Cacophony

5: t a k e i t s l o w

My mirror shows another face, another place to hide it all.

Fall approached quickly. The band had been busy at the studio recording for their first full length debut album, Ultramega Ok. When they weren't in the studio, they all had their day jobs and shows that kept them occupied.
On one of Sydney's rare days off the phone rang at an ungodly hour of the morning, causing her roommate Liz to grumble. Sydney sleepily rose from her cot on the floor, hurrying to the phone and answering it in a daze.
"Hello?"
"Morning, Sydney Lee."
"Ugh. No." She groaned, plopping her forehead down on the kitchen counter as Chris's voice greeted her.
"No?" He laughed. "All I said was good morning."
"There is literally nothing good about this side of the morning, Christopher. What do you want?"
He laughed again, and she heard Liz mumble something from underneath the pillow that was pressed over her head.
"I was trying to invite you on a hike."
"A hike?" She repeated, trying to get her tired brain to catch up.
"Yeah. I want to show you something that I think you'll like."
"A hike?! I had a feeling you were insane, but now I know it for a fact."
"The best time to go is now. Get dressed in something warm. Like, layers. It's going to be cold up there."
"I never agreed to this."
"That sucks, because I'll be there in fifteen minutes to pick you up."
"Chris, I-" She didn't get the opportunity to object any further as he hung up the phone and the dial tone screamed unpleasantly in her ear.
With a big sigh, she pushed herself up to a stand and turned to her crates full of clothes. The last thing she needed was Liz's grouchy ass ripping her a new one because Chris was knocking on the door at three in the morning.

***

The car ride was under two hours, and it passed even more quickly for Sydney who fell asleep on the way there. She'd drank about half of the hot cocoa that Chris had brought for her in a thermos. He had taken it out of her hands and placed it safely in the cup holder after she had dozed off. Pulling into the small parking area off the marked trailhead, he killed the engine and shoved his keys in his pockets. The mountain air was cold and it was still dark, but Chris was excited. He usually hiked alone with Bill unless he managed to find a friend that was available and willing to come along with him. Now, not only did he have a hiking buddy, but it was the very same beautiful blonde that he had come to adore. He adored her from the very first moment he met her, and each time he saw her that feeling only grew. She really did feel like his best friend.
"Sydney Leeeeee." He sang playfully, nudging her arm.
Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around a moment before looking over at Chris. He stifled a laugh as he noticed the seatbelt marks across her cheek and the little drool spot she wiped from the corner of her lips.
"We're here already?" She yawned.
"Yep. There's a little bathroom over there if you need to go before we head up."
"Okay." She mumbled, accepting the flashlight he handed her.
Sydney took another long drink of the lukewarm cocoa that was now in the cup holder, feeling grateful for Chris's thoughtfulness despite him dragging her out to the middle of nowhere well before daylight. The morning air was chilly as she stepped out of the car. There were no other vehicles in the small gravel lot, and the sky had turned from black to dark grey. On her way back from the little outhouse she watched Chris sling a backpack on to his shoulders and clip Bill's leash onto his harness.
"You ready?" He asked, meeting her gaze with an excited smile.
"Sure, not that I have a choice." She jabbed playfully, stretching a bit before they hit the trail.
They didn't talk hardly at all as they made their way down a path through tall trees. Sydney listened to the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling, the sounds of nature surprisingly soothing. She kept close to Chris. Though she would never admit it out loud, the darkness and the unfamiliar territory made her nervous. He didn't mind her close proximity in the slightest, keeping his flashlight trained ahead of them and making his way through the trees as if he lived here.
The first few miles followed a steady incline, the trees around them only allowing a hint at the brightening sky above them. There were no clouds, so the stars were just barely visible still through the branches. Eventually the tree line opened up considerably, and Sydney took in the sight of snowy mountain ridges and a pair of lakes down below.
"Wow, that is so beautiful."
They paused, Chris digging out a water bottle and taking a long drink before passing it to Sydney.
"Just wait. It gets better. We gotta hurry though."
With that he trekked even faster for the last two miles. Sydney was nearly jogging to keep up with his long legged strides as she followed behind him. In just under an hour they reached the edge of the second lake, and the sun was threatening to poke it's head over the snowy peaks that surrounded them. Chris stopped, shrugging off his backpack and opening it. She watched curiously as he drew out a blanket and laid it on the frozen grass, letting Bill wander free to drink from the glassy lake.
"What are you doing?" She asked, arching a brow.
"Getting ready for breakfast." He replied simply, taking out a brown paper bag and some tupperware.
"Breakfast?"
"Yeah. Watch the sunrise, eat breakfast, head home. I do it all the time."
"You do?"
"Mmhmm. Sit down, relax. Sun should be up soon."
She obliged, grateful to sit. The hike hadn't been terribly difficult, but it had been long and it was early. Chris spread out a small assortment of fruit, some trail mix and a handful of muffins. Then he pulled out some food for Bill and Sydney smiled.
"You really prepared for this. Were you a Boy Scout?" She teased.
"No." Chris laughed. "I just like to eat good food with a good view... and good company."
Rolling her eyes, she couldn't help but smile. She very much enjoyed his company, despite the fact that he dragged her out here in the cold in the dead of night. They ate in cozy silence, and as the sun finally came up Sydney paused. Never before had she seen such a breathtaking sight. The lake was smooth as glass, perfectly reflecting the snowy ridges and the gorgeous fall colors of the trees against the pink and blue sky. There was a light mist coming off of the water, and there was no sound to be heard save for the chattering of birds and their own breathing.
"Chris... this is incredible." She said softly.
"So it was worth getting up early?" He said, nudging her shoulder as he shoved what remained of his banana in to his mouth.
"Absolutely. I've never in my life seen anything so beautiful."
"Me either."
She looked up at him only to blush, seeing that he was looking down at her and not at the view. She shook her head and smiled again, nudging him back. Shivering a little as she packed up their garbage into the bag he had brought, she looked out across the lake.
"Those trees are so yellow. I wonder what they are."
"Larches. They put on a real show this time of year."
"Oh. You're not wrong."
He nodded, passing her the water and packing the containers and garbage back into the pack. They sat for awhile, not speaking. It was almost as if this type of beauty demanded silence. Sydney had seen a lot of memorable sunrises on the ocean where she grew up, but this was completely ethereal.
"You know, if Heaven exists, I bet it would look a lot like this." She whispered as the sun climbed higher into the sky.
"I hope so." He whispered back.
After a few minutes, Chris dug out a tennis ball and offered it to Sydney. She took it and bounced up, beginning an energetic game of fetch with Bill. Chris watched for awhile in amusement, eventually joining in the fun. It turned into a wrestling match, Sydney attempting to tackle Chris while he just grabbed her and lifted her up over his shoulder. Bill barked and wrestled along with them, gnawing playfully at their hands and rubbing his head against theirs. After they both paused to catch their breath, Chris asked if she was ready to head back to the car. She agreed, but Bill did not. They spent fifteen minutes wrangling the dog, laughing and goofily shoving each other as he dodged them. When they finally caught him, Sydney held his leash and let him take one last drink from the ice cold lake while Chris folded up the blanket, secured the backpack on his shoulders and led the way back through the bright yellow larches toward the car.