Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 130275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Savannah pressed her head to the back of the seat, seeming content; then Dylan and Travis came and sat on the seats in front of us.
They leaned over the back of the chairs. “Hey, you two,” Dylan said, and I caught Savannah shaking her head in humor at the boy she seemed close to. “What’re you talking about?”
I wore no sign of a smirk now, and when I looked at Savannah, her smile had disappeared too. It didn’t take a genius to know we were both still raw and thrown from our talk yesterday, so I said, “How annoying you both are.” I surprised myself that I’d even cracked a joke. It felt strange coming from my lips.
Dylan’s mouth dropped open in mock offense. “Cael. You talk! And you have a sense of humor!” Travis laughed. I used to be humorous. Before. I supposed it was the first time on this trip that I’d ever really let anyone but Savannah see an echo of the real me. Savannah’s shoulders shook in quiet laughter, and when I briefly glanced at her, I saw the relief on her face. And maybe a hint of pride.
Our secret talk in the jetty was still safe. And it would only ever be ours.
“So, are we excited for Norway?” Travis asked. I shrugged. I wasn’t really excited for any of the countries on this trip. But I liked this place. I was kind of sad to be leaving it. There was just something about being out here in the Lakes, away from the rest of the world, that calmed me.
“I can’t wait,” Dylan said. “I just hope it’s not more hiking.” Travis nodded in agreement.
I didn’t think Savannah was going to speak, but she said, “I know people from Norway. I’m excited to see their homeland.” Dylan and Travis listened for more information. But Savannah stopped there, and I noticed a slight strain to her mouth. I wondered who she knew from there and who they were to her.
Savannah didn’t speak for the rest of the journey. Neither did I. But that was okay, as Dylan and Travis talked for us all. For once, their incessant chatter was kind of nice. When the bus stopped and we found ourselves at the bottom of Skiddaw, I looked up at the mountain and the ice that capped the high peaks.
One more climb.
I buckled my rucksack straps around my waist, when someone stood beside me. I looked down to see a pink beanie covering dark blond hair. Savannah peered up at me, and then she walked beside me. We climbed up hill after hill, scrambled up rocky paths, and Savannah never once left my side. When we reached the top, we stared down at the view—at the green and white quilt that the fields made, and the water that sparkled like it was made of pure glitter.
Being up this high made me feel so small. It made the world and beyond feel so infinite. So vast. It was as unsettling as it was comforting.
We climbed down and reached the bottom, breathless and tired. But we had done it. Dylan and Travis came to stand beside us, Jade and Lili flanking us too. And we all peered up at the peak we had just climbed and a surprise shot of emotion clawed up my throat. I coughed, trying to chase it away, but it only sank back down to my chest and into my stomach, pulling the muscles tight.
“You might be wondering why we brought you here, to the Lakes,” Leo said and cut through the silence. He came to stand before the six of us, Mia moving next to him. His face grew somber. “You’ve all been through so much. I know we’ve barely scratched the surface on that, but this five-country trip has been designed to help you cope with your grief.”
Mia stepped forward. “Resilience,” she said and let that word hang in the air around us. “To cope with grief, you need resilience.”
“We brought you here to get away from the hustle and bustle of life,” Leo said. “Where else more perfect than this little heaven on Earth.” He gestured to the Lake District around us. “What better place than a region brimming with peaks to climb, and breathtaking views to become lost in. But a place that would also push you to your very limits.”
“And you did it,” Mia said, pride lacing her voice. “Jet-lagged and cold and body worn, you did it. You took what felt like an impossible task and you faced it head-on. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time, you climbed these mountains, scrambling and breathless, exhausted and depleted. You did it. You made it to the other side. You. Did. It.”
“If we had told you when we first got here, my guess is that you would never have believed you could do this …” Leo trailed off, and shards of ice cut down my spine. Savannah edged closer to me, the side of her hand brushing against mine. I wondered if Mia’s and Leo’s words were hitting her with the same impact. “But you did.” Leo met each of our eyes. “Just like we will get you through your grief.”