Learn to Fly

by Heidi Hutchinson

  “I'll stick around.” Cody was nodding her head. “Someone's got to fill you in on this chick,” she elbowed Lenny in the ribs. “I bet she hasn't told you any of the good stuff.”

  Mike wondered where the hell Lenny had connected up with this girl. She was like the night to Lenny's day. And Lenny looked like she was going to lose her lunch. He looked around at the rest of the guys, why didn't they see whatever it was he was picking up on? Why did stuff like this always fall on him to fix?

  ***

  “So what's the deal with you and the guys? Have you hooked up with any of them?” Cody was trying to get Lenny to open up a bit more. She was being particularly cagey. Even for Lenny. They had covered the Ashton mess, Lenny coming to Aspen and life on the road. All that was left was Lenny's love life.

  “Cody!” Lenny exclaimed, looking around the sound booth nervously. “No! I work for them and they're my friends.”

  “C'mon, Luke Casey has a bangin' bod. Totally doable.” She saw Greg look over his shoulder at her and she winked.

  “Please stop.” Lenny was blushing uncontrollably at this point and Cody realized that nothing in that department had changed. Good to know.

  “Fricken' virgin,” Cody smirked. “You have got to loosen up, babe.” She took out her phone and tapped out a short text to Shane. For a guy who claimed he didn't care if Lenny had moved on, he definitely needed a lot of reassurance.

  “Can we not talk about that?” Lenny pinched the bridge of her nose and Cody wondered if maybe she was taking it too far. The headaches hadn't been an issue until after the accident but Cody always seemed to be trigger. Or maybe it was talk about sex in general that made Lenny's head hurt.

  “Sure.” Cody sighed. “When are you coming home?” It was the question of the year. When would Lenny return to the mountain and claim it as her own again? Cody found it hard to believe that Lenny could give it up altogether, not when she had so easily dominated.

  “Maybe for Christmas.” Lenny replied, relaxing again at the subject change.

  “I saw Duke last week, he misses you.” Cody swallowed the gag that wanted to surface. Those two had always had a much closer relationship than she cared for. She still didn't know why Duke had decided to mentor Lenny over his own niece but whatever. Cody didn't need anyone's help anyway. She'd proved that by winning the gold medal, hadn't she?

  The lights dropped and the show started and Cody felt relieved that the 'catching-up' was over for the most part. Being with Lenny was exhausting. Trying to anticipate what may or may not upset her got old quick. Cody wished they could go back to being kids, when things weren't so complex.

  She would stick around after the show for a bit and fish for information. If Lenny had remembered anything surrounding the circumstances of the accident, it was sure to be obvious during a session of sentimental reminiscing. And she really wanted to know if Lenny was considering a comeback anytime soon.

  ***

  Lenny was doubled over in laughter. She couldn’t breathe at all and sat down on the floor to try to catch her breath. But Cody wasn’t going to let her off that easy. She kept going with her story, even as Lenny tried to wave a ‘time-out’ at her with her hands.

  “So, Lenny, brilliant as she is, decides we need something edgy to do for the talent show. I went along with it because, well, let’s face it, she’s amazing and I trusted her.”

  Lenny was wiping away her tears as Cody brought back some of her best memories. Pre-accident memories.

  “She convinces me that we should sing and dance to Salt N Pepa’s 'Shoop.'” She paused as the room exploded in laughter, then continued. “No, seriously. We practiced for weeks, learning all the words and the dance routine. We were so proud of ourselves.” She smiled at Lenny. “Keep in mind, this was a private school that our parents paid thousands of dollars a year for us to attend.”

  “What happened?” Harrison asked, wide-eyed.

  “We got kicked out.” Cody said flatly. “We didn’t even make it through the first chorus and Mrs. K shut off the power.”

  Lenny was finally catching her breath when Cody dove right in to another story from her past that she hadn’t thought about in a long time. Maybe she shouldn't have dreaded seeing her friend after all. This could work.

