Through Fire

Chapter 10 - The Pillarless Knight

Kaitlin shares my bed while she stays with us, and all throughout the week we make sure to show her the full and grand Alpine Mine experience. We take her to the Dunes, the expansive area for quad riding, and she meets Mazie and Bennen there. We also take her to the Emerald Lakes, a group of the smaller bodies to avoid the place where my incident occurred.

Near the middle of the week we take an all-day hike up one of the mountains, and have a picnic at the top. Another swim at the reservoir topped that day off, and one of Roman’s uncles took us out on his speed boat. I never realized exactly how much I’ve missed her, until she was with us, doing all the things the boys and I have been doing all summer.

The end of the week nears, and with it, the final rounds of the Tournament. I’ve been telling Kaitlin everything about the momentous event, getting her as excited and pumped up for it as I am. It’s not that hard, the first mention of shirtless, fighting guys is enough to peak her interest. Roman won’t be participating in any more rounds after his hospitalization, and Sage was eliminated last week in a glorious finale against one of the lasting contenders. Wim and Bennen will be fighting tonight, which I’m extremely excited about.

Around sundown we pile in Romans truck, the four of us packed in the front, and bump down the dirt road to the Gazebo. Shoulder-to-shoulder with Rome and Kaitlin, I get a more clear feeling of realization that the end of summer is near. 

A pang hits my heart, and I encircle my arms tighter around Roman’s as I close my eyes and take in the fresh, woody smells of camp. It’ll be sad to go back home… Back to school, and classwork, and our last year of high school. The end of summer always sucks, but the closure of this one will take the cake. How can it not, when it’s been the greatest? It’ll suck to not see Roman literally all day, every day. It’ll suck to never see Wim again until who knows when… hopefully next summer. It’ll suck to not have a thousand options of what we’re going to occupy each day with. Yeah, yeah… All good things must come to an end, I know. I’ve always hated that saying.

I’m trying not to let the fact that the end is in sight affect what small amount of vacation we have left, but that’s always hard. It’s never a good thing to focus on the negative aspect of every situation, that’s what makes me an optimist, and such is especially so now. This vacation has been way too amazing to damper any part of it with thoughts of leaving. Roman’s kisses on my forehead help wave away those thoughts, too.

Kaitlin grips my leg and shakes it in excitement as we drive into the clearing where the Gazebo lies, the tiki-torches already lit for the event. We’ve arrived fashionably late, and there’s quite the crowd of kids here. After parking, we climb out of the truck and head to join the masses under the Gazebo, Roman giving me a piggyback ride across the field. I wiggle to get down once we’re under the structure, anonymous in the crowd, but he clamps his arms tightly around my thighs.

“Nope, you stay.”

“Let me doooooown,” I whine, flicking at his ear, “My arms hurt!”

“Sorry, mine.” I’m starting to fall off anyway, but he hikes me back up on his firm back, despite my squirming. I giggle into his neck as I let him have my dead weight.

“Fine, enjoy my fat ass.”

“Oh, I do,” he chimes, reaching back to pinch my butt. Screeching in his ear, I’m back to squirming, with a stoked fury that gets me down successfully.

“Wow, thanks! Glad to know you think I’m fat!” I laugh, punching him in the gut. Maybe a little harder than I meant to, but he deserved it. He gives an oof, before snatching me into his arms, holding mine down as he pecks my nose.