This is a picture of the tobogganing hills.  

The next morning, Lesedi and I bundled up to go tobogganing and sledding.  I didnt expect to do any of this kind of stuff, so Lesedi brought a whole bunch of winter gear for us to use (she went to my house and grabbed my parka, boots, and snow pants from Delaney).   I put on my puffy purple parka, which made me feel like a grape.  I shimmied on my snow pants and boots, and then put on my hat and gloves.  I had my hair in a ponytail to keep it out of the way today.  Then, Lesedi and I had to trudge all the way to the top of a snowy hill which the resort called Buttercup Peak.  With heavy toboggans which looked like floating, I may add!

"Why...is it...called Buttercup Peak...if...I don't see buttercups?" I panted, nearing the top behind Elissa.  It was a weekend so she didn't have school.  "Buttercup Peak is full of buttercups in the spring." Elissa explained, eyeing me nervously as I stumbled up the hill, "Do you need help with that?"

"I don't do cardio much." I grunted, handing Elissa my toboggan as she nearly ran up the hill carrying her's and mine.  Lesedi came up beside me.  "You know a 'thank you' would've been polite." Lesedi told me, "What's with you hating this stuff anyways?  It beats work!"

"Festivities were never my thing." I answered gloomily.

Lesedi laughed.  "I think I figured that out!  But seriously, why do you hate the holidays?" She asked.

"Look, I just don't want to talk about it!" I snapped and she fell silent.  Whoops.  She shouldn't have pushed me too far!  I met Elissa at the top of the hill and she placed my toboggan down for me.  I was about to reluctantly and miserably go down the hill, when I saw how it really looked.

The slope started out shallow, then got steeper very quickly.  And there was a ramp at the bottom!  I hate to admit, but I was scared.  I used to love sledding as a child, but when the festive spirit died in me, all of that jazz did too.  Then, I saw Michael, in a blue parka and a camera around his neck, smiling mischeviously at me.  I looked at him, the fear probably showing in my eyes, as I asked moodily, "D-do I have to do this?  It's kind of scary..."

Michael just laughed.  "It's called loosening up, Madame Grinch." He said.

"Will you stop calling me that?" I asked, exasperated.  

"Will you stop being so uptight?" Michael retorted.

"Lena, are you scared to go down the hill?"  I turned to my right and saw Zoe toddling towards me, in a puffy turquoise and purple snowsuit.  

"I-I'm not scared." I protested, raising my hands.

"Don't worry, I'll ride with you." Zoe assured me and plopped down in the front of the toboggan.  

"Cute." Michael merely said and snapped a photo.  I frowned at him.  Zoe raised her arms and called, "Give us a push, Mikey!"  Michael laughed and used his boot to give us a starting kick.  We shot down like a rocket, me screaming in terror at the top of my lungs, and Zoe cheering happily, "Woo-hoo!"  As the slope got steeper, the faster we travelled, going down at a rapid speed.  I held on to the toboggan for dear life, to prevent us from toppling over.  Then, we neared the ramp and I shut my eyes.  We went up, up, up, and suddenly-

We were flying.  I opened my eyes to see us launched in the air, and I actually smiled.  Then, we landed on the ground with a thud, and glided to halt near some trees.  Zoe hopped out almost immediately and cheered, "Again!  Again!  Did you like that, Lena?"

I smiled and said, "Yeah.  That actually was pretty fun."  

We went on more rides that morning, taking quick breaks for hot chocolate that Mrs. Meade brought up for us in between, and then stopping for lunch.  I had tomato soup and grilled cheese, which was comforting.  Almost like how my mom used to make it.  Then, after lunch it was skating.

"Woah, woah!" I stuttered, balancing on skates.  I was never a good skater.  "Can I have figure skates?" I asked Elissa, who glided by like some professinal figure skater.  

