Chapter 3

The flight from Chicago to Albany was uneventful. I arrived on time, renting a car while I waited for Kelly’s plane to arrive. While sitting in the lounge, I watched television. A weather report calling for a storm interrupted the program. Watching the report, I found out the storm wouldn’t hit until after Kelly and I would arrive at the chalet.

I called to let Mom know I was in Albany and waiting for Kelly. Her plane would land at three in the afternoon and I figured it would take about four hours to get to the chalet.

“We’ll see you between seven and eight, depending on how long it takes me to find the place,” I told my mom. “Kelly and I will probably grab something and eat in the car.”

Mom told me to drive carefully. She also told me the chalet was beautiful and she was looking forward to seeing Kelly and me. Mom said there was over a foot of snow in the woods and the cross-country skiing should be great. She also told me she and Mr. Hillman had been out on the snowmobiles.

After hanging up, I went to the gate where Kelly’s plane would arrive. When the plane landed, I stood near the jetway waiting for Kelly to come off the plane.

I scanned the people as they came through the door. I saw Kelly and couldn’t help grinning. She scurried over to me, giving me a hug.

“Hi, Justin, are you ready to go?” Kelly asked.

“Yup, I have the car already so we can get on the road.” I looked at Kelly and began to chuckle.

Kelly wore jeans, a bulky sweater, and a goose down vest very much like the one I wore. Like me, Kelly had on short leather boots. I also wore a sweater and jeans, making us look like we planned for our outfits to match.

“Don’t we look cute,” I said.

“I don’t know about me, but you do.” Kelly smiled as she put on her backpack.

I couldn’t get over how good Kelly looked. She wore her blonde hair pulled into a tight ponytail and it stuck out the gap in her ball cap. Her face glowed without the aid of too much makeup.

Kelly and I went to the compact rental car. I put her backpack in the backseat where I’d tossed mine. We got into the car and headed for the mountains.

“Are you hungry?” I asked. “I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast.”

“I’m starved. I was going to get something on the plane, but decided to wait until we met up. What should we get?”

“I was thinking of hitting a drive though it it’s okay with you.”

“I guess, but I don’t like fast food. Could we stop if we hurry?”

“We can stop and take our time if you want to. I called Mom and told her we would be there between seven and eight. I figure the trip should take about four hours or so.”

“Thanks, I would love a good meal. The food at school isn’t great.”

“Tell me about it. I think I’m going to get an apartment when I go to Northern Michigan next year. I don’t like having a roommate, not the one I have anyway. He’s too interested in partying and his girlfriend. When they get the urge, it doesn’t matter if I’m there or not.”

“You mean they make out and stuff while you’re there?”

“Yeah, although when they start, I leave the room. I have no desire to watch them do whatever they do together.”

Kelly laughed. “Have you ever seen them?”

“A few times. They stay under the covers, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know what’s going on. I think it’s sick! How could a guy be so insensitive?”

“The girl too, she has to be as, I don’t know.”

I found a small restaurant north of Albany. We stopped to have dinner, taking our time while we ate. After we finished, Kelly asked me to stop at a store so she could pick up a couple things she forgot. We went to a store so Kelly could do her shopping.

An hour and a half later, we were only twenty miles into our trip. It started to snow lightly, making the driving a bit slower than I would have liked. Two hours into the trip, I stopped to top off the gas tank and get a cup of coffee. Kelly bought a couple of candy bars, stowing them in her purse for later. She also got coffee.

By the time we were in the mountains, the snowfall picked up considerably. I used the wipers to keep the windshield clear and the visibility was so bad I had a hard time seeing the road. I turned on the radio, asking Kelly to see if she could find a weather report.

“When I was at the airport I heard them forecasting a snow storm. The weather report said it shouldn’t be bad until later tonight,” I told Kelly.

“It seems like they were wrong. Big surprise! I don’t think the weathermen know what’s going to happen. They should call it the weather news instead of a forecast. You know, tell us what’s happening instead of what they think is going to happen.”

“No kidding. I have to completely agree with you.”

Kelly found a station we liked. After a few minutes of music, the weather service preempted the programming. We listened to the report as they told about a nor’easter moving into the area.

