"Excuse me?" I scream above the murmuring of the crowd, piercing the cold air.

The boy in front of me turns around and smirks, his neon green beanie nearly blinding my eyes. "Sorry, honey. But patience is a virtue. Try it out sometime."

"Yeah? So are manners, but apparently, you have none!" I spit out, venom dripping from every word. But he's already on the lift, not even turning around to acknowledge my words.

I had instantly recognized this guy; he was the type who thought he was too cool for school, the type who thought his easy grin and shaggy hair would get him anywhere he wanted in life.

And evidently, the type who thought he could just cut me in line.

I'm still seething as I glide up to the red line to get onto the lift. What ever happened to ladies first? To chivalry? Granted, there aren't that many knights in shining armor nowadays, but it doesn't hurt do the gentlemanly thing once in a while. The chair swings around and I plop myself onto it, settling in for the half minute ride to the top of the mountain.

My board's covered in snow, and I bang against it, letting the snow fall down. I lean over, trying to see if it hit anyone. I've always wanted to try to hit somebody, but I lose track of the snow as it falls down.

I hear a snickering beside me, and I find a boy smirking beside me. Damn these lift chairs and their multiple seats.

I scowl at him and turn around, so that my back is facing him and I'm facing the rest of the mountain. With the fresh snow covering the ground, and the sun shining brightly overhead, it calls for excellent boarding today. I suddenly forget the annoying jerk I just encountered and start to jitter in my seat. I can't wait to hit the slopes today. I can't wait to feel the wind on my face, to feel the powdered snow underneath me, to ---

"That was quite a show back there, for something as simple as a lift seat." My thoughts are interrupted by the voice next to me. I glance over at the boy, all the contempt I felt for the earlier jerk rising back in me.

"He cut me in line!" I cried, gesticulating wildly. "It was totally my turn, and he just took it!"

He sniggers, and I suddenly realize how childish I sound. I grunt and turn around again. I don't even bother explaining how important snowboarding is to me, how snowboarding is my escape. He wouldn't understand; my parents barely understand. They don't need to understand, I think bitterly; I'm the only one that needs to know.

"You know, he was just flirting with you," the boy remarks nonchalantly, cutting into my thoughts again.

I reluctantly turn to him. "What?"

He chuckles at my innocence. "He just wanted to get your attention." He looks me over, and suddenly I feel self-conscious of my baggy snow pants, pink windbreaker, and rainbow striped beanie. "You are quite attractive."

I feel a blush creeping to my cheeks. At least I can pass it off for the cold. "Well, if he thought I was so attractive, then why didn’t he just offer me his seat? And let me have my turn like I was supposed to!?"

The boy laughs out loud. "Because this isn't preschool anymore. It's the way we like to attract the attention nowadays." He wickedly grins at me. "I've used the trick quite a few times myself. Works like a charm. You can't stop thinking about him now, can you?"

I suddenly realize the truth of his words, but quickly shake them out of my head. "I do, but not in the way that you'd think I am. I'm thinking about how he could've just easily given his seat to me. You know, the ladies first thing?" I suggest, hopeful.

He snorts. "Well, at least we've graduated from preschool to kindergarten now."

"Is it so hard for a girl to ask for some chivalry once in a while? Considering that there are no more knights in shining armor or Prince Charmings to save her anymore? Chivalry might as well just be taken out of the dictionary, since nobody's even using it anymore! It's dead!" I snap. I take a glance at the boy, and realize that he's no better than the snowboarder who snubbed me of my rightful seat.

His shocked expression almost makes me laugh. "Well," he stutters. "I-I- never thought ---"

Before he could finish his thought, the lift chair slows down to dump us off at the top of the mountain. I glide off gracefully, sighing at the feeling of the fresh snow. Before the boy next to me could catch up, I quickly do my bindings and glide off down the slopes, grateful for the cold wind that whipped my face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Thanks," I grin at the waiter. He smiles back (because he has to or because he wants to, I'm not sure) and walks off. I cup my hands around the hot chocolate and almost groan from the relief it gives me cold fingers. I lift the beverage up to my lips and it warms me inside out.

Glancing at the clock, I notice that I've boarded for about three hours now. Doing quick calculations in my head, I find that I've got about three more hours before my parents come and pick me up. Who knew that boarding would be so time consuming?

I glance out the window and I'm greeted with a gorgeous view of the mountains. Snow-capped, the view is entirely beautiful. With the sun shining today, there isn't a better view of them other than right now. I quickly regret that I didn't bring my camera.

"Now that's a pretty picture." A voice comes out from behind me, and I realize that I recognize it. I spin around to find the boy that sat beside me this morning.

"Do you mind?" He asks, gesturing to the seat in front of me. I glare at him, but he either takes no notice or pretends not to take notice, and plops himself down in the chair, drink in hand.

"What do you want?" I scowl. He takes his time sipping his drink, before putting it down and looking right at me. I suddenly realize how pretty his blue eyes are.

"I've just spent the whole morning looking for you, on the slopes and in this cabin, and this is how you greet me?" he teases. "Don't you know it's very un-ladylike to speed off when a boy wants to know your name?" he grins, and I'm appalled at how a grin can shine so brightly.

I pretend I'm not flattered. I mean, a whole morning, looking for me? "My name is something for me to know and for you to find out… not." I narrow my eyes at him and he chuckles again.

"Fine, have it your way, my lady." His blue eyes twinkling with delight.

It finally hits me that he's mocking me and my little outburst of knights in shining armor this morning. I put a scowl on my face and call the waiter.

"Check, please. And hurry," I stress, making sure to glance at the boy in front of me.

The boy pouts. "Are you not enjoying my company, my lady?"

Two can play at that game. I kindly smile at him, and gladly watch as he's thrown off guard. Ha. Serves him right. "Unfortunately, my kind sir, I have an adventure that I need to attend to. That slopes are calling me." I gesture to the mountain. "And I'm running quite short on time. As you can see, the sun is disappearing behind the mountains , which leaves me without much daylight hours to enjoy my past time."

His eyes sparkle. "Well, then, my lady, mind if I accompany you on your journey?" He stands up and makes a flourish of bowing and offering his hand to me.

Involuntarily, I let a giggle escape me. His eyes flash toward me in victory, and it's all I can do but take his outstretched hand. "It would be a pleasure," I finally admit in defeat.

The waiter comes back to our little scene, and I can tell he's a bit confused. "Miss? The check…"

The boy in front of me sweeps the check, and before I can comprehend what he's doing, places a twenty on the tray. "Keep the change, thy kind sir. It seems as if you deserve it." The waiter hurries off, and I gape at the boy.

"What?" he glances back at me, his eyes laughing. "Don't you know that chivalry is nearly dead nowadays? It's all I can do to act like a prince once in a while." He chuckles. "Besides, every prince needs a princess besides him," he says, looking at me. I feel the heat creeping up my cheeks again, and this time, I don't think it's from the hot chocolate.

As we walk toward the door, he stops me. Walking in front of me, he opens the door.

"After you, my lady." He bows, making me giggle again.

"Thank you, kind knight." I walk past him into the bitter cold.

I suppose that although chivalry is mortally wounded, I wouldn't go as far as to say that it's completely dead.