Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic

Author:Megan Bostic [Bostic, Megan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Published: 2012-01-16T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

When we arrive at the mountain, the sun is just starting to poke through the September clouds. We grab our gear out of the trunk of the car and head up the hill.

"Have you ever been here before?" I ask Kaylee.

"Never. You?"

"Tons. I used to go hiking with Mom and Dad before, well, you know." Kaylee looks at me sympathetically. "You're going to love this," I tell her.

This is my favorite hike, surrounded by trees and sky and soil. I've run into squirrels and marmots and even a black bear once. Nature has always been big for me, its raw beauty and magnificence. Sometimes I think about the trees and the mountains and how long they've been here. Much longer than I've been alive, and they'll be here long after I've gone. It makes you realize how small you are in the scheme of things, what little impact you have on the world. It's part of the reason why I'm doing what I'm doing this weekend, to make an impact. To know I might have made a difference, even if it was a small one.

The hike starts straight up but evens out quickly. After walking a quarter mile, we cross a bridge and stop in the middle to admire the scenery, Christine Falls. The water rushes down the rocks and underneath us. I put my pack down and pull out a water and a PowerBar to share. "This is beautiful," Kaylee says.

I want to say Not as beautiful as you, but I stop myself, not wanting to sound stupid. Instead, I say, "This is nothing. Come on." We repack our stuff and head farther up the mountain.

Kaylee looks at her surroundings in wonder, like a child first discovering the world around her. This makes me happy; it's what I wanted. I wanted to share this with her, this place that has always been so important to me.

We walk side by side with the falls as it snakes up the mountain. The trail heads away from the water and we weave through the trees, the sound of the falls waxing and waning with every turn. The hike evens out a bit again but soon we're climbing steps made of rocks and tree roots. The farther we go, the steeper the trail gets, and I begin to struggle. Kaylee notices.

"Are you doing okay?" she asks. "Yep. Couldn't be better." It's only a small lie. I feel okay, just a little tired.

We hike up and down, but mostly up. I'm getting weak; my lungs feel as if they will explode at any moment. The sound of the falling water becomes louder, and a few minutes later we're looking down over a ravine. There's a Y of water falling from two different sources and a tiny, one-rail bridge beneath them. "Wow," Kaylee whispers as she begins her descent into the ravine. I move slowly, as my legs feel like Jell-O and the ground is steep and slippery. I take only three steps before I lose my footing and end up on my ass.

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