Thirty-Six
Oakley
“You’re almost there!” Jessie shouts at me from where she stands above me on an outcropping of giant boulders. She stares down at me, her hands on her hips as she squints to get a better look at my incredibly embarrassing predicament.
I reach for the rock she pointed out, gripping it with my right hand, while trying to maintain my balance and not send myself falling off the cliff headfirst.
“Now push yourself up with your legs while you pull up with your arms, and you’ll clear it easy.” Nothing about this is easy.
“I swear to God if I end up as crow food at the bottom of this cliff, I'll haunt the woods behind your house for the rest of your life.”
The threat clearly doesn’t have the intended effect on my friend as she cackles loudly, the sound bouncing off the surrounding rock.
Gritting my teeth, I push and pull and somehow manage to make it halfway up the boulder, my top half lying across it while my legs flail beneath me, trying to find purchase.
I wiggle and squirm, my stomach dragging along the hard stone until finally I manage to swing my leg up and over the side before pulling the rest of my body up.
I lay there on my back, panting for a minute, my limbs shaking, and stare up at the sky above me. Jessie’s head blocks out the sun as she peers down at me, and I groan dramatically.
“See? I told you you’d survive.”
“Barely. I was about two seconds away from plummeting to my death. How the hell are we supposed to get down?”
She offers her hand, and I take it, letting her pull me up to stand next to her. My whole body is coated in a sheen of sweat, and my hair hangs in ragged clumps around my face from where it fell out of the clip I’d secured it in earlier. Jessie waves a dismissive hand in my direction.
“There’s a trail that leads down to the bottom.” She spins on her heel, her movements far too spastic, considering we’re literally on the edge of a cliff. My mouth falls open in shock at her nonchalance.
“You’re telling me we could have hiked up here and avoided the rock climbing altogether?!”
“Rock scrambling,” she corrects, and I roll my eyes behind her as she leads us further onto the massive rock. “And no, we couldn’t have avoided it. Well, I guess we could have, but look at this view. Isn’t it so much more satisfying knowing you really worked for it?”
She plops herself down, and I carefully lower myself next to her before lifting my head and taking in the view in front of us. The sight has what little breath I have left whooshing out of me.
The majestic Adirondack Mountains are spread out before us as far as the eye can see, all sharp peaks and deep valleys.
They go on for miles in every direction, and I wonder how many of them have yet to be explored.
I bet one could spend their entire life dedicated to summiting these peaks and still not experience half of what these mountains have to offer.
It’s captivating, humbling. I’m in awe of the sheer beauty before me like it’s the first time all over again.
I am so small among these ancient mountains, my problems so minuscule compared to the vast expanse of land. These peaks have weathered countless storms and still stand tall and proud, with neverending stories to tell after millions of years.
When I first came to North Creek, I came with the expectation that I would be starting new, hoping that the crisp mountain air would quiet my mind and breathe new life into me.
I never expected my fears to feel so utterly insignificant, shrunk to mere blips in time when faced with the sheer magnitude of this sacred place.
I can only describe it as peace. Overwhelming peace.
“It really is incredible,” I murmur, my voice low in an effort to preserve this feeling for as long as I can. A chill wind sweeps across the mountaintops, rustling my hair and caressing my face with icy fingertips. I lean into it and surrender myself to nature’s embrace.
I don’t know how long we sit in silence. It could be minutes or hours for all I know, but as time passes, I’m filled with overwhelming gratitude for the girl sitting beside me. Her silence feels like a precious gift as she allows me to take in the scenery before me in quiet contemplation.
I inhale deeply and hold the air in my lungs before exhaling a long sigh.
Jessie nudges my knee with her own, and I smile at her expectantly, knowing what’s coming.
On the hike up here, we chatted about our lives, the day-to-day stuff, but I also shared with her a little bit about where I now stand with Levi.
It’s ridiculous that a girl I met only weeks ago has quickly become the friend I’ve always needed.
She’s so easy to talk to, so effortless and accepting in the way she listens and responds.
“So Levi, huh?” She doesn’t say anything else; instead, she allows me the space to gather my rumpled thoughts before responding.
“I don’t know when it happened, but a part of me was drawn to him since the first time I laid eyes on him. It sounds ridiculous, I know.”
“It doesn’t sound ridiculous. Some people have that effect on us. It’s almost like we know deep down that something’s missing, but don’t know what it is until we catch a glimpse of it in them.”
I ruminate on her words, turning them over in my mind. Is that what it is between Levi and me? That’s certainly what it feels like. He’s like that first gulp of air after being underwater for too long, his presence a soothing balm to my burning lungs.
“Where do we go from here?”
“There’s no rush in this, Oakley. Take it day by day, and be patient with yourself. You’re learning to love and trust again. That journey isn’t always linear. Have you heard from your ex?”
“Thankfully, no. Nothing since the break-in.” Hopefully that means he’s moved on and left town. I find it odd that he hasn’t contacted me again, but with each day that passes, I breathe a little easier with the hope that the worst is behind me.
“Good. I won’t hesitate to light a bitch up if need be.”
I burst into a fit of laughter, not stopping until tears run down my cheeks.
“I’m serious! No one messes with my girl.”
She and her cousin are the same in that manner, and I don't think I’ll ever have the words to properly express my gratitude.
We spend a while longer on the summit, eating the sandwiches we grabbed from the deli on our way and throwing the scraps to Bandit, laughing as he catches them in midair.
I’m still astounded at the fact that this four-legged beast managed the rock scramble with way more grace and ease than I did.
Only when the sun begins to fade, do we stand, gather our belongings, and make our way down the trail.
The forest is different at dusk, the woods darker in the waning daylight. If I were alone on this trail, I would be terrified at the long, reaching shadows cast by the trees.
Before I know it, we’re back at the car, and I hold the door open for Bandit to jump into the back seat. He circles twice before collapsing and resting his head on his paws. I get it, dude. I’m exhausted, too, but still sad that the day is ending.
Jessie makes the last turn into the driveway and pulls up outside the house, killing the engine and climbing out with me. Bandit takes off down the walk, and I turn to Jessie.
“I had such a good time today,” she says, giving me a hug despite how sweaty we both are.
I grip her back, not wanting the day to end. “Do you want to order some food and watch a movie? The house feels weird without Levi here.”
“Sure thing. Let me run home and shower, and I can pick up pizza on my way back.”
“Extra cheese and black olives?” I ask.
Jessie crinkles her nose. “I will never understand your fascination with black olives, but sure. You’re getting your own pie though.”
I see her off with a wave from the front porch before unlocking the front door.