Double Time (Double Threat series)

by Prestsater, Julie

  “Go for it, big guy.”

  I can feel Dom’s presence in the tent before I see him. We all bust up laughing as Dom splashes his heavy body on Josh. Steph and I sit up, watching Dom slap Josh on the forehead. “You think this is funny, huh? Who’s the pimp now?” Josh tries to shield his face while the other guy sits on him continuing to plant love taps all over his body.

  “Good morning, everyone,” I say to the group.

  Dom rolls off of the pimp and tugs Steph down to lay with him. “Much better.”

  Like the night before, we make our trek to the restrooms in shifts to wash our faces and brush our teeth. Josh is the only one to skip the morning ritual. He claims that he’s roughing it and camping doesn’t require proper hygiene. Instead he splashes some bottled water on his face. He then takes a drink of orange soda and swishes it around in his mouth. We all look at him in disgust. “What? I’m camping,” he says, throwing his hands in the air.

  After eating a nice breakfast of PopTarts, GoGurts, and bananas, we all pitch in, packing up camp before we leave for a day of hiking. We each pack two large water bottles, hoping it will be enough to keep us hydrated throughout the day. The thought of dehydration is not appealing, but neither is peeing in the woods, so my plan is to drink as little as possible.

  Before we can do any hiking, we have to take a shuttle to the trailhead. If you ask me, that’s cheating, but whatever. We’re planning on seeing Devil’s Postpile and Rainbow Falls. The falls sound more appealing than a pile of rocks. You’d think we were gonna see moon rocks or something with the way the guys were talking about it last night.

  We don’t rest once on the trail to the falls. We actually pass the giant columns of rock on our way but Ben says we’ll stop on our way back.

  I don’t know what I expected but my heart overflows with emotion when the waterfall first comes into view. Carefully, we make our way down a steep slippery staircase to the base of the falls to get a really good look. I have never seen anything so beautiful. The mist cools my skin the closer we get. The freshness of the scenery, lush and green. The rushing sounds of water pouring over the side of the mountain. All the while, a rainbow bridges it way from one side to the other. It’s breathtaking.

  “Dude, this is bitchen.” Andi’s eyes are wide and her mouth hangs open and her head moves slowly, taking in the panoramic setting.

  Steph and I nod. I could stay here forever soaking in nature, being soothed by the sounds of the flowing water. I wish we could jump in and enjoy it, like you see in the movies, but we can’t. In all of Mammoth, there are few places you can actually swim legally. And Rainbow Falls isn’t one of them. But I have to wonder what it would be like to stand under a waterfall. The crashing of the water at the bottom is a little scary so maybe it wouldn’t be the best idea after all.

  Stepping out in front of the group, I take out my cell to get a picture. I take several and then use an app to send a collage of photos to my parents. Before I hit send, I add a message thanking them for allowing me to experience this beauty.

  “Hey, let’s all get a picture.” Ben stops a hiker and asks him to take a photo of our group. He passes the guy his phone and jumps in with the rest of us as we squish together.

  This starts a wave of photos. Girls only. Boys only. Couples. Single shots. Funny faces. Serious ones. Shot after shot until Josh decides to get creative. He gives Travis some direction before taking his pose. I can’t figure out what the hell he’s doing standing on a rock, with his head thrown back and his hands held out in front of his crotch.

  “What’s he doing?” Keesh asks.

  I shake my head. “I have no idea.”

  The guys must understand because they’re all cracking up.

  “Did you get it?” Josh asks, looking over with his mischievous grin.

  Travis gives him a thumbs up, laughing hysterically.

  “Let me see it,” Dom says.

  “Send it to us,” Alex adds.

  The girls all look at each other confused. I hear my phone chime, along with the sounds of other phones going off at the same time. We all reach for our cells.

  A new picture message comes through.

  “Oh shit. You guys are dumb.” But I can’t help but laugh at the sight of Josh standing their looking like he’s got a rainbow boner. Travis titled the photo: Somewhere over the Jizzbow.

