Page 26

Jesse

“You’ll be fine,” Billy says soothingly, rubbing Calla’s arm as she looks up at the path we’re about to hike up.

Calla relaxes, but still looks visibly unsure of the little adventure we’re about to begin.

“You’ve always believed we can achieve whatever we set our minds to. Now it’s our turn to believe in you,” Billy continues speaking, not ceasing his attempt to offer comfort and reassurance.

She nods and straightens her back.

“So, what do I need to do?” she asks.

“Stay close, follow our lead, and hold on tight when it gets narrow. We’re going to have ropes and harnesses holding us together when we climb,” Clyde says.

She nods and doesn’t say anything, but she doesn’t look very reassured.

Clyde drops his backpack on the ground in front of him and opens it. He proceeds to pull out of the equipment we’ll need.

The rest of us start getting organized, setting up the ropes and making sure everything is secure. We won’t need to link up just yet, but as we get higher, it’s better that we’re already prepared. We’ll only need to thread the ropes through and tie them.

Once we’re ready, we begin walking up the trail. The going is steady to begin with, and we keep up a good pace. Calla is walking at the back, and I find myself looking back often to make sure she’s okay and managing to keep up.

The path is wide enough that I’m able to drop back a little and let Doc and Billy move past me.

When Clyde notices I’m not directly beside or behind him anymore, and that I’ve moved to walk with Calla, he gives me a warning glare.

I roll my eyes and shake my head, giving him a derisive stare in return. This isn't about trying to score extra time with Calla, it’s about her well-being.

Our eyes remain locked for a second before he nods and refocuses on walking. None of us speaks. As we slowly get higher, we’re all breathing a little harder.

I’m not sure how long we’ve been going, but a peek down at the ground below tells me it’s been a while.

Calla seems to be managing well so far, and I’m actually proud of how far she’s come, how far all of us have come.

“Let’s stop here for a moment,” Clyde calls out, his voice sounding strained and breathless.

I let out a relieved sigh. We haven’t stopped yet, this is the first break, and I’m feeling the burn. My chest feels a little tighter, and my backpack is threatening to cut permanent grooves into my shoulders.

As we come to a stop, I notice that this seems to be a sort of waypoint, leveled out and wide enough to sit and rest.

Whether it’s a natural formation or man-made, the chance to catch our breaths is a welcome one.

I slide my bag off my back and set it down, sitting on top of it. I groan and stretch my back and arms out.

“Phew, I thought he was going to make us go the whole way without stopping,” Calla mumbles quietly next to me.

I chuckle. “He sets the pace for us all to keep up with. You’re doing well, though.”

“Thanks,” Calla replies, breathing heavily as she flops down next to me and pulls out her bottle of water and takes a sip.

The air is thinner, even at this height, and it’s only going to get worse as we gain altitude. Calla already seems to be struggling with the thinness of the air, more than the rest of us, although it could just be the exertion.

We ’ve pushed her hard, taking her body to the very edge of her limits. I honestly think she’ll be fine, but I still plan to watch out for her as much as possible.

Leaving her sitting with my backpack, still drinking quietly, I make my way over to Clyde.

“Getting cosy over there?” he asks, raising his eyebrow as he glances past me.

“Leave it alone, Clyde. It’s not about that right now. I think one of us needs to walk at the back with her. We can take turns, like we do with everything else involving Calla. Whatever keeps your mouth shut. I want to make sure she’ll be okay.”

“She’ll be fine, but I agree about taking it in turns,” he says, nodding slowly.

I fight the urge to roll my eyes again. Out of all of us, he’s the clingiest and most possessive over Calla—not that he’d ever admit it. He’s never said anything, but I do wonder if maybe there’s more to his behavior than he’s shown.

I shrug. It’s not my business, and I don’t care enough to find out. Calla probably knows already; she seems to be very attuned to us all and is understanding and attentive to each of us in her own individual way.

I turn around, and this time, Doc is sitting with Calla. They’re talking quietly, and I let them have their privacy and tune out their voices, though I continue to watch her carefully.

Calla keeps peeking over the edge, then looking away before peeking again. Instead of looking down, I look outward.

The sun is high in the sky still, and the wisps of clouds drifting above us are closer than they were before, obscuring the top of the mountain slightly.

We ’ve still got a long way to go, but the view from this little waypoint is incredible.

There are rolling landscapes of green and grey and shockingly blue water in the small rivers and lakes that are visible from this place.

I look upward again, wondering what awaits us at the very top and what we’ll be able to see. Billy sits down next to me and quietly observes the view as well.

Clyde is fiddling around with his backpack, but also keeps pausing to look around.

“This place is amazing.”

“Yeah, it really is,” Billy agrees, his tone filled with the same awe I’m feeling.