Everlasting

Top of the World

1901

"Winnieeeee I'm boredddddd," Jessie cried while lying on a bench.

Winnie looked up from the book she was reading and laughed. "Well, what do you want to do now? We've gone to way too many fairs, impersonated newsboys, and managed to somehow stay out of trouble the whole time."

Jesse sat up and stretched his arms. "You call me being crippled and go to that crappy jail staying out of trouble?" A smile spread on his face.

She laughed again and said, "You know what I mean."

"I did hear about this cool Statue here in New York we could go to."

Winnie put her book back into her satchel as she thought about it. She reached her finger to her chin and pretended to think, which made Jesse pout. 

"Ok ok, fine let's go."

*

"The view is amazing from up here, a long way from a tree," Winnie said, as she took in a breath from the window in the Statue of Liberty Crown.

"We should climb out onto it," Jesse replied as he stared at her.

Winnie suddenly turned to him. "Jesse! That's crazy!" She couldn't believe he would suggest such a thing.

"Good thing we are crazy," and he reached up through the crown to stand outside.

"Good lord," Winnie muttered under her breath as she reached out to climb through the window.

The second she got outside she noticed just how high they were and her stomach started churning.

"Winnie!" She heard over the roaring wind and turned to see Jesse sitting to her right. She stumbled over and sat down next to him.

A wind rush startled her and she grabbed onto Jesse's arm, to which he laughed. She frowned suddenly and then pushed him, but instead of pushing lightly as she meant to, he started rolling off the edge of the Statue.

"Jesse!" She cried.

"Winn-" Jesse started to say before a smile spread on his face and he suddenly dropped off the edge. 

Winnie ran up to the edge and saw Jesse falling to the ground while laughing. They made eye contact and Jesse motioned for her to jump.

"We really are crazy," She said as she backed up from the edge. She took in a breath, reminding herself she couldn't die and ran to the edge before proceeding to jump.

*

Winnie and Jesse hit the ground with a loud 'thump'. Winnie suddenly started laughing at the feeling she had from falling from a giant building and curled to the side while laughing, realizing Jesse was next to her. She stopped laughing for a second and then the two of them started laughing together.

Jesse sat up first and reached out a hand to Winnie.

"Now that was fun," Winnie said as she grabbed his hand and stood up. 

"What do you say we do it again?" Jesse said with a sly smile on his face. Winnie leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek in return.

"Let's go," She said mischievously, looking at the top of the Statue.