Isaac leaned against my locker as I stuffed my books in it the next day. I glared at him. "What Isaac?" I snapped. I had been preparing myself for this encounter all day, but at the end of the day, I had no patience.
He smirked at me in silence.
His smirk made me worry and suddenly my stomach was in knots. "Well, spit it out."
"You better remember where you stand. Remember I can do more damage to you than you can to me."
I scowled. This was war. This wasn't a game. "What do you want from me?" I sighed. "Can't we just call it quits and move on?"
He shook his head as he pushed me against the locker.
I squirmed under his grip.
"Isaac, what are you doing?" A teacher asked.
Instantly his hands dropped as he faced the teacher with a smile. "Nothing. Just having a friendly conversation with Isla here."
The teacher sighed. "Just keep your hands to yourself. Don't make me write you up." With that, the teacher walked back into his room, leaving us alone again.
Isaac turned to me with a red face. "You are always ruining things."
"I think you ruin things on your own," I replied then with my backpack in my hands, I ran out of school towards my car before he chased after me.
I drove out of the parking lot and headed towards Miles' place. There I knew I could get a distraction from my high school drama.
"Hi, I'm Kit Keen and you are listening to 102.5," Miles' voice rang out through the radio.
Just his voice was enough to bring a sense of calm. I let out a breath.
By the time I made it to his apartment door, my encounter with Isaac was just a memory. Soon we would be graduating, and Isaac would be just someone in my past. I would never have to interact with him ever again.
With my head held high, I knocked on his door then waited in silence for an answer. There was none. Moments passed, until I worked up the nerve to turn his door handle, finding it unlocked.
"I'm coming in, Miles," I said cautiously as I walked in slowly.
I was hit with the smell of stale Chinese food and socks as closed the door behind me. A frown came to my lips, knowing his place did not look like this yesterday when I left. How could his place smell so bad so quickly?
In the middle of the floor lay Miles as he stared at the ceiling. He looked just as bad as he did yesterday.
"Miles, what are you doing?"
He looked over at me but stayed quiet.
I shook my head at him in disapproval even though my heart ached for him. I had seen my father in the same state before. Miles was letting himself swim in the deep depths of despair and I wouldn't let him. "Get up." I tapped his foot with my shoe.
"I don't want to go anywhere."
"And that's why we're going somewhere." I took his hand and pulled him off the ground. He stumbled to his feet, practically throwing himself at me, allowing me to smell liquor in his breath. "Miles," I sighed.
"Isla, please let me be alone."
I shook my head. "Nope. Not going to happen. As your best friend, I'm sticking by your side," I said as I got his flip flops from by the door.
"So you're my best friend now?"
I chuckled as I offered him my hand. Until we talked about the kiss, this was good enough. "Yeah, I figured I needed a promotion."
He smiled as he took it and got up from the ground. He wrapped his arm around me for support and slipped his shoes on.
"Where are we going then?"
I may have not been anywhere exciting in my life, but I did know this town like the back of my hand. "It's a surprise," I said as I helped him out the door.
By the time we made it to his car, Miles was out of breath and unstable. Whatever treatment he was on took too much of a toll on him.
He got into the car and slowly moved his legs into a comfortable position. Anger was in his eyes as he hit his leg in frustration. "I didn't want to go anywhere Isla, why am I even here?" he shouted as I turned the car on.
I wanted to hug him, but the space in car wouldn't allow it. This time, I was pushing him. "You need to go somewhere," I said as I got out of the garage.
I went down roads and streets in silence until I finally turned off another road, which quickly turned into a dirt one. The car shook slightly as I continued to drive forward, but I wouldn't stop. I knew where I was going, and Miles would soon know one of the few places I took no one to.
I hadn't been to this spot in over a year but knew it by memory.
As trees loomed over us, the road got smaller. I swore, nothing had changed since I drove Dad up here a few weeks before he died.
Way back when Dad showed me this place, it was his secret. For so long, I couldn't force myself back. But seeing Miles, it was enough of a push to work my way up the mountain tops.
Within a few minutes, we made it to a turnoff point for hikers. Miles was in no condition to hike, but he could at least enjoy the view and I could too.
Quietly, I parked the car and looked at Miles to see him looking out the window.
"This is beautiful," Miles said as he looked at the view.
I nodded. The views never got old. This is where Dad and I went to be free. The mountain tops were just as beautifully unique as ourselves. "I know." I got out of the car, then went to his side to open the car door for him.
He got out with some difficulty and eventually leaned on me for support. We walked to the edge of the cliff. Below us stood tall evergreens with a little snow from the night before. I shivered as a blast of cold air hit me, but I refused to move. "Now, shout."
He looked at me as if I was crazy. And maybe I was, but I knew this would make him feel better, he just had to try. Dad came up with this and I just followed in his footsteps.
"Go on. No one will hear you. Shout, scream, get your frustrations out. The trees will keep your secrets."
He eyed me, not believing me.
"Trust me on this one, Miles." I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with air. "I HATE ISAAC CONNELLY!" I shouted on the hilltop. The sound echoed through the trees, causing birds to fly from their hiding places, chirping, mimicking my shout, until there was silence again.
"Who is Isaac Connelly?" Miles asked with concern.
"My ex and a terrible excuse for a human. Now it's your turn." I didn't want to dive into details. We both needed to shout, not talk right now.
He nodded, not asking any more about the subject. Silently, he took a deep breath then yelled. "I'M MILES KEEN AND I'M MY OWN PERSON!"
"Felt good, didn't it?"
"Yeah, it did." For a second, I saw joy flash in his eyes. He felt free, probably for the first time in a while.
"I HAVE MS AND SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE CRAP!" he shouted again.
"There you go! Get it out!"
I looked at the view and thought about the last time I was here. I had to hold Dad as he shouted into the woods. I never thought that would be the last time I would be here. "I MISS YOU DAD! I WISH YOU WERE STILL HERE!" My eyes stung with tears but this time, I didn't hold them back.
If Dad was here, he could help me with Isaac. Even though I was right beside Miles, I still felt so alone and isolated.
"I FEEL ALONE!" Miles said as if reading my mind.
I nodded. He wasn't the only one.
After we shouted out all our emotions, we found ourselves on the ground, next to the car, looking out at the view in front of us.
I leaned against the car, then shivered as an icy wind blew through the trees as the sun set. "Who's Izzy?" I asked finally, referring to that text that I read a few days ago. That text still floated around in my mind like a buoy in water. As much as I tried to push it away, it would just bounce back with the waves of my thoughts.
"She's no one. I promise. She's just some girl Rodger wants me to date."
He didn't want to be with her. I believed him.
"I'm so sick of Rodger telling me who to be with," Miles chucked a rock over the mountain, causing a few birds to fly from their resting spots.
"Then why don't you fire him? Get someone new?"
He shook his head. "I can't. It's not that easy."