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Date with the Living

John asked me to go on a big group date yesterday. We’re going rock climbing out at one of his friend’s farms. I said I’d go and I’m really excited even though I am terrified of heights.

Let’s see if this date is more successful than the last one.

Comments: 1

Don’t worry. The ledge isn’t that high. I’ve done it a million times. If the weather is good, we’re planning on going cliff jumping after, so don’t forget to bring something you can get wet in.

Peace,

Julie

On the day of their excursion, the weather wasn’t good. John told her that the idea was to get out to the farm and do their climbing before it started to rain. The cliff jumping thing was most likely a no-go, but the weather could improve.

Kerry was the only one riding in John’s truck that day. He came to pick her up and she deliberately brought him into the house to meet Aaron. She thought that John would just say ‘hi’ and then make them leave, but instead, he invited Aaron to go with them.

Aaron was a little stunned by John’s offer but said he couldn’t come. Their dad was coming over that day and Aaron didn’t want to miss him, so he said goodbye to them and went back to the couch.

Julie had been right. The rock face they were planning on climbing wasn’t too high at all. Not only that but there were so many jutting surfaces that it was easy to climb. They didn’t even need climbing gear.

When they were finished, they built a fire in their makeshift fire pit and roasted hotdogs and marshmallows.

Kerry looked out at the landscape. This area was a forty-five-minute drive from town and a five-minute drive from the farm they were visiting. She’d never been out here before, but the land—the beautiful land—looked just the same as where she had taken Tenant for their date.

She sat there and thought about Tenant. A few weeks ago she had honestly wanted to die by his side and now that had all been flipped over. It wasn’t that she had a crush on John exactly. She didn’t… and she did. It was more that she didn’t want to admit that she liked him. Doubtless, if she told him about her feelings, he would explain to her that that wasn’t why he was with her and she would be rejected. The feelings inside her were too fragile to be brought into the sun. She just enjoyed his friendship and hoped it would last into the school year.

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After lunch, one of the boys suggested that they play a game of capture the flag between the rocks. They played until it started to rain. It was a while before John and Kerry made it back to the truck – the only place that was dry. The other teenagers ran for their vehicles too and everyone started towards the farm. Their vehicles disappeared around the corner as John and Kerry wrapped up in blankets.

“Sorry, they smell a bit,” John apologized. “But as long as we’re dry.”

Kerry put her nose to the flannel and inhaled. “They smell fine to me.”

He looked doubtful.

“It’s totally all right. These are emergency blankets that have been in here for two hundred years, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So don’t worry about it. They’re fine. It’s nice to be dry.”

John smiled and put his key in the ignition. Something grinded in the innards of the car, but the car didn’t start. He tried again and again. It didn’t start.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“I have no idea,” he said, popping the hood and going out into the rain.

Kerry watched him nervously. Everyone else had already headed back, so there was no one nearby.

John looked for a while before he came back.

“Did you figure out what’s wrong?”

“No,” he said, brushing the water from his hair. “It could be anything. Let me try it again.”

No luck.

“Did you bring a cell phone? Can we call one of your friends?”

“No. I let Trista take my phone today.”

“What can we do?” Kerry asked.

“Wait for the rain to stop and try the engine again. It’s a long walk back to the farm, but we could do it.”

“Do you think your friends will come looking for us?”

He smiled. “It would sure be nice if they did.”

So they waited. The rain pattered on the windows and the wind blew. Kerry was quite comfortable wrapped up in the blanket even if she was a little wet. She took off her socks and shoes, which helped.

She liked sitting next to John. He didn’t talk much. Something was bothering him. It was obvious because she kept turning to her like he wanted to say something and then turning his head like he changed his mind. Kerry was fine to leave him like that. She was happy, even if they didn’t talk.

Towards the end of the afternoon, she was starting to get a little drowsy and the rain still beat evenly on the truck.

Resting her head on the window, she let herself relax. Just like that other time, one moment she was awake, and the next, she was asleep.

When she woke up, she was resting her head on John’s shoulder. His arm was around her waist and she was warm. It was muggy in the cab and the windows were fogged. She was about to push the blanket off her when she realized that it was over both of them.

“I like you,” John whispered.

Kerry hadn’t moved since she woke up. Maybe he thought she was still asleep. She closed her eyes and waited to see if he would say anything more.

“Before this summer, I thought you were different. I thought you were proud and strong and totally untouchable. You walked like you didn’t need anybody. You hurried like you had somewhere to go. I couldn’t believe it when I found you in the graveyard and you said you were lonely. How could you have spent your hours that way? I thought you had a boyfriend from a different town or something and how was I supposed to find out about you? No one knew anything.” He paused. “I don’t know if my feelings are strong enough to last forever, but up to this moment, I have never liked a girl as much as I like you.”

Kerry’s eyes opened and she turned to look at him.

He regarded her seriously, without flinching or looking away.

“I like you, too. How did you know I was awake?”

He kissed her cheek and said, “The rain has stopped.”

When they got out of the truck, there were two cars sitting outside.

“Are you two done making out now?” Ryan shouted at them.

John scratched his neck and shook his head. “How long have you guys been here?”

“Long enough. So, are you a couple now?”

John looked at Kerry and she nodded.

“Yes, we are,” he said.