Icy Friendships
The air was ice cold and dry; so cold that with each inhalation, my nostrils burned and as I exhaled my breath was as thick as fog. In the distance I could hear the tapping of the woodpeckers pecking up in the trees and the echoes of pine cones as they hit neighboring patios. With the sun shining bright and Mother Nature at peace, who could have possibly foreseen what was to come. Two girls had set out on a trip to the liquor store and returned home with far much more than a gallon of milk. Friendships are made through various bonds, but the strongest are made through life altering events, through fear and courage we found ours.
The excitement of winter break was in the air. Carrying on our annual tradition my family, friends and I set out for our unforgettable weekend to Big Bear. I met my friend Andrea a few short months before while starting the sixth grade. To match Andrea’s golden espresso skin, she had thick mousy brown hair cut at her shoulders and her curled pieced bangs fell just below her eye brows. She had the look of an old Egyptian queen. Eye brows defined so perfectly, they looked as if Michelangelo had painted them himself. Her brown eyes were big and almond shaped with lashes so long they often tickled her eye lids. She was a rather short girl; about 5’1 with skinny gangly legs and arms, weighing no more than 90 pounds. She was meek and dainty, preferring to paint nails while talking about boys. I on the other hand acted like a boy. Growing up with the boys in the neighborhood I became a tomboy at heart. I had a short stature and short legs all equally defined like an athlete. I was 5’4 and 110 pounds and despite our matching brown hair and eyes, we were complete opposites. Where I saw excitement and adventure, she saw danger and trouble.
As we pulled into the driveway, you could see the ice layered over the lake like a frosty mug. “Now I want you girls to listen up, STAY OFF THE ICE!” my dad...