Chapter 6

The bus ride to the mountains was amazing! They were in a huge luxury train with partitioned cabin compartments and a snack cart. Jack, Hal and the twins were put in a group with two others. They would be mountain buddies and would have to spend the trip looking out for each other. Sitting in their train compartment waiting for the two others in their group the twins teased Jack about his crush on Lucy Blackwood, By far the most beautiful girl in their class. She stood five feet nine inches, had gorgeous tan skin and below shoulder length blonde curly hair. Lucy had deep blue eyes and a smile that could melt a glacier. Jack was in Love. Her parents were part of the Cat clan and they were Black Panther Shifters. Not keeping anything from his siblings and Hal he had told them at the beginning of the year and they had incessantly teased him about it. He just couldn't help getting so nervous around her.

Just about the time Jack was going to start putting his siblings in headlocks the door to their compartment opened, and in walked the two most popular girls in school. Lucy Blackwood and Harper Rose, her best friend. As they both entered giggling at what they were talking about everyone in the little cabin froze. The twins not knowing if they had been overheard, Hal trying not to stare at Harper and Jack standing in the middle of the compartment mouth open, hands toward his siblings and awkwardly in the way. Done giggling the girls turned their eyes to the rest of their group. Harper, an outgoing girl with hazel eyes, dark brown hair and a larger build for a girl was a large Kodiak bear shifter in the Cat clan, her parents were gone so she lived with Lucy and her family.

"Hey guys, looks like we were put with you! How great is this trip going to be!?" Jack sitting down and trying not to take up too much space was mumbling to himself because Lucy was in his vicinity, Hal was awestruck Harper was talking to him , but the twins with no care in the world smiled and Sam answered back. "It's going to be amazing! We are excited to get on the slopes, do you guys board or ski?" The Twins trying to pull Jack and Hal out of their own minds brought the question up to make them all less awkward. Harper decided to answer for them both, while Lucy stared oddly at Jack and Hal said "I ski but Lucy Snowboards a little, she is planning on getting better during our trip." Finally tearing her gaze away from the mostly silent pair of boys Lucy chirped in that she was excited to try it again.

Hal finally noticing they were being a little weird slapped Jack in the chest with the back of his hand and asked the girls if they wanted to sit. They both smiled and nodded then chose seats next to each other across from the boys. The Twins figured if they didn't start something quick like a game or something, this was going to be a weird silent ride, they decided to ask the two girls if they wanted to play cards. Of course the girls noticed the odd tension and decided why not it would make the ride go by faster. Finally getting a little bit of his confidence back Jack asked Lucy if she wanted to be his partner for the game. 

Smiling slyly Lucy knew Jack had a crush on her and secretly liked him back. Moving to be opposite of him she pulled Harper who was infatuated with Hal beside her so she had to be his partner. The twins knowing they would be a team joined the four awkward lovebirds in sitting opposite and started dealing the cards. After the first couple rounds any of the tension that was there earlier was gone. The boys were growing more confident and rambunctious by the minute and to the Twins horror wouldn't shut up. Just when they had all started to have fun Harper and Hal laid their hands down to win the game but were loudly interrupted by the door crashing open. Franky was standing there with his five mountain buddies sneering at the group playing cards.

During school Franky acted like he owned Lucy and she hated it, she didn't like Franky and usually just ignored him. Not being able to do so here she stood up and told Franky to leave them alone, she didn't want him here. Franky not fallible ignored Lucy and decided to pick on Jack, the only one that wasn't surprised Franky had crashed their little party. "Looks like you are going to spend the break with my girl Jacky poo, how does that feel?" Jack feeling pretty good about himself now that he could actually talk to her didn't hesitate in his reply. "We all know she isn't your girl Franky, You couldn't get a sheep to date you." His group cracked up at that and Jack even heard a snicker from Franky's little squad. 

Almost blind with rage Franky breathed a couple times knowing he lost this verbal bout and yelled at them "Shut up! You'll get what's coming to you Walker and now you're all included. Better look over your shoulder Jack cause I'll be there waiting." Turning and pushing through his friends Franky stormed off and decided to go pick on someone else. Harper drying her eyes from laughing so hard said "Good one Jack that'll keep his mouth shut for a while." Lucy just laid her hand on his forearm, smiled gently and said "Thanks for that I don't know why he won't leave me alone, but I guess all I needed was someone else to hurt his pride." Jack blushing and trying to hide it said "It was nothing." But then sobered up as he realized this time Franky didn't just threaten him but all his friends and family.

Jack quickly quieted everyone down and looked at them seriously. "I'm sorry usually he just threatens me and I let it roll off my back but this time he threatened all of you. I should have just let him talk and leave, now you guys could get hurt because of me. I know we are supposed to stay together anyway on this trip but none of you go anywhere alone. Franky knows he can't beat me so he might hurt any of you to hurt me." The twins, Hal and Harper readily agreed but Lucy hesitated and asked him if this had been going on for a long time. Jack sighed and decided to just tell them the whole story of his life.

