Read Online Unsound: A Horizons Book by Ashley Summers - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ashley Summers
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felt Julie’s body tense up next to me, “Come on, don’t be shy now, you two come up here and show Mindy how this all works.”
I looked over to see Julie’s face go pale. She started to come to life since her trust fall. Although she lived up to her Leo mentality and usually loved to be the center of attention, she couldn’t perform the same way when put on the spot. Especially in a situation that scared her.
“Can I just go from the first platform again?” Julie asked.
“Trust builds, Julie. We know you can fall from the first level, how about trying the second?”
Julie looked at the second level. The first one was a foot off the ground, the second was about two and a half, but it might as well have been ten for the way Julie looked at it.
“This doesn’t seem like an equal progression,” Julie voiced her thought.
“You just have to do it once,” Michelle encouraged, “it’s not scary after that.”
Julie didn’t respond, just walked closer to her doom, but I understood why she claimed that everyone told her that.
“I’m not gonna let you fall,” I said quietly to her as I offered her a hand up the platform. I tried to ignore my disappointment that she didn’t acknowledge my chivalrous action. I told myself she was just concentrating on getting up to the platform and didn’t hear me.
“Come on Jules, we don’t have all day—Anthony’s parents are arriving soon, we don’t want to be here still waiting on you when they get here,” Jeff teased.
Julie
I stood up on the platform and looked down at the ground, which currently seemed very far away. I glanced at Michelle, Anthony and Jason, who were getting into formation. I looked at Jon and found his eyes looking back at me. He realized he was caught and quickly looked away, over to Marie. I looked over at her too. She wasn’t paying attention to me or moving into formation to catch me. She was looking at her nails and rolling her eyes, probably jealous of the unwanted attention I was getting.
I looked back down at the ground. The idea of falling off of this platform made me lightheaded. My vision started to tunnel, blurring black around the edges.
“Ok Julie,” Jeff started, as everyone gathered around in formation to catch me, “turn around, cross your arms across your chest, and keep your body tight, legs together when you fall backwards.”
Before I turned my back, I glanced at the ground again, seeing my dark shadow this time, looming below. I slowly turned around, and stepped back so my heels were against the edge of the platform. I opened my mouth to start the command chain, but then I froze. I started to feel lightheaded. Then it went black.
* * *
I felt myself on the forest floor. I could hear the crunch of the leaves below me.
“Julie? I think she’s coming to,” I heard Jeff say. I opened my eyes slowly, and was surprised to see Jon’s face swimming directly above me. I blinked and realized my head was in his lap. I looked to the left and saw Jeff.
“I’m sorry Julie, I shouldn’t have pushed you,” Jeff said, “Michelle, can you help her over to Mrs. Sanders?”
“Sure,” Michelle said, as Jon lifted me up from the ground with him and placed me on my feet. My eyes widened at the ease in which he lifted me.
“I’ll take her,” Jon looked at Jeff.
“Yeah, maybe that’s a better idea,” Jeff started, noticing Jon’s arm around my waist, holding me up.
“No,” I said, backing up an inch. Jon dropped his hand from my waist, rubbing it through his buzzed hair instead. Everyone looked at me. It was the first word I had said, “I’m fine; I don’t need to go to the nurse.”
“Julie, you fainted,” Jeff said, “You have to go.”
“No, I’m fine. I just… I don’t know. Got overwhelmed. Did I hit my head or anything?” I asked.
“No, Jon caught you—”
“I’m fine,” I said, taking another step back from the group, mostly trying to put distance between Jon and myself.
I looked over to see Julie’s face go pale. She started to come to life since her trust fall. Although she lived up to her Leo mentality and usually loved to be the center of attention, she couldn’t perform the same way when put on the spot. Especially in a situation that scared her.
“Can I just go from the first platform again?” Julie asked.
“Trust builds, Julie. We know you can fall from the first level, how about trying the second?”
Julie looked at the second level. The first one was a foot off the ground, the second was about two and a half, but it might as well have been ten for the way Julie looked at it.
“This doesn’t seem like an equal progression,” Julie voiced her thought.
“You just have to do it once,” Michelle encouraged, “it’s not scary after that.”
Julie didn’t respond, just walked closer to her doom, but I understood why she claimed that everyone told her that.
“I’m not gonna let you fall,” I said quietly to her as I offered her a hand up the platform. I tried to ignore my disappointment that she didn’t acknowledge my chivalrous action. I told myself she was just concentrating on getting up to the platform and didn’t hear me.
“Come on Jules, we don’t have all day—Anthony’s parents are arriving soon, we don’t want to be here still waiting on you when they get here,” Jeff teased.
Julie
I stood up on the platform and looked down at the ground, which currently seemed very far away. I glanced at Michelle, Anthony and Jason, who were getting into formation. I looked at Jon and found his eyes looking back at me. He realized he was caught and quickly looked away, over to Marie. I looked over at her too. She wasn’t paying attention to me or moving into formation to catch me. She was looking at her nails and rolling her eyes, probably jealous of the unwanted attention I was getting.
I looked back down at the ground. The idea of falling off of this platform made me lightheaded. My vision started to tunnel, blurring black around the edges.
“Ok Julie,” Jeff started, as everyone gathered around in formation to catch me, “turn around, cross your arms across your chest, and keep your body tight, legs together when you fall backwards.”
Before I turned my back, I glanced at the ground again, seeing my dark shadow this time, looming below. I slowly turned around, and stepped back so my heels were against the edge of the platform. I opened my mouth to start the command chain, but then I froze. I started to feel lightheaded. Then it went black.
* * *
I felt myself on the forest floor. I could hear the crunch of the leaves below me.
“Julie? I think she’s coming to,” I heard Jeff say. I opened my eyes slowly, and was surprised to see Jon’s face swimming directly above me. I blinked and realized my head was in his lap. I looked to the left and saw Jeff.
“I’m sorry Julie, I shouldn’t have pushed you,” Jeff said, “Michelle, can you help her over to Mrs. Sanders?”
“Sure,” Michelle said, as Jon lifted me up from the ground with him and placed me on my feet. My eyes widened at the ease in which he lifted me.
“I’ll take her,” Jon looked at Jeff.
“Yeah, maybe that’s a better idea,” Jeff started, noticing Jon’s arm around my waist, holding me up.
“No,” I said, backing up an inch. Jon dropped his hand from my waist, rubbing it through his buzzed hair instead. Everyone looked at me. It was the first word I had said, “I’m fine; I don’t need to go to the nurse.”
“Julie, you fainted,” Jeff said, “You have to go.”
“No, I’m fine. I just… I don’t know. Got overwhelmed. Did I hit my head or anything?” I asked.
“No, Jon caught you—”
“I’m fine,” I said, taking another step back from the group, mostly trying to put distance between Jon and myself.
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