My Shadow (Climbing Class: Until Dawn)

Chapter 5: Leverage for "Love"

Chris's POV
I was once again sitting in the small cafe.
This small, but busy cafe held memories for me and all of my friends.
We would talk here and mess around. We would make plans here.
We escaped life here.
Now, we are here making plans to save a life.
I shivered at my thinking and shrunk into my grey hoodie. I heard the cafe door swing and the bell greet the guests. I looked up to see if it was my friends or not. I was greeted with the sight of the group of traumatized young adults.
Ashley led them to our usual back table and sat down right next to me.
I looked at her and took her appearance in. Her red hair was a bit longer then before reaching a little bit after her shoulders. She wore a gold Adidas jacket and grey leggings pulled up to below the knee. She wore her regular ratty tennis shoes. I began to take in her appearance to a more psychological level. I stared at her eyes and face. Her face showed signs of stress and fear. Her eyes did not have the usual sparkle, she held before the mountain. Or the dullness during the mountain and after, instead they held a sharp, dangerous glimmer in them.
I shuddered and began to take everyone else's appearance in.
Emily hair was the same length always, Emily was very particular about cutting her hair. It must always be the same cut, always. She wore a black tank top with gem stones on the collar and high waisted shorts that were baby blue, she wore black vans with blue laces. She looked pissed off as usual. Nothing new there.
Jesse was standing next to Emily. She was scared, hiding herself behind Emily. Emily was calming her down.
"I thought those two hated each other" I thought, remembering the girls legendary fights. Then remembering Mike and Matt. "Why aren't the boy's with the girls? Why are they standing away from them. Did something happen? Did they break up?" I wondered curiously. I sighed, shrugging off the thoughts, while everyone took their seats. "Let's check out the rest." I confirmed with myself.
I looked at Mike. He was easy to read.
Mike was nervous. You could instantly tell. He was tapping his fingers, looking around and fidgeting around on his seat, like a small fussy child. He wore a regular brown leather jacket with a red shirt with denim jeans and boots.
He was doing something very particular.
He was holding hands with Matt.
I focused on their hands. Then Matt.
He look tired and done. He wore his favorite letterman jacket with a white shirt underneath and jeans with tennis shoes. I look harder at his appearance, there was something more. I could never read Matt, he hid his emotions like a pro. I try later.
So, we all sat there at the usual table.
The table we had good times at.
Where we escaped life.
We sat there silently.
Without Sam, Josh, Beth, or Hannah.
I pondered these thoughts and let doubt take me, before being startled out of my doubt ridden mind by Mike.
"Hey Chris, how are you, nobody was able to get into connection with you. I'm sorry though. We do need to explain a few things" Mike said, then gesturing to his hand, intertwined with Matt's then to Jesse and Emily's hands, that we now held together.
"Wait. Are they all together?" I thought, well that would explain a few things.
"We are in a polygamous relationship together." Mike said, answering my questioning thoughts.
"It happened after the mountain, we all became very close and... yeah." Jesse started and trailed off.
Ash put her hand on my shoulder, suddenly.
I looked at her.
Everyone looked at her.
"Guys... I have something to tell you." She started and paused before continuing taking a deep breath.
"Me and Sam are dating." She said looking at our calm expressions.
"Finally!" Emily exclaimed, throwing her hands up into the air.
"Is no one surprised at all?" Ashley asked staring at us.
"I mean, I always thought you and Chris, but Sam told me, she liked you." Matt said smiling.
I froze up and kept my head down as they all laughed at this and began to talk.
They all went silent.
And began to look at me.
"Chris...?" Jesse asked putting her hands on mine.
"I'm fine, just yeah... I'm fine." I wanted to scream and tell them about my unresolved feelings, but I can't it would cause to much drama.
"I mean he's going to act like this, Jesse. He just got his old crush dating one of his best friends." Mike laughed, putting his arm around Jesse's shoulder.
I looked at Jesse.
Jesse looked at me.
She knew, she knew it was something else eating at me.
She would figure it out.
Emily, was also contemplataviely staring at me. She probably knew.
I shrunk away from their stares.
They felt cold and calculating, even though they were warm and filled with concern.
I whimpered slightly
All eyes turned snapped on me.
"Chris, are you okay" Ashley asked me, putting her hand on top of mine.
I jerked my hand away and start to sink even farther into the corner of the booth.
I was silent and scared, the aniexty of the mountain still running through my veins.
"I'm fine, just we need to focus on finding Sam, right?" I asked in response to their questions.
Everyone stared at me, till Ashley spoke up.
"He's right, finding Sam is our top priority. We all know Josh has her, I believe he took her for leverage." Ashley said. Everyone looked surprised.
"What leverage?" I asked myself.
I must have said this out loud, as everyone turned to look at me.
Ashley stared long and cold at me, like I was the one who took her beloved.
"Leverage to get to you." She said with shaky breaths. "He texted me a picture of her, all bruised and bleeding saying that he wants his Christopher" she continued, now stopping. Gulping.
My heart stopped at what she said.

A/N
I am so so sorry it took so long to post Chapter 5. School started back up. And I've been busy trying to keep my grades up and I've been going through a tiff with depressing thoughts. I'm better now and I'm trying to think out a schedule for when I should post a chapter. Any suggestions would be great and much needed.