Adeline couldn't help but let out a small yawn when their car finally reached the ski lodge. This vacation was long overdue but Adeline's only thoughts were the book reports she needed to complete before going back to school.

"Honey." Adeline's mother said calmly, snapping Adeine back to reality. "Your father and I are meeting a client in the cocktail lounge but we'll meet you for dinner at seven." She smiled before giving Adeline's cheek a kiss which caused the young girl to squirm inwardly at her mother's affections.

The family of three walked in to the ski lodge and Adeline brought her carry-on bag with her over to the couch in the lobby while her parents checked in to their rooms. Running a hand through her jet black hair, Adeline looked around the lodge lobby and had to admit that it was pretty impressive. Of course, she couldn't expect anything less of her parents to book such a vacation. Even if it was only to impress clients.

"Here's your room key, darling." Adeline's mother said as she approached her daughter. "Seven in the dining room." She reminded Adeline before she left with her husband to meet their client.

"Seven it is." Adeline said to herself as a bellhop approached her with her bags sitting on a luggage cart. "I got it." She said, a little creeped out by the idea of someone following her with a cart to her room. "Thank you." She added politely, pressing a five dollar bill in the man's hand before taking her bags which seemed much heavier then she remembered and made her way to the elevator.

David stood with his back to his friends. The fools were already close to being drunk and he had to walk away. He wasn't a big drinker, most of the time. But if he did, it wasn't going to be this early on in the day. He laughed as his friends cat called him out of the cocktail lounge, he saw a couple enter with an annoyed expression on their faces. How did such a rowdy crowd end up at this hotel? To be honest, they had saved their butts off. David and his friends were here for one reason: celebrating their graduation. David had been the only one of his friends who had a passion for teaching -- all of the others had been going to school for engineers. David had gotten a masters in English having written a dissertation on Russian authors.

He ran his fingers through his hair as he headed out of the cocktail lounge and towards the elevators. He laughed when he heard his friends following behind him, rowdy as ever. They had made it to this lounge because everyone had always wanted to go to this lounge -- these were the boys that David had grown up with. And he loved them through all their rough edges. "Y'know, Davey, his friend Michael said as they approached, clicking his tongue against his teeth "We were thinking about running into the town and seeing a movie." he said. David only raised his eyebrows. They were already.

When they had reached the elevator David noticed a young lady already waiting. He smiled at her in acknowledgment then returned his attention to Michael "You came all the way to this beautiful mountain just to go see movies in the town?" he asked, shaking his head. David had wanted to go to small book store he knew was in town. He'd read about it when they had chosen this hotel ages ago. Maybe the trip wouldn't be a total waste.

Adeline frowned as she turned her back on the group, lifting her bags with a small struggle to get on the elevator before dropping them only the carpeted bottom of the elevator. "Are you going up or no?" Adeline asked, a small edge in her voice from having to haul her luggage upstairs. Maybe the bellhop hadn't been a horrible after all but it was already too late and Adeline was beginning to regret packing all those books. But it wasn't her fault, she had to keep herself entertained somehow.

Tapping her foot a bit, Adeline looked pointedly at the third floor button before at the two boys. One of them was clearly feeling good after a visit to the cocktail lounge however the other looked sober. Not that Adeline was a good judge of these things. Adeline tapped the toe of her high heel, shiny, black boots -another bad idea- against the carpet. Was the man going to get on or not? Adeline just wanted to get to her room to unpack her things before exploring the hotel for a bit for a good reading spot.

David finally turned to his friend "I'll come into town with you, but not to see a movie. I read somewhere that there's is awesome used book store in town that I'd rather check out." he said, stepping into the elevator. He watched the girl struggling with her bags and hid a smile; she seemed annoyed by them and it was understandable. Who'd want to be in an elevator with two obnoxious boys? His friend responded "Ah, David, always the artsy one.

"Yes, going up," David said, then added "Third floor? he said and then studied the girl closely. She was cute. He couldn't tell how old she was -- David was horribly judge of age. Michael suddenly noticed her to and let out a low whistle. David arched his eyebrows at him. It wouldn't be the first time that Michael thought to highly of himself and ended up getting them all in trouble. He ran his fingers through his hair.

"Would you like some help with your bags? he offered, deciding that he would try and spare her the brute force of Michael's flirtation by stepping in front of him to address the girl. She didn't seem like Michael's normal type of girl. The girl in front of them seemed much more put together. He ran his fingers through his hair again, trying to seem polite with his friend behind him making rude gestures.

