Read Online One Foot Onto the Ice by Kiki Archer - Free Book Online

individually. “Priggs, Champs, Jenna and Susie.
Now we sound as cool as we look. Come on ladies! Let’s hit the slopes.”
    Susan pulled down her sunglasses, disguising the sparkle of
adrenaline and excitement she felt coursing through her body. “Fine,” she said,
“just don’t let the other girls hear you.”
    Jenna pushed off with her poles and slid down the gentle incline
towards the bottom of the Belvédère chairlift, flagged by Champagne and Priggy,
with Susan following on behind. Jenna shouted over her shoulder. “We’ll take
the chairlift up to the top, ski the blue run over to the bottom of the Chamiaz
Express, ride that all the way up to the peak and then we’ll ski a couple of
red runs into Les Gets. We’ll probably get about an hour over there before we get
the Chavannes chairlift back up to the top so we can ski down into Morzine to
meet the others at The Viking for lunch.”
    “Sounds perfect,” said Susan, slowing her pace and sliding into
the metal turnstile. She lifted her arm and the sensor flashed green as it
detected her lift pass. It opened quickly allowing her to shuffle through into
the waiting position at the plastic yellow bars. Jenna, Priggy, and Champagne
all did the same, pulling up neatly beside her. It was as if they were horses,
all waiting for the off. The wide chairlift swept around the corner and scooped
up the four skiers in front of them. At the same time their yellow bars opened,
allowing them to scoot as quickly as they could into position. Moments later
the next chairlift swept around the corner and hit the back of their thighs,
scooping them forwards and upwards.
    “Heads back everyone,” said Jenna, pulling down the safety bar.
    “And we’re off,” gasped Susan, breathing in the crisp fresh air.
She closed her eyes and exhaled. “It makes you feel so alive.”
    Champagne scrunched up her nose. “What does?”
    “This.” Susan pointed at the beautiful snowy mountains with jagged
peaks that were piercing the vibrant blue backdrop of the sky, dotted with a small
scattering of wispy white clouds. She looked down at the tips of the tall pine
trees and the needles coated with a fresh powdering of snow overnight. She inhaled
deeply and let the cool, crisp air kiss her cheeks. “It’s breath-taking.”
    Priggy leaned forwards, gutted she hadn’t positioned herself next
to Madam Quinn. “I agree, Susan.”
    Champagne burst out laughing. “You sound like an idiot!”
    “It was your idea to call her Susan!” said Priggy. “Anyway, sorry
Susan, I was saying—”
    Susan laughed. “It does sound a bit odd.”
    Jenna smiled to herself, pleased to see her old classmate starting
to loosen up. “Call her Susie.”
    “No one calls me Susie.”
    Priggy started to talk again. “I feel you, Susie—”
    “Yeah, in your dreams you do,” laughed Champagne.
    Priggy banged her pole against Champagne’s shins. “I’m saying I
feel it too. The rush of life you get when you’re up here. It’s so hard to
describe to people who haven’t skied. You feel so free. So at one with the
earth. You feel like Mother Nature’s got you in the palm of her hand and she’s
lifting you up to show off all her splendour.”
    Susan was now the one to lean forwards. “You’ve got hidden depths,
Miss Bunton-Chatsworth.”
    Priggy blushed. “Thanks for noticing.”
    Champagne tilted her head and whispered into her best friend’s
ear. “The only hidden depth you’ve got is in your tight little tuppy that’s
probably tingling away right now at the thought of Miss Middle-Aged having a
touch.”
    Priggy pursed her lips proudly and whispered back. “She can touch,
twist, tweak, and tweezer as much as she likes.”
    Champagne almost dropped her ski pole laughing.
    Jenna tutted. “Girls, we have to share the giggles this week.”
    Champagne calmed herself down and inhaled deeply. “Trust me, you
don’t want to know.”
    Jenna looked forwards at the fast approaching mound of snow.