AND WHITE PANTS.I KISSED HIM AND HE HANDED ME A SMALL BOX .1 GLANCED
         AT HIM ANDTOCK OFF THE LID.TEARS WELLED UPIN MY EYESAS I GLANCED AT THE
         ENGAGEMENT RING THAT WAS IN A SATIN CASING.HE NODDED AND I HUGGED HIM.
         HE TOOK MY C HIN IN HIS HANDS.
         “MARRY ME?” I LOCKED AT HIM.
         “YES.” I KISSED HIM AND ARI AND EVERYONE ELSE SANG CONGRATULATIOND.I FELL
         ASLEEP LEANING ON JAMEY’S CHEST.THE RING PLACED ON MY FOURTH FINGER ON MY
         LEFT HAN’D.I-IOURS PASSED AND STILL HOURS PASSED.ARI HAD FINIALLY FALLEN
         ASLEEP AND SO HAD SPU~’. • I WAS AWAKEN BY JA1VIEY.
         “WE’RE HERE SHAWN.” I RUBBED MY EYES AND STRETCHED.WITH HELP FROM THE GUYS
         ARI AND I MADE IT TO THE GThLS SLEEPING QUARTERS.IT WAS 2:00 AM AN~ BOY
         WAS I TIPED.I THREW MY BAGS (NTO THE BOTTOM BUNK AND WHEN THE GUYS
         LEFT CHANGED INTO A SILK NIGHTIE.ARI TOOK THE TOP BUNK BESIDE MY TOP BUNK.
         IN THE EARLY MORNING I GOT UP AND TOOK A HOT SHOWER AND I FELT BETTER.
         ARI AND I BOTH WORE G~ANT LAVENDER SWEATERS AMD WHITE STRETCH PANTS.
         kB LOCKED LIKE TWINS ACAIN.AFTLR BREAKFAST I WAS READY TO HIT TH B SLOPES.
         I SAW API ON THE SKI, LIFT.SOMTHING WASN’T RIGHT.THE PCPE~
         “ARI N0000(( U ((“, I CRIED AS THE ROPE SNAm3~ I SKIED OVER TO HER.
         I SCREAMED AND THE PEOPLE RAN OUT OF THE LODGE • WHEN I REACHED HER I
         DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND TORE OFF MY JACKET Al~ID GLOVES.I PUT MY JACKET
         UNDER HER HEAD.SHE WAS OUT COLD.WHEN JAMEY REACHED HER HE SWORE HE’D KILL
         THE GUY WHO DID IT.THE PARAMEDICS GOT HER AND TOOK HER TO THE HOSPITAL ON
         THE GUOUNDS.JAIWEY STORMED PACK TO THE LODGE CPYING.I’D NEVER SEEN HIM
         CPY.I FOUND HIM IN FRONT OF THE TURNED OFF T.V.I SAT BESIDE HIM AND TURNED
         HIS HEAD TO FACE ML.I LEANED F~RWAR D AND GAVE HIIV1 A HUG,HOT TEARS STREAMIN
         DOWN MY FACE.I ~AT WITH HIM UNTIL HE FELL ASLEEP.THEN I STUCK A PILLOW
         tINDER HIS HEAD.I KISSED HIS LIPS.
         “I LOVE YOU JAMES LEE ELLIOTT.” I PUT A FLANNEL BLANKET OVER HIM AND WENT
         CUTSIDE.I PULLED MY~ COAT C~CtOSER AND THE ICY SNOW CRUNCHED UNDER MY FEET.
         AFTER EXAMINING THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT I KNEW IT WASN’T AN ACCIDENT.
         THREE OF THE FOUR BOLTS HAD BEEN SAWED TH~UGH.THE ROPE HAD BEEN CUT THROUG
         H.I SiViOOTHED MY HAIR BACK CHEWING ON MY LIP.
         “WELL ARI LOOKS LIKE WERE NOT ON VACATION AFTER ALL.” I THREW THE SAWED
         BOLT INTO THE AIR AND CAUGHT IT.
         “SABOTAGE •“‘


