g a r r i c k *
Ethan and I decided to go hiking today. It's a beautiful spring day, and despite being best friends, we haven't been able to spend much time together. Both of us have a backpack with a bunch of snacks, a few water bottles, a flashlight (with extra batteries), a portable (fully charged) phone charger just in case something happens, but honestly, it won't. Both of our parents know that we're going hiking.
"I'm excited," I say as we're driving up to the mountains. I keep my eyes focused on the road.
"Me too," Ethan says. "But I also love being outside, so..."
"I know, me too,"
Soon after, we're pulling the car into the gravel parking lot. When we get out, we take turns spraying each other down with sunscreen and bug spray--both of our mothers' orders. Once we've sprayed each other down, we take off towards the trail, making sure to follow the number markers tacked up to the trees.
I'm not sure when it happens. Or how it happens.
"Ethan, come look at this!" I say, not turning around as I keep my eye on the butterfly. "Look how pretty!"
There's no response. I turn around. Ethan's not there.
"Ethan?" I say.
No response.
"Ethan??" I say once again.
There's, once again, no response.
"Ethan!?" I say, beginning to panic. "If this a joke, it's not funny!!"
My heart starts to pound, I start nervously (and panic) sweating. I check the surroundings, calling out his name over and over again. Once I've thoroughly searched the area, I try dialing his phone. It rings but cuts off saying there's no service. I curse silently and begin to make my way back towards my car.
I dial my Mom's phone number once I get back to the parking lot. By this point, I'm holding back sobs. "Mom! Mom!" I say into the phone, trying to breathe.
"What? Honey, I'm here, what? What's wrong?"
"I can't find Ethan! I turned around to look at a butterfly and when I turned back around, he was gone! I searched the area around there, and I tried calling him! I came back to the car just in case he came back! Mom, I'm scared!"
"Okay, okay, honey, calm down, alright? Don't panic, okay? Call the police, I'll get Dad and we'll call Ethan's parents and be there as soon as we can, okay?"
With shaking hands, I dial the police.
Our parents and the police arrive within seconds of each other. Upon seeing mom, I run forward and start sobbing in her shoulder. I notice, however, that neither of our fathers' came, but I don't question it. Instead of Ethan's father, his sister, Ellie, is with their mom.
"Hey, it's okay, we'll find him, okay?" Ethan's mom, Sarah, soothes, rubbing my back. "He's a big boy, he can take care of himself,"
I nod, wiping away tears. I lead the group to the last place that I know Ethan and I were together.
"Do you have anything of his that we can let the dog sniff?" An officer asks me. I nod, taking my backpack off and pulling out one of Ethan's extra shirts. I'd forgotten to pack one, so he'd given me one of his to borrow. What if this is the last thing of his that I have??? Calm down, Garrick, just breathe, I tell my self. It does make me feel better, though, that he has food, water, and a flashlight with him.
The dog catches his scent after a few minutes of searching. We all follow the dog further up the trail. I hope he didn't get trapped in a cave or something. I hope that he's okay. Man, this is all my fault.
"Mom," I say, my voice shaking just as much as my hands. "Mom, this is all my fault!"
"It is not!" Everyone says at once. Mom pulls me into a hug as Sarah rubs my shoulder.
"What if we don't find him?" I ask. "What if I never get to see him again? There was so much that--I didn't even get to tell him,"
"We're going to find him," Sarah says, staying calm on the outside, but I can tell by her body language that she's freaking out just as much as I am on the inside. "It might take a little bit, but we'll find him. Don't panic, alright?"
The dog stops in front of the mouth of a cave. Oh no, he wandered into a cave and now he's going to have amnesia or something!!
"You guys stay here, Andrew, the dog, and I are going to go see if he is in there," an officer who's name tag reads 'Oscar' says, turning around and facing us. We nod and I lean against a tree. The officer, Jack, who didn't go in with the others watches me.
"Hey, listen son, it's going to be okay," he says, patting my shoulder. "He probably thought you were right behind him and didn't stop until he was far up the trail."
"They've been in there for a long time," I say.
"Honey, it's only been," Mom says, looking at her watch, "Five minutes, chill out,"
Ellie snorts, and I look at her. Ethan and I grew up together, meaning that I grew up with Ellie as well, so we have almost the same relationship as the one I have with my own siblings.
What feels like an eternity later, but is probably only like ten minutes, the dog and officers come out of the cave, followed by Ethan. I stand up so fast I almost take myself out on a branch. I run towards him and before I can even say anything, he grabs my arms and jerks me into him, kissing me hard.
"You scared me," he says, looking at me once the kiss breaks.
"ME?" I say, my eyes widening and looking at him. "I scared YOU?? You scared the crap out of me, Ethan!! What the heck even happened?"
"I thought you were right behind me, so I kept walking and when I stopped, you weren't there and I couldn't find you, and I think when I was trying to find you I got turned around and got lost. I tried to call you, but I didn't have any service. I was on the other entrance of the cave; it's like a tunnel."
"As long as you're okay. You ARE okay, right?" I ask him, pulling back to look him over.
"I'm fine, Garrick, I'm okay," he says, pulling me back towards him so that I'm against him again. I don't know if he doesn't know or doesn't care that our families are standing there, or that the officers are standing there, but he kisses me again, harder this time, which is saying something because the last kiss was pretty hard, too.
We make it back to the car safely, thanking the officers and petting the dog, a female German Shepherd named Shae, in thanks.
"Mom," Ethan says, looking at Sarah. "Garrick and I are gonna go get something to eat."
"Okay, sweetie," Sarah says. Mom, Sarah, and Ellie look at us.
"Who's spending the night where?" Sarah asks, asking the question that no one else wanted to voice.
"They can stay at my house," Mom says.
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, Ethan," Sarah says, coming forward and hugging her son tightly. Once our moms' and Ellie, and the officers have driven off, Ethan pushes me against my car and presses his lips to mine, cupping my face. He nips at my bottom lip softly a few times as he kisses me. He pulls back, looking at me.
"If you couldn't tell," he says with a laugh, "I like you,"
"I like you too," I say softly, looking into his eyes. "I like you a lot,"
He smiles at me and kisses me again.
After we left the mountains, we went to a local diner to get something to eat and then we came back to my house. Now, we're getting ready for bed, laying together underneath my covers and watching Disney movies on Freeform. He leans over and kisses my lip softly.
"Goodnight, bubs," he whispers softly, kissing me again.
"Goodnight, lovely," I whisper back, kissing him again, as well.
2/7/20
