Starless [#Wattys2015]

Chapter 12

"I'm never getting in the sun again!" Avalon called out to Lanson, as she trudged up the sandy path.

"It's fine! You look good in red, anway!" Lanson shouted back. He was up ahead.

Avalon chuckled, tugging the strap of her white tank top. "My hair, not my skin! If my mom sees a spot of sunburn on me, she'll have a fit!"

"Not that I care." She muttered under her breath.

Avalon sped up and caught up to Lanson. The rushing of a waterfall can be heard ahead.

Lanson slung his arm around her. "We're almost there, babe. I have a surprise for you!"

He pushed away a curtain of green vines away, revealing a crystal clear waterfall flowing into a water spring below, hidden by palm trees, and birds flying in the distance overhead. They were hiking on a cliff.

"Lance! How'd you find this? It's amazing!" She gushed.

Lanson shrugged, pleased that she thought so. "A bit of exploring. It's a man-made cove, so it's not natural but at least we can finally be alone."

Avalon looks up into his eyes. "Thank you. It's a paradise. Just for you and me."

"I don't even think you're parents know about this place and they own Calypso Isle." He pointed out.

"This is gonna be great! We should dive! Think it's deep enough?"

"Well, we're about to find out!" Lanson grabbed her hand and led her up to the steep cliff.

"Everything is so green and lush!" Avalon said as a realistic-looking, robotic turquoise butterfly landed on her elbow.

Lanson crouched on his kneess to get a closer look of the water below. "Damn, what a drop- Avalon!"

Lanson stumbled, losing his balance on the steep slope.

"Shit!" Avalon shrieked and turned to see Lanson practically in midair, barely hanging on with his fingertips. She grabbed his arm and pulled him up as tried to steady his feet back on the rocks.

He smiled nervously. "Careful, slippery."

Laughing, she said. "No kidding."

"Thanks. My hero."

They continue climbing up the rocks, holding hands and inspecting the height from the rocks to pool below.

"This is so high! Like 100 feet?"

"More." Lanson replied.

"It's not as high as the mountains back home. Next time we'll go sky diving."

"That would be great!"

"Av, you're the bravest girl I know! Anyone else would be scared out of their mind!"

"Funny, cause my parents would hate me doing this shit. First they would coddle me, then they would kill me."

"So you only do risky stuff because it annoys your parents?"

Avalon grinned and yelled. "Nope. It's for the adrenaline rush!"

Avalon leaped, dragging Lanson down with her.

They screamed in a less-than-graceful dive and hit the water.

They swim up to the surface and say simultaneously. "That was-"