Butterswap

4

"Skydiving? Out of everything you could have chosen, you chose skydiving? That's a really interesting choice."

"You gotta honor your side of the deal." I winked as I stopped in front of the aircraft. The taller skydiving instructor chuckled at Keenan.

"I'm not chickening out, don't worry."

Twenty minutes later, after Keenan and I got suited up and safety precautions were explained, we finally got on the aircraft. The aircraft was completely different from my father's private plane. The seats on the inside were made completely of steel and instead of a metal door, there was only a thick plastic sheet rolled from the top of the aircraft, which meant that I could see the buildings and skyscrapers decrease to the size of small lego blocks.

"Alrighty! We're at the right drop height. Whenever you're ready guys!" The pilot announced through the speakers from the cockpit.

I'd been strapped together with the skydiving instructor of a smaller built as compared to the one Keenan had strapped to him.

"Ladies first?" Keenan offered. He looked fearless as he stared me down.

"Nah, come on big boy, you go." I snorted.

He shrugged.

"Bravery in the face of fear-AHHH!" Before he could even finish his monologue, his footing slipped and he plummeted down 4000 feet. I guffawed, holding my stomach. With tears pooling at my eyes, all my tension dissipated.

I took a deep breath, remembered why I was doing this in the first place, nodded to the dude strapped to me and jumped.

"Open!" He shoulder bumped mine and I spread my arms. I'd never felt as brave as I had then. Adrenaline pumped through my veins and my heart beat like crazy. Jumping out of a plane was nothing I'd imagined. Instead of free falling and tumbling uncontrollably down to ground, it felt as though the air was holding us up, carrying all our weight. A gazillion thought flitted through my brain.

"Whoo!" I screamed, letting everything go at once. It was the most refreshing thing I'd ever experienced. Why had I waited this long to feel alive?

"Alright, I'll be opening the parachute now, yeah!" The instructor shouted above the winds. I could barely hear him. I nodded and with a sudden jerk, we slowed down our descent.

If I thought free falling was the most beautiful part of the whole experience, I was gravely wrong. Our slow descent was the best part. The wind was now a soft blow and my hair fluttered in the wind. The goggles kept the hair from my eyes and I was just truly wowed by the sight before me. The city from such a height looked amazing. The sunlight reflected from the glass windows of the skyscrapers glinted brightly and the world just seemed to move in slow motion. Everything was still and quiet, allowing for some peace.

"Wow," I muttered, taking in the breathtaking view I had before me. It was just so gorgeous.

However, too soon, I was made to prepare to land. Using my core muscles, I brought my feet up to make a horizontal V shape.

We landed with a soft thud, parachute falling slowly behind us. The exhilaration hadn't left my body yet. Within seconds, I unstrapped myself from the instructor (it was very difficult, trust me), and ran towards Keenan who was still conversing with his instructor.

"-been at this for a whole 25 years. It's really one of the best decisions-"

"Keenan!" I shouted as I jumped atop him. He lost his balance before quickly regaining it back, stabling us both. His eyes were wide in surprise before he laughed again.

"Wait, I'm sorry." I quickly clambered off him. He let go like I'd burnt him.

"It's alright."

"I'm usually not like that. I don't just climb on people like that but uh." I rubbed my eyebrow in embarrassment.

"Must be all the adrenaline." He smiled kindly. Today I see a new side of Keenan, a less guarded one. Today I see not a thief but just a boy.

"That was amazing, Holland! Did you see me?"

"Of course I did, I especially loved the part where you just casually slipped off the platform." I snorted.

"You didn't see that." He waved his hand about.

"Bravery in the face of fear-ahhhh!" I mimicked.

"Anyway, I enjoyed part one of our adventure. I'm actually excited to see what's next." He bounced excitedly on his toes.

"See? I told you it would be fun!"

I knew exactly the thing I wanted to do next.