Marc:
I don't know exactly what happened just there but I get a weird feeling in my stomach, one that I haven't had in a long time. Since middle school.
I pull out my phone to see if I get any reception. I try and send a text to the only person who could possibly help me in this situation, although he might not want to.
Marc: Hey Jay
Jay: Hey Marc
Marc: so u know how I told u I was going on that hike with Garrett and his friends
Jay: Yea, what about it
Marc: I sprained my ankle on the way up so they carried me to the hut and u would never guess who works there.
Jay: no
Marc: yes
Jay: u promised u would never talk about her in front of me
Marc: Jay, it happened 4 years ago, let it go
Jay: I can't she's a lying bitch
Marc: she has this boyfriend
Marc: do u remember when she dated Jake and I got all protective
Jay: yea
Marc: I have that same feeling again
Jay: it's called jealousy, I've felt it every day since the day I first met her until the day she dropped me
Marc: I can't be jealous, I have Abby
Jay: whatever
I put my phone away and stare at the ceiling. Abby is my girlfriend, we have been dating scene my freshman year, she's one year younger then me. I remember when we started dating Kat was jealous.
I check my phone for the time, 6:30, I still have a half hour before dinner. Kat has left by this point so I decided to ignore Her and get up and check this place out. I find a large oak table at the corner of the hut and I sit down.
There is a stack of books labeled by year I open on a near by shelf one from 1987 and check it out. People's names line every page of the book, along with the date and some message. Some of Them normal, some make no sense to me.
I try and remember when Kat first hiked up here, it was for her 14th birthday, I do some quick math in my head and open the 2011 book. I flip through until it gets to the beginning of April and I start from there.
I flip over until I finally find it. June 5th Happy 14th Birthday my Katie bug! Dad no, Best girl ever! Dad seriously stop. Was scribbled down in blue ink. I can't help but laugh a little.
I flip through more books until all the hut workers line up and all in unison yell "Dinner time!"
I hobble over to one of the dinner tables. Garrett, Jeff, and Todd all sit next to me. Giant bowls of what appears to me chop Suey start to get passed down the tables followed by a try of some sort of bread. Everyone grabs their share and stuffs their faces.
"Hey guys remember last time we were up here and it rained so bad." Garrett laughs. The other guys laugh along and recall the trip. By the time they are done laughing all the food is gone and the workers are all standing in a line at the front of the hut.
"Alright guys, well just do a quick introduction of all of our names, a little about ourselves and we'll also share a story of the first time we saw a moose." Yells a guy hut worker.
"I'll start. My name is Jackson, I'm a junior at University of New Hampshire but I'm originally from Montana. I grew up hiking in the Rockies.The first time I saw a moose was when I was on a hike with Kat one morning and we were crossing over a stream and a moose was just standing downstream a bit." He laughs at the memory, so does Kat. He gives her a glance, but in that glance I can sense it. And it all comes together. The Rockies hoodie, Colorado Rockies, Montana is north of Colorado. He hiked with Kat. That's Kat's boyfriend.
"Okay I guess I'm next. I'm Kat, I'm a Freshman at the University of New Hampshire, I grew up in Massachusetts but I came here every summer and hiked. the past two years I did a hut manager camp and that's just when they have high school kids come up here and help out. And actually Jackson was my mentor both times. The first time I saw a moose was when I was with my little brother and we were camping and we were just riding our bikes around the campground and we were passing by a lake and a moose was just standing there eating." Kat laughs and I look over at Jackson who is staring at her like she is the greatest thing he's ever seen.
I zone out when the other two workers drone on about there lives. When I snap back to reality plates of brownies were being passed down the table.
"By the way folks!" Jackson yells "Kat and I will be doing white mountain trivia after dinner." I roll my eyes, but I decided to give it a try since I had nothing better to do.
YOU ARE READING
Five thousand feet over you
Teen FictionMarc and Kat were best friends in middle school, they even dated, twice. But then high school hit and they drifted apart. But now at 5,000 feet above sea level, Marc sprained his ankle. When he arrives at the hut to receive treatment he finds that K...
