Zelus (Perseus Reimagined) (BXB)

Chapter 12

I want to savor this moment of contentment, identifying every sensation running in my body. The tingling in my stomach, the fluttering in my heart, the soreness in my lifted cheeks, the movements of my toes hidden in my shoes.

2007

 I'M THE KIND OF PERSON who finds peace in his bedroom more than outdoors.

Over the last Spring, Aunt Margaret invited us for a hike in a forest behind her house. Two paths led to a waterfall, which was the only reason people hiked there. I didn't want to go, but mom allowed me to skip my chores for the next week if I did.

The day came; mom and dad were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, waiting for my siblings and me by the porch. It was five in the morning, and I woke up wishing I didn't have to. I slipped into my jogging pants and a plain black t-shirt that was lying on the floor. It smelled used, but a generous spray of cologne fixed it. I was the last one out, as everyone was already out a while ago, checking if they had gotten everything. It was the same time aunt Margaret pulled over, hopping out of her car dressed in gray joggers with pink strips and a matching jacket over her Mickey Mouse silhouette t-shirt. Black shades snugged in her dyed-orange hair.

Time got away from us, but we were still far from the waterfall. I felt the need to grab hold of anything around me along the way. Stones, trees, roots, grass, even as we were walking on a steep hill, and my jelly legs made me envision myself tumbling down like a ball if I lost my balance.

...

An unusual whooshing sound caught our attention. Soon the earth buzzes beneath my feet, slowly traveling through my body and sending tingles to my fingertips. We paved a path where the sound was coming from, and soon the voices of people socializing came together. We've finally arrived by the waterfall. From where we were standing, the mountain seemed like it was crying, its tears plunging down into the river of crystal waters. The air was crisp with every inhale, and mists tickled my cheeks.

As we ambled closer, the sound increased to the point I couldn't hear myself speak. It was growling and rumbling. Walking along the edge of the rocks, we found a spot where the sound lowered just slightly. Everyone set their belongings down while Max and Victoria raced to the waters, impatient to take a dive.

My legs said otherwise. I crashed by a huge bolder, leaning my sweat-drenched back against its cold, rough surface. I pull out my phone, wanting to entertain myself with YouTube, but the signal is really bad as we're high up on a mountain. Instead, I opened my camera to capture the moment. I recorded my legs submerged in the waters, Max diving from the peak of the waterfall, mom and dad partaking in the tuna sandwiches aunt Margaret made, and mainly the environment.

In the back of my mind, I felt that Alexander might appreciate these shots. Though, I was reminded of the possibility that he'd be weirded out by receiving messages from me. And I simply refrain from sharing those moments. He's the only friend that I have. I can't afford to have anything go wrong. We've just met, barely on close terms, to have a casual conversation. I'll just save it for the future. That is, if we're still friends.

...

Maybe I owe my gratitude to aunt Margaret. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have known my way around the hiking trail and guiding the boy scout club towards it. Even the scoutmaster, Mr. Willis, was impressed by how we arrived within hours to spare.

However, there isn't much to do as it's already twilight, and activities are preferably done during the day. The scoutmaster had assigned a partner for everyone, and mine was Alexander, which confused me if I should feel grateful or nervous. It could go either way, actually.