  You’d swear these guys are still twelve. Josh’s stunt has us all waiting as each of them take turns pretending to blow a load of rainbow colored spooge. Very nice. At one point, Josh suggests one the girls stand at the other end with her mouth open so it will look like … well, you know. That earns him a smack in the back of the head from Ben. Yet, we all laugh our asses off at the idea.

  Our hike continues when we’re done making asses of ourselves in public. Leave it to a bunch of teenagers to make a gorgeous waterfall into something pornographic. It may have gotten worse if it weren’t for all the families coming up behind us on the trail.

  “We should probably stop and eat here. There’s plenty of shade. Then we can walk it off as we head up.” Ben guides us off the trail and drops his backpack on a large rock.

  “Does it look like I need to walk anything off?” Keesh puts her hand on her hip, giving him playful attitude.

  He winks at her. “Not at all.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  Each of us picks a place to set down on bags and take a load off. I’m surprised my feet don’t hurt. My dad tried to convince me to get some hiking boots but I told him I’d be fine in my Vans.

  “Dude, it’s getting hot out here.” Andi takes a few gulps of her water and splashes a little on her face.

  “Wet t-shirt contest, babe?” Travis eyes her with a raised brow.

  She glances down at her chest. “That would be as a eventful as you soaking your own shirt.”

  The rest of us laugh at her. Her itty bitty titties have been the punch line of many jokes. We keep trying to convince her that she’s going to wake up with a B cup one day and wonder what the hell happened. Until then, she’s been eating like a wild animal trying to put on some weight. I think she’s cute the way she is, and so does Travis, but adding a few pounds wouldn’t kill her. I crack up thinking I’m always trying to lose a few and she’s trying to find some. Life isn’t fair, I guess.

  “You having fun?” Alex asks, as he takes a bite of his submarine sandwich. Dom and Steph premade sandwiches for today’s lunch, along with a bag of chips and an apple. They’re like camp food menu specialists or something.

  “Absolutely.” I try to unstick the bread from the roof of my mouth so I can speak some more. “I really love it up here. It’s so pretty and peaceful.”

  “I can’t believe I leave in less than a week. I’m not ready to go back.” He runs his empty hand through his hair before glancing over at me. Barely making eye contact.

  “Hey, let’s not talk about it. Remember? We can worry about that tomorrow when we get back. Today’s all about having fun. Not about saying goodbye.”

  He looks over at me. This time our eyes meet and he doesn’t look away. “And I’m not saying goodbye to you anymore, remember? It’s all about see ya later. Someday. See you again soon. I may be over four hundred miles away but I’m not going anywhere.” He bends down, tapping his index finger on the left side of my chest right above my boob. “I’ll always be right here,” he whispers. His lips touch mine and I almost slide off my rock like a wet bar of soap in the shower.

  Ben chucks an apple at us. “Hey, none of that. We’re eating.”

  “Yeah,” Josh adds, “You guys make me sick with your cutesy cuddling now that you’re back together.”

  Alex and I look at each other. “We’re not back together,” we both say.

  “Whatever,” our friends mumble.

  No matter how many times we say it, they don’t get it. We’re not officially back together. We’re free to do whatever we want. We’re free to see other people. We just happen to hang out a lot,
and kiss, and stuff. I may not want to do anything with anyone else right now but it doesn’t mean we’re an official couple. Not like Travis and Andi, or Dominic and Steph.

  I finish my lunch listening to my friends banter on about different topics. Dominic is upset that he didn’t get all the classes he needs in the upcoming semester and it’s putting him behind schedule. Travis and Andi are talking about taking a walk on their own later. I notice the blush on Andi’s face as they make plans. Keesh tells us that Jonathan is planning to apply to schools in California so she’s hoping he may be able to come back. They’re also both applying to schools in Arizona and New Mexico. This is news to all of us. I’m not sure what to say, but it sounds like she and Jon have made up their minds. Josh hints that he doesn’t want to go to college which shocks us all because how can he possibly continue with his baseball career without going to school? For the first time, I consider maybe Josh doesn’t want to play ball anymore. That would be sad. He’s that good. Ben seems quiet, sitting back listening to everyone’s stories and taking pictures of the crew.

