Finding Everest

In the forest

       Senior year is crazy for every single student. Now add the stress of a global pandemic and the disappearance of a local girl to the list and you get my class. Class of 2021. That made us sound like adults. Nothing like being considered an adult but being forced to stay inside a house your parents own.
      The virus became a big deal my junior year just at the beginning of spring break and now the first day of senior year masks are required and grief counselors are available.
       "Honey are you sure you're going to be ok?" My mom held my book bag hostage while she waited for an answer.
       "Yes mom! I'll be ok"
" Milo, baby, you're the strongest daughter I could ever ask for" my step dad scoffed at this, giving him a look to shut up she continued " but it's ok to not be strong right now. Eve was-"
"Everest mom" I grabbed my bag from her and dodged past to get to the door. "She goes by Everest now and I'm fine. It was a long time ago we barely even talk now"
" baby it's ok to work through your emotions" mom repeats her go-to therapist line. "No one can-"
"-Judge how you feel but your self. Yes I know mom. It's the first day of school I really don't want to think about my dead ex-best friend"
"I never said she was dead! Stop thinking so morbidly" she shook her head in disbelief.
"It's implied" I pulled my mask up and left my mom standing there as white as a ghost
***
Since I left my house early I got a good parking spot. I looked Around at the trees surrounding my school and couldn't help my self from think back to freshman year, the year Everest really started to change.
The boy Everest liked in the seventh grade turned out to like her back and they've been dating ever since. Even though she spent every moment with him she still chose to eat lunch with me at the edge of the woods we'd talk about school and what color shoes she should buy next or the small pranks we'd pull on my brother. We'd talk about my brother a lot in fact. I think Everest had a crush on him.
      One day Everest, she went by eve at the time, pulled me a little further into the woods than usual. We usually sat just outside the tree line facing the school and the field between the trees and the building. But this day she wanted to go deeper into the woods.
"What are you doing?" I looked back and my lunch tray
" I want to try something" excitement lit up her face as she pushed me up against a tree so that my back to the school and she faced it. I remember squirming because her face was so close to mine. With twinkling eyes she started to lean closer and I felt my heart race but as she leaned closer she missed my face. I could feel her breath on my ear and her red hair hung in my face.
"Stay still" she whispered. She pulled away just slightly and in an instant her lips were on mine. It wasn't a long kiss but it was long enough for me to taste the Juicy Fruit gum she was chewing. I had never kissed anyone before let alone another girl, let alone my best friend. She pulled away and smiled up at me. I breathlessly pulled her back in.
Every day for a month we hid in the same spot in the trees and she'd "practice her kissing" sometimes up against a tree or on the ground. A couple of times it was more than kissing, never as far as sex but close.
      Sometimes she's let me lean across her in the leaves. She'd pull her shirt off and pull down my pants and let her fingers wonder. It was amazing. Greater than anything I could ever ask for. I'd kiss the delicate skin on her neck and collar bone and cherish the way her small body quivered under my touch, begging me for more. I remember drowning in her smell and the words she breathlessly whisper in my ear.
After we would finish we would look in each others eyes and think about just seconds before. I remember feeling so special being wrapped up in her arms, being wrapped up in her smell. Vanilla with a hint of strawberry. Then eve would smile and my heart would swell. She'd start laughing which made me laugh and that made her laugh harder. One day I remember she didn't show up for lunch in fact she avoided me the whole day until after school Conan, her boyfriend, had pushed me face first into the brick wall.
"You fucking dike! Leave her alone you hear me!? Find your own girlfriend." That's all I heard from him, I couldn't see him because my face was shoved up against a wall but I could recognize eve crying. I could hear her tell him to beat my ass for being a creepy lesbian who won't leave her alone. I still have no idea what she told him but I know he wasn't above hitting a girl because he did indeed beat my ass that day. Everest never ate lunch with me again and she never said another word to me at school