What Happens in Aspen Lasts in Reefside

"Where did all these cars come from?" Cassidy asked Anton as they found themselves in a traffic jam just minutes after leaving the airport.

"I suppose we waited too long to leave," he answered as they sat, waiting for the cars ahead to move.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, blaming herself for having brought so much luggage that it caused them to leave nearly a half an hour after the others.

"Why? You haven't done anything wrong."

"If I hadn't brought so many things we could've left sooner," she told him.

"You're forgetting how long it took for the car rental service to find my reservation. If anyone's to blame here, it's them. Or me for arranging all this."

"How about we make a deal?"

"What sort of deal?"

"If I'm not allowed to blame myself for this than you shouldn't be either. Especially not when they did mess up with the car there for a while," she replied with a smile.

Anton sighed as he realized she wouldn't let him feel sorry for himself. But he didn't reply with anything more than a smile to her just then.

"If all this is in your dad's name then how are we supposed to check in?" Conner asked Trent when they got to the lodge.

"Anton and I figured one of us would get stuck in traffic on the way here. I'll take care of it," Tommy stated as he walked towards the line at the lobby's counter.

"Man, look at this place," Devin sighed as he glanced all around the enormous, warmly lit lobby.

"I know, it's awesome," Kira replied as her own tone mirrored the amazement in her friend's.

"Hi," they all heard two scantily clad young women say as they walked by, their eyes focused on Conner and Trent.

"Hello," Conner told them with a smile as he looked them over, Trent having to restrain him from following them.

"Conner, pick your tongue up off the floor before you trip over it," Kira scolded.

Ethan and Devin only laughed at the sad look on their friend's face.

"But they're what I'm here for," he pleaded.

"Forget it," Tommy said as he returned, handing out the room keys to his students, holding onto Anton's and Cassidy's for when they arrived. Looking around to the others, he stated, "Remember what Anton told you, none of you are to wander off on your own unless you've informed me of him, when he gets here, of where you're going."

"Awesome," Kira said when Tommy handed her the key card to her room. "A room all to myself!"

"Until Cassidy gets here, yes," he told her. "Devin and Ethan, you're rooming together as are you, Conner and Trent," he continued as he handed them their cards.

"What about you and Dr. Mercer?" Ethan asked.

"Must be cozy," Devin commented softly with a laugh to Conner. Conner had to fight a laugh of his own at that.

"I heard that," Tommy told them with a sigh." He and I have our own rooms here. Consider it a chaperone perk. Anyway, all I ask is that you try to find ways of having fun that will not get you in trouble or in jail because I will not be bailing anyone out. Neither will Anton. So Ethan, that means no rigging anything within the casino -"

"Dr. O, I'm not even twenty-one," Ethan said in an innocent tone.

"I mean it," he insisted. "Also, as Ethan pointed out, you're all under twenty-one, no drinking and no gambling."

Meanwhile in hopes of finding a shortcut to the lodge since the traffic had only gotten worse since it had begun snowing, Anton had taken an earlier exit off the highway. He had thought he was going in the right direction but as night was quickly approaching and the lodge nowhere in sight he knew he had been wrong.

But in the distance he was soon seeing what looked to be a cabin. Its lights were off, but he was hopeful the people there could at least tell them how far off track they were. Though as they continued closer to it, Anton could see there weren't any cars there. Either the owners were out, or it was abandoned.

"Let's see what we can find here," Anton stated to Cassidy as he parked the car.

Confused, she nodded and followed her former teacher.

Walking quickly ahead, Anton made it to the cabin first, peering in through the windows. Truthfully it was too dark inside to see if anyone was there, but without any cars near by and how secluded it seemed, he could only assume it was abandoned. He tried the doorknob next it turned almost too easily.

"Any chance this cabin's yours?" Cassidy asked as Anton closed the door behind them. They only took a step or two more into the dark cabin before trying to shake the cold out of their clothes.

"No, it's not, but I suppose for tonight it's ours." He felt along the wall for a light switch, finally finding a few, but none of them worked.

"You don't think we'll freeze, do you?" she asked softly, her fear beginning to get the better of her.

He only sighed in response. He wanted to tell her no, but he couldn't be sure and didn't want to lie to her.

The truth was they knew their cell phones wouldn't work, there was no heat or light in the small wooden building and even if they could find a fireplace, neither of them had a lighter or matches.

"Ow!" Cassidy cried as she bumped hard into something solid, the force nearly causing her to double over.

"What happened?" Anton asked quickly, reaching out to help steady her as his eyes began to focus in the darkness.

"I hit something," she answered, realizing it was an overstuffed chair she had run into. "You still have your cell, right?"

"We'll never get a signal here," he told her as she stood up straight.

"I know, but the display screen has a light, right? At least as much as a pen light could have?"

"Could," he stated, understanding her suggestion.

"At least that's something," Cassidy breathed as she saw her idea work well enough a second later.

"Let's see if we can find any matches near the fireplace," he said as they started walking farther into the cabin.

"Trent? I thought you'd gone to the club with the others," Kira said as she answered her room's door, finding him on the other side.

"Have you seen my dad?" he asked her.

"Not since we left the airport. Is everything okay?"

"I hope so. You're still rooming with Cassidy, right?"

"I'm supposed to be, but no one's seen her since the airport either."

"Thanks," he told her. He was thankful for what she had said, but he was getting more worried by the minute.

"Have you checked the lodge dining room?" she called as he began to walk down the hall.

He shook his head. "I'll check."