  Up until we planned this trip, I had never heard of Devil’s Postpile. In fact, I never knew much about Mammoth at all other than hearing people say they came here to ski. My dad and I checked out the campgrounds and sightseeing on the internet when he finally agreed to let me come. Of course, he was intrigued by the national monument. We’d never seen anything like it. The closest we’d come to seeing any kind of cool rock formation was Mount Rushmore, and that is manmade. Nothing like the tall wall of columns made of basalt here. I remember learning about the different types of rocks and minerals in my freshman science class so the thought of seeing it for real was kind of exciting, even if it is just a big ol’ hunk of cooled lava.

  After having lunch near the bottom of the monument, we stop to take pictures again. The boys stand with their hands at their sides at the base of the beams pretending to be part of the long stretching pillars of charcoal gray rock. The looks on their faces as they stand completely still and at attention draw laughs from the girls. They’re such dorks.

  When they’re done goofing around, sticking out their tongues and contorting their faces for the camera, Josh hops over toward the face of the pile again. “I got another idea. Get this one.” He plops himself on his back and once again, places his hands near his crotch. He’s such an idiot. We all watch, snapping pictures of him, while he poses so it looks as if he holding a sixty-foot hard on.

  The views from the top are breathtaking as well. I need to get out more. Living in California is the best. We can visit the desert, beach, and mountains in one day if we wanted. After standing here, looking out at the never-ending gorgeous green scenery, I can’t imagine ever enjoying myself at the beach or desert ever again—not that I ever have. It doesn’t matter if I look up or down, something catches my eye. Wildflowers, stretching pine trees, flowing rivers. I could never get bored here. And with my friends chatting away and acting silly, I could stay here forever.

  We stay at the top of the Postpile for about an hour. Andi and Travis, and Dominic and Steph disappear taking smaller hikes of their own. The rest of us read all of the historic placards, revealing the history of the region. It’s different from reading about it at home. We take several more pictures. Some with just Keesh and I, some with just the boys. I take a few with Ben, and some with both Ben and Alex.

  I snap one of Keesha by herself with her hands in the air and her head tilted to the side. She looks stunning against the backdrop of blue sky, even after sweating all day. I send it to Jon with a smiley face in the subject space. Those two, no matter what distance separates them, will always be connected. Sometimes, I catch her quiet in thought, and I know she’s thinking about Jon. And then she smiles, and I know she’ll be okay. They’ll both be okay. I just hope one day they can be okay together. Someday, right?

  “I’m beat.” I fall into a chair when we get back to camp. The rest of the girls follow my lead. Steph closes her eyes as soon as her ass hits the seat.

  “You guys are wimps,” Travis tells us, tossing his bag on the ground and stretching his hands over his head. “Andi and I are gonna go for a walk.”

  “Shut up. You’re both just as tired. You just want to be alone.” Who’s he trying to fool? I know what they’re up to. “Have fun, Andi. Sock him in the balls if he gets too touchy.”

  “Me?” Travis points to himself like he’s the poster boy of innocence. “She’s the touchy one. I always have to fight her off.” Her cheeks turn a million shades of red as she punches him in the arm. “We’ll be back before dark.” We watch them leave, but none of us lift a tired hand to say bye.

  “I’m gonna head to the store and pick up some more ice. Anyone want to go?” Ben stands holding his keys in his hand.

  Josh gets up. “I’ll go.”

  “Me too.” Keesh holds out a hand to him. “Just pull me up.” We chuckle as she gets to her feet like an old lady, slowly straightening out her back.

  When they leave, Steph stands and grabs Dominic’s hand and without a word, she opens our tent, they step inside, and zip it closed.

  I turn my head to look at Alex. “Looks like it’s just you and me.” He flutters his brows, with a silly smile. “Wanna take a nap with me?”

  “In there?” He points to my tent. I point to his. “I’m not supposed to sleep with you, Megan.”