"No." Elissa said immediately, but not in a harsh way.  "If you have figure skates, you learn to run on the ice using the pick at the front of the skates." She explained, "Hockey skates will do you just fine."  Then, she skated across the frozen pond, doing three triple axles, and a shoot-the-duck perfectly.  "How...are...you...so...good at this?" I panted, having trouble standing on my own feet.  It was bugging me a little that I wasn't in the workplace, because there I was actually good at something.  Elissa seemed so perfect at everything, I was getting jealous.  I know this is immature, but I asked, "What are you not good at?"

Elissa slowed to a halt and said, "Any sort of sport with a net.  Volleyball, tennis, badminton.  Could never get things over the net."  

"Wow, those things came easy for me." I said, bragging a little.

"We all have our strengths and weaknesses.  But, let me know if you need help skating." Elissa told me with a smile.  I have to admit, I did need help at first, and I was about to call for Elissa, when I saw her handling one of Zoe's relatives (a younger brother, perhaps), who had fallen.  "Okay...  Ahhh!" I screamed, about to fall, when I was caught.  I looked up to see Michael.  "Need help?" Michael asked.

"Please." I pleaded.  He took my hands and we skated in circles around the pond.  It felt nice, holding onto someone's hands.  I couldn't remember the last time I did that.  It made me forget everything about having to sell this resort before Christmas.  I just focused on skating with Michael.  "How are you enjoying the activities?" Michael asked me.

"They're really fun." I answered truthfully.

"That's good.  I think I can arrange a meeting with your friend, you, and I tomorrow afternoon, if that's okay?" Michael told me.

"That'd be lovely, thank you." I said, not bothering to contain my smiling.  This day is getting better and better!  "See, you're a pro." Michael told me as I had straightened my form and was skating around as gracefully as any normal skater.  Then, all of a sudden, he let go.  "Whoa, what are you doing?" I asked.

Michael laughed and said, "Oh, you're fine, Lena!  You don't need a man to hold onto, do you?"

"No," I responded, "I just don't want to fall and break an ankle."  

Michael skated beside me.  "You're not going to break an ankle.  Look, you're doing it fine.  And I actually think you enjoy it." He stated.

"Nah, in your dreams!" I told him, even though I was enjoying it.

"Michael, Michael!"  Elissa skated up to us.  "One of our guests has a question for you." Elissa told him.  

Michael pulled on his jacket and nodded at Elissa and I.  "Well, I'm going then." Michael told us, "Later, Lena."  He winked at me with his nice blue eyes.  I couldn't help it, but I actually think I blushed.  I don't know why, though.

For what seemed like the next few hours, I skated in circles around the frozen pond.  The crisp air must have improved my mood on the whole activities thing Michael was making me do, but I was okay feeling happy.  It actually felt nice not to have some responsibility with work for today. Seeing that the sun was setting, I stopped myself and walked over to the bench to untie my skates.  I slid on my boots and walked back towards the building my room was in.  I rounded a big tree, and saw Lesedi and Michael.  Neat, I thought, I'll go talk to them.  I was about to run over, when I heard what Michael was saying.

"Lesedi, has Lena always hated the holidays?" 

I froze, and clung onto the tree.  Should I listen in?  It's not my business, but they are talking about me.  I sneakily hid behind the tree and listened to what Lesedi's response was.

"Well, I haven't known her for long, but she has always been sort of uptight, y'know?"

Uptight?  I'm not uptight...am I?

Lesedi took a deep breath and continued with, "It's weird, her little sister is so full of joy, while something has permanently died in Lena."

Wrong choice of words, Lesedi, I thought bitterly.  That was cold.  

"I wonder why she's like that." Michael thought aloud.

"I don't know, it's kind of annoying though." Lesedi told him, "I mean, she's polite enough in work, but outside of her job, it's just complaining, complaining, complaining!  She never wants to partcipate in parties or anything, and she's barely an adult.  At twenty three you can still have fun!  And she has this whole motto of:  Money is power and power is everything!  I'm sick of it!"

You know what, Lesedi, I thought angrily, I'm sick of you!  How dare you say that about me!  Something did die inside of me!  Something you or Michael or anyone else will ever know!  

And with that, I turned on my heel and stomped off in a different direction towards the building.