morning treats." Nini kissed me back holding my left hand.
"Hey, this morning I saw a poster that East High is having an all school ski trip. I was thinking we could go together?"
"I don't know Ricky. Auditions for the spring musical are coming up and I don't want to break a leg, literally the week before auditions. Also, I can't ski or snowboard like you." Nini said waving to Kourtney at her locker.
"Please Nini. I promise you won't get hurt and we will have fun."
"I'll think about it, Ricky." Nini said as the first period bell rang, and we walked away to first period.
After school, I got home to see my dad working in his new office. He got a decent job and is able to work from home so he's often at home after school.
"Hey Rick, how was school?"
"Same thing every day."
"What's that sticking out of your bag?" Mike pointed to the permission slip.
"I was going to ask you later when you are not busy if I could go on the ski trip."
"Ricky, of course you can. Be careful." Mike put his hand out to sign the sheet.
"Dad.... please let's not have this talk right now."
"I was a high schooler once. I know what these ski trips are like. Booze and babes in hot tubs."
"Dad. I am not that kind of guy and Nini has not even told me if she is going yet."
"I have condoms."
"Dad...." I said walking off to my room while putting in my air pods.
Nini's POV:
I was walking to the theatre group's lunch table when I ran into my best friend Kourtney in the hallway. She was digging through her makeup bag in her locker.
"Hey Kourt, are you going on the ski trip?"
"Nini, you know what happens on high school ski trips. How dare you mention that event. Remember when we were in middle school, we swore not to do stupid things in high school. Not to mention last quarter." Kourtney said emphasizing on the last part.
"Kourt, Ricky is not that kind of guy. He has never been interested in sex and he knows I am not ready." I whispered closer to Kourt.
"Hey, what's taking you guys so long? We are waiting for you at the lunch table." Gina exclaimed as she walked towards Kourtney's locker.
"Miss Salazar-Roberts here wants to go on that dumb ski trip." Kourtney said closing her locker and grabbing her lunch bag.
Gina, Kourtney and I were walking to the lunchroom chatting about the ski trip, when Gina mentioned something that shocked Kourt and I.
"Why is the ski trip dumb, Kourt? You have never been on it yourself; how would you know. I am not trying to be mean. I am just saying, we could all go as a theatre group and have a girl's sleepover." Gina said daydreaming.
"Gina. The ski trips are full of sex and drinking." Kourtney whispered to her as Gina made a realization.
I sat in my usual spot next to Ricky and Seb while taking out my lunch. I think Ricky noticed that something was on my mind when he let go of my hand under the table.
"Nins are you ok?" Ricky whispered while kissing my cheek.
"I get it. You guys are back together. No need to spread the PDA at lunch." E.J scoffed as he ate his lunch across the table.
Ricky's POV:
I was over at the Salazar-Roberts house helping Nini with her math homework, while she helped me with my English paper. She was always better at writing paper than me. I was admiring her handwrite a draft of her paper when she suddenly stopped and laid on her bed.
"Ricky, if I go on the ski trip, can you promise me something?"
"Of course, Nins."
"Please don't use this trip to do you know." Nini said in her British accent.
"Nini Salazar-Roberts, I would never do that to any woman, especially you. I will wait till you are ready." I said coming over to her and hugging her.
"Kourtney said that's why guys go on the ski trip." Nini said in her cute british accent.
"I promise. I'll wait till your ready. I just want to snowboard with Big Red and I don't think I can spend a weekend away from you."
"But Ricky I can't ski" Nini asked confused.
"I can teach you. It will be like our perfect winter date."
"I'll have to ask my mom's tomorrow. They are probably asleep now."
"I love you Nini."
"I love you too Ricky."
***********
Miss Jenn's POV:
"Come in."
"Hi, Miss Jenn. Can I ask you for a favor?"
"Gina, Hon anything for you. What's up?" I said sipping my tea.
"Well the whole theatre group is going on the school ski trip, and the deadline to get permission slips in is tomorrow. I was wondering if you could sign for me. You already know I am staying with the Caswell's and my mom is in D.C." Gina said frowning.
"Sweetie, you need a parent/ guardian's signature. I can't afford to lose my job, especially after the fall musical."
"Please Miss Jenn. You are like a mother figure to all of the theatre students and to me especially. I really just want my girl's night with my friends and it just so happens they are all going on the trip." Gina begged.
"I'll see what I can do." I signed the papers for her and shooed her away so I could eat my lunch. Before Gina left, I winked at her.
********
In the EHS Staff Office
I saw the sign-up sheet for the chaperones for the ski trip and immediately walked towards it to sign up. Suddenly, Mr. Mazarra walked up to me with a hot cup of coffee.
"Your signing up to chaperone for a ski trip? Can you even Ski?" He looked at me curiously.
"For your information, I am going to spy on my theatre students to make sure they don't cause even more drama before auditions."
"Let me remind you, that they are not your theatre kids anymore. It was one production."
