Letters and Murmurs

Chapter Fifty-Six: Weights

"Really proud of you kid," Dad encouraged me as I decided to go to an indoor rock climbing thing.

I was about halfway up this rock wall that felt like it was 15 feet. I was pretty high up and to be fair I didn't have a fear of heights. Ryleigh, on the other hand, was not about it. Zack had challenged me to a climbing contest to see who could get up the wall faster. Alex wanted to join in but there were only two people who could hold the ropes and 'help' us.

"You're going down Urie," Zack shouted from my left.

"Not in your life Merrick," I said and looked at the next ledge for my hand and foot.

It was pretty high up. I was going to pretty much have to jump or move all the way to the other side. I took a leap of faith and my fingers gripped the ledge. Ryleigh had herself tied to my rope to help me and kept my propelled in the air while Rian had Zack. My body hit the rock wall pretty hard as I struggled to find a place to put my foot.

"Fuck Lo, this is harder then it looks, find a place for your feet or-" Ryleigh said as Alex grabbed the rope to help her.

"Logan left!" People were shouting as I moved my left foot and nothing was there.

I moved to my right and found a ledge for my feet as I noticed Zack was higher up than me. I squinted up at him and began to rapidly climb upwards as Alex pulled my rope so there was no slack in it.

"Logan! Slow-" Alex didn't get to finish the sentence as I rang the bell before Zack.

"Kiss my ass, Merrick!" I hollered over to him as he shouted back at me.

We began to argue like children as Rian was ready to let Zack propel down the wall while Ryleigh was busy watching her boyfriend and not paying attention to the rope. I kicked off the wall and screamed as I dropped about half the distance of the wall as Alex grabbed the rope along with dad.

"Ryleigh!" Everyone shouted as I was suspended in mid-air.

"Holy shit," I let out a breath of air as dad gave the rope a little slack and I continuously kicked myself down the wall.

"Sorry," Ryleigh murmured as she went over to her boyfriend and kissed him.

I looked at Alex as he put his hands up as an 'I'm not touching it'. Ryleigh and I still weren't talking but we were being civil. It was an awkward couple of band practices in the last few days. Dad was producing music that was a little different but was not ready to push it out yet. The All Time Low boys were enjoying being cryptic. Tyler and Josh had discussed starting to record new music.

Band practice was at Alex's as it was the only place available at the moment. I mean if we are being technically my apartment was and since it was more like a stand-alone house rental. We could have had a practice there. It still was decorated with art and random music supplies. I hadn't been back in a while, not since Beckett and I broke up. Ryleigh just barked orders at me and handed me sheet music that I had to then transcribe from guitar to piano or had to come up with drum patterns and beats for. Ryleigh would yell at me when she didn't like something or I'd mess up until Jack finally stepped in and said the 'practice is over'.

I think Jack knows that everything is going straight to heart still and not bouncing right off me. I sat there and at first it was fine but the more yelling the more it sunk it how terrible I was. Jack offered to take me out to dinner which I told him I wasn't hungry. He told me I had to eat. I sat and watch Jack eat some Chinese food while I sat and drank some tea. Jack told me all about the plans he and the guys had come up with while Ryleigh and I were practicing. Jack was really excited about this next chapter for the band.