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settled would be a session on the slopes. I
couldn’t trust Jaxon to leave me alone in the pool. I couldn’t trust him to
leave me alone if I went for a walk. The only way I could maybe avoid him would
be to get out onto the mountain before anyone else was around. I needed time to
myself, I needed space and air and the cold of the snow to think.
    I put on my warm clothes and pulled out my gear,
checking to make sure that everything was as it should be. I smiled to myself.
Time alone, out on the mountain, cutting up the slopes—nothing could possibly
be better. My stomach was growling a little bit; I decided to go out to the
kitchen and grab a quick breakfast, maybe some coffee and something I could
take with me out onto the mountain for a snack later in the day. Hopefully I
had gotten up early enough that no one else was around .
I walked across the living room, still looking around. Jaxon was nowhere to be
seen. That was a good sign. I would get into the kitchen, maybe find a thermos
for coffee or hot chocolate, and grab something to eat before I went out.
    When I stepped into the kitchen, though, my plan
began to dissolve. My mom was drinking a cup of coffee, leaning against the
countertop, smiling to herself. “Oh hey, Mom,” I said, hoping I could get away
with my plan. “Smells good.” Mom gave me a quick hug.
    “You’re up early,” she pointed out. I shrugged.
    “Went to bed kind of early.” It wasn’t true—I hadn’t shut everything down in my room until a little after
one, and it was only about seven in the morning. But I was eager to get out of
the house, eager to get away from my troubles at least for a little while.
    “What are you up to today?” I poured myself a cup of
coffee and snagged one of the imported strawberries Mom was eating out of a
basket. They were still dripping from the rinse she had given them.
    “Thought I’d go out on the mountain,” I said, taking
a bite of the strawberry. “I’d love to get some time on the slopes. Get some
practice in.” Mom made a face.
    “You can’t go out on your own,” she told me. “You
don’t know these mountains, and besides, it’s dangerous to go out by
yourself—you know that.” I did.
    “Well…I’m sure there’ll be other people skiing and
boarding,” I pointed out. “It’s a great day out for it.”
    “Not good enough,” Mom said firmly. “You need
someone who’s actually looking out for you. Bob and I can come with you.” I
frowned. I didn’t want to have to deal with my mom and her new husband. They’d
probably invite Jaxon and I’d have to spend all day pretending to be okay with
him, and like I didn’t know him. It would all unravel.
    “Mom, come on,” I said with a groan. “I’m not a kid
anymore. I can take care of myself on the slopes, there are plenty of rangers
and other people out, I’m not going to go off into the woods or anything, and I’ll
stick to the normal trails.” Just when my mom would have argued harder, Jaxon
came in. I wanted to scream.
    “That looks like great coffee,” he said mildly. I
moved away, letting him grab a cup of what Mom had brewed. “What’s going on?”
he glanced from me to my mom.
    “I wanted to go out boarding, but Mom won’t let me
go alone,” I said. If I had to talk to Jaxon, at least let him be on my side.
    “Bob and I would be happy to go with you,
sweetie—and we’re not going to cramp your style, just keep an eye on you while
we ski.”
    “Mom, there are plenty of people out there. I’m not
going to disappear!” I hoped Jaxon would back me up. Instead, he did the one
thing that could possibly make a bad situation worse.
    “Oh, if you don’t want her going alone, I can
totally hit the slopes with her, show her around, keep an eye out.” I wanted to groan. I wanted to scream with frustration. But I had
to keep my face neutral. The stubborn look left Mom’s face immediately and she
smiled.
    “That would be perfect, Jaxon, you are such a
sweetheart to