  ***

  The guys had a lot of questions and Cody was more than happy to give detailed answers. She wasn't even a tiny bit surprised that there were five dudes drooling all over Lenny. It was typical. Lenny always had to have all the boys to herself.

  “What about the nickname ‘Freebird’?” Blake nodded a question at Cody. “Where did that come from?”

  “You haven’t told them anything, have you?” Cody accused Lenny playfully.

  Lenny shook her head but kept smiling. Another thing that hadn't changed from the accident, Lenny didn't talk about snowboarding. And the fake humility was a nice touch.

  “Um, let me think, when did that start?” She looked up at the ceiling as if trying to remember. “We were in high school, Lenny was starting to gain some attention for her talent on the mountain.” She sat next to her friend on the floor and leaned her back against the wall. “Lenny was always taking off to go test the powder in remote areas of the world. The boys at school loved her and were always trying to get with her.” Lenny shook her head to disagree, embarrassment starting to color her neck. “Yes, Sweetie, you’ve always been hot.” Cody dismissed her silent argument and sighed, “But Lenny couldn’t be tamed, just like the song. I think the first time it was used publicly though it was Shane Brookings, was it not?” She looked to Lenny for verification. Lenny bit the inside of her cheek and shrugged. Cody chose her next words carefully.

  “Yeah, it was. Shane was doing an interview with ESPN and they asked who he thought had the most potential in the young crowd that was staring to blaze their trail on the mountain. And he said, ‘Lenny Freebird Evans, that girl can fly.’”

  “That’s a pretty hefty endorsement. Isn’t that guy like, the best?” Mike asked. Cody narrowed her eyes at him. He had been paying way to close attention and she didn't trust him.

  She forced a laugh in response, “Yeah, he basically rules the effing sport.”

  Lenny was quiet; she was still smiling but had calmed down considerably. Cody watched heedfully, looking for any telltale signs of grief, heartache, regret, etc. But Lenny was an oak.

  “And it stuck, announcers and commentators started talking about this amazing new talent and they hardly used her first name anymore.”

  “Why did you say publicly? Was it used before that?” Luke asked.

  Cody calculated his question. She knew men and she knew them well. And it was more than obvious to her that Luke not only wanted Lenny but he also wanted to protect her. How in the hell does she always make that happen? Hottest guy in the room and he's her fricken' lap dog.

  “I started calling her that in high school every time she turned down another poor boy that had fallen desperately in love with her. I had mentioned it to Shane the first time we met him. Remember that?” She elbowed Lenny. “He kept trying to flirt with Lenny but she wasn’t having it. So I explained that she was a free bird and she wasn’t gonna be caged.” She smiled at Lenny with mischief. “Shane liked it so much he got a tattoo of it on his bicep.”

  Luke might as well know the truth. If he's going to be her whipping boy he should know he's not the only one.

  “Whoa! Some dude got your name tattooed on his arm for you?” Sway gaped.

  “No, it wasn’t my name, it was a nickname and also a famous song. It really had nothing to do with me.” Lenny’s expression was nonchalant and she waved it off. Cody pursed her lips before changing the subject.The seeds had been planted, the rest was their fault.

  “Remember that time Duke got stuck in the tree?” Cody asked Lenny whose eyes widened at the memory.

  “Yes! I still can’t believe he did that.” She said, shaking her head.

  “What happened?” Harrison egged on.


  “Okay, Duke, my crazy uncle who taught Lenny everything she knows, he prefers to find his own line.”

  “What’s a line?” Sway was confused.

  “The line is the track you take down the snow to get to the bottom.” Lenny explained.

  “Anyway,” Cody continued. “We had gotten way up in to the backwoods area that is seldom run and decided to be a little more risky with our chutes.” Cody’s eyes sparkled with humor at the memory. “The rule has always been: if you can see the bottom, follow Duke’s line; if you can’t see the bottom, do not follow Duke.”

  Lenny started to giggle again but tried to keep it quiet so that Cody could finish telling the best part.

