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“It’s not really like hiking hiking, you know? It’s more like a nature walk.” Amelia radiated positivity brighter than the rising sun. She’d come up with the idea of taking me out for a hike before classes to cheer me up since I was so upset about Jinxx’s upcoming tour.

Of course she had hiking boots, a baseball cap and one of those water bottle backpacks with the spout that extends to your mouth like some kind of messed up reverse catheter. Apparently she and Chris went hiking a lot and that was going to make pushing her off of a high enough crag look suspicious.

“Do you have any decent music on your phone? I can’t even find mine.” Amelia paused and looked back at me.

I wanted to say no, I forgot to download the latest whatever it is you’re into now as I was deciding the best way to explain your untimely fall to the paramedics. I noticed a wrinkle near my eye in the mirror when I was practicing my –It All Happened So Fast- face, got depressed and ate three spoonfuls of mint chip ice cream. Regardless of what happened to Amelia today, I’d forever refer to this as The Wrinkle Hike. “Noooo, it must’ve slipped my mind.” I said hesitantly.

“Aw.” Amelia clicked her tongue. “You’re reallllly upset over Jinxx leaving, aren’t you?” She said, emphasizing the word ‘really’ to infer that I didn’t care after all.

Which was true but she didn’t get belittle me. “I just.” I raised my hands toward my chest and inhaled deeply as though a crying attack were about to happen and I was trying to deep breathe my way out of it. “I’m actually in love with him.” The tears fell from nowhere. For a moment I believed my own bullshit, but I quickly realized I was crying because of Andy.

“Oh.” She said with shock, pulling me into an awkward embrace. “I had no idea.” She was silent for a moment as I let the tears fall. There was a familiar level of friendship in her embrace, for a moment I let it in. “I really thought you were using him to hurt Andy.”

I realized Andy used to hug me the same way and I pulled away from her, wiping my eyes. “I was at first.” Somehow, I began laughing. “But then I couldn’t stop thinking about him.”

She smiled warmly.

“When he plays guitar.” I paused and bit my lip, looking to the side for effect. “He gets this energy around him like he’s entering another world.” I smiled to the sky.

“Ah.” Amelia began reminiscing. “I know what you mean, Ceese gets the same way when he’s drumming. I love watching him, he goes from thinking really hard and watching his hands to like,” She paused and giggled. “This moment where he sort of moves in rhythm with something I can’t seem to connect to. It’s like it’s there and he feels it but I don’t understand.”

“The universe.” I interrupted. She looked at me suddenly as though I’d stolen a thought from her mind. “I think when musicians play long enough they reach another level of flow and connect to the universe.” I shrugged and kept walking.

She made a weird ‘huh’ sound from behind me.

I glanced at my phone and noticed Chris calling me. I sent it to voicemail. Twice.

After the third rejected call a text preview popped up on my screen. ‘Olivia, answer the phone.’ It was from Andy.

After the reading the next text I stopped walking and felt like a deer in headlights. ‘I called the Hospital.’

“You all right?” Amelia asked. “Hey, why don’t you put your phone away Ollie, you need to get used to not being able to talk to Jinxx all the time.” She smiled warmly. I took her advice until we reached a summit with a decent view of the valley.

As Amelia surveyed the scenery I checked my phone. ‘Chris called Amelia’s parents.’ Andy texted, and there was one missed call after. I swallowed a lump in my throat as I stood behind Amelia.

I looped my hand through the handle at the top of her water backpack, recalling the moment I looked in my mirror at myself shouting the words, ‘IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST!’ as I punched my arm forward, launching her momentarily ahead. She stumbled toward the edge of the crag, the outside edge of her boot skidding along the rock as her ankle clumsily gave way.

“Olivia!” She called out, her wide terrified eyes searching for mine. She threw her arms out toward me as she fell toward the edge, catching my leg and pulling me forward with her.

Notes