Renegade Path

“Careful, we’ll get yelled at again,” I warned, my gaze fixated on her red-painted toenails.

“Worth it.”

After lunch, guys from the baseball team started picking up girls and tossing them in the pool. Doug approached our group and I stood up in front of Juliet’s chair, blocking his path. Like hell was he putting his hands on Juliet. “Keep moving.”

He smirked and swaggered past us.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Stubby guarding Vienna and chuckled.

“Want to go on the hike?” Juliet asked.

“Definitely.” I bent over and grabbed my scruffy sneakers.

Juliet wiggled into her shorts and I almost lost my damn mind. I helped her pack most of her stuff and we left the bag on her chair. Just in case, I grabbed one of the towels and slung it around my neck.

“Are you coming?” Juliet asked Vienna.

Vienna lazily tipped her sunglasses up and squinted at us. “Nah, I’m sleepy. Going to take a nap in the sun. Maybe later.”

I curled my hand around Juliet’s and we made our way toward the gate where one of the teachers was taking a head count.

“Stay together!” the teacher shouted to our group.

There were maybe twenty of us and we formed a loose line. Juliet and I deliberately drifted toward the back of the herd, where we ran into Chloe and Jameson.

Jameson lifted his chin and nodded with a knowing smirk stretched across his face.

Juliet squeezed my hand as we started our trek across the grassy field. I studied the signs and landmarks we passed, trying to orient myself. Eventually, we reached a flat expanse of rock. A short post-and-rail fence marked the edge of the cliff.

“Damn, not much to keep someone from going over,” I muttered.

“Search and rescue gets called up here a couple times a year,” Jameson confirmed. “Someone gets drunk and misjudges the distance to the edge.”

Juliet shivered.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“It’s not always drunks,” Chloe said. “Remember that old man who got lost on the trail? They didn’t find his body until the following year.”

“I guess the takeaway is, stay away from the edge of the cliff?” I whispered to Juliet.

The tension melted from her expression. “I guess so.”

“Everyone stay to the right!” the teacher shouted.

Like good little lambs, we held onto the wooden railing and trooped down a narrow set of stone steps. I leaned over to get a glimpse of what was below us and just saw rocks and trees.

The stone steps led to another flat surface where the teacher stopped to explain some geological history of the area. Then we continued down a set of narrower wooden stairs. Our group stopped on a wide ledge. A waterfall shot out from the rocks above and to our left. Another narrow wooden railing ran along a narrow path carved into the mountain. More stairs lay in front of us.

Jameson nudged my shoulder and jerked his head. The ledge ran behind where we were standing to another waterfall. Another set of wooden steps appeared to be past the water.

“Okay, let’s continue.” The teacher waved her hands in the air.

Jameson grabbed Chloe’s hand. They ducked and ran in the opposite direction of our class.

Juliet grinned up at me. “Let’s go.”

The staircase we’d just come down provided cover. We skirted around it and caught up with Jameson and Chloe.

“There’s a cave behind that waterfall.” Chloe pointed ahead.

I was game for whatever, as long as we didn’t get caught.

Juliet

My heart hammered as we jogged after Jameson and Chloe. I’d never ditched a group activity before. A cool mist splashed my cheeks and forehead as we approached the waterfall. Jameson expertly ducked behind the water, moving over the slippery rocks like he’d done it dozens of times. Maybe he had.

I hesitated.

My gaze locked on the falling water rushing to a rocky pool hundreds of feet below. Maybe not that far. I wasn’t a good judge of heights. I just knew I didn’t want to slip and go for a ride. I glanced behind us but our class was already out of sight.

“Are you okay?” Roman asked.

“I don’t want to fall.”

“I won’t let you.” He grabbed onto a rock and flattened himself against the wall. Firmly gripping my hand, he followed the same steps Jameson had taken and pulled us behind the curtain of water.

The rocks opened into a large, wet cave. Water dripped from above. Light filtered in from the outside. Enough to see a few feet in front of us. Then, it was only inky darkness cut by the rough silhouettes of rocks.

Chloe shrieked from somewhere deeper inside the cave. Her laughter echoed and bounced around us.

“I guess they’re okay,” I said.

“Let’s pray they don’t scare any bats out of hiding,” he grumbled.

“Bats! Are you kidding?” I ducked and glanced up at the ceiling.