Ever since Winston and I said the L word, things have been different between us.

We spent everyday together for the remainder of winter break, alternating between relaxing at his place or going on dates around the city. If we were at his house we cooked together, binge watched tv shows and movies, played games, or just sat and talked for hours. He took me ice skating and we went to the zoo, museums, and the theater. Even when I went back to school and he was crazy busy at work, we still found a way to see each other. His feelings were mine and mine were his. I'd never felt so emotionally connected to a person in my entire life.

And then there was the sex.

It was insane. We couldn't keep our hands off each other and had sex every single day, multiple times, in various positions, on a variety of surfaces. Even Vienna, who is probably the most promiscuous girl I know, said we were like horny rabbits.

"Like seriously, how is your pussy not broken yet?" she said as the bus was being loaded for the senior trip. We stood with the rest of the senior class, bundled up in our winter gear.

I shrug. "She's resilient I guess."

"Yeah no kidding. Bitch has more stamina than I thought."

I shake my head. "You're just jealous that my pussy pops severely and yours don't."

We both stare at each other before erupting into laughter.

"What the actual fuck Ken," Vienna wheezes. "I never thought I would hear those words actually pass your lips."

"What can I say, I'm full of surprises," I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. All at once Vienna stops laughing and narrows her eyes at me.

"What are you doing?"

"Texting Winston."

"Nope," she snatches my phone. "I am officially banning you from all contact with him until we get back."

I open my mouth. "But-"

"Ah ah! No buts, ands, or ifs. Geez, how are you two not sick of each other yet?"

I roll my eyes. "You don't get sick of people you're in love with Vienna. That's not how it works."

"Oh God I think I'm gonna barf."

I smirk. "Talk shit all you want, but just wait until it happens with you and Danny."

"If this is what it looks like, I'm not sure I want it to happen at all."

I huff and cross my arms. "Can I at least tell him goodbye?"

"No. I'll do it for you."

Cue eye roll. "Fine, just make sure you tell him I love him."

Vienna mutters as she's texting. "As if he doesn't already know." I narrow my eyes.

Bitch.

After all our luggage is loaded we board the bus. The air is filled with excitement, and I have to admit even I'm giddy. I've been looking forward to this trip since freshman year, and now it's finally happening. We settle into our seats and soon we're off.

"So," I turn to face Vienna. "How's life post prison?"

One day after New Years, Vienna finally confessed and told her parents everything. She had me there for moral support, and it wasn't pretty. Right there in front of me her parents disowned her. They packed all her stuff and tossed it out right along with Vienna.

Like she was nothing. Like she was trash.

My heart twists remembering Vienna sobbing on the sidewalk. I knew her parents wouldn't take the news well, but I had no idea how badly they'd react. I had to call Danny to come pick us up because Vienna was in hysterics. Yes it had been her choice to leave, but it didn't make the pain of her parents rejection hurt any less. I think a small part of her hoped they loved her enough to maybe finally listen. But Mr. and Mrs. Saito were too stubborn and traditional to see reason. I hoped one day they'd come around. Vienna told me not to hold my breath.

"It's great!" She chirps now. "I mean obviously it was hard at first. And I was really fucking hurt. But even though I felt like they'd torn a hole in my chest, I also felt so...free," Vienna laughs, her eyes sparkling. "For the first time in my life I felt free. All the pressure that weighed me down was gone, and I knew then I'd made the right decision. I even got a new tattoo," she turns around and lifts her hair up. On the back of her neck are small Japanese symbols.

"What does it mean?" I ask.

Vienna smiles. "Jiyū ni tobu. Fly freely."

A smile touches my own lips. "I'm so proud of you."

We hug tightly. "I'm glad you're my best friend," Vienna whispers. "I'd be lost without you."

I squeeze her extra right. "Me too V. Me too."

...

My entire body is sore and I stretch as we step off the bus. After a three hour drive we've finally arrived. Somewhere along the way Vienna and I fell asleep, and we both yawn simultaneously as other sleepy students shuffle off the bus. However it doesn't take long for the sleep to wear off and the buzz to kick in.

It's breathtaking up here. I shouldn't be so amazed since I recently just visited a snowy Sweden, but I can't help it. Mountains loom in the distance, capped with snow. Large pine trees dot the landscape, their leaves and branches glistening with the white powder. The air is crisp and I exhale, a puff of white clouding the air before dissipating.

"Alright seniors. Gather around!" Coach Braxton booms. He's the athletic director and one of the supervisors of this trip along with Coach Howard. "Let's review the rules shall we?" 

As he goes over expected behavior, Hannah and Chloe sidle over to us. They'll be rooming with Vienna and I.

"Party tonight," Chloe whispers. "But keep it on the DL. We're not trying to get busted, and we're only inviting a select group."

