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Chapter 22: On Edge

Chapter 22: On Edge

"I take it back! You're fun! You're so fun! You're so much fun! You're way more fun than me! Can I go home now?!" I shout, afraid as I cling onto a drunk Jay as we both stand on top of the very same cliff we went to last time, or as Jay likes to call it, 'Neptune Cliff'.

Except, this time, Jay is out of his mind crazy. He wants us to both jump. What blood pact is this? Yes, there is water below the steep cliff but the water will feel like concrete when we hit it. Hell no! I am not prepared to jump and kill myself. Jay can, but I refuse! This cliff is way too high! I'm terrified of heights -- my one and only fear other than the inevitable zombie apocalypse, the rise of the machines and alien abductions or invasions.

Jay simply laughs at my nervousness and unwraps his body from me as he takes a daring step toward the edge. "Look alive, Klutz!" he shouts, his back to the cliff and his eyes on me as he takes yet another step back. "You want fun? Let's have some real fun! The water is probably great."

"Not when the water feels like cement!" I yell in protest, gingerly reaching out to him to try and pull him away from the edge of the cliff. However, to do that I have to get close to the cliff.

"Only one way to find out!" he argues, moving a step back so that he's now standing on the very edge of the cliff. 

I didn't realize that his definition of fun is death. I'm not too keen on the cliff diving experience.

"If I swear on my life that you're a zillion, trillion, bazillion times more fun than me, will you come home?!" 

If he thinks that I'm that type that jumps off the cliff just because the other person does, then he needs to think again!

"Don't be such a buzzkill, Klutz," he chuckles, his blue eyes twinkling in amusement again.

"Damn it, Jay!" I run forward and grab his arm, cautiously watching my step, not expecting him to resist me, considering the current state of mind he's in. When he doesn't move, I let out a squeal of terror before sprinting back to safety. "You will fall!"

I reach for him again, only to end up running straight back to the safe zone as Jay's amused gaze remains on me. I repeat the process a few times, letting out a fearful squeal here and there, until Jay finally decides he's had enough of my poor attempts in rescuing him. 

"I fell a long time ago," he says before doing the unthinkable.

I watch in horror as he salutes me before he jumps off the cliff in a backflip.

Let me back up to earlier, it all started 500 years ago when the fire nation attacked...

Sometime earlier

I'm lying across one of the leather couches, staring up at the ceiling, when Jay begins to chuckle aloud at nothing in particular.

I'm assuming the alcohol has just kicked into his system. He barely had a sip and he's already drunk. No wonder he limits his drinking.

Now's my time to get anything I want from him, starting with Grey's phone number. I grin cunningly to myself when he gives it me, no questions asked. I ignore his random outbursts of energy as I scroll through my phone's contact list. I stop at 'Mr. Grumpy' and give him a call. I end up prank calling him a few times much to his rising temper.

"For the last time, who are you and who gave you this number?!" Grey explodes from his side of the line.

"Your mom!" I shout into the phone and then realize that he asked two questions. I add, "And your dad!"