Page 107 of Valley Girls
Rilla knew something was different when she walked into Camp 4 later that week, and all the climbers seemed to be trying to figure out which way to look over their coffee, and all the non-climbers were rubbernecking and confused.
She found Adeena, Petra, Hico, Gage, Caroline, and Knox sitting in a line on the bear boxes at a newcomer, Abby’s, campsite, trying very obviously to look casual. Abby and her partner, Langston, sat in their chairs, eating cereal out of mugs, also trying to look cool.
“Um. Hey y’all.” For a second, she heard the West Virginia in her voice and was surprised. Is that how she always sounded?
“Morning,” Abby said at the same time as Langston lifted his spoon, and Adeena and Petra said hey, Caroline saidhey girl, and Hico, Gage, and Knox nodded,sup. All at once and hardly at all.
Rilla put her hands up. “What the hell?”
“Celine arrived,” Caroline said, tilting her head across the camp. “With a Nat Geo crew.”
“And Andy Thomas.”
“Who?” Rilla asked, tapping Gage on the shoulder and waiting for everyone to slide down the bear boxes, creating space at the end for her to plant herself down.
“How do younotknow who Andy Thomas is?” Petra asked.
Rilla frowned at her, trying not to blush.
“Andy Thomas is that guy who’s famous for free soloing. He’s an amazing climber,” Caroline said. “Almost as good as Celine.”
“Want some cereal?” Adeena shook a box of Frosted Mini-Wheats in her direction.
Rilla shrugged and extended her hand for the box. “Sure.”
“What are we looking at?” Rilla asked Gage, grabbing a handful of cereal.
“All the way at the end. They’re in two campsites all on their own.”
Rilla shifted straighter, peering over the tops of the other campers waking up, pulling out breakfast from their bear boxes, and lighting the morning fire.
Through the people, the trees, the brush of wind on the glimmering morning dust, the far end of the camp came into focus.
It was mostly men—maybe ten to two. Similar looking to the climbers she saw all the time, except less ... grungy, and with better equipment.
“Which one is Celine?” she asked Gage.
“The brunette in the blue jacket.”
Rilla looked her over carefully. Celine had all of Caroline’s ease and grace, but in a shorter, rawer body like Adeena’s. Her hair was thick and long, tied back in a low ponytail. Her face looked like the manifestation of the articles always popping up online about how to be more like a French woman—not quite beautiful, but interesting.
“And Andy is the one in the green.”
Andy looked ... dopey. Muscled and hard and weather worn. But dopey. Like life had intended for him to be inside playing video games, but he got wires crossed somewhere and ended up a world-famous climber. He had his hands tucked into his pockets and leaned over the shoulder of Celine, looking at something Rilla couldn’t see.
“So, is this what we’re doing today?” she asked over her mouthful of cereal.
“Caroline, go over there and talk to her,” Adeena said.
“They’re eating breakfast,” Caroline replied. “I’ve met her, but we’re not like best friends.”
“Yeah, but you’re the most famous of us,” Gage said.
“Being inClimbing Magazinelikeone timedoes not make you famous,” Caroline said. “She’s probably never heard of me.”
Petra hopped off the box. “All right, I’ll do it.” Stretching her long legs in a purposeful stride, she headed toward the group.
“May we all have the balls of rich white girls,” Hico said.
