Page 77 of Surrender
When they pulled up to the trailhead, Dallis parked, and she looked around. They weren’t even immersed in the trees yet, and it looked beautiful. She got out of the car and headed to the trunk, where Dallis was pulling out the two backpacks they’d brought. He’d gone out last night and purchased a cooler backpack to keep a few sandwiches, fruits, and drinks in.
Colbie took the other backpack from him, in which she’d also packed some fruit that didn’t need to be refrigerated, trail mix, chips, sunscreen, bug spray, and battery-operated fans in the event they needed them in separate compartments. Both of their phones were fully charged, but she brought a portable battery charger just in case.
It’d been a while since she’d been on a hike, and she hadn’t been on one as long as the one they were about to take ever, but she knew it would take them about three hours to get where they were going. She’d placed some gel soles in her shoes, wanting to be proactive and minimize any aching she might get in her feet.
Colbie pulled out the sunscreen and bug spray, using both and packing them back into the bag once Dallis had done the same. After double-checking that the car doors were locked, he took her hand, and they began their hike.
They weren’t walking long before the sounds of nature surrounded them. It was like everything had waited for them to show up before starting their day. It was peaceful. They walked in comfortable silence for a while, Colbie taking in the birds flying and the foliage before Dallis broke it.
“My parents, my Uncle Lane, and my Aunt Ellah want to have a graduation gathering for Hayden and me, and I’d like for you to come.”
“He’s a senior? For some reason, I thought he was a junior.”
Colbie remembered seeing an honor roll announcement with the name Hayden on it. Not that it meant it was the same person, but she thought it’d said he was seventeen.
“Nah, he’s a senior. You probably saw that honor roll thing,” Dallis stated as if reading her mind. “He has one of those birthdays that come right before the cutoff. He’s the only person I know that’s the same age for an entire school year.”
Colbie nodded. “It was the same for me.” With her birthday being in June, she was always the same age when she started and ended the school year. She also knew it wasn’t uncommon, but figured Dallis didn’t know anyone else personally outside of Hayden and, well, her.
“True,” Dallis stated. “So, I guess I know two. At least two that I care enough to remember.”
Colbie paused for a moment, swung the backpack around, and opened it. She pulled out a banana and an apple. She hadn’t been hungry when they’d woken up before the sun, but now her stomach demanded that she eat something. She gave Dallis the apple since he didn’t like bananas.
They ate their fruit and played a game of who could spot the most squirrels. The little creatures weren’t shy as they scurried in front of them or seemed to sit on the tree trunks and branches, watching the two of them as they hiked on the path.
Two hours into their hike, they drank their water and ate some trail mix. They’d shifted from counting squirrels to telling stories from their childhood that they hadn’t told the other yet. Whenever they spent time together, they always made it a point of talking, continuing to get to know one another, and she’d discovered that Dallis enjoyed hearing stories about her antics with her siblings. Or, more so, Drew’s antics that she and Cameron would get pulled into, regardless of him being the oldest.
Colbie figured he enjoyed those because he didn’t have any siblings, though she knew he spent time with his friends, who he considered family, and his cousin Callie. He’d tell her those stories, and from the sounds of it, he and Arsyn were the troublemakers while Hayden was along for the ride most of the time.
When they were a little over three hours into their hike, she could hear the rushing sound of water. It put some pep in her step, and a few minutes later, the trail opened up to reveal the beautiful waterfall and stream. Colbie couldn’t contain the gasp that left her lips.
“Baby, this is beautiful,” she stated, releasing his hand as she stepped to the stream’s edge.
“I thought you’d like it,” Dallis responded, pulling the backpack from her shoulders. He placed it on the ground, wrapped his arms around her waist, and placed his chin on her shoulder.
“Do you come here often?”
“Not as much as I used to. When I was a kid, all the aunts, uncles, and cousins would get together and come out at least twice during the summer and make a day of it. We’d leave before the sun, and the kids would sleep the entire trip.”
“I’m surprised the adults were able to get you all to make this hike unprotested.”
“Don’t get me wrong. We protested the first time and whined the entire time, but once we got here and saw the stream and waterfall, we had a field day playing in it. After that, we couldn’t wait to get here each time we came.”
Dallis released her, pulling his own backpack off and setting it down. Colbie removed her shoes and then her socks placing them inside. She stuck her toes in the stream briefly, pulling them out quickly. She waited momentarily before stepping down into the stream with a little squeal, and she heard him chuckle.
“You could sit there and laugh, or you can join me.”
“While laughing is appealing,” Dallis started, and Colbie rolled her eyes playfully. “Joining you sounds a little more fun.”
She watched him remove his shoes and socks and step into the stream. Colbie kicked her foot slightly, splashing him and getting the bottom of his shorts wet. He smirked at her. She knew that she’d just started a water war. They hadn’t brought towels, but they’d have plenty of time to dry in the sun.
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Dallis sat with Colbie beside the stream as they weaved flower jewelry. Well, she was weaving it. He was trying and failing miserably. After splashing around in the water for a while, they’d walked around the area collecting flowers and long blades of grass, drying a little in the process.
“You’re good at this,” Dallis stated, looking at her almost-finished creation and then his, which was falling apart.
“I have my mom to thank for that. When I was little, she would hold this sort of summer camp with my siblings and me to keep us occupied when school was out, and this was one of the activities we used to do.” Colbie paused for a moment. “Those were the good old days before she decided that trying to dictate my life was the new goal for hers.”
