Saving Everest

by Sky Chase

  I didn’t know what game they were playing, but it wasn’t fun.

  “Hey, Tim? What’s that saying about customers?” Nash asked one of the guys from the table.

  The one with blue eyes and blond hair answered, “The customer is always right.”

  My ears were heating up, and I could feel myself getting flustered. “If you would just take a look at the receipt, you’ll see the order.”

  I silently praised myself for not letting my voice waver.

  “This receipt means nothing,” he said before ripping the receipt to pieces and tossing them on the floor.

  I wanted to take the burger and smash it on top of his head. I wanted to take the tomatoes and push them down his throat—that was what my mother would have done. But I wasn’t like that, and even thinking that way made me feel bad, so instead I smiled politely. “I’m sorry, would you like me to get you a new one?”

  The boys, one by one, took turns being confused. I guessed that wasn’t the reaction they were expecting. They never spoke to me at school or messed with me in any kind of way, so why now? Nash looked angry, and it didn’t surprise me when he pushed the plate off of the table. It broke and the contents of the burger went in every direction.

  “Of course, I want a new one. I can’t eat one that you knocked on the floor, now can I?”

  I did not knock his plate down, nor did I do anything wrong. He knew it and I knew it. I felt bad for him, having a soul so dark that he had to bring everyone down with him. I hope it got better, because he couldn’t possibly be happy acting like this.

  I forced myself to chuckle. “I guess not. A pickle-less, tomato-

  less burger, right, coming up.”

  I turned on my heel and quickly placed his order before returning to clean up the mess. As soon as I thought I was done, the boys would throw food under the table so I had more to clean. I felt stuck but willed myself to stay strong—these were guys with money and power, tons of it. If I did anything wrong, they could ruin my life. They’d chew me up and spit me out, and there would be nothing that anyone could do. After a while, it was just food falling from Nash’s end. I looked around for help from my co-workers, but they were all scrambling from the surplus of musicians and customers. The boys taunted me every step of the way, saying abominable things about how much I must like being on all fours, and I was disgusted.

  I was just about to place a piece of wilted lettuce on Nash’s head when I heard the faintest bell ring above the door. My eyes met Everest’s. He looked confused, then angry. None of the football guys noticed he was here, thankfully. He pushed through the minicrowd, and the chanting came to a quick stop.

  Nash was still teasing me, completely oblivious to Everest coming up behind him. I felt frozen, and it wasn’t until Everest’s fingers snatched the plastic crown from Nash’s head that I finally found my voice. The café was dead silent.

  “Everest,” I said softly. I had no clue what was going to happen next.

  He grabbed me and gently pushed me behind him.

  Nash’s face was unreadable, as if this wasn’t a part of his plan. He wasn’t smug or arrogant, just unreadable. His teammates looked unsure as well. Everyone was at a standstill, waiting for Everest to make a move.

  He twirled the crown in his fingers, in a way showing how the crown had no power. “Nice seeing you all here. It’s been more than a while.”

  No one said anything.

  “I’m actually glad you’re here, I was just about to sing. I hope you don’t mind if I borrow this.” He placed the crown on his head and grinned. His voice was polite, but I knew he was fuming. I was just glad he hadn’t resorted to fighting.

  He climbed on the stage and stood behind the mic, tuning the guitar. I was just as curious as everyone else; we watched his every move. “Check, check, this thing on?”

  How did he suck in everyone’s attention? I guessed we would never know.

  “I’m thinking of going freestyle tonight; you guys just gave me inspiration.” He grabbed the stool. He winked at Nash and tilted the crown in his direction, as if he was tipping a greeting.

  I’m getting tired of your disrespect.

  Everest began, and it was so menacing that even I felt scrutinized. His face was centered straight on Nash’s, and every lyric was out for Nash. Everest was angry and everyone knew it, and although it was a dangerous song, it was still raw and insanely good. We were all engrossed in his madness, captivated by the realness. This wasn’t a teeny-bopper pop song, this was live, and it was something that I never would have imagined would sound good.

  Aren’t you getting tired?

  just put it to rest.

  Everest stood up from the stool and walked closer to edge of the stage, near where Nash and the others sat. This was all so intense, and I’d never heard Everest sing this way—rugged, exploding with feeling. The guitar was sweet and his voice was sweeter, but the words. Those words had enough fire to kill a dragon.

  Don’t forget I made you who you are

  I’m the sole reason you made it this far

  I was lost in the music, it all just poured out. Whenever Everest performed, he never left his emotions off the stage, and this time was no different. Who knew the last time Everest had talked to his ex–best friend? He was getting all of his feelings out—all of the hurt, all of the tears and sadness that he had to go through all alone. And even though he was mad, I could feel his pain. He was using anger to make it all better. The lights hit the crown on his head and his stone-cold face, and it was clearer than ever that he was one of the strongest people I’d ever known. He was a king in his own right. The outro was the most intense part of the song. Everest was standing, lungs taking all of the air in the room, to sing everything out. I could barely breathe, and everyone was drop-a-pin silent. He hit all kind of runs and high notes before quitting strumming the guitar.

