Jumper

It's Friday. The most torturous day of the week. Most people say they hate Mondays, but for me it's Fridays. The reason is because they always seem too long! They make me so antsy. That's why when Sierra suggested skipping school to go to Dead Man's Bluff with Devon and Ryan, I quickly agreed.

We all left after first period, piling into Sierra's car for the long drive to the Bluff. Luckily for us, we always kept spare swimsuits in her trunk for an occasion just like this. Ryan sat next to Sierra, holding her hand across the console. I assume my usual spot by Devon, our hands resting on his lap. The hour drive to the Bluff consisted of us screaming the lyrics to whatever song came on the radio, often just to annoy Sierra.

Just for the record, I didn’t usually make a habit of skipping school. I liked to think of them as our "little field trips". I saved my skip days for extremely terrible Fridays, the Fridays where I wanted to kill every single last student in the school.

We finally made it to the bluff, taking turns changing in the back of the car. We parked all the way at the top, so we would have to take the ten minute hike to get back up after we jump, but it's really worth it. The feeling of plummeting hundreds of feet into the wild water that lays below, crashing against the unforgiving rocks, was the most thrilling experience I've ever had. When you jump, you're at the complete mercy of nature. Whatever happens to you happens; there's nothing you could do after it happens and nothing you could do to prevent it. If you jumped out far enough, you would be safe from slamming up against the rocks.

I was always so terrified whenever Devon jumped though. I’d worry that he wouldn't jump far enough, that the tide would be too strong for him, that he wouldn't make it back to the top. And that thought is the only one that made me jump in after him every time. It reminded me of that question your parents always ask. "If your friends jump off a bridge, would you?" I would say yes, only if it was Devon. Call me suicidal, love-struck, crazy, or psychotic. I really wouldn’t care. Yes, I love him, and I know that it might just be a high school romance, but I really couldn't see life without him.

Devon posed on the edge of the bluff, toes dangling over the edge. Shirtless, he flexed his biceps as Sierra snapped a few quick pictures. Camera ready for his jump, he dived perfectly, doing five front flips in a row before he straightened himself out, and silently glided into the hungry, gray water.

I stepped up next, faced Sierra and made a kissing face for the camera. I turned back around, and dived into the water, pretending that I had just jumped off of the diving board at the school's pool. That's kind of hard to do though when the water you're jumping into is lapping against the rocks, white foam spraying up towards you. The water came closer and closer. Two hundred feet, one hundred feet, fifty, twenty, ten. I closed my eyes and braced for the impact. You could say that I'm not as daring as Devon.

I swam towards the sand where Devon stood there waiting. He whistled and smiled. I laughed and tried to not inhale the water. I decided not to look at him as I swam over if I wanted to make it there without drowning. I stepped up onto the beach and Devon grabbed my hand and pulled me into his chiseled chest. His soaking wet, dirty blonde hair dangled in his face. He kissed me sweetly as he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me in even closer. He came up for air with a smile on his face.

"Come on, let's rejoin whoever's up there." he suggested. Just as the last syllables rolled out of his mouth, a hideous crash resounded from the water.

We whirled around and heard someone screaming from the Bluff. Devon jumped into action. He dove back in the water, reaching the area where we jumped into. A mass that looks scarily like Ryan's body floated on the surface. Devon reached him, grabbed him, and started swimming back to shore. He looked weary, but he didn't give up on Ryan. I heard the crashing of foliage as Sierra rushed through the trail, almost falling down several times. I raced towards her, grabbing her arms.

"He's going to be okay. Believe me! You have to stop crying Sierra. You're tears will do nothing but distress him further. Calm down. I know it's hard but you need to calm down."

She didn't even look at me, tears streaked down her face. Her skin was already blotchy and red, like she got a really bad sunburn. "Sierra, calm down for him," I repeated.

She looked at me then, fury burning behind her hazel eyes. "What if it was Devon?! What if it was the person that YOU love?!" she screamed. And with that, she tore down the beach, meeting Devon who was carrying Ryan up the sand carefully. She ran a loving hand through his hair and looked into his eyes.

"Cassie, you're the fastest. I need you to run back up the bluff and call 911." Devon ordered.

I responded immediately, my legs flying over the grass. The branches from the trees that had grown over the trail whipped against my face. I didn't even notice. I just kept running. I ran all the way to the car and ripped the door open, searching frantically for a cell phone, any cell phone. I found Ryan's laying on the console and tried to dial 911 with trembling fingers. I replayed to them what happened, hoping they understood the urgency of it all. When I removed the phone from my face, it was covered in my blood.

The branches started snapping again and I knew Devon and Sierra were running. Then I heard the sirens. They took one look at Ryan and loaded him onto the gurney and raced away to the hospital, leaving the only family he ever really knew behind.