“What’s a nor’easter?” Kelly asked.

“It’s a storm. It was given the name because of the northeast winds accompanying it. The cold wind blows down from the northeast, mixing it up with the warm air from the Gulf Stream in the ocean. They can be pretty bad from what I’ve read about them.”

“Maybe we should find someplace to stop and wait it out. I would hate to get caught in a bad storm in these mountains.”

“Let’s see how it goes. The weather report said the storm was still a long way from here. We’ll drive a little longer and then make the decision.”

We stopped in another gas station to use the bathroom, get more coffee, and check our map. Kelly pointed out the fact we were close to the place we would have to turn off the main highway and head toward the chalet. She said she felt we could make it before the storm set in.

Kelly kept the map on her lap, looking for our turn. When we came to the road, I paused alongside the highway so we could make sure we were where we were supposed to be. Once we both agreed it was the correct turn we continued on our way.

The wind came up and buffeted the small car. I wished I rented something larger, but didn’t say anything to Kelly. She kept rolling down her window trying to find one of the landmarks listed on the paper her dad gave us.

“I think we just passed the third road. We have to turn left on the fifth road we come to,” Kelly said.

I nodded, but kept my eyes on what road I could see. The snow was falling at a faster rate and the wind blew it across the road. I could feel the small car’s tires slipping when we went up a steep grade.

When Kelly told me to, I made the left turn the directions called for. The road wound through the trees. I was only going about ten or fifteen miles an hour as we progressed.

“Okay, we have to look for a fork in the road. When we get there, we go right,” Kelly said. “After we do, we’ll be about fifteen miles from the cabin.”

I glanced at the odometer, noting the mileage. After we went twelve miles, I said, “How far did it say it was to the fork in the road?”

“Ten miles from the last turn we made.”

“I think we missed it, or we’re on the wrong road. We’ve gone over twelve miles since we turned.”

“Maybe we should turn around and see if we can find the place we were supposed to go to the right.”

“Okay, let me find someplace to turn around. I don’t want to try it in the middle of the road.” I chuckled and then said, “It really doesn’t matter though. We haven’t seen another car.”

“I never realized how undeveloped it was going to be. I’ve never been anywhere like this before. It’s hard to see very far, but I haven’t seen a house in a long time either.”

It was dark and hard to see. If I put on the bright lights, the light reflected off the falling snow, making it harder to see. I found a place to turn around, pulled in, and then backed out onto the road again. We backtracked, looking for the fork in the road I’d missed.

Kelly was getting nervous, and frankly, so was I. We went back several miles, but didn’t find the fork in the road. I said we must have made a wrong turn and we should go back to the last place we knew where we were.

“You mean like the airport?” Kelly chuckled, taking a bit of the tension off things.

“No, I don’t think we have to go to the airport, but we need to get to a place we can recognize so we can start over. It’s already seven thirty and getting darker by the minute,” I said.

The reports kept getting worse. The weather service said the storm gained in intensity. They predicted the area would receive over two feet of snow. I was beginning to worry, I tried to keep calm so I could think and not alarm Kelly. The next thing we heard on the radio was a list of closed airports. As they listed them off, I realized they were talking about most of the eastern seaboard and inland as far as Chicago.

I drove back to where we had made the last turn. We studied the map and instructions, trying to decide where we were. Once I felt I had my bearings, we headed off into the snowy night. Kelly spotted a road and asked if it was the one we should have turned on earlier.

“Maybe, want to give it a shot?” I asked, my sense of adventure kicking in.

Kelly shrugged her shoulders. “Might as well, I don’t think we can get any more lost than we are.”

We both laughed. Kelly was right even if it was hard for me to admit it. I took the road, progressing slowly. The road twisted and turned more than the last one. I moved slowly, trying to keep the car in what I thought was the center of the narrow road. Things were going smoothly until we crested a steep hill.

Once over the top of the hill, the road dropped down sharply. I kept tapping the brakes to maintain control of the car. About half way down the steep grade, a deer charged out in front of us.

