Reformation

Prologue

"Truth or dare?"

"Um, dare."

"Ok," Jim looked around. "I dare you to climb that oak tree."

I turned and looked at a thick oak tree that was at least thirty feet tall. "All the way up?"

He nodded. "Until the branches snap beneath your feet."

I laughed. "Ok."

I dropped my crossbow by the base of the tree and held onto the rough bark, slipping my foot into a small nook in the side of it. I pulled myself up and slipped my boot into another foothold. I was about to climb up again when my left foot slipped and I almost fell back, but Jim steadied me by holding onto my waist. I looked down at him and he was blushing slightly.

I could always tell he had a thing for me, I just didn't know how passionate it was. But me, I just liked him as a friend. When he asked me to go hunting today, I knew he might want to pull some moves on me.

I climbed up until I was at the part in the trunk. A few thicker branches intertwined together about a foot above my head. I used the opposite branch for leverage as I climbed up to the foothold. Jim was climbing up the tree across from me.

"Jim, this is my dare remember?"

"I'm just making sure you are following the rules." He smirked at me.

I climbed four or five feet higher until the branches were too thin to hold my weight. I looked up at the grey clouds above me, a storm was brewing. I looked down at the ground so far below me and my stomach did a somersault.

"Jim, I think we are going to need a ladder." I said nervously.

He laughed. "Oh come on, you'll be fine, you're sixteen for heaven's sake."

"Well it's my turn, truth or dare." I asked him, trying to get off the topic of how far off the ground we were. One last round before we had to go back.

"I'm afraid if I say dare, you are going to make me steal an egg from that birds nest," he pointed to a big nest four feet above his head, "So I'm going to go with truth."

"Ok," I thought for a moment. "Did you take me out here to pull moves on me?"

He looked up at the sky. "Looks like it's going to rain." His face was bright red.

"Don't avoid the question,"

He sighed. "I came out here to impress you if that's what you mean,"

Good enough. "Alright, my mom is probably scared out of her mind," I started to climb back down. I got down to the trunk and Jim put a hand on the small of my back to steady me. I leaped down next to him, our faces inches apart. I could tell he wanted to kiss me, his head cocked slightly but I kept walking before he could do anything. Jim and I would never work, we were too good of friends.

I don't think I could ever have something with Jim.