Tiny Little Needles

Chapter 2

Alyssa's POV, 3:17 pm

Once we got into Ashley's house, I downed a tall glass of water before setting it on the wooden table in front of me.

"So I should really stay away from those kids, huh?" I asked Ashley who was sitting across from me.

"I mean, I would. You know how much I got bullied by them in ninth grade and then it stopped. They could strike back at any time," she told me, twirling a strand of red hair around her finger.

That was true. Ashley got teased quite a bit by Ryan and his group of dickheads for a good five months, that was until they found out Ryan had the biggest crush on her and then they started to leave her alone. I always joked with her that she was so pretty and that's why they don't do it anymore. Then again, grade nine is when Ashley really started to change; her hair grew out, she actually began to wear makeup, her acne started to go away, she listened to different kinds of music, her braces got removed... I wished that happened to me, cos puberty hit her like a fucking truck, and the outcome was beautiful.

"So can we tell you our plans for the summer?" Rafe asked from the kitchen, grabbing a tangerine and began peeling off its skin.

"Sure. Didn't you guys come up with them?" I questioned, knowing that each year for summer break we had this 'tradition' on how each person thinks up something to do during the summer. We only came up with this 'tradition' last summer, so it isn't really a tradition yet, more of like an idea.

"Well, Zack came up with the brilliant idea of going into that little trespassed area of the forest near the train tracks and vandalizing the box trains," she explained. I knew exactly what she was taking about. The forest behind my house was really old and dead and had broken down fences and a little bare area that was 7 by 7 that people stood in and vandalized the fence. And if you were to peak past some of the bushes and ferns, there was a railroad track, rusty and old with box cars zooming past with all types of graffiti on it. The train was only used about once or twice a week to deliver more supplies to the next town over, which was Pima.

"Then, Alex is having a party on July 15th at his house," Rafe added on.

"Also -this was our idea- to go to the cliff that over looks the lake and jump off it into the small lake!" She smiled brightly.

"Your kidding, right?" I asked in disbelief. I didn't even know if it was legal in this town to jump off that cliff, I mean, how are we going to get back up? And the cliff is like 40 feet tall! The tall cliff looked over an emerald lake with warm water and was probably the best water to swim in, also to take pictures of.

"Not kidding. It's going to be so fun!"

"Your sure its legal?"

"Hell yes,"

"And how do you know we won't get caught?" I quizzed, knowing that the park rangers usually went up daily to check if everything's running right with the escarpment.

"Well, we didn't think of that yet... But it's worth the risk, right?" Asked Rafe.

"Well, I guess," I responded.

"And, Bens uncle has his cottage free up north and it's huge with like, ten bedrooms and a huge lake and pool and hot tub. I swear, this might work out," Ashley went on.

"How far up north?" I asked her.

"Umm, Rafe, what's it called again?"