  “Duke took this wild line down the hill and instead of following the open area where he could clearly see what was coming; he veered to the left and went over this small ridge. Well, he thought it was small.” Cody paused to let Lenny laugh heartily, everyone's eyes were wide in anticipation. “Turns out, it was this huge cliff that dropped into nothingness and he ended up in a tree.”

  “It was really fortunate that tree was there,” Lenny pointed out. “He could’ve gotten really hurt, otherwise.”

  “Who? Duke?” Cody rolled her eyes, “That guy is invincible; he’ll out live us all.” She turned to Lenny, “you should really call him. Seriously, Lenny,” Cody let out her aggravation. “No one loves you more, not even your own parents. The least you could do is give him a call and tell him you’re okay.”

  “Fine, I’ll call him.” Lenny conceded with frustration in her voice. “You’re right, he deserves better.”

  Cody put her arm around Lenny’s neck and hugged her close. “Thank you. It’ll be good for you, too, ya know.” And now they all knew that Lenny abandoned those closest to her. Zing.

  They continued to visit for another hour and then Cody leaned over and kissed the top of Lenny’s head. “I have to go, Bird. I have an early morning appointment.” She stood up and Lenny joined her.

  “Hey, call me if you need anything.” Cody looked into Lenny’s face with a serious expression. “I’ll see you in Aspen.” Cody paused. “Or maybe at the Lodge if you decide to go home for Christmas.”

  Lenny nodded but didn’t speak. Cody left feeling satisfied with her visit. They were obviously still friends which meant that the memory lapse around the accident was still intact. Shane always worried for no reason. Now if Cody could just convince Lenny to come back to competing, maybe she could find out once and for all who was actually the best.

  ***

  The next few days all sort of blurred together for Luke. They had a show every night so they were pretty much on the bus nonstop. Anytime he and Lenny had a free moment they would make out like high schoolers. In the back of the bus, behind the bleachers, in the dark behind the venue. And every night, he would sing his song to her, hoping she would fall for him just a little bit more.

  The weirdness from Cody's visit had passed but it had taken a few days. Luke had noticed Lenny's distance but didn't confront it. He wouldn't even have known where to start. He and Mike had had a conversation that left Luke feeling leery of Cody and unsure of how to address it. How do you tell someone that their best friend is a poison in their life? Besides, he was having too much fun with Lenny to want to spoil it.

  The excitement of sneaking around was new for Luke. His past relationships had all been very public and nearly completely physical. Not this time. They talked about everything, all the time. The only one he had ever shared so much with was Mike. But Luke was still very aware of how gun-shy Lenny had been even recently. He wasn’t going to push for anything more than what they had right now. He liked her and she liked him.

  And the kissing was fantastic.

  Luke was making his way to sound check, his standard grin plastered on his face from having just spent the most amazing three minutes with Lenny in the back lounge of the bus. He jumped when Ashton stepped out in front of him.

  “Shit!” He said, startled, his smile gone. He stepped past her and continued on.

  Ashton looked annoyed at being blown off and ran to catch up to him.

  “I need to talk to you, Luke.” She tried to get his attention.

  “No you don’t, Ashton.” Luke frowned straight ahead.

  “I’m sorry for what I did to Lenny and I want to make it up to you.”

  Luke kept marching forward without pause.

  Ashton’s voice was getting desperate as they neared the stage.

  “I know that she’s your friend and you’re really mad at me but I want to make things better so we can go back to what we had.” They had made it to the stage area and everyone was watching as Ashton nervously spit her words out. Her voice was getting shriller and she was starting to cause a scene. “We need to fix this, baby! You’re just not your best self without me!”

  Luke stopped in his tracks and turned his scowl on her. “I’m going to be as clear with you as possible, Ashton.” His voice was low and gravelly. “We,” he pointed to her and himself. “No longer exist. That ended a long time ago and never should've happened in the first place.”

  “We had a fight, Luke! That’s what couples do, but we can still make it work.”

