Page 109 of Valley Girls
“I know. But maybe not fast enough?” Adeena shrugged. “I don’t know if I’d think the same thing if I were them. Probably.”
“What use is it to complain about it anyway?” Rilla said, kicking at a rock with her toe. “Nothing you can do to change it.”
Adeena laughed. “Oh baby Rilla,” she said smoothing Rilla’s hair like a mom.