Andante con Brio

XXXVIII

His foot was on the rock, alright, and his fingers were feeling around the smooth stone above his head, trying to find places to hold on to. Always have three points on the rock, the twins had said. You only let go of one foot or one hand at a time, never at the same time. Well. At the moment he even still had one of his feet on the ground, but already the earth seemed to be swaying back and forth and his forehead was moist with the cold sweat that was pouring out of him unasked. 
Come on, mate. Don't be a fucking wuss. Just get up there. 
He cringed slightly at the harshness of his own thought, but then he pushed himself up on his right foot and found a ledge to stand on with his left. I mean, he wasn't going to stand there on the ground like a lemon, right? Where else was he going to go but up? 
Come on, just breathe. You can do this. 
He was actually off the ground.
Okay. You got this. 
He pushed off again and found somewhere to put his right hand. When he had all four points secure once more he glanced sideways. Brett was a little bit under him, but he was climbing too. 
"Come on, Bretty, you got this." he groaned. 
"Go, Eddy!"  Todd bellowed from underneath. "Don't stop!"
"Yeah!" he yelled back and reached up with his right hand. Three points on the rock at all times. No falling, now. His fingers found a sharp edge they could grip and he hoisted himself up some more, ignoring the sting of the rock cutting into his fingers. Every time he took a step up the twin that was holding his rope from the top of the rock pulled it tight again. God, he hoped he had good grip of that rope. His arms were burning, now, and his right calf was shaking ominously. And his head was still swimming, though not as badly as just now. He glanced up for just a second and there was the top of the rock. It was like a mirage, a universe away, lightyears away, unreachably high. 
Come on! Get your skinny arse up there, mate. Todd and Matt could do it. If you fall you will look seriously fucking stupid, hanging there from your rope like some giant pathetic caterpillar.
He held his breath as his left hand looked for a place to hold and he forced his shaking leg to bear his weight. 

It was a surprise, to be honest, because he had been so focused on his three or four points, when his fingers suddenly hit a flat surface. His eyes shot up again. Fuck! Wait, what? Was he there, was this acually the top? He looked right into one of the twins' grinning face as he grabbed hold of a little outcrop on the flat bit and pulled himself all the way up. Oh my God. He was there! He had made it! He pushed up one more time and flopped, belly first, on the flat top of the rock.
"Well done, Eddy!" his twin said, with a slightly over the top amount of enthusiasm.
Eddy was beaming as he turned around on the smooth stone somewhat awkwardly and dangled his legs over the edge. Then he took a giant breath. Wow. He was here, he was really here, he had not done a pathetic caterpillar impersonation and the view was gorgeous. He could see over the trees from here and all the way back to the crevice they had crossed over in the cable car. 
Greenish brown, just like Todd had said. 

"Come on, Brett! You're almost there!"
Ian was shouting from far below on the ground. Eddy couldn't see them, though, because he may have gotten up here but he didn't quite have the guts to lean over and look down. 
But he could see Brett's hair, trembling just below his knee on his right side, he could see Brett's hand coming up the flat rock top and finding a place to hold. He would have loved to help him, to stick out his hand and pull him the last bit up. He didn't, of course. He knew Brett would want to do this himself. 
"Fuck, this rock is high." Brett groaned as he plopped down next to him and shook out his arms. 
"Yep. My arms are killing me."
"Mine too."
God, how he wanted to kiss him, now. How he wanted to turn just ever so slightly to the right and crash his mouth into Brett's, toying Brett's tongue with his own, pour all of the adrenaline and fear he had felt climbing the rock into the kiss until neither of them could breathe properly. 
Of course, he couldn't. They were in public, and there were two guys standing right behind them that they weren't out to. 
Which sucked. 
He settled for a high five. 
"Right, guys!" Jack or T.J. drawled. "You ready to get back down there?"
Oh shit. In all his triumph he had almost forgotten about having to get down as well and instantly his heart was in his throat and his head started doing that annoying swimming thing again. 
Shit! 
"Sure." he said, trying his hardest to sound like he wasn't shitting himself, and then he awkwardly turned around again and backed up on his knees, so he could start his repel back down the rock. He glanced at Brett, who was doing the same. To be honest, he didn't look much braver. 
Oh fuck, but this was just as scary! He looked up into his twin's face and tried desperately to remember what they had said, before. Just let yourself fall back calmly, keeping your feet on the rock, your legs in a ninety degree angle. He grinned at him a bit helplessly. He thought it was T.J.. Not that that mattered right now. 
"Go on, Eddy, you got this." T.J. winked, and Eddy took another giant breath. 
Just do it, Eddy. No catterpillar impersonations, okay?
He let himself fall back into nothing until he was pretty sure it must be ninety degrees and then he softly pushed himself off the rock with his feet, his hand on the rope to give himself slack. 
Whoa.
He flew through the air, about half a metre down, and his feet hit the rock again.
Wait, but this was cool! He pushed off again and again. He was doing it! He was really, actually doing it!