Marriage
Daze
Chapter
30: Higher Ground
(Un) Important babbling-notes from Cimmy: Yep, I’m extremely aware of the fact that Luis haven’t been one of the main characters before, but it’s my story and I decide whose point of view it is. Plus, I’m bored writing from the same characters point of view all the time. It’s like ‘Surrendering’ all over again.
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Notes: From Luis’s point of view.
Almost everyone had reached the lookout point. Again.
“Isn’t it great how the young ones always brings us down?” Portman complained a few steps behind Luis. “They always do that, always. This is why they have an age-limit in professional hockey.”
“Oh, yeah? Because of the chance of getting lost in the forest? Is there any chance at all of you shutting up anytime soon?” Julie asked. “It’s not our fault that we didn’t get the right directions.”
Luis decided to keep his thoughts to himself. When it came to misunderstandings, this team ruled all. Instead he leaned over the edge of the mountain to see how many more were missing. He decided to be a bit helpful, offering Sarah to help her up the last distance. She gave him a thankful smile and went over to the rest of the squad.
While waiting for that usual feeling of being glared at, Luis turned around expecting at least someone to look at him as if he’d just pushed Sarah down instead of helping her up. Then he remembered; Guy was still at the bus.
Luis still didn’t fully understand what he’d done to deserve getting evil looks every time he did something. He had made it clear already that he wasn’t trying to steal Connie away from Guy. He never wanted that, not even a little. And he definitely hadn’t been trying to steal the Latina away from Fred. What was up with people? If anyone had the right to be mad, it was he. He should be angry with Connie for dragging him into all this.
That was another thing that bugged him; people referring to the Latina as the ‘Latino-girl’. Okay, so grammar maybe wasn’t his strongest side, but still...
“I’m hungry,” Goldberg whined. “Got any food?”
“Sorry,” Luis said, sitting down on a log.
“You know what we should do?” Goldberg went on. “We should order a pizza from one of those places where they guarantee that they can deliver anywhere, right? And if they don’t get here in twenty minutes, the pizza’s free!”
“Great plan. Got a phone?”
“Look, don’t spoil my plans. Not a very smart thing to do when I’m hungry,” Goldberg muttered. “Do you at least have something to drink?”
Luis sighed and gave him his packing. Goldberg on a mission wasn’t easy to get rid of.
Goldberg rummaged through the bag, completely disregarding the possibility of breaking something. “Great, grub! Or at least something drinkable.”
“You won’t like it,” Luis warned, and he got the reaction he’d expected.
“What is this; milk? What are you trying to do? Poisoning me?” Goldberg howled and gave Luis a disappointed look. “I sure didn’t expect this from you, Luis.”
Luis just laughed and took his bag back. “I’ll try to improve,” he said.
A few more minutes went by, and everyone was beginning to get a bit agitated. How long had they been gone anyway? The word eternity suddenly popped into his brain. Or was it even longer then that?
Sarah went by him and leaned down over the edge. “They’re still down there,” she announced.
“Who are?” Jesse asked. “And why?”
“Let me guess, it’s the retards from the First Line,” Portman moaned. “Why can’t they behave like we do?”
“So now it’s their fault? A minute ago it was the youngsters fault. Do you ever stick to your opinions?” Sarah muttered. “It’s probably Nish, he’s afraid of heights. When are we supposed to be back?”
“Like thirty minutes ago,” Julie whined. “We’re gonna miss the game, I hope you all realize that.”
“At least they’re climbing now,” Luis said. He watched as all of the people at the bottom gathered together, while Cecilia and Nish climbed up.
Just as they’d reached halfway, Luis felt something wet hit his nose. Then again. Suddenly they were in the middle of a rainstorm, with the instant result of getting them all soaked from inside to out.
“I would like to nominate this day as the worst day ever,” Russ whined. “Why the hell did we go here in the first place?”
“I think it was because of the view,” Luis explained, while blinking away the water in his eyes. “This is not a very suitable climbing-weather.”
Portman made a face. “If they fall, we have to go to their funeral, right? I have other plans, they better not fall.”
Obviously there was no chance of him shutting up any time soon, Luis realized.
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Notes: From Adam’s point of view.
The rain poured down over them, making it impossible for anyone to climb any further. Adam knew that once the rock got wet, it would be dangerously slippery to climb. And still those stubborn idiots refused to climb back down.
“So, should we call Muck and Bombay now and say that two of their players are dead, or should we wait until they actually strikes the ground?” Adam asked. Someone had to make all the stupid comments, now when Guy wasn’t around.
“No more joking around,” Charlie replied. “They might actually fall. Are you gonna catch them if they do?”
“I was not the one who bullied her around earlier,” Adam pointed out.
“I was kidding! I’m not a bully, just a guy with very...”
“Sick humor,” Adam filled in. “Get them down.”
Charlie gave him a pointedly look. “Who’s the captain here, Banks? Me or you?”
