A Trip To Remember

Then I Fell

    We drove our cars up to the beach and we jumped out. We raced to the water, pushing each other in the sand trying to win.
    "I WIN" Rianna shouted when she got to the water edge first. I was close behind her so I ran up and shoved her in the water.
    "GODDAMMIT ASHLYN." Rianna said her clothes soaked.
    Everyone laughed and we started taking off our clothes. Sophia did it in her own...special way.
    "STRIP. DUNUNUNUNUNUUUU." She said dancing. Joseph rolled his eyes and moved away from her.
    "Oh Lordy." I said.
    "LOOK AWAY BOYS." Sophia yelled in Joseph and Caleb's face.
    "Yes or you'll go blind." Alysa said.
    Sophia threw her pants at Alysas face. "NO ONES TALKING TO YOU." She yelled in an unnaturally deep voice.
    I laughed and pulled my shirt over my head and put my white Adidas bucket hat back on. I ran to the water with Alysa in front of me and Sophia and the rest in tow. I jumped into the water and the salty blue ocean engulfed me in warmth. It wasn't water that was just really tacky, like a million tourists had swam in it, but fresh, and pure, and it felt good.
    I came up, my long hair soaked down my back and I laughed, because Jayden and Noah were thrashing in the water, wrestling.
    Alysa grabbed me, unexpectedly, in a headlock and yanked me downward. I fell backwards into the water and tried to keep my head above the water. I laughed in a weird gasping way and tried to turn around and switch positions. Tyler wrapped one arm around Riannas waist and one around her thighs and picked her up sideways. She screamed and he threw her straight up and she plunged back down.
    I grinned and reached up and flipped Alysa over so she splashed down, and I breathed in a deep breath.
    "I wanna do that." I muttered to myself. As if on cue, someone picked me up and threw me. I came up gasping and laughing.
    "ME TOO." Alysa yelled excitedly.
    "I GOTCHU." Sophia yelled. She came over and barely was able to pick her up when she fell down, taking Alysa with her and I laughed.
    "Bruh where's the music?" Nathan spoke up.
    "Gotchu." I said trudging out of the water.
    "NO COUNTRY." Alysa screamed at me, and I laughed and stuck my tongue at her.
    I ran up the shore, turned on my speaker, and turned it all the way up.

Talkin' in my sleep at night
Makin' myself crazy
(Out of my mind, out of my mind)
Wrote it down and read it out
Hopin' it would save me
(Too many times, too many times)
My love, he makes me feel like nobody else
Nobody else
But my love, he doesn't love me
So I tell myself, I tell myself

    The girls and Joseph started singing mockingly because hes Jo.
    "One. Don't pick up the phone, you know he's only calling cuz he's drunk and alone,
Two. Don't let 'em in, you'll have to kick him out again,
    "Three. Don't be his friend, you know your gonna wake up in his bed in the morning,
And if your under him
You ain't gettin over him,
I got new rules, I count em."
    We sang and strut like "savages", and the boys followed all the stupid, bossy moves we did, making us laugh so hard.
    "HOLY DUCK BALLS LOOK!" Rianna hollered, pointing at something in the distance and bolting off. I peered at the direction she was pointing at and grinned.
    There was, shockingly, another tall, black rock.
    Perfect for jumping.
    Everyone ran ahead of me to the rock while I jogged to our spot to grab my camera.
    There was three uneven, yet sufficient enough levels to jump off of. We climbed to the top one and peered over the edge down at the water.
    "Oh dang." I said surprised. It was about a 50 foot drop. I got a little dizzy and stumbled backwards.
    "Whoa you okay?" Noah asked when I ran into him.
    "Heh, yeah I'm good." I said, shaking it off and jumping away from him. Truth is, I wasn't particularly afraid of heights, I loved being high in the sky, above the clouds. I felt like I was on cloud nine. But sometimes, it made me dizzy, so I wasn't planning on jumping.
    "Ok who's first?" Nathan said spinning on his heel to face us and clapping his hands, a look of mischief in his  eyes.
    Everyone suddenly looked nervous, because a shaky chuckle went around the group.
    "Ok..." Rianna said, looking disappointed. She took a few backward steps closer to the edge.
"Rianna," Tyler said his eyes widening a little. "What're ya doin love?" He said with a nervous smile.
    She had a small glint of mischief sparkled in her eyes, but it shone brighter than the sun.
She crouched slightly like she was halfway squatting and then unexpectedly flipped backwards off the cliff, her scream flowing with the wind. Tyler immediately dove after her, as if he were Superman and she was his Lois Lane. Even though she was in literally no danger whatsoever.
    But it still made my stomach drop. By the time we reached the edge, they were still falling, falling, and a great splash of white foam enveloped our friends. They came up for air and whooped with exhilaration.
    "Go guys!" I shouted at everyone, posing my camera ready.
    "FOR NARNIAAAAA!" Caleb and Alysa shouted in unison as they jumped off the cliff together. Then Jayden and Noah went. Sophia turned around, her black hair whipping around her.
    "You coming Ash?" She said holding her hand out slightly.
"Uh no." I said smiling. "Go on."
"Ok," she grabbed Nathans arm, dragging him with her. I got the perfect shot of his eyes widen.
"Hell no sophia. Not happening." Nathan said shaking his head. I took pictures of everything happening.
   "What? Why aren't you going?" She interrogated.
   "Oh I'm going I'm just not going with you." He replied and she slapped him.
   "WERE GONNA GO ON THREE. ONE."
   "No."
   "TWO." She yelled jogging to the edge.
   "NO."
   "THREE!"
   "GODDAMIT SOPHIAAAAAAA." I heard as they fell down the cliff. Joseph did a flip off the cliff and dove after them.
   "Your turn Chamberlin." I heard a voice behind me.
    "Noah." I said not turning around and taking pictures of the view.
   "It's really fun."
   "It's high.
   "It's like a roller coaster. Even Alysa jumped."
   "Alysa," I turned around "is crazy."
   He smiled and walked closer to me.
   "I'll go with you."
   "No, thanks."
   "I'm not taking no for an answer."
   I glanced at the edge. Then at his arms held out.
   I bit my lip and thought of it.
Well this isn't the worst way to die.
   Could be.
   Shut up.
   "Just trust me." Noah said.
After hesitation, I took his hand. I was trembling. Maybe I was afraid of heights.
"I don't know you at all and I most definitely do not trust you."
   He laughed. "Ready?"
   I just nodded my head.
   I looked up at him and took another step.
   I closed my eyes.
   Took a breath.
   Gripped his hand.
   Then I fell.