I had a split second to make a decision. If I hit the deer, it could wreck the car. If I hit the brakes, I could lose control. Kelly screamed, I hit the brakes, and the car began to slide. While I missed the dear, I was having trouble getting the car under control. The car began fishtailing as we slid down the slick road.

“This can’t be good,” Kelly said as she reached for the dash.

Kelly was right. It wasn’t good. The car came around and I was going down the steep hill backwards. When it finally stopped, the car was over the edge of the road, the headlights pointing into the trees.

“Are you okay?” I asked, putting the car in park so the front wheels wouldn’t spin in the air.

“Yes, how about you?”

“I’m okay, but I think the car is stuck. If I’m not mistaken, the front wheels are off the ground.”

“Great, now what do we do?” Kelly said.

I took out my cell phone and held it up. “We call for help.” I looked at the phone and said, “Shit, there’s no service. We must be too far from a tower,” I said.

Kelly checked her phone and told me she didn’t have service either.

“Well, we have over a half tank of gas. If we conserve it, we should be able to stay warm until it gets light. We can stay with the car or try to hike out. I’m going to get out and make sure the car isn’t going to slide into the gully any further.”

Kelly laughed and then shook her head. “Okay, but while you’re out there, see if you can find a bathroom.”

I got out of the car, stepping into snow up to my knees. I went around back, feeling relieved when I saw the rear bumper against a sizable tree. I got back in and smiled at Kelly.

“The good news is the car is against a tree so it can’t move. The bad news is the bathroom is closed for cleaning.”

Kelly began laughing. She held her stomach and shook her head. “Stop it, you’re going to make me pee my pants.”

“Well, you could always get out and go next to the car.”

Kelly grinned at me. She opened her door, stepped out, and began stomping down the snow. Before closing the door she took a few tissues out of her purse. “Don’t you dare watch me! This is bad enough as it is.”

Closing the door, Kelly began to unfasten her jeans. I turned my head, not looking back until I heard her getting back into the car. She giggled as she turned up the heat.

“Peeing out there was an experience I didn’t need,” Kelly said. “You guys have it so much easier than we do.”

“Sometimes, but others times are as bad. What do you think? Should we wait it out or see if we can hike out?”

“I think we should wait. It’s warm in here and somebody is bound to come down the road.”

As Kelly finished her sentence, the engine sputtered and quit. I tried to restart it, slamming my hands against the steering wheel when I realized what happened.

“The car is on such an angle it can’t draw gas out of the tank. For all intent and purpose, we’re out of gas.”

“You’re not going to get away with this, Justin Rodgers! Do you pull it on all the girls you bring into the middle of nowhere during, what did you call it, a nor’easter? Running out of gas is the oldest trick in the book.”

I laughed so hard I had to hold my side. Kelly laughed too as she made light of our situation. While I was glad she was taking everything in stride, I was still a bit concerned. If the temperature dropped like the weather service predicted it would, we could be subject to hypothermia. When I got out to check the car, I felt how hard the wind was blowing. From inside the car, I could see the snow was coming down harder than I had ever seen it before.

“Look, all kidding aside. We have to decide what to do here. If we stay in the car, we could end up freezing. If we leave, we could face the same fate. What do you have in your backpack in the way of clothing?”

“Um, not too much. Dad has my clothes, I have some underwear.”

“I’m in the same boat. I only have my toiletries, underwear, and a shirt in my backpack.”

“You’re the Boy Scout, aren’t you always supposed to be prepared or something?”

“Yeah, I have a compass in my backpack too. I’d have a knife except you can’t carry one on a plane.”

“I say we look for shelter or a phone. We won’t get too far from the car so we can get back if we have to. Let’s get our backpacks, the maps, and go see what we can find,” I said.

Kelly shrugged her shoulders. Reaching over the seat, she grabbed the backpacks, handing mine to me. I checked my compass so I would know what direction we were walking. I wrote a note and put on the dashboard, telling anyone who read it which direction we went. We got out of the car, put on our packs and gloves, and climbed through the snow to the road.

“Which way?” Kelly asked.

I pointed in the direction we were going when the car went off the road. “There’s nothing back there so we should go this way. If we’re right, maybe we can hike to the chalet.”