When he was done both girls with their mouths open just looked at him. Then Harper growled a deep sound in her chest and asked Jack why he never just laid him out? Jack shaking his head and laughing just said my Dad told me to be the bigger man. Hal being a huge person and shifter himself laughed and said "Dude you will always be the bigger man!" Successfully bringing everyone back to a good mood Jack nodded to his friend in thanks for changing the subject.

Since they would be traveling overnight the group finally called it quits after a couple more games of cards and decided to go to bed. The girls on the benches and the boys sprawled out on the ground with their sleeping bags. Jack still brimming with energy slipped out of the room as the rest of the group went to sleep. Thinking he was alone he snuck into the food cart to get a snack and think? Lucy not yet asleep noticed Jack slip out of the room so she counted to fifty and followed him out. Seeing him slip into the snack cart she followed silently like the predator she was, stalking jack and waiting for the right moment to ask him what was wrong.

Jack hearing a noise put down his PB&J sandwich and faded into the shadows in the corner. Seeing a dark form slip through the door, Jack moved forward swiftly, swept the legs out from under who he thought was Franky and pinned him to the ground. Growling in the person's face about to yell at Franky, his senses caught up with him. Jack could smell Lucy and now could hear her complaining about being hit by a mountain. Jack turning on the light reached down to help her up and apologize for attacking her. 

"I am so so so sorry Lucy I thought you were Franky or one of his goons. Are you okay?" Lucy being a shifter was very resilient and perfectly fine, but she decided to milk it a little and see how he would react. "I should be fine Jack but my legs hurt a little where you kicked them." Jack, feeling bad for his part in her pain scooped her up before she could say anything more and deposited her gently on one of the couches. "Do you want some ice or something for the pain? I'm sorry I didn't mean to kick so hard." Lucy, happy with this development waved away the question and motioned him to sit with her. 

Jack sat near her perched on the edge of the couch a little nervous being alone with her and this close. Lucy, seeing Jack was nervous, asked him why he snuck out of their little compartment. "I don't really know, I just wanted some time to think, get my head straight and maybe find something to eat." As he finished his sentence he moved quickly to the bar remembering his sandwich and asked Lucy if she wanted anything. Declining his offer Lucy patted the seat next to her and motioned for him to sit again. Finally realizing she was there to talk Jack sat back down more relaxed and started in on his sandwich again. 

Lucy, finally a little nervous sitting this close to Jack wanting nothing more than to lean on him or even kiss him, decided to grow some courage and slip her arm through his to hold his hand. Jack just finishing his sandwich and moving to a table felt a soft touch on his arm as Lucy's hand felt her way into his. Heart racing, liking how hot and supple her skin felt in his Jack slowly turned his head toward Lucy's and made eye contact. Being shifters they could both hear the others heart beat start to race faster and faster as they gazed into each other's eyes. The moment Jack felt like he could fall into her eyes forever he blurted out "Are you sure you should be doing that? If anyone sees Franky will find out and he's way more dangerous than people think." 

Lucy hearing Jack's comment snapped her out of his gorgeous eyes set in that handsome face, just laughed and said "I can handle Franky just fine, but it is sweet you would ask. I have liked you for a long time but every time we were together you never talked to me and you kept mumbling and walking away. I thought you didn't like me." Jack hearing what she was saying looked back and his nervous behavior could be seen as standoffish. "I'm so sorry Lucy I've liked you for forever but I was so nervous to talk to you or be in front of you I must have acted like an idiot."

Laughing at Jack's reaction she just decided to go for it. Grabbing the back of his neck and a little hair she pulled him down toward her face and kissed him for all she was worth. Never being kissed before Jack shut his eyes and followed her lead. Kissing her was like Shifting. So much power shooting back and forth between them making them both light headed and a little dazed. Her lips were so soft and smooth, but firm. As they pulled apart both sucking in air he realized she tasted like the wild, like the feeling you get when you shift. They both smiled then spent the rest of the night getting to know more about each other and stealing kisses late into the night. 

Waking up as the bus arrived all the kids grabbed their gear and headed to the lobby of the resort. The boys headed left to their rooms and the girls headed right. "Meet you guys at the blue ski lift in thirty minutes!" The girls already on the other side of the room waved acknowledgment and left the lobby. Arriving in the room Hal and Alex spun on Jack, kicked out his legs and jumped on him before he knew what was happening. "What the heck are you guys doing?!?" Jack yelled. Laughing Hal asked him what happened with Lucy after they left the Cabin in the bus. "Did you guys find a nice quiet spot and make out?" Jack's silence spoke volumes and the two boys pinning him down looked at each other, then at Jack a couple times and ended up cheering for him. Alex, excited for his brother, said "Spill dude, you owe us that much." 

Jack smiling and throwing the other two off ended up telling them everything. I don't know how it happened man im just glad it did. Unknown to the boys the girls did pretty much the exact same thing. With a little less physicality but none the less they got it out of her. Lucy was positively glowing after she was finished and as excited as Sam was for her brother she needed to change the subject, she didn't really want to know too much. "Now that Lucy has her claws in my brother, how are you going to sink your teeth into Hal Harper?" The extremely muscled girl blushed and said "I hope we sit on the lift together, I want to give him the chance to ask me out before I say anything." All three girls giggled to each other and began to grab their things to meet the boys.