Adam didn’t answer, instead he heard someone yell something from above. It was Portman. “Hey, the game begins in half an hour!” he bellowed. “We are an hour late!”
“Yes, we know!” Charlie yelled back. “Shut up!”
“You really should stop telling people to shut up,” Adam said. “The word has lost all meaning. You’re starting to repeat yourself. Married couples do start to look alike after a while.”
Charlie growled something and wiped his face, even though it didn’t help at all. “Aren’t these jackets supposed to be water-proofed?” he mumbled. “We should send them back and complain.” He zipped up his jacket some more.
“Just be glad that they’re washable.”
“Why is she stopped?” Fred interrupted their conversation.
Adam sighed. They were going to miss the game, they were wet, they were going to be yelled at by their coaches, they had jackets that weren’t waterproofed. And it was obviously too slippery to climb the mountain, so Cecilia were completely stuck where she was.
“Man, now we’ve lost a goalie, a forward, an assistant captain and a defenseman. Wonderful,” Charlie complained, obviously more concerned about the team then about the individual players.
“It’s nice to have a captain who cares,” Fred said. “We can’t leave her there!”
“Of course we’re not going to leave her,” Charlie answered. “But we can’t do anything when it’s raining. She just have to wait until it stops raining, and preferably until the sun has dried the rock. Are you sure we can’t leave her?”
“She’s gonna fall,” Adam said.
“Stop saying that, you’re not funny!”
“I’m serious, look, she’s gonna fall!” he pointed at her. “I think she’s losing her grip.”
“This is not good,” Charlie whined. “Any ideas?”
“Yeah, catch her,” Adam replied. He saw how Nish disappeared up over the edge, helped by his teammates on the top.
Charlie clapped his hands together. “Okay, then. This is obviously my fault, and it’s gonna be my headache, so I’m going to help her. Oh, I rather wanna be cremated then buried, just so you know.” Charlie went up to the rock and began climbing.
“So, if they both fall, who’s in charge?” Fred said tiredly.
“That would be me,” Travis answered. “They better not fall.”
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Notes: From Charlie’s point of view.
Charlie already knew he was in big trouble. His main ambition in life wasn’t to kill his players one by one; that would look extremely bad on his college application. Besides, someone had to save the day, and that was his job.
Sure, this was how he wanted to die. Falling down from a mountain during a rainstorm, just so he could save his wife. Well, it didn’t sound too bad, if the news got out. He’d be a hero. Until they found out that he’d be the one luring her up there in the first place. Maybe he’d be arrested for attempted murder or something. That would REALLY not look good on a college application.
He slipped on a wet spot and almost lost his grip. “This was a great idea,” he mumbled to himself. He kept slipping for almost every move he made, but he still managed to hold on. It felt like forever until he got up to the same cliff as the fallen hero.
“The next time I tell you not to do something, you don’t do it, got it?” he argued.
“I got it,” she answered silently. “Just help me, okay?”
Charlie decided not to yell anymore until they were safe, she seemed afraid enough as it was. Terrified would be the word to describe her with. A feeling of malicious pleasure hit him in the stomach. He was right, she was wrong. She was depending on him for help, and she’d be lost without it. He, he, he.
Then he decided to be spiteful later, since she was actually in danger, and one of his friends. What was so fun about her being terrified anyway? Charlie looked down. Not a very good idea.
“Charlie, help me,” Cecilia said again, slipping away from him. “I’m going to fall if you don’t help me. Could you please yell at me later?”
Charlie nodded. He managed to keep both himself and Cecilia from falling, and they were almost at the top when the rain suddenly stopped. “Finally I get some help. Do you believe in God?”
“No,” Cecilia answered and struggled to hold on to the next ledge. He grabbed her around the waist and pushed her up. His hands were beginning to shake from the climbing, and his legs were beginning to ache.
“So,” he continued, just to keep his mind off the fact that he was probably going to die. “Where’d you grow up?”
“Are you insane? We’re dying, and you want to know where I grew up? Where did YOU grow up?” she panted heavily.
“You really are scared, aren’t you?” Charlie asked. “Don’t worry, we’re up.” He climbed passed her and crawled over the same edge Nish had disappeared over earlier. Then he leaned forward and reached down his hand to her. “Let go of the ledge and take my hand.”
“You kidding?! No way, I’ll fall!”
“No, do as I say, you said you would.”
“I was lying!”
Charlie sighed with an annoyed tone and grabbed her jacket instead, so he could pull her up. She gave him a suspicious look. “If you drop me, I’ll haunt you forever.”
“You already do,” he replied. “Trust me, I won’t let you fall. Have I ever killed you before?”
Cecilia shook her head and extended her hand. He grabbed it and was just about to drag her up when she slipped and fell. He tried to hold on the best he could. Both Portman and Nish reached down to help him. Together they managed to pull her up.
“Hey, I won the bet, right?” Nish said, helping Cecilia up on her feet.
“What was the bet about?”
“I dunno. What do you got?”
Charlie held his breath for a second, trying hard not to kill them both.
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