Kelly and I started down the road. After about five minutes, I looked behind us, noticing the snow already covered our footprints. It was getting colder, but we managed to stay somewhat warm by walking briskly.

We hiked for an hour before seeing anything but trees. Kelly saw a reflector on a tree and pointed it out to me. Looking close, I found a two-track leading from the road.

“It looks like there might be something back there. Do you want to wait here while I check it out?”

“Are you kidding? I’m not leaving your side.”

Kelly and I began hiking through the snow down the two-track. The snow was up to our knees. We walked for another half hour before stopping to rest. While leaning against a tree, I checked the compass and then strained to see if I could spot anything through the woods. It was snowing and blowing so hard I could barely see ten yards.

“I’m not trying to be a brat, but I’m cold and wet,” Kelly said. “Maybe we should go back to the car.”

“Let’s go a bit further. If we don’t find anything, I’ll build a fire so we can get warm.”

“Okay,” Kelly said, reaching for my arm.

We followed the two-track another hundred yards or so. I kept looking around, trying to find something we could use for shelter. About the time I was ready to concede, I saw a large silhouette through the trees. I led Kelly as I trudged through the snow, half pulling her along. When we were close enough, we saw a cabin.

Kelly and I went to the small building and began to look around. The cabin was only about twelve feet square with a steep peaked roof. The snow was piled against the only door I could find and up to the windowsills. Next to the cabin was a large stack of split firewood.

“I can break a window so we can get in,” I said as I grabbed a piece of the firewood.

Kelly tried the door, finding it unlocked. “We could go through the door instead. It’s unlocked.”

Using the piece of wood, I scrapped the snow away from the door. Once I cleared a path, we went into the tiny one-room cabin. Looking around, I saw a cast-iron cook stove, a bunk, and a table with two chairs. On the bunk there was a sleeping bag. It was dark in the cabin, but I was able to see by lighting a match. I spotted a lantern on the table and lit the wick.

Kelly was shivering by then and I was as cold as she was. I told her to wrap the sleeping bag around her and then went outside to get some wood so I could start a fire. Once the fire started, I went back out for more wood. I filled the bin near the stove and then began to warm myself by the fire.

Coming over to me, Kelly took the sleeping bag off and folded it over a chair. She stood next to me, rubbing her hands together as she held them near the open door of the stove.

It didn’t take long for the fire to warm the air in the small cabin. I moved away from the fire and began looking through the cabinets near the table. I found a nearly full jar of instant coffee as well as cans of food. There were beans, corned beef hash, Spam, new potatoes, and several different vegetables. In another cabinet, there were some pots and pans.

“This must be someone’s hunting cabin,” I said. “There’s food in here so we won’t starve.”

“What are we going to do about these wet clothes?” Kelly asked.

“Um, we should really take them off so we can dry them.”

Grinning, Kelly said, “You’re really something. First you run out of gas and then you come up with something like this. What’s next?”

“I have a shirt in my backpack. It isn’t much, but you can have it.” I was blushing and could feel the heat in my cheeks.

“Thanks, are you going to go outside while I change?”

“Sure, let me get you the shirt first.”

I opened my pack, pulled out the long sleeved button down shirt and gave it to Kelly. When I started for the door, she stopped me. “You don’t have to go out there.”

“Yes I do, I have to pee. I’ll be back in a minute.”

I went outside and took care of my problem. Before going back into the cabin, I looked around the building for a moment. I found an outhouse and kicked the snow away from the door. After stomping a path, I went back to the cabin and knocked on the door. Kelly opened the door, giggling when she saw me standing there covered with snow.

“Yes, may I help you?” Kelly said with a grin.

Laughing, I said, “Yes, I’d like to know if I could borrow a cup of sugar.”

Kelly laughed, grabbed my vest, and pulled me into the cabin. I shucked my wet clothes, keeping my back to Kelly. When I removed my jeans, she laughed. I was wearing a pair of yellow boxers with smiley faces all over them. As I pulled my tee shirt off, I heard Kelly gasp.

“Wow, I didn’t know you were so buff. Do you workout?”

“No, I was born like this,” I replied, causing Kelly to chuckle again. “Yeah, I’ve been working out for several years.”