Vienna mimes zipping her lips, then grins. "Where?"

"We'll text the deets tonight," Hannah responds. Vienna and I nod before both girls slink off to go tell whoever else. Coach Braxton continues to reiterate rules we've already gone over and are bound to break. This is so boring. Next to me Vienna mocks Coach as he speaks and we both giggle quietly.

"Are we clear?" He finally finishes. There's a chorus of yes's and uh huh's. "Good."

Coach Howard steps forward. "Now listen up! As you all know we'll be staying at the Kaatskill Mountain Club. You'll be rooming in the Jacuzzi suites. Now let's get a move on."

We begin the trek into the resort, passing by various other families and guests. Everyone chats excitedly about what they're going to do first after they settle in. The Kaatskill Mountain Club features a pool, a spa, a steam room, a sauna, hot tubs, a gym, a restaurant, and an arcade. And of course, there's also skiing itself.

As soon as we get to our room Vienna races inside. "Kennedy and I call dibs on the bed!" She yells. Hannah goes to check out the kitchen while Chloe inspects the living room. There's only bathroom, but it's big and luxurious."

"Holy shit," Vienna suddenly shouts. "There's a jacuzzi in here!"

The girls and I race into the master bedroom, where there is indeed a jacuzzi. I laugh. Guess that's why they call then the jacuzzi suites.

"The sleeper sofa is actually queen size," Chloe says. "And it's soooo comfortable."

"We're still leaving our shit in here," Hannah tosses her duffle down. "And we get to use the jacuzzi whenever we want."

Vienna and her shake on it. "Deal." Just then all their phones chime simultaneously. I suspect mine would have gone off too if Vienna hadn't confiscated it.

"Pool party!" Chloe exclaims. "Change into your swimsuits ladies. Looks like we're getting wet."

...

"Cannonball!"

There's cheering followed by a loud splash as Vienna, Hannah, Chloe, and I walk into the pool. Hannah raises a brow as Luke, one of Gabriel's lacrosse buddies surfaces, shaking water droplets from his hair and grinning.

"Hey Hannah!" He calls out. "Wanna take a dip?"

"Not with you!" She calls back. His friends laugh at Luke getting rejected but he just smirks. Hannah and Luke are...complicated. They're on and off, hot and cold. It honestly gives me a headache trying to understand the dynamics of their relationship.

"I hate him," she mutters under her breath as we grab fresh towels from the cubby.

Chloe rolls her eyes. "You just had your tongue shoved down his throat last week."

Hannah doesn't say anything in response to this, but she does shoot Chloe a glare.

Vienna laughs. "Why don't you two just date already? And I mean for real this time. Everyone knows you two have the hots for each other."

"Because he's a self absorbed ass. Yes he's charming and he's got the boy next door act down to a tee, but he also thrives off of girls attention. If I give into him, I don't trust him not to lose interest and cheat."

"But I haven't seen him with another girl since you two started hooking up," I say. "Maybe he really is serious about you. You'll never know if you don't give him a chance."

"Yeah," Chloe agrees. "And I'll beat his ass if he hurts you."

Hannah laughs and shakes head. "You couldn't hurt a fly Chloe."

"Oh yeah? Try me."

We make our way to a clutter of unoccupied pool chairs. Just as I'm setting down my towel we're ambushed by none other than the obnoxious lacrosse team, sans their leader Gabriel. He was suspended after the winter formal incident, and I know he was also banned from the trip.

"Grab her!" Tony orders. I have no idea who they're talking about until suddenly I'm being grabbed from underneath my arms and legs.

"Hey!" I protest. "What the fuck Tony? Put me down!"

Vienna hits one of them in the back and they grab her too. "I'll sue!" She screams. Tony just laughs.

"Throw the queen and her consort into the pool."

Before we can argue any further I'm hit with freezing cold water as I'm tossed into the pool. I come up sputtering, pushing my wet hair back. I was going to get in eventually, but I'm annoyed they just threw me in like that. Michael whistles as I emerge from the pool, using the steps to haul myself up.

"Damn Kennedy. You ever thought of modeling for a calendar?"

I wrinkle my nose, knowing exactly what he's inferring. "You're disgusting."

He winks. "Let me know when you break up with that CEO boyfriend of yours."

This time I can't help but laugh. "Yeah, never gonna happen. But keep dreaming."

Apparently Tony had been listening to our conversation. "Dudes got a mean right hook. I'm pretty sure he broke Gabriel's jaw."

"He deserved it", Vienna swims over. "No one disrespects my girl and gets away with it."

"Are you guys still friends?" I ask curiously. Michael shrugs.

"Hell if I know. Ever since shit went down with his father, he's completely annexed himself."

"That's an understatement," Luke laughs. "The dudes been tweaking."