  “No, Ashton! We are not a couple.” Luke’s voice was growing in volume.

  “But, baby-!”

  “You have to listen to me! I don’t like you!” Luke’s voice was sharp.

  The arena was dead quiet and Luke felt all eyes on the commotion at center stage.

  Ashton wasn’t giving up that easy. She tried to reach for Luke’s hand but he stepped back, away from her.

  “I know you still have feelings for me!” Ashton shouted, she was forcing the issue. In the past, when Ashton wanted her way she threatened to make a public spectacle, knowing it made Luke uncomfortable and he would give in to get her to shut up. “That song you sing for encore every night, I know that you’re singing it to me!”

  “Ashton, you wanna know the truth? Okay, here it is. I never had feelings for you. Never. I was lonely and you were convenient. I feel bad about that, I really do, but I’m a different person now. You’re the same person. You’re shallow, vapid and cruel. You’re mean to me and my friends and your own employees. The song I sing every night is for someone who is the exact opposite of you. She’s amazing and sweet and I’m crazy in love with her.”

  Ashton’s mouth fell open. The guitar techs nodded their approval. Ashton reached for Luke again and again he pulled away and shook his head at her. She turned in a huff and left the stage. The onlookers broke in to applause.

  ***

  Lenny’s stomach felt like she had just gone over a hill. Her head was a little foggy, maybe she misheard. Maybe Luke hadn’t actually just announced that he loved her to the entire band and crew. She took a breath and focused on trying to stop her hands from shaking. Okay, she thought reasonably, he didn’t actually say my name. No one else knows he’s talking about me. That only offered a few seconds of comfort because the next thought was Luke just said he was in love with me.

  She decided to not overreact. She could handle this. Obviously, there was going to be a rational explanation and Luke would tell her later. She went about the rest of her night trying to behave as normally as possible.

  Ashton’s set was a blur, Double Blind Study was outstanding. Luke took his seat during the encore and sang his song to Lenny, the one he had written for her. He sounded almost desperate, urgent. She couldn’t tell because she wasn’t looking at him. She wanted to, it was just that the lights seemed particularly bright from her seat.

  After the set finished, she headed back to the bus and turned on the TV, looking for anything to distract her and get her brain working properly again.

  Mike and Luke entered the bus, joking and laughing, acting like everything was normal. Lenny did her best to participate in the conversation. She knew they were talking to her but she wasn't paying attention to what they were saying. She was answering mechanically. After an hour or so, Mik
e excused himself to bed and Lenny and Luke were alone.

  He moved over to sit next to her on the couch and she stiffened. He gave her a gentle smile and reached over to hold her hand. She didn’t pull away but she did flinch a little.

  “Hey,” Luke’s voice was a soothing balm on Lenny’s frayed nerves. “I only said that to get Ashton off my back.”

  Lenny let out her breath like a deflated balloon.

  “I know.” She lied, still trying to appear fine.

  Luke chuckled, “No you didn’t, you were totally freaked out.”

  She smiled then, “Was it that obvious?”

  “Yes.” Luke confirmed. “But don’t worry, I’m not saying that yet.”

  “I don’t know how I feel and-”

  “Neither do I.” Luke cut her off. “Really, it was just to make a point to Ashton.” His eyes were pleading with Lenny to believe him.

  She folded into his arms and he held her close. Weirdly, she felt better believing that he wasn't actually in love with her. She loved the feel of his strong embrace and smell of his aftershave as she leaned against him. The anxiety she had been feeling all night had completely disappeared in his arms. She didn’t know what that meant, and she refused to try to define it or examine it.

  ***

  Luke and Lenny spent every spare moment together. They joked around with the familiarity of old friends and when no one else was around they were kissing. Lenny started to go through Chap Stick a lot faster and it made her smile to know she had a secret reason for that. What she wasn’t thinking about was all the things she was putting off. She used her secret ‘fling’ with Luke as an excuse to not fulfill her promise to Cody to call Duke. She didn’t want to have that conversation.