  “Right.” I force myself out of my chair. “We’re not gonna sleep. We’re gonna nap.” I take his hand and he follows me. I look ever my shoulder at him. “And maybe kiss a little.”

  A Toast

  The Camping Chefs—also known as Dom and Steph—make us spaghetti and garlic bread for dinner. Another delicious meal to add to our weekend. I’ll go camping all the time if they come along and take care of the cooking.

  Before busting out the graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolates, Alex and I surprise everyone with cupcakes. “Don’t eat them yet.” We walk around making sure everyone gets one. And then we place a candle in four of the little cakes. Travis, Ben, Steph, and Dom each get a candle. We light them one by one before I start to sing. “Happy birthday to you …”

  July is a crazy birthday month for our group of friends. It was Travis and Steph’s big seventeen last week. Ben will turn twenty-one and Dom will turn twenty next week. Alex and I thought it would be fun to celebrate a little on our trip.

  After the birthday wishes, the boys make a sad attempt at telling scary stories. I’m not a fan of horror movies, but none of their tales rattle me. I’ve heard the one about the guy with a hook for a hand so many times it’s not even funny. When Travis starts that one, we all boo him.

  It’s a lot chillier out tonight than yesterday, that’s for sure. It helps sitting between Alex’s legs with his warm strong arms around me. It could be a hundred degrees out and I still would love every minute of being in his arms. Waking up earlier this evening snuggled up to his chest with his fingertips drawing circles around my back made me feel a different kind of warm.

  The banter slows to a sudden quiet as we all watch the fire burn and listen to the crackles of the wood.

  Ben stands quickly, rushes to the cooler and comes back with a bottle of … oh god … Aftershock. “I have another surprise for us.”

  I start shaking my head. “I’d rather just drink my beer.”

  “Stop being a sissy. I got this for you.”

  “Me? Did you forget you almost killed me with that stuff.”

  Ben shakes his head. “She’s such a drama queen.” My friends nod. Traitors. Ben passes out small plastic cups, and starts filling each one with a double shot. Not just a single. “I wanna make a toast so don’t drink them yet.” He fills his cup last and holds it up. “I have a lot to say so buckle up.” I sit forward, looking up at him, my ears perking up to something strange in his tone.

  “Alex and I have been friends for years, and I think I speak for both of us, and Dom too, when I say I’m grateful that I have such a great group of people I can
call me friends even when it seems kind of odd that we graduated three years ago and we still hang out with a bunch of high school kids.”

  Both Alex and Dom nod, smiling at Ben’s words. “It shouldn’t surprise me since Alex and I have kinda always done our own thing, not giving a shit what anyone else thinks. I consider you all my closest friends. Two of you, my best friends.” He looks at Alex reaching out a fist to him. And then he ruffles my hair. “I got Aftershock for us because it reminds me of the first time I met the girls. Keesh and Meg were trying to be bad ass at a big kid party and they downed their shots like pros. And then I thought they were gonna hit me.” He chuckles. “It’s a little strong.”

  “A little?” Keesh makes a face at her drink.

  Ben smiles at her. “In a week, for the third time, Alex is gonna be leaving to college. We talk and text, and I hear about him from the little one here, but it’s still hard.” He seems a little choked up. Why do I have a knot in my gut right now? This so-called toast sounds like it’s leading up to something big. Something big and not good.

  “This year, it’s going to be even more difficult for me to say goodbye to my best friend,” he pauses, taking a deep breath, “because I’m going to be saying goodbye to all of you too.” A tear slips down his cheek as he holds up his chin.

  Alex pushes his way around me so he can stand next to Ben. “What do you mean? You’re saying goodbye too?”

  He holds up his shot. “To bootcamp.” He puts the cup to his lips and tips his head back swallowing the thick cinnamon flavored liquid.

  None of us take our shot. We all sit there in stunned silence staring at him.

  “To bootcamp? What they fuck are you talking about, Ben?” Alex puts his hand on his best friend’s shoulder.