Page 34 of Catch Yourself a Snowmance
“I’m impressed,” Alyssa tells Mitch. “You heard me whisper while everyone else was engaged in conversation. Pretty impressive.”
Mitch sits back and folds his arms over his chest like he just won a lawsuit.
I just smile at Alyssa. Why not? She makes me happy. No. More than happy. Content. And yet really restless in the best of ways. I want more. Definitely, without a doubt, I want more.
After we’ve cleared the breakfast dishes, everyone mills around for an hour or so, taking turns in the shower and aimlessly hanging out. Then Noelle cracks out the karaoke machine. I can’t honestly think of a talent for this makeshift show we’re having. I used to juggle in high school—mostly as a way to channel the fidgety energy of those years. I could also walk on my hands back then and do a clapping push up where I clapped between each one. Yeah. None of that will be attempted today. I barely survived the slopes without incident. I’m not pushing my luck with stunts like those in a cramped cabin with wood floors and plenty of furniture to kill myself on.
Talent … talent … talent.
Okay. Juggling it is.
Noelle shouts down the hallway, “Okay, everyone! Let’s bring your talent to the living room.”
“She needs one of those bells,” Gage says as he passes me on our way out to the main room.”
“What bells?”
“You know, those teacher ones.”
“I’m guessing she might have one. At school. I don’t think teachers just carry those everywhere with them.”
“Yeah. Probably not.” He looks off in the distance and then nods.
I chuckle softly.
We pile onto the couch and chairs, a few people sit cross-legged on the floor. Noelle is the ringmaster, standing at the fireplace.
“Who wants to go first? Or should we just have Alyssa sing?”
Alyssa shakes herhead.
I feel badly for her. Noelle doesn’t seem the type to tease her friend in public. Alyssa already said she couldn’t sing. My hand shoots up.
“I’ll go first.”
“Great! Carson, show us what you’ve got!”
“I …” I wave my hand dramatically like a magician. “... am going to juggle.”
“Juggle?” Gage asks, already laughing.
“Yay!” Noelle says, and she adds an enthusiastic clap.
“What are you juggling?” Mitch asks.
“Nothing heavy,” Liam adds.
“Yeah. Okay …” I look around the room. “Um. One moment.”
I step into the kitchen, grab three oranges from the bowl in the middle of the table and walk back into the living room.
“Ladies and gents, behold, the amazing talent I have not practiced since high school …”
Alyssa laughs softly. Our eyes meet. Unfortunately that’s right after the first orange leaves my hand and the second one is already being propelled upward. She’s got some sort of spell over me. I’m smiling at her like a lovesick boy. One orange falls directly on my head with a thud. The other lands on the coffee table and bounces onto the floor where it rolls.
Gage busts out in laughter, holding his gut. Everyone follows him, some obviously trying not to laugh. I’m still looking at Alyssa and she’s smiling a full smile in my direction.
“Ta da!” I say, taking a bow and returning to my seat.
