Climb | ✔

Chapter 20 | Kiss on the Culvert

Winter was more focused on school now than she ever had been the year prior. With opening night for Cinderella premiering next Friday and final projects cropping up early May, time was thinning. Not to mention the May 1st deadline of the Minnesota Youth Art Competition fast approaching.

Winter wasn't the only one scrambling to keep up with end-of-term duties. Her friends too were feeling the weight of the oncoming AP exams, projects, and extracurriculars. Louis was just bouncing off his high from his basketball tournament, Luke and Joe from their circuitry competition. Gina was recently made a substitute for the region's model UN--proudly representing Chile, no less--and Daisy had her fill with Winter making last-minute adjustments to their set plans for the play.

Despite mounting pressures, Winter was decidedly calm. She let nothing phase her over the past few weeks, from her father's indifference during their conversations to her mother's flaking on dinner plans the other week. There simply wasn't any time to consider her disappointments a second time.

"Here's the place," Luke said suddenly, pointing through a small dirt path in the trees. They broke off the main road and wandered into the thicket of trees. It was after school on a Thursday, and Luke had asked Winter to join him for a little walk.

They walked until they could put a visual to the sounds of a tinkling stream, the murk flowing by below them in bunches of algae and soggy buds. Luke led Winter onto a large concrete culvert and she sat so her feet dangled over the restless waters.

"I'll be back. Just gonna run to the corner and get us something to drink," he said.

"Okay," replied Winter, looking up over her shoulder at him as he walked back out to the main road.

Winter sighed heavily, gaze rising steadily over yellow-green grass along the streambed. Her eyes wandered up the greyish bark of the standing poplars, whose branches were still barren from the winter chill. Some buds from the top of the trees broke off prematurely, flitting around in the streams of sunlight that poured in through the canopy. It was oddly picturesque--a welcomed break from the hectic lifestyle she'd been leading the past while.

Luke returned with a bag of clinking glasses, which clunk loudly as he set it down and sat beside Winter. He pulled out two bottles of beer and smiled mischievously at Winter's cunning look.

"Look at you, Luke. Your rebellious streak starting?"

He laughed windily. "We'll see."

Winter held her hand out in waiting, but denied the bottle Luke tried to hand her. She shook her head and gave him a knowing side-eyed look. The playful glint of her gray eyes made Luke giddy, a blush rising to his cheeks as he reluctantly handed her his fake ID.

Winter held it up and appraised it. "Sayed Ali," she repeated from the driver's license. She pinched her lips and hummed, her gaze scanning over the picture and then turning to Luke for comparison. "I see a little resemblance," she said, looking from the dark, thick brows shared between Luke and his supposed doppelganger. Their brown skin pulled sweetly over their cheekbones in the same place, and they even shared Luke's striking moss-green eyes.

"He's my cousin," he said matter-of-factly, swiping the card from her and returning it to the safety of his wallet. "He's got more of the Egyptian side in him than me, though."

Winter hummed her interest.

After a quiet moment passed for Luke to collect himself, he asked, "You good?"

"Hm?" said Winter.

Luke shrugged to play off the seriousness of his inquiry as he plucked one of the glass bottles from the bag. "With school and such. Just wanted to check in."