I put on a dry tee shirt, but decided to let my boxers dry while I wore them. Kelly and I went to the kitchen to fix something to eat. She picked a can of corned beef hash and opened the can. I took a pot to the door, filling it with snow so we could heat water for coffee while she put the corned beef into a frying pan. When I came back into the cabin, I stopped in my tracks. Kelly had her back to me and the shirt barely covered her butt. I followed her legs down to her feet, smiling when I saw her pink socks. I can’t remember ever seeing anything as beautiful in my life.

Kelly moved, causing me to snap out of my trance. I took the pot to the stove, placing it on the top. “How are we doing?” I asked.

“Okay, I hope this turns out. I’m not used to cooking on a stove like this.”

I added snow to the pot several times in order to get enough hot water for our coffee and the dishes. We sat at the table, eating the hot food by the orange glow of the kerosene lantern. Kelly kept smiling at me as we sat across from one another.

After eating, we cleaned the frying pan and the dishes. I added some wood to the stove so the fire would keep the cabin warm into the night. Kelly turned our clothes, checking to make sure they were drying. We sat on the bunk, covering our bodies with the sleeping bag.

“We’re going to be alright you know,” I told Kelly.

“I know. I also know I can trust you to make sure I don’t get hurt. I do have a problem though. I have to go to the bathroom again.”

“I found an outhouse. You can go there.”

“Will you come with me? I don’t want to go outside alone.”

Kelly and I got up. We put on our damp clothing and boots before venturing out into the storm raging outside. I led Kelly to the outhouse, giving her the lantern when she went in. While she was in the outhouse, I went along the side of the building. Kelly came out, helping me carry more wood to the cabin. After refilling the wood box, I went back outside to clear the snow away from the door.

I went back inside in time to see Kelly standing in her panties and bra. I quickly turned around so I wouldn’t embarrass her or me. Kelly laughed and then told me to turn around. She’d put the shirt back on, hiding her underwear from my view.

“Um, sorry, I didn’t mean to look at you,” I said.

“Don’t worry about it. I know you didn’t do it on purpose. Besides, under the circumstances, it’s a bit hard to be modest. You better get out of your jeans so they’ll dry.”

“I will in a minute. I may have to get some more wood.” The truth was, I was erect and didn’t want Kelly to see me.

Once my problem subsided, I removed my jeans and sweater. I was a bit uncomfortable and felt Kelly was too.

“I guess we should get some sleep,” I said. “I want to see if I can find a phone or something in the morning.”

Kelly nodded. She made up the bunk, using the sleeping bag as a cover we would both have to share. Kelly got into the bunk and waited for me. I checked the stove, adding one more piece of wood. Carrying the lantern to the bunk, I sat on the edge and then put out the lantern. The stove’s door was open to provide extra heat, casting a flickering glow on the bed. I got under the cover, my back to Kelly.

While I lie there with Kelly against my back, I tried to close my eyes. The feeling of her so close to me was making it very difficult to relax. Kelly put her hand on my shoulder and I jerked.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Kelly whispered. “I wanted to say thanks for being so strong and making everything okay for us.”

“No problem. Um, can I say something without you taking it the wrong way?”

“I don’t know. What do you want to tell me?”

“Kelly, you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. I’m happy you’re not a girly girl.”

Kelly sighed, her hand moving over my shoulder. “What’s a girly girl?”

“It’s a girl who acts all weird when things get rough. You have been very brave through all of this. You haven’t complained or yelled at me once.”

“If you want to know the truth, I’m scared half to death. The only way I’m able to deal with all of this is because of you. There’s something else you should know. I could never be in bed with anyone else, not like this. You have no idea how comforting it is to know you aren’t going to try anything I don’t want.”

Rolling over, I said, “I’ll never hurt you.”

“I know. Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why haven’t you ever kissed me again? Didn’t you like it when we kissed after the prom?”

“I loved it. I didn’t know you wanted me to. I always thought our relationship was just being friends.”

Kelly moved so she could kiss me. Our lips lingered, barely touching. After a moment, we pressed our mouths together, kissing with heated passion. Kelly put her hand behind my head, pulling my mouth to hers. When we broke the kiss, we stared into one another’s eyes.