         I SHARED MY DISCOVERY WITH THE O.P.T.A.C. GROUP.
         “WNOA.W SPUDS WAS FAMOUS FOR SAYING THAT.THAT NIGHT PRESENTS WERE PILED IN
         FRONT OF ME.I PUllED THEM AWAY AND SHOCK MY HEAD.EVEIRYBODY GOT THE MESSAGE.
         THE NEXT MORNING I VISITED API SHE WAS GOING TO BE DISCHARGED WITH A
         BROKEN ARM.OTHEP~HAN SOME BRUISES SHE WAS FINE.BUT WHEN JAIVIEY SAW THAT
         A~vI WHOA.HE NEARLY STRANGLED SPUD~,BIG TIME.SHE FOUND OUT MY DISCOVERY
         AND WASN’T THRILLED.I WENT SKINS LATER.I WAS HALF WAY DOWN THE SLOPE
         WHEN SUDDENLY SOME GUY TRIED TO RUN ME CVER.I PUT MORE SPEED ~N MY SKIS
         AND STARTED SPT?INTING.I REACHED THE GUThND HE TRIPPED M3.I KICKED OFF
         MY SKIS AND RAN.I WAS IN TRACK AT HIGH SCHCOL.I GRABBED HIS ANKLE AND
         HE TUMBLED TO THE GROUND,I GRABBED HIS SKI MASK.HE THREW ME TO THE
         GROUND AND I YANKED THE MASK OFF,AND RAKED HIS FACE WITH MY NAILS.
         HE SCREAMED AND I KICKED HIM HE THREW ME TO THE GROUND AGAIN BUSTING
         MY LIP.I LICKED AND GOT UP.I DELIVERED A SNAP—KICK TO HIS WAIST.I
         SCRATCHED HIS FACB AND HE PUSHED ME TC THE LIMIT.I FLE. BACK AN~
         HIT A TREE.I SAW HOW HE DEPARTED:HIS FOOT WAS OUT ABOUT TWO FEET AND
         THE OTHER ONE WAS IN A WADDLING POSITION.I SLID AGAINST THE TREE AND WENT
         BLACK.W.....
         
         THE ICY WIND WAS TOPTURE.I TRIED TO GET UP BUT COULDN’T.I CRAWLED FOR A
         WHILE AND THEN SOUGHT I WAS DEAD.I CRAWLED SOME MORE UNTIL I WAS ABOUT
         100 FEET FROM THE LODGE.AND I WENT BLACK AGAIN.
         
              I HEARD VOICES,I ACHED TO MUCH TO MOVE AND I GROAMED..I WAS FREEZING:
         “THAT GOD YOUR, ALIVE~” JA1VIEY KISSED MY CHEEK AND THERE WAS THE PEST OF
         THE GROUP.
         “WE FOUND YO~.OUTSIDE.THE DOCTOR SAID IF WE’D BEEN JUST TEN MINUTES LAT-”
         HE LET HIS VOICE TRAIL OFF.
         “WELL YOU DIDN’T.” I IV!UTTERED.
         ?~IIM FRE~ZING.” I SAID PUBFING MY APIVTS.JAMEY AND SPUDS GOT ME SOME TEA AND,
             ANOTHER BLANKET.
         “WELL I WENT SKING.AND THIS GUY TRIED TO PUN ME DOWN.I PUT UP A HUGE
         FIGHT.HIS FACE LOOKS LIKE SWISS CHEESE,I’LI BET.AND HE THEYLME AGAINST A
         TREE.AND POOP.” I SHRUGG.ED.JUST THEN THE MANAGER CAME IN.
         “EXCUSE ME FOLKS THIS IS KIRK.  KIRK WILL BE STAYING IN YOUR LODGE. O.K.?”