I frown. "He's going through a lot." Don't get me wrong, I'm not dismissing what he did, nor is he my favorite person on the planet, but I can't deny things only went left after his father destroyed their family. Before that, Gabriel was mildly irritating at best. 

Tony shakes his head. "And we get that, but you have to admit, he's spiraling out of control."

"He needs help," Michael adds.

Vienna rolls her eyes, not the least bit softened by his troubles. "Then he should get a therapist. Now can we please stop talking about him? It's killing the vibe." Right as she finishes her sentence someone yells.

"Wet shirt relay race! Boys vs. girls!"

"You guys are going down!" Vienna shouts as the girls gather. We all cheer and huddle up.

So far it's a great start to the trip.

...

Much later that night, after I'd eaten, showered, and napped, the girls and I are getting ready for the party. I'm not surprised to learn that Vienna packed a skimpy outfit or two, as if she knew this would happen.

We quietly sneak down the hall to Tiffany, Naomi, Valerie, and Willa's room. That's where the party's being held. Somehow, and I really don't want to know how, they managed to get ahold of alcohol. Music pulses at a moderate volume in the background. Most of the lacrosse team is here, along with the tennis team, the seniors on the dance team, and a couple other people from various sports and clubs we're cool with.

As we make our way inside I spot Svetlana across the room standing with Isiah. She smiles and lifts her cup to me in greeting. I smile and wave back.

"Hey girls," Tiffany makes her way over to us with Naomi in tow. She hands us drinks. "Cheers bitches." We toast our cups and drink.

"We were just about to play a game of dare or drink," Naomi announces. "Spice things up."

"Let's do it," Vienna, forever the wild card agrees. Everyone gathers in a big circle. In the center are two trays of tequila shots.

"Who wants to go first?" Willa asks. "Then that person can dare the next person, and so forth."

Isiah volunteers to go first, and is dared to smell everyone's armpits. He then dares Svetlana to call her parents and tell them she's eloping in Vegas. We all laugh as she hangs up while they're yelling at her in Russian. Michael dares Tony to give him a foot rub, knowing Tony hates feet. He does so with a grimace.

"Alright my turn," Tony rubs his hands together after washing them. "Lets spice things up. Luke, I dare you to lick whip cream off Hannah's stomach."

There are catcalls and whistles around the room as Hannah flushes. "We don't even have whipped cream."

"Yes we do!" Tiffany trills, emerging from the kitchen with a can.

"Where the hell did you get that?"

"Doesn't matter," she winks. "Are you gonna do it? Otherwise you both have to drink."

Hannah narrows her eyes but takes off her shirt. We all cheer, but not too loudly of course. Tiffany hands a grinning Luke the whip cream and he sprays a line all the way from her navel to the top of her chest. Hannah lies back on her elbows, looking down at Luke as he licks up her stomach.

"Fuck that's hot," Vienna says next to me. "Why haven't I thought of trying this with Danny?"

"Probably because you're too busy being tied up," I quip, remembering when Vienna had told me Danny once used handcuffs on her during sex.

Luke licks the last bit of whip cream from Hannah's chest, which is heaving up and down. He looks up at her, they make eye contact, then in a sudden move he leans forward and kisses her.

"Oh shit!" Tony exclaims.

"Get a room you two," Chloe teases as they break apart. "Maybe we should play seven minutes in heaven instead."

"Except not all of us could play," Naomi replies. Unfortunately her boyfriend Cole came down with a case of pneumonia and couldn't make the trip.

After that the dares get a little more wild. Luke dares Hannah to switch bras with someone without taking off their shirts. Hannah dares Valerie to French kiss anyone in the circle. Valerie dares Chloe to give Tony a lap dance and Chloe dares me to recount the wildest place I've had sex.

I bite my lip. "On the rooftop of his office."

There's a series of surprised exclamations. Willa widens her eyes at me. "Did you get caught?"

"Nope. Then we just went back down like nothing happened."

"That's hot," Tiffany states.

We keep playing until we run out of both dares and shots. The party winds down and we start sneaking back to our rooms. Most of us are a little past buzzed, but others are way past the sober line.

"Shit," Michael struggles to lift an intoxicated Tony. At one point during the game he just started taking shots for the hell of it. "Yo Luke come help me carry him."

"Shhh Vienna!" I whisper yell as she runs down the hallway like a madwoman and trips, giggling loudly.

"We should've fucking gagged her," Chloe yanks Vienna up. "Come on."

Somehow we make it back to our room without getting caught and collapse in a fit of exhausted laughter. I'm bone tired. After changing into my pajamas I wash my face, brush my teeth, and climb into bed besides an an already snoring Vienna. I shake my head as a small smile plays on my face. She didn't even change. I help her remove her shoes before getting back in bed.

Soon I drift off into a blissful slumber.

...

Love G❤️