"I'm alright." Adeline smiled warily at the man, stepping back with her bags to rest her back against the elevator wall. "But thank you." She added with a small head nod, ignoring the man behind him who was eyeing her, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Why was this elevator taking so long? Adeline pondered just as the bell rang to open the doors before slinging her bag painfully over her right shoulder and walking out of the elevator. The men were obviously older then her and the look from the less-sober one had made Adeline a bit uncomfortable in the enclosed space of the elevator.

Reaching her room door, Adeline struggled to manuever her room key through the tangles of her bags but as she tried to slip the room key into the door lock. Letting out a small gasp, Adeline felt her bag with the books inside causing her books, laptop, and a few notebooks to fall out onto the ground. "Fabulous." Adeline huffed as she opened the door, tossing her other books inside before bending over to clean up the luggage that had spilled.

David, seeing the girl drop her stuff, let out a puff of air. Why do women have to be so independent sometimes? he thought. He turned to Michael and said, quietly "You frighten the poor girl, go back to the room and drink some coffee or something. You smell like a bottle of Jack he didn't wait for a response before he jogged slowly down the hall towards the girl and stooped to help her pick things up, but keeping a distance away from her so that she didn't try and hurl a book at his face for even helping "I'm sorry about my friend," he said, picking the books up slowly so that he could at least show her he wasn't the same, aggressive person Michael was "He's a bit of a moron and tends to think the world of himself." he added, pausing to judge her reaction.

"It happens." Adeline smiled shyly as she stuffed her books back into her bag. Could I look like even more of a nerd right now? She pondered before wondernig why she even cared. The man was a stranger after all, she shouldn't be worried about what he thought of her. "Thank you for helping." Adeline said as she stood up, her things full ypacked away for the second time. "I'm Adeline." She offered, putting out her hand as she realized that the sober man happened to be far more attractive then he had given him credit for the first time she'd noticed him.

David returned the smile, studying the girl closer and taking her hand "You're welcome. They call me David, he said, noticing he still had a few of her books in his other hand "The artsy one," he said with a laugh, quoting his own friend. He released her hand to help hand her the books that he still held. He noticed that one of the books was Hamlet and the other was One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. He smiled as he extended the books to her "I read Hamlet my first few years in college. I have never been able to wrap my head around Shakespeare". he said and paused for a minute "However, One Day is an amazing book." he stopped talking for a minute. Why was he even making conversation? The girl hadn't seemed interested in a conversation earlier. It seemed silly that he wanted to get her talking now.


((I picked the book from last time and one that I've read recently, I hope that's okay?))

Adeline offered a shy smile as the man tried to strike up a conversation with her, flattered even for a moment that a boy was taking time to talk to her. "Hamlet is definetely not one of my favorite works by Shakespeare but he's still in my top five for writers." She said. "I haven't even started One Day. But I thought I'd read it over break considering the report is due in a couple of weeks." She rambled before realizing that she was talking far too much.

"Well thank you." Adeline said again before unlocking her door and dropping her luggage inside the hotel room. "It was a plaesure meeting you." She said politely before disappearing into her room and closing the door tight behind her.

"See you around," David said to the closed door. He felt awkward so he quickly turned and walked down the hall towards his own room. He felt like a doofus for trying to strike up a conversation with someone uninterested; he even thought for a moment he had gotten her talking. But when the door had shut on him, David decided to take the hint and run with it. Returning to his own room, David found Michael nursing a cup of coffee and was glad to see so. He was worried that the fool would have just gotten into the mini-fridge and drank some more.

"So, glad to see you're trying to sober up a bit," he said strolling into the bathroom and kicking the door shut behind him with the heel of his foot. Was David sulking? He felt a little bit like he was. It wasn't often that David would approach a girl and even rarer that he tried to strike up conversations. He shrugged and decided to just let it go. He finsihed his business in the bathroom and then exited the room, pouring himself a cup of coffee and sitting on the hide-a-bed couch beside Michael. "I'll be ready in about five more minutes, he said, returning his attention to his cup. David only shrugged as he sipped the cup of coffee.

Adeline cursed herself as she realized how curt she had been with the man despite how nice he was. This was her winter break and she needed to loosen up a bit, not bury herself behind her books like usual. Shrugging with disappointment, Adeline hauled her luggage unto her bed and began to unpack with her toiletries first then carefully refolding all her clothes to put in the dressers. Finished, Adeline took one of her books from the stack on the dresser and laid back on the bed, flipping through the pages.

It wasn't long before Adeline realized that her thoughts were elsewhere. Why was she stuck reading in a dimly lit hotel room instead of enjoying her vacation in a way that would make her friends proud. Setting the book down, Adeline changed from her travel clothes into a more comfortable outfit which consisted of a hunter green, cotton, wrap dress and a pair of ballet flats her mother had given her as a birthday gift last year. Satisfied, Adeline pulled her hair up into a ponytail before glancing in the mirror.