“I could never be serious with someone who wasn’t my friend. I tried it once and it didn’t work.” Kelly kissed me again. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Kelly and I snuggled closer together, trying to get comfortable. She rolled over, putting her back to me. Reaching behind her, Kelly found my hand and pulled my arm over her side. I let my hand dangle until Kelly placed it on her stomach. She covered my hand with hers, holding it still. I felt her breathing change and knew she was asleep.

I woke up during the night with the sleeping bag off my back. Being as quiet as I could, I slipped out of bed to check the fire. It had burned down to a bed of glowing coals and it was chilly in the cabin. After adding more wood, I went back to bed. When I got in next to her, Kelly pushed her bottom against me. I put my arm over her, causing her to wiggle. I felt myself becoming excited so I pulled my hips back to break the contact with Kelly’s butt.

The next time I opened my eyes, Kelly was staring at my face. She smiled and said, “Good morning.”

“Mmmm, morning. How long have you been awake?”

“Not long. I woke up a few minutes ago. It’s chilly in here again.”

“I’ll put some wood on the fire. It won’t take long to warm up again.”

I stoked the fire while Kelly watched me. She grinned as she watched me moving around the cabin. I looked out the window, realizing the snow drifted so high I couldn’t see outside. I tried the door and found it wouldn’t open.

“I think we’re snowed in. I can’t see out the window or open the door.”

“You have to find a way out. I have to pee!”

I put on my jeans and sweater. Putting my shoulder to the door, I began pushing it. It began to give way, allowing me to peek outside through the small gap. The snow was still falling and the wind was causing it to form large drifts. It took me a while, but I was able to open the door far enough to get outside. I cleared the snow away from the door, using a piece of firewood and my feet. Once the door opened freely, I went to take a leak and get wood.

Kelly was dressed when I went back into the cabin. She had the pot we used for hot water and was going out to fill it. When I jokingly told her to make sure she didn’t use the yellow snow, she giggled. With the pot on the stove, Kelly went to the outhouse. I looked in the cabinet, taking out a can of Spam for breakfast.

“It looks like we got over two feet of snow last night,” Kelly said when she came in. “It’s hard to walk in. I had trouble getting to the outhouse.”

“I’ll take a look around after we eat. Maybe there’s a shovel around here. I wish we had a radio so we could find out what’s going on with the storm.” I looked at Kelly. “Our parents are going to be freaking out you know.”

“Yeah, I was thinking about them earlier. I wish there was some way to let them know we’re okay. I wonder who owns this place.”

“I don’t know, but I’m glad we found it when we did. It would have been rough out there last night without shelter.”

I began slicing the Spam so I could fry it. Kelly heated enough water for coffee, made two cups, and began refilling the pot. When she mentioned how much snow it took to make water, I said, “I read that an inch of rain equals a foot of snow. That’s why it takes so much snow to make the hot water.”

“You know about everything, don’t you?” Kelly said.

“No, not everything. It seems I don’t know much about girls.”

Kelly came over to me. She turned me so I was facing her. Smiling, she stretched up and gave me a kiss. “Do you mean about how this girl feels about you?”

I nodded.

“This girl likes you a lot. She wishes you wouldn’t have waited so long to kiss her again.”

“I didn’t want to do anything to would piss you off. I didn’t want to lose you as my friend.”

I flipped the Spam over in the pan, listening to it sizzle. Kelly stayed close, watching me.

“Did you ever think about it, kissing me I mean?” Kelly asked.

“Yes, all the time. I will never forget my first kiss.”

“How are we going to get past this?”

“Get past what?”

“The way you feel about me. I wanted you to kiss me again so bad, but I was afraid too. I was afraid you didn’t like me, not the way I like you. Whenever I’m with you, I’m so happy I could scream. When you’re not around, I miss you like crazy. I may be the first girl you kissed, but you’re the first guy I ever slept with.”

Kelly blushed. She put her arms around my waist, looking up into my eyes. “You’re the only guy I would have slept with like we did last night. It was so nice having your arm around me. You made me feel save and warm, warm on the inside.”