Within A Year

Chapter 13

Beth thanked me politely and left early the very next morning. She did not make some heartfelt speech about me having saved her life but then again, I never expected her too. I never wanted her too. I did offer her some money before she left though, however she declined it. I had a feeling she was going to be okay. I imagined her having a family that she had merely had an argument with and her attempted suicide was just a spur of the moment thing. I could be wrong though, either way I had a positive attitude about the whole thing.  

It was then that my mobile began to ring and I fumbled around my desk to find it. It was Fletcher. For a short while, I seriously considered not answering it. After the peculiar moment we had had in the lake, I didn’t know what to think between us. I did answer it though.

‘Hi…’ I said nervously,

“Hey, how about we skip classes today and do something fun?” I was taken aback by his suggestion. Also I was extremely apprehensive about yet another one of Fletcher’s ideas. Why did we always have to do something crazy?

“What did you have in mind?” I queried, holding my breath as I listened to his answer. I prayed that it was something simple and relaxing, but knowing Fletcher it really wouldn’t be.

‘
Rock climbing…’

‘Rock climbing?! Are you joking?’ I cried down the phone. He wanted me to bunk my university classes so that I could clamber up a mouldy old rock. I didn’t like physical exercise at the best of times.

“Nah, you know you want to… you’ve loved all the things we’ve done in the past…” Fletcher replied cheekily. I could tell he was smirking and I smiled to myself. I was fed up of always denying him until he convinced me to do it. So I agreed pretty quickly, I don’t know whether it was saving Beth that had changed things, but I felt a lot happier. It was as though I had a better outlook on life and besides Fletcher had never been wrong before.

‘Where shall I meet you?’

‘You want to do it, really?’ He said in surprise, evidently he had thought I wouldn’t agree either.

‘Yes Fletch’ I giggled,

‘Meet me at the usual place then, see you in a bit’ He then hung up and I suddenly realised that my cheeks were aching from smiling so much. This wasn’t like me at all. I seriously didn’t what had come over me. I would have thought that seeing someone almost kill themselves would send me into a deeper depressive overload but in fact I felt much better.

*

“I can’t believe I’m doing this…” I admitted as Fletcher and I strolled towards the rock climbing centre,

“I can’t believe you’re doing it either” He chuckled, giving a strange glare. It seemed as though the awkwardness between us had faded away which I was glad of. I would just pretend that never happened. It was probably just me being paranoid anyway, it didn’t really mean anything.

Much like the paragliding we were forced into harnesses but this time they were attached to a high point of the rocks. The first thing I was concerned about was that they were actual rocks. I had expected a small climbing wall with easy plastic grips, but instead we were hiking up sharp, jagged rocks. I became a little uneasy however not enough for my mood to be diminished.

I was determined to genuinely enjoy this because unlike the other experiences, I was happy and not even pressured into doing it. I mentally thanked Beth because although I hardly knew her and would probably never see her again, she was the reason for my mood. Knowing she was still alive because of me was simply wonderful. Perhaps this is how Fletcher had felt when he had saved me.