"Mazarra, you are just jealous because I have Big Red and Ashlyn." I said while signing my name onto the form.
"Well, just so you know I am chaperoning too. I have to because I am junior class advisor." Mazarra said before leaving with his coffee.
No One's POV:
On the bus to the ski lodge, Seb and Carlos sat together wearing air pods, listening to their favorite Broadway songs. At one point, on the bus ride Carlos was complaining about going skiing to Seb, but Seb insisted on trying new things. Big Red sat next to Ashlyn and kept fidgeting with the AC controls. He was nervous, it was his first time sitting on a full bus ride next to his new girlfriend. E.J was sitting in the back of the bus with his water polo team. They were chatting about their plans for the weekend and their crushes. Gina was planning out her to do list for the ski trip while listening to dance music in the corner of the bus alone. Meanwhile, Ricky and Nini sat in the middle of the bus cuddling in an oversized blanket that Nini bought, even though Ricky insisted that they had a fireplace and AC at the lodge. Of course, Kourtney wasn't there because she didn't believe in that kind of stuff. Miss Jenn was sitting in the front in the seat across from Mr. Mazarra trying to fall asleep while listening to the loud teens in the back of the bus.
1st Day on the Trip
Ricky had to beg Nini to get on the snow so that he could teach her how to ski. At first, she was scared and refused to let go of his hand, but after a small breakdown in front of the lodge, she took a few steps into the snow. By the end of the day the couple was exhausted. Nini just wanted hot chocolate and pain medication, while Ricky was snowboarding with Big Red. As soon as the two guys came back, Ricky cuddled with Nini by the fireplace in the lobby while they watched Big Red attempt to teach Ashlyn how to possibly snowboard. Big Red was not a good teacher at all, but luckily, he kept catching Ashly before she fell into the snow. E.J and his teammates were nowhere to be found. Seb and Carlos were watching TV in their room and later planned to get into the hot tub. Gina was looking for the local skate rink that was across the street from the main area. She was lonely and wanted to dance. If it was on the Ice, it was dancing for her. Everyone was preoccupied at the ski lodge.
Miss Jenn's POV:
"Ok everyone. Please remain in your rooms for the nights you are here. You are respecting the lodge's property and representing East High. No goofing off or running to the hot tubs." Mr. Mazarra exclaimed loudly to the group of students yawning in the lobby.
After, all the students went to their rooms, I decided to have a talk to Mazarra. These ski trip rules are ridiculous.
"Benjamin, can you please not be so strict to the students, this is their weekend of freedom. They have been waiting for this. Besides this lodge is so lovely." I said admiring the fireplace and the still hung up Christmas decorations.
"Jenn, did you not read on the permission slip that this is not a weekend for games and foolery? No alcohol and no sex. These kids are representing the school."
"Did you never have some fun as a teenager?"
"Goodnight Miss Jenn." Mr. Mazarra said as he went off to his room.
I sat at one of the oak tree tables in the lodge lobby and spread out all of my notes for the spring musical, Beauty and the Beast. I needed to make some adjustments to the script, and I wanted to get started on props and costumes as soon as casting was set. I set my pencil down to take a break when I heard my phone ring. I saw the caller ID and was surprised.
Phone Call
"Hi, Mike, why are you calling at this hour?" I said brushing my hair back.
"I was told that you were one of the chaperones on this ski trip that Ricky is on. I just wanted to make sure he hasn't done anything dumb yet."
"Are you sure you aren't calling for another reason?" I said quietly.
"Ok fine. I called to see if you wanted to go on that bowling date soon?"
"Well Mike, you'd have to wait two more days. I am chaperoning this ski trip."
"So, is that a yes?"
"That's a maybe. Goodnight Mike." I winked to myself and then hung up.
End Phone Call
"I thought that staff weren't supposed to work on this trip?" Mazarra said coming out from the corner with a cup of hot coa coa.
"I thought that all you do is work, Benjamin. You don't like to have fun."
"I can have fun. The robotics club for an example." Benjamin set down the hot coa coa and sat on the seat closest to me.
"Robots are not fun."
"Well making theatre sets and costumes don't seem fun to me."
"I thought you went to sleep, Benjamin."
"Couldn't sleep. Here this is for you." He passed the mug of hot chocolate to me.
"Well thank you, kind sir."
"Don't talk like that."
"Why can't you just have some fun for once? Like those students out there. This is not an ordinary weekend. What do you do on the weekends? Sit at home and play with robots?"
"Beep, boop, beep, boop, beeeep." I imitated robot sounds while moving my hands.
"Stop making fun of yourself, Jenn."
"Oh yeah, what are you going to do? What's so bad about having some fun?"
All of a sudden Benjamin Mazzara's lips met mine and the world stopped existing for a moment. Wow. I mean wow! I didn't know Benjamin had that in him.
"Goodnight Jenn." Mazarra said waving to me after getting up from his position.
Before he left the room, he wrote something on my notebook that I used for audition notes.
Robots are fun.