ALL THE THINGS I'VE YET TO DO (9): GO ON A HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE
“Fuck this colonizer holiday,” huffs Ariel as she smooths out her denim skirt.
“Agreed,” laughs the instructor. “Are you all ready for lift off?”
Everyone nods as he opens the door to the giant picnic basket. As I approach the contraption, my nerves start to get the best of me. “Do you guys really think this is a good idea?” I let out a shaky laugh.
“Maya, shut up,” Justin rolls his eyes from behind me. I turn back with a sheepish look, struggling to contain my anxiety about being up in the air. Sensing my hesitation, he glides past me with Ariel in tow and climbs into the basket. “See? It’s fine.”
I watch as Adrian follows their lead. Suddenly, I feel a large hand grasp the small of my back. When I look up, Eli flashes me his famous grin and warmth flows through me. My inner voice gives me a quick pep talk while I allow Eli to guide me to the rest of our friends.
It takes a while before we actually leave the ground, but when we do, I’m sure that I’m five seconds from a panic attack. “I can’t believe this was my idea!” I all but yell.
Once again, Eli’s arm slinks around my shoulder for comfort. As I hide in the crevice of his armpit, I can hear Adrian’s harsh laughter while he calls me mean names. I stick my tongue out at him before turning to his sister.
Ariel gives me a thumbs up as we rise higher into the air. She clings to Justin when the basket begins to shake and it’s my turn to let out a chuckle. I’m about to yell at Adrian for trying to spit over the edge, but for the first time, I’m able to take in the view.
The midafternoon sun shines with a ferociousness, claiming the sky as its own as zero clouds get in the way of the hot rays. Below us, everything begins to shrink; I can barely make out which car from the lot belongs to us. I take a deep breath and the air almost feels fresher and more nourishing.
A smile breaks onto my face, so big that I can’t contain it. Excitement rushes through my entire being, but there is something else swimming alongside it: love. For the first time in a while, I’m genuinely happy to be here with all of my friends. This summer has brought us all closer together and I can’t deny the feeling of bliss that radiates off of everyone in this moment. Slowly, a tear falls from my eye, and I try to commit this feeling to my memory.
The second we return to ground level, excited chatter fills the air. We all begin to recap the ride as we walk to our cars.
Of course, this doesn’t last long because Adrian decides to take a jab at me. “No Christian and no Ace? What happened, Man Eater?”
Just as I’m about to lunge at him, Eli steps between us. “Hey, hey. You two be nice to each other.”
“Your friend just saved your life,” I sneer over Eli’s shoulder. “If you must know, me and Christian aren’t talking anymore.”
Adrian raises his dark eyebrows as his face falls to an expression of sympathy. “Actually?”
I nod and continue my way to the car, already over the situation. Before I can open the passenger seat door, someone grabs my arm.
“When was the last time you spoke to Christian?” asks Justin once I turn around.
“The night of the carnival, why?”
Returning his hand to his side, he continues, “You guys didn’t fix whatever was going on with you two?”
I shake my head.
YOU ARE READING
All The Things I've Yet to Do
Teen Fiction"Here," I say, passing the paper to my left. "We need to finish this by the end of summer." I pray that no one asks a certain question as my list continues to circulate. One by one, devilish grins form on the faces of my friends. "I'm in," they begi...
