Onward And Sideways (Completed.)

Chapter 10

The way down to the little waterfall, creek area is steep. Some of our group can do it no problem (like Sam, Colby, Lucy, Ira and Ally) but some of us, not so much.

We get to the edge, and Colby shows the new people how to do it, where the spots with the best grip are, where there is loose gravel. Ira carefully picks her way down after him, and waits on the river bank at the bottem.

Ally can do it herself, I'm sure, but Colby insists on helping her, keeping her hand in his to steady her. Ira makes some signals at her from behind, while Colby's turned away, making a heart with her hands and raising her eye brows. Ally's cheeks are flaming because of it, while I try to contain a snort.

When they get to the bottem, Lucy, who is a mountian goat, looks to Christina and grabs her hand. Christina looks confused, but Lucy drags her over and helps her down.

Now it's just me, Sam, and Nugget at the top. We stand in awkward silance for a minute.

I take a step toward the trail, wanting to see if I can do it myself, as I do not much like being babied, but Sam stops me with a hand on my arm.

"Remember what happened the last time?"

Oh yeah. I look down at my knees, remembering how the last time we came here, I slipped on gravel on my way back up and shredded my knees and hands, and had to hike back bloody, acting like I wasn't hurt as bad as I was. I laugh and joke when in pain, so I was a comedian that day. The boys didn't know how bad it was until we got back to the picnic area by the car and I brought out my first aid kit.
It took a good month for my knees to heal up completely.

I make an abashed face, embarassed. "Sorry."

Colby climbs up to get Nugget, very carefully helping him down, and then it's my turn.

I quickly grab a small branch/big stick to use as a walking stick, and Sam grabs my other hand, and we pick our way down.

We're almost safely to the bottem when a rock under my foot comes loose, and I fall onto my butt, sliding down the last 10 feet, knocking Sam, who was a little bit infront of me holding my hand, off his feet and onto his butt, still holding my hand.

We stop at the bottem, and everybody is quiet, looking at us in shock.

"Just leave me here to die." I whisper.

Sam stands up beside me. "Nope. Now, are you hurt?" He scans my exposed skin, and when he finds nothing, helps me up and checks the back of my legs. "Good, you're okay. Didn't see any blood. Did you twist anything?"

I blink. Sometimes I forget that Sam can be a serious mother hen.

I move around a little, and other than a few bruises, surprisingly I'm fine.

"I'm good, you?" I inspect him for injuries, immediatly going into Mom Mode. I brush the dirt and debris off his back without thinking about it, and declare him wound free. I make him check for joint issues, and he quickly does a few stretches. He's fine.

I stand up straight, and suddenly remember the 5 other people standing right there.

Blushing bright red, I grab Nugget's leash from Colby, put my backback in the pile of our's on the ground, and walk down the stream.

Nugget, who may secretly be a fish, dashes into the water, taking me with him, and we go under.

The water's not very deep, only about 3 feet at the deepest, and the area we're in only 2. But it's still enough to submerge when you fall face first.

I shoot up straight, breaking the surface and standing on my knees, gasping a breath. Nugget is circling me like a happy little shark, barking. I give him a dirty look.