  Nash quickly stood up, telling the guys to leave. “He isn’t worth it, he isn’t worth anything.”

  The guys left the table, some staring at Everest hesitantly before walking out of the door.

  “Wait, Nash—here’s your crown.” Everest smirked, jumped from the stage, and then placed it on Nash’s head. Nash’s jaw ticked. I feared he was going to swing and hit Everest but instead he pushed Everest back roughly and stormed out of the café.

  The café was quiet for a split second before it broke out in applause. Poppy ran up to Everest and threw her arms around him. “Wow, you are so kick ass.”

  Other musicians shook hands with him and complimented him. I watched from afar and cleared off Nash’s table. Lily came over to help me and saw the large mess.

  She searched my eyes. “Hey? You okay? Did those guys give you any trouble tonight?”

  I shook my head no, feeling completely drained. I could tell Lily wanted to say more, but she thought better of it, and silently helped me clean everything up. Glancing at the clock, I noticed my shift was over, and once I finished, I grabbed my jacket. Going home and reading a good book with a mug of tea sounded good right now. I opened the door and welcomed the cool night air. Then I felt a tug on the back of my jacket.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” I knew who the voice belonged to before I even turned around.

  “Home,” I said.

  Everest turned me around to face him. “Without saying good-bye? That’s not like you.”

  “I’m sorry, Ev, I’m just tired.” I scratched the back of my head, flustered.

  He looked at me with unreadable eyes, and gathered me into a hug. “Don’t apologize. It’s my fault that they were even here tonight. I should have been here earlier, but I was so nervous, I sat in my car forever. I know I have a habit of letting people down, but I don’t mean to. You’re the last person I want to let down.” He kissed my forehead. “How long were they there for?”

  If I told him the full story, the
n I knew that he’d do something dangerous, something to set him back after he’d been doing so well. “About ten minutes before you came,” I fibbed. “They weren’t there that long.”

  He looked at me with one eyebrow raised, then his face remained soft. “Okay, good, good. Look, since I messed up today, I’ll make it up to you.”

  “How?” The smile came before I could stop it.

  “Patience, young grasshopper. Now come on, let’s get you home.”

  22

  Everest

  I didn’t exactly forget that homecoming was today, but I did lose track of time. I pulled out my black tux from deep in my closet last night. I hadn’t touched that thing for so long that the shoulders were covered in a layer of dust. It was crazy how routine life could get. The world spun and didn’t stop for anyone. When I put the tux on, I couldn’t help but think it would have been the suit they’d have put me in if I had died. But as I looked in the mirror, turning this way and that, feeling the cut of the suit on my skin, I pushed that thought right out of my mind. Instead, I remembered the last time I had the suit on.

  “Nash, I love you, man.” I was sloppy even before he passed me the bottle of whiskey we’d stolen from his dad’s liquor cabinet.

  “You’re my best fucking friend,” he grumbled after I took another swig. We’d been drinking the whole night. His dad was so embarrassed that Nash was making an ass out of himself at his wedding that he’d locked the both of us in his study, regrettably forgetting that his liquor stash was located in the second drawer on the left of his desk.

  “Yeah, and you’re mine.” Heat surrounded me and the room spun like the planets. I was no longer on Earth. Nash was just as messed up as I was. The whole day I didn’t know how I could console him. I’d be pissed, too, if I had a stepmom who was four years older than me.

  “You’re the only family I ever need, man.” He laid his head back against the bookshelf behind us. I could still remember how he abruptly started crying, and how those tears seeped into the shoulder of my suit, and I just sat there with my arm around him. “It hasn’t even been six months.”

  That was the last time I’d had this suit on—that day when we were in his dad’s study, sharing that bottle of whiskey. Nash had been so upset that day, and we never talked about the real reason behind it, but it was written all over his face. His dad was marry-

  ing again, and I guessed he wasn’t in the mood for the party, especially since his mother had died not even a year ago.

  A knock on my door brought me out of my thoughts. “Everest?”

  I opened the door and revealed my little sister. “Yeah?”

  “Beverly’s here.” Hadley came in and sat on my bed, watching me. She spoke to me as if we talked all the time, like she didn’t usually avoid me at all costs. “How are you going to do your hair?”

  I stared at her strangely before looking in the mirror. “What’s wrong with my hair?”

  “Nothing—it’s just . . . don’t you want this night to be amazing for Beverly?”

  Of course I did. I nodded slowly.

  “Then I think you should put more effort into your hair tonight,” she replied before standing up and leaving.

  I didn’t know what that interaction was, but I was glad it happened. I went back to my mirror and stared at my hair. The black was growing out, but it was still such a dark look on me. It was as if I were a different person, and perhaps I was. It took a long moment of convincing myself before I grabbed a jar of gel and started laying down my messy locks.

  As soon I stepped downstairs, I saw my mother, sister, and Beverly seated on the couch, engaged in conversation. Hadley was the first to see me, and the apples of her cheeks hit just beneath her eyes because she smiled so bright. She quickly tapped Beverly’s shoulder, and she then turned to look at me.