Adeline casually made her way out of the hotel room, not sure where exactly she was going, and walked towards the elevator to go downstairs again. There had to be something interesting to do in a five star resort besides sit alone in her room and Adeline was determined to find it.

As Michael stepped out the door and let out the same, low whistle, this time only for David to hear, David thought about turning around and waiting until the young lady from down the hall was out of sight. He didn't feel like being slighted again. He decided against it, though, feeling rather childish that he had even considered it. He shook it off mentally and strolled out the door behind Michael. Michael approached the girl openly, smiling charmingly at her. David only leaned against the wall. He wasn't going to attempt to make a conversation with the someone who clearly didn't want it. Michael, however, was oblivious to the earlier exchange between David and this girl in the rather fetching green dress.

"That dress is wonderful on you," Michael said, admiring the girl from head to foot. David tried sighing loudly to get Michael's attention away from the girl. It worked as Michael turned impatiently towards David giving him a look that David had seen far too many times -- David read it loud and clear Can't you see I'm trying to work my magic? For some reason, David was feeling a surge of jealousy. It was strange to him since he had been brushed off by the girl already -- but maybe it was because David wasn't often attracted to women he happened by. Michael, however, was capable of it any time and any place.

Adeline felt the blush rise up her neck and onto her cheeks as the man from before looked at her. "Thank you." She murmured shyly, turning away to see his friend who had helped her, only making her blush more. "Hello again." She smiled, only after realizing how silly she sounded. Turning back to the elevator doors with her face an embarrassing red hot color, Adeline willed the large metal doors to open.

As if reading her thoughts, the elevator doors opened soundlessly and Adeline stepped inside, her finger lighting up the lobby floor button before stepping backwards in the elevator, resting her back against the wall.

David acknowledge the hello with a small smile, averting his eyes even though he thought her blush was adorable. Still feeling a bit rough about being brushed off earlier, David did had planned on waiting for a different elevator. Regardless of the fact that he, for some reason, wanted to try and strike up a conversation with the young woman in the elevator. Regardless of that fact that he too thought the dress looked great on her and wished he had the gumption like Michael to tell her so, David was going to stay and wait for the next elevator.

Michael had other plans. When Michael stepped into the elevator, still eying the girl, David knew he had to follow him in. Michael leaned up against the wall next to the girl and in a split second David decided to save her from the pseudo-Rico Suave that Michael always became - and would become even in the short two minute elevator ride down to the lobby.

Pressing his hand against the back of the elevator, so that his arm was in Michael's face and so that David could turn his body and block out his friend in a simple way of saying "back off" which he knew he would later pay for, David tried to introduce himself to the girl "I'm sorry, but I never did catch your name before." he said "I'm David..." and he waited to see if the young lady would respond.

"Adeline." Adeline smiled as the man from before spoke to her, glad that he hadn't let his more than forward friend take over her attention. "Are you here on business or pleasure?" Adeline asked curiously as she twirled a strand of black hair around her finger, a habit which frequently annoyed her mother but Adeline couldn't seem to shake it.

David was a little shocked that the girl had even replied. He tried to hide it as he responded "Pleasure, actually," he motioned to his friend "we always said we'd come here when we graduated," he smiled and said "How about you, Adeline?" he repeated her name as though he were just trying to remember it correctly. He doubt he'd ever forget. She made an impression on David that was silly to him but he wanted to know more about her. Michael, thankfully, took that hint from David and had grown quiet beside him, sending a text on his phone.

"Pleasure." Adeline smiled shyly, her fingers still twirled around a strand of her hair. "Its my vacation from school and my parents wanted to impress some clients up here. Now I'm searching for something interesting to do." Adeline said, ignoring the red flags that she knew her mother would be yelling to her now. She shouldn't be talking to a stranger in an elevator, she shouldn't be telling him that her day was all but open, and she certainly shouldn't be thinking about how insanely handsome he looked. "But its a big hotel. I'm sure there's something entertaining here."

David minds flashed for a minute on the question of how old the girl was. He studied her features, trying not to look like he was staring but couldn't put an age to her. Michael elbowed David gently in the back, telling him to obviously invite the girl along. David inhaled deeply through his nose, trying to calm down. He didn't know how old Adeline was but he would assume that if she was younger than he by a lot, she wouldn't be talking to him. He smiled and said "The hotel itself is rather boring. No different than any other large hotel, actually..." he said as the elevator dinged to a stop at the lobby floor "Really, the prize is in the skiing, snowboarding or the small town my friend and I are about to head into..." he added, hoping she would pick on the the hint of an invitation. He wasn't sure if it was wise to invite her along but his phone sang in his pocket with approval. Michael wouldn't say it out loud -- he wouldn't want to destroy the moment for David and David knew the text was from Michael because he's personalized ringtone was set to their favorite song -- "Gigantic" by the Pixies.

