‘The opposite of bravery is not cowardice but conformity’ –Robert Anthony
I woke up with a feeling of security and warmth that I had not felt in a long time. I lay there for a few moments, savouring the feeling, before rolling over and coming face to face with a brick wall. I tilted my head up and saw Adrian’s sleeping face. All of the events of the previous night suddenly caught up with me and I cringed, I had not had a nightmare that bad for a while. It shouldn't have surprised me, recently my nights had been mostly nightmare free so it was the worlds way of saying that it hates me because it just had to be the night that I was sharing a tent with Adrian. I startled myself when I realised that the position I was in did not make me want to run and hide, I actually felt the need to stay here for as long as possible. But I couldn't. When Adrian realised that I was here he would push me away, push me away like pretty much everyone else because I was broken. He was so close to figuring what happened to me and the possibility that he would reject me broke my heart and whatever was left of my spirit. Unwillingly I retracted myself from Adrian’s death grip and he made a sound of complaint but I made myself ignore it because I was scared of what I might do if I didn't.
A couple of hours later we were all staring at the ropes above us, concerned for our wellbeing, and the teachers had abandoned us claiming that we were ‘responsible adults who could look after ourselves’.
“Are you sure this is safe?” Mason asked worriedly.
“Perfectly,” I replied, “Have none of you ever done high ropes before?”
Yeah, I thought you were supposed to be big, tough bad boys not Koala dung!” Penny taunted.
“We are!” Caine growled back but his uneasy expression betrayed his fears.
“Well since the teachers told us all what to do I guess I should go first,” I sighed, hooking my harness to the rope and started climbing the tree to the start of the ropes course. I heard the confused whispers of my classmates on the ground probably wanting to know why the quiet, nerdy girl was risking her life to go first. Little did they know that this particular girl was not who they assumed her to be. Not once did I falter or fall, I pretty much ran the entire course and came back down to solid ground without so much as being out of breath. I smirked at my friends.
“Who’s next?” Penny laughed.
The next activity that the teachers prepared for us for was the rock climbing. Up an actual cliff. Never once in my life had I ever gone rock climbing but I was willing to have a go. When Adrian brushed his hand against mine when he handed me yet another harness I stiffened. His gaze questioned me but I ignored it and continued a conversation with Penny and her tent mate Emily. The climbing itself wasn't hard and the view from the top of the cliff was exquisite.
“Hey! Ashley!” a guy called out.
“What do you want?” I said, resigned.
“Can you come with me for a minute?”
“Why?” I demanded.
“Me and my friends just wanted to show you something,” he replied. I didn't know the guy or his friends so walking off into some trees out of sight without being chaperoned was potentially dangerous but I couldn't help the temptation that came with finding something like the incredible view I was now looking at.
“You aren't taking her anywhere,” Adrian said calmly beside me.
“I don't believe it is up to you,” the unknown guy said.
YOU ARE READING
Unchain Me
Teen Fiction'I had guilt that ate me out from the inside and made me want to throw up. Guilt that started as a young child and continued to fester until I was doomed to break. I knew that one day I would shatter like glass. I just wasn't sure if anyone would be...