  But that wasn’t the weirdest bit—my mom had a smile on her face. She was staring directly at Beverly, and it wasn’t like an evil grin either—it was a genuinely happy smile. My mother actually looked human.

  “Oh,” my mother exclaimed.

  Do you know how in every cheesy romance when the guy looked at the girl all done up, and his heart sped up and time slowed down, and he looked close to a panic attack? Well, for me it was the exact opposite. I felt calm. My mind was usually in jumbles, and I thought too much. But in this moment everything was clear, and all I could think about was how much like a goddess Beverly looked. Time didn’t slow down; it sped up. Life didn’t wait for me to come to grips on how pretty she looked.

  Before I knew it, she was already in the passenger seat of my car, grumbling about how hungry she was.

  “Ev?” she asked.

  “Yes?” My throat suddenly felt dry.

  “Your hair looks nice.” She smiled through the side of my skull.

  I really hoped the gel held up.

  “Thanks, Bev,” I said. I glanced quickly at the gold-leaf crown on her head. “What are you even supposed to be?”

  I hadn’t put much thought into my outfit for this themed superhero dance. I actually hadn’t put any thought into it.

  She quickly sat up and looked at me, but I focused my attention on the road. “You didn’t get it yet?”

  “Are you supposed to be a goddess?” I asked her, wondering why my chest heated up when I said that.

  She laughed. “Close. I’m Mother Nature.”

  “That’s not a superhero,” I observed.

  “Mother Nature is a bit of both—she’s a villain and a hero. She brings life but she also destroys it. Tornados, floods, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and just about any natural disaster. She gives light and darkness; thus my dress.”

  The gold and black dress fit that description perfectly. A mumbled “Oh” was all I could say.

  I pulled into the school, which had decorations scattered all over the front of it. It took a while to find a parking space due to the high number of cars already in the lot, but eventually I found a space to park in.

  “You ready?” I asked Beverly as we approached the school.

  “I’m as ready as I could ever be.” She smiled brightly, and all I could think about was how pretty a picture that would be.

  “Almost forgot.” I ran back to the car and grabbed the corsage of black flowers I had in my glove box. “Here you go, Mother Nature.”

  She laughed again. “It’s perfect.”

  And with that, I grabbed her hand and led us into the school.

  23

  Beverly

  Overwhelming was the only word running through my mind right now.

  I, Beverly Davis, was attending homecoming with the most talked-about person in town. His calloused hand was linked in mine, pulling me through the clumps of people. I found it funny how it wasn’t that long ago that I watched Everest from afar. He whisked me into a spotlight that I didn’t quite understand. People at school now knew my name, and honestly, that scared me.

  I was a nobody, and now I felt like I was starting to be somebody. I knew that didn’t make much sense, but the shadows were my home, and Everest was like the sun, exposing me. That was weird, that I just compared him to the sun, because it could be so cold—those days in the winter when it was sunny but not warm? Maybe his parents jinxed him when they gave him the name Everest, like he was almost destined to be cold and unreachable—the tallest mountain in the world.

  I looked up at him and something told me otherwise about his fate. He had a good heart and a killer smile, but he locked it up. He only showed you what he wanted you to see. He had his moments, but no matter how much I tried to lie to myself, he still hadn’t fully opened up to me. I was patient though.

  “The decorations are pretty shit,” he mumbled, the sound somehow making its way to my ears through the blasting pop music.

  His words took me away from my thoughts, and I actually took in the dance: bright popping
colors, capes, masks, and lightning bolts filled the area. The decorations weren’t that bad—but it was pretty obvious that the school hadn’t put out a bunch of money for them.

  Everest pushed through some of the people, trying to find us a table, but our classmates stopped him every few minutes.

  Once Everest somehow found us a lone table, we both took a seat. He pulled out a chair for me and then sat across the table. We stared at each other through the glowing green crystal used as a light on every single table. “Sorry about that,” he finally spoke.

  “About what?” I asked him, confused.

  He pulled on his necktie. “You know, the constant stopping. It’s like everyone just remembered that I exist.”

  “Don’t apologize,” I chuckled. “It’s what I’d expect when the man of the hour makes an appearance.”

  I watched his features as they loosened up. His glowing eyes narrowed in on me and a stupid smile fell on his lips. “That’s your fault, you know?”

  I placed my chin on the palm of my hand and stared at him. “I’m pretty sure that was all you.”

  He leaned forward with a grin. “Can you keep a secret?”

  I nodded.

  “I hate dances.” He exhaled.

  “Everest! Then why are we here then? I’d never have agreed to come if I’d known you’d hate it!”

  “I’m showing you destruction,” he said with a blank face.

  I laughed. “At a dance?”

  “Look around. You are surrounded by destruction whether you believe me or not. It’s a space where teens and all their shit come together to create a shit storm. Virginities will be lost to people they will regret sleeping with. People will fall in ‘love’ with people who don’t deserve it. Some gym teacher fifteen years from now will reminisce about the good old days, and mention this dance any chance he gets; he knows he peaked then but he won’t admit it. They will drink and drink until it’s too much to stomach and ruin dresses or ties they never planned on wearing again.”

  “Okay, that was dark,” I said through the blaring music between us.