"That sounds like fun." Adeline smiled happily, hoping desperately that she wasn't misreading his invitation and simply inviting herself along. She felt David's eyes on her, blushing a little bit under his scrutinizing eye but she decided, against better her judgment, not to tell him that she was a senior in high school. She wanted to live a little bit on this vacation instead of burying her nose inside books and only speaking when it was necessary to. It was out of character for her, but Adeline was suddenly craving a bit of adventure.

"And where to in the small town?" Adeline asked as she stepped out of the elevator, keeping her head high to force away her shyness in front of the two men. Quickly scanning the lobby in case her parents were there, lucking out with the fact that they must have been in a meeting with a client. If they had seen Adeline with the two men she might as well lock herself in her room from embarrassment.

"Well," David started, entirely pleased that she had caught onto the invitation "Michael is going to a movie, right Mike?" he turned to look at his friend and Mike nodded "Yeah, that movie Shutter Island is playing there. I just invited the girl from last night to come watch it with me. Of course she accepted he said." David ignored Michael's out stretched hand for a high five because he was being chauvinistic and David was worried that he would be considered chauvinistic by association. He turned to face Adeline again and said "However, there is a small book store that I hope to go to a small used book store that I know is there." He said, meaning that he'd rather not see the movie at all. David wasn't considered "artsy" by his friends just because of his major; he usually bowed out of movies in general, preferring the world of literature. The only movies he ever really would pay to see were those that were based on a historical event. David couldn't help but return every smile Adeline had given.

"I didn't know there was a book store up here." Adeline said with genuine surprise, she had researched the area and hadn't found the bookstore, just the movie theater and a couple of small clothing stores. "I'd love to check it out." She mused though she knew that she was more interested in David then any books she was going to find. "How are we going to get there, I could call for my family's car." Adeline offered, knowing her driver wouldn't say a word to her parents about driving two men into town with her.

David smiled, maybe she wasn't too young after all. If she could call for the family car without causing a stir than she had to be old enough to be on her own right? Maybe she was just a freshmen in college though. It didn't bother David too much because he himself had graduated early and was really only 24 years old. He nodded "We were just going to get a cab but..." he was interupted by Michael "A free ride is a free ride!" he said as he strolled towards the doors to wait for Adeline and David. "I'm sorry for my friend," he said "he's been so hyped since we got here it's been hard to keep him calm." He tried to smile away the worries that his friend was going to ruin this. He waited to see what Adeline would say.

"Its alright." Adeline smiled at David, a faint blush on her cheeks, as she led David over to the front counter. "Can you send for my family's car, please?" She asked, flashing her ID at the man and being careful not to show David should he notice that she was, in all reality, a senior in high school. She knew it was a bad idea to lie to someone about her age when he was so much older then her however this was her vacation and she deserved to have a little fun.

"Of course, Miss Rivvera." The man behind the desk said with a smile before picking up his phone, dialing a few numbers, and ordering some instructions to the person on the other line. "Your car will be here shortly." He informed the two.

"Thank you." Adeline smiled as she put her ID away and started walking towards the main doors. "So tell me." Adeline said to David, brushing a few stray hairs out of her eyes. "You said you graduated. Where from?"

David ran his fingers through his hair. Maybe her behavior earlier had nothing to do with him? He was hopeful for a minute. He studied Adeline's movements carefully, wanting to jump in with many questions about herself. But she had beaten him to it with a smile he said "I got my graduates from Dartmouth," he said "But finished my masters at UC Berkley." he finished. "You said you were on break? Where do you go to school? he asked, trying to keep the eagerness in his voice in check. He wasn't normally like this. Although Michael had come to stand next to him again, he may as well not have been there for all of David's concern. He was intently focused on the young lady in front of him. He flushed and looked away -- he didn't want to seem TOO intense.

"Harvard Medical." Adeline lied fluently, a bit surprised that she had created a lie so easily, and a bit scared by that fact as well. However it was her dream school and her first choice, she was expecting a reply back soon, and telling David about her high school was likely to lose his interest fast. "The workload is intense but its worth it." Adeline smiled flawlessly, not letting her doubts about her lie show to David as a hotel worker approached them.

"Miss Rivvera." He said with a small smile at the two. "Your car is here." He informed them, allowing Adeline to let out a small sigh of relief. She didn't want to lie to David too much should she be twisted in them and instead shot him a quick smile before leading them to her family car, their driver holding the car door open for them.

"Thank you, Ed." Adeline smiled smoothly, her driver giving Michael and David but kept his mouth shut as Adeline knew he would as she slid into the faux leather seats.