going…almost. I nervously watched my feet as the gravel trail crunched underneath me and wondered how many girls Jake had brought here. I felt him grab my arm, and when I looked up he had his finger to his mouth for me to be quiet. He kneeled down and I followed, trying to pick up what was in his line of sight. He pointed to a high branch about twenty feet away where a small blue jay hopped back and forth.
He leaned into me and whispered, “There is an old folklore about the blue jay and why they have such a noisy call. They say that blue jays were given superior beauty to hide their less than perfect character, and had a singing voice as beautiful as his feathers. Animals would come from all over just to hear his sweet song. But the blue jay became arrogant, so Mother Nature decided to punish him. One day when he went to sing, his voice came out as rough as his inner being, and it’s been that way ever since.”
“That’s a really sad story,” I whispered back.
He seemed surprised by my response, but brushed it off saying, “Yeah, but isn’t that the way it usually goes?” He stood us back up but kept my hand in his, our fingers intertwined.
By the time we reached the first platform, I had almost forgotten why I was apprehensive until I looked over the side and registered how high we were. Knowing I was going to be one hundred feet above the ground and staring at it are two very different things.
“Jake, I can’t do this.” My voice was barely louder than the wind.
“Yes, you can. I will be right here with you. You can trust me.”
I nodded, trying to bury my fear. He strapped my harness to the line and positioned his body right behind me. “Now sit in your harness seat and put your legs straight out in front of you. Grab the top line with your left hand and the bottom line with your right one. Use your right hand to slow yourself down,” he explained while I hung on every word.
“Now, Avery, step off.”
I closed my eyes and took the leap. The feeling was spectacular. I had always felt running was like flying when the high took over, but nothing prepared me for this. The trees were surrounding me with their beauty and for the briefest moment, I felt the freedom I was constantly in search of. I could feel the wind whipping at my face and the sound of the metal on the line as I plummeted through the air. My feet hit the next platform and immediately strong hands were waiting to pull me in. I did it! Jake was seconds behind me.
He got his footin g and then looked at me smiling. “What did you think?”
My inhibitions were gone. I threw my arms around him and boldly kissed him right in front of the world. “It was amazing!” I yelled, breathless.
He pulled me close, looking at me with such intensity that I thought I would catch fire right there. “Just wait until you do the next one.” His eyes sparkled with joy as he got me ready for the next line.
We did all ten of them, each one exceeding the next in height, speed and beauty. The Blue Ridge Mountains could be seen in the distance , and the overall effect was magnificent. As we watched the sun start to drop on the last platform, I was struck with the significance of today. I had exceeded my own expectations for myself, and the joy and pride I felt changed how I could view the rest of my life. Jake gave that moment to me. I looked up at him with all the adoration I felt exploding out of me and gushed, “Thank you.”
He wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled my neck. There was no need to speak; words could only cheapen the beauty of the day.
It was as if the trees had bonded Jake and I together. We spent the next two weeks texting incessantly and sneaking off to be together every chance we got.
Jake and Issy were still not talking, and she wasn’t saying much to me either. Issy was a lot of things, but stupid was not one of them. I was sure she figured out that Jake and I were dating.
The euphoria of new love consumed me. I
He leaned into me and whispered, “There is an old folklore about the blue jay and why they have such a noisy call. They say that blue jays were given superior beauty to hide their less than perfect character, and had a singing voice as beautiful as his feathers. Animals would come from all over just to hear his sweet song. But the blue jay became arrogant, so Mother Nature decided to punish him. One day when he went to sing, his voice came out as rough as his inner being, and it’s been that way ever since.”
“That’s a really sad story,” I whispered back.
He seemed surprised by my response, but brushed it off saying, “Yeah, but isn’t that the way it usually goes?” He stood us back up but kept my hand in his, our fingers intertwined.
By the time we reached the first platform, I had almost forgotten why I was apprehensive until I looked over the side and registered how high we were. Knowing I was going to be one hundred feet above the ground and staring at it are two very different things.
“Jake, I can’t do this.” My voice was barely louder than the wind.
“Yes, you can. I will be right here with you. You can trust me.”
I nodded, trying to bury my fear. He strapped my harness to the line and positioned his body right behind me. “Now sit in your harness seat and put your legs straight out in front of you. Grab the top line with your left hand and the bottom line with your right one. Use your right hand to slow yourself down,” he explained while I hung on every word.
“Now, Avery, step off.”
I closed my eyes and took the leap. The feeling was spectacular. I had always felt running was like flying when the high took over, but nothing prepared me for this. The trees were surrounding me with their beauty and for the briefest moment, I felt the freedom I was constantly in search of. I could feel the wind whipping at my face and the sound of the metal on the line as I plummeted through the air. My feet hit the next platform and immediately strong hands were waiting to pull me in. I did it! Jake was seconds behind me.
He got his footin g and then looked at me smiling. “What did you think?”
My inhibitions were gone. I threw my arms around him and boldly kissed him right in front of the world. “It was amazing!” I yelled, breathless.
He pulled me close, looking at me with such intensity that I thought I would catch fire right there. “Just wait until you do the next one.” His eyes sparkled with joy as he got me ready for the next line.
We did all ten of them, each one exceeding the next in height, speed and beauty. The Blue Ridge Mountains could be seen in the distance , and the overall effect was magnificent. As we watched the sun start to drop on the last platform, I was struck with the significance of today. I had exceeded my own expectations for myself, and the joy and pride I felt changed how I could view the rest of my life. Jake gave that moment to me. I looked up at him with all the adoration I felt exploding out of me and gushed, “Thank you.”
He wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled my neck. There was no need to speak; words could only cheapen the beauty of the day.
It was as if the trees had bonded Jake and I together. We spent the next two weeks texting incessantly and sneaking off to be together every chance we got.
Jake and Issy were still not talking, and she wasn’t saying much to me either. Issy was a lot of things, but stupid was not one of them. I was sure she figured out that Jake and I were dating.
The euphoria of new love consumed me. I
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