Because They Were There

Step 0||The set up

"Nobody climbs mountains for scientific reasons. Science is used to raise money for the expeditions, but you really climb for the hell of it."

-Edmund Hillary

***

"—so then the satanic cult was like 'we're going to sacrifice you to the mighty Lucifer himself, a gift of virgin blood will please him and we will rise from the ashes of a meaningless society' ...I mean they just assumed I was a virgin. Do I look like a virgin? They were so rude. And I know you're not listening, my story is as real as your relationship with that guy, Steph." Gerald sighed, trying to get his lovestruck friend's attention. She, however, was busy fixated on the undoubtedly attractive face of Brady Adler—the captain of the soccer team.

"Steph, stop being a creep."

"But he's hot." she whined, her eyes still glued on him.

Oh so now she listens.

"That doesn't mean you can stare, Steph," Gerald huffed, adding, "He's not that handsome anyways."

"He is!" She argued. "Look at that face, G,"she insisted, grabbing him by the shoulders, turning him in the direction of the soccer player. The charming blonde was eating a sandwich, surrounded by his overly loud friends—a cliché cocktail of cheerleaders and athletic bro-dudes. "That, my friend, is a miracle of the gene pool."

"Okay, okay-Jesus, Steph, you didn't have to grab me," he said, slapping away her hands. She was always uncomfortably touchy. "And if you think he's 'so hot'-"

"A miracle of the gene pool." Steph corrected.

"-A miracle of the gene pool..." He noted, adding with a sigh, "It's a shame that your vocabulary only kicks in when you're pining over a guy."

She tilted her plastic chair backwards, hands behind her head. "I does what I do's, G. You gotta accept that." She answered with a bastardized Brooklyn accent.

"...why don't you just ask him out?" He asked.

"Ask him out?" She repeated in disbelief. "You don't just ask Brady out. Why would you even suggest that? Crazy." She scoffed.

"Just take him out for coffee. Making the first move is a lot better than waiting for him to ask out a girl he's never talked to." Gerald advised, a patronizing tone starting to seep into his voice.

"You almost make it sound like you haven't been doin' some stalking yourself. The name Rachel Flynn ring a bell?"Steph hummed, a smug grin on her face.

Rachel Flynn was the school's queen bee. She wasn't mean, though-the truth was that she was quite delightful. With perfect grades, a pretty face, and a personality that could withstand a two-hour conversation about how amazing horses were with a smile that looked genuine ( Rachel was deathly allergic. Her family found this out when she was five. A trip to the stables with her parents ended in the emergency room. ), everyone loved her-including Gerald.

He shifted in his seat, his voice lowered, glancing around as if there were spies in the cafeteria particularly interested in his love life, or rather, much more accurately, his lack of said love-life.

"How did you know?" Gerald questioned.

"I can read your mind, I know all your secrets now, Josh." Steph divulged, beginning to munch on the pizza square on her tray. Steph was actually sort of hurt that Gerald didn't tell her about Rachel. Sure, G liked to keep to himself but she expected him to at least tell her, and not some piece of paper. 'Did Gerald not trust her?' she wondered.