Up on the ridge

Prelude

I smiled at her before I looked forward, before my smile could fade my world ended.
It went by so fast; the shock, pain and then the endless darkness.
My world ended. Or was this just the beginning?

1.
Lilianna

“We only have a week left of school, we might as well make the best of it.” I said talking to one of my best friends Brandi. My junior year in high school just ended, and I couldn’t wait to go back home to Georgia. I am originally from Georgia, but I currently live with my mother in Maryland. Living here wouldn’t be so bad if we weren’t in the middle of the city and I didn’t stick out like sore thumb.
“Yeah, well you’re leaving me here so you can go home to all your redneck friends.” She sighed throwing the French fry she was eating onto her tray.
“I told you that you could come with me for a week. You know you would have so much fun.” I said with a smirk. Her eyes got really wide and her jaw dropped as if I had just told her that I was going to go snap off a newborn’s head and eat it. “What, what is wrong with that idea?”
“With your sister? She would KILL me!” She said defensively.
“No she wouldn’t, I wouldn’t let her. You are my best friend, you know that me and Jasper would protect you from her.”
“That’s because Jasper thinks that she is a beached whale that will make love to a monkey if it looked at her for too long.” She laughed.
“Very true. But hey, Keegan doesn’t look that much like a monkey…” I said trailing off.
“Yeah right. He looks like a straight up monkey. Face it, your sister is dating an ape!”
“This is why you are my best friend.” I laughed as the bell rang. We got up and left the lunch room and back to our fourth period class, math.
“But promise me when you leave that you will still talk to me, and don’t let your sister keep you from me like she always does. I am going to miss you and go through withdrawal from not having my little redneck by my side.” She said before the teacher hushed her and the class began.
“I promise.” I whispered and winked at her. Brandi was my best friend, I know that Harper doesn’t like her but that shouldn’t keep me from having friends here.
The only reason Harper doesn’t like any of my friends from Maryland is because they are not her, and because she doesn’t think I deserve any other friends. She is one year older than I am so naturally I have been following behind in her shadow. Harper was the straight A student, Harper learned new tricks in gymnastics before I did, Harper got a brand new Mustang… It’s always all about Harper. Harper this, Harper that… And sometimes I wish I didn’t follow behind her, but she has been my best friend for 17 years, and it’s hard to make new friends when you are well-known because of who your older sister is.
When school was over me and Brandi raced to my Bronco so we could leave before the buses did. Brandi wasn’t the biggest redneck but she still loved the ‘cute’ country stuff, but her friends still rolled their eyes at us when they heard it start up and yelled after us when I tromped on it to be the first out of the school parking lot. You know, the teachers probably didn’t like us either… But I don’t know why, I have a beautiful truck and it sounds even better than it looks.
“You never change Lily.” She laughed as she put her hair up.
“Never have, never will.” I said as I tromped on it to go through the yellow light. People honked and yelled, but I just smiled as I blasted my train horn and went on my way.
“I told you to warn me!” She yelled. I guess even though I’ve been taking her home for 3 months now that she isn’t used to my horn.
“Oh hush, do you want to go get your Italian ice or not.” I said as we turned into a parking lot.
“Ohmygodiwantonerightnow.” She said it so fast it was hard for me to understand what she said, but as soon as I had the truck stropped she jumped out and went to the window to order one of her treats. The guy she had a crush on was working, you could tell because they were both smiling and she was giving me that look.
Wouldn’t she just hate me if I trainhorned her right now…
“LILIANNA MARIE I AM GOING TO KICK YOUR REDNECK ASS YOU WAIT TIL I GET OVER THERE!” She yelled from across the lot. I couldn’t stop laughing I remembered how just a couple seconds ago I saw her jump for the heavens and scream like she was possessed. I was laid across the seat that’s how funny it was, but apparently she didn’t think so because when she got in that truck she yelled at me because apparently “Everybody saw it” and it was “very embarrassing for her.”
“Oh come on Brandi, when are you gonna learn that other people’s opinions about you don’t matter. Hell, they’re probably just staring because you got in my truck and you know what these people think about me.” I said before I turned the key. “You wanna really piss them off?” I asked with a smirk.
“Lilianna Marie Belle don’t you do it.” She said looking terrified. “Don’t you do it. You are going to get us in so much trouble!”
“What?” I said. “I’m innocent, I just want to leave a trail of burnt tire so they know where to find me if they want to bitch me out personally.”
“No, oh come on don’t do it. Wyatt is watching!”
“Who? Oh who your boyfriend?” I said before I looked for him, I found him and she was right. He was definitely watching, just a step below drooling. I told her to hold on before I burnt tire, making sure to let it squeal and wiggle a while before I let the clutch out and shot forward through the stop sign. I knew she was glaring at me the whole way back to her house, but I knew she’d get over it. She always does. That’s what best friends are for, getting on your nerves and testing you. In the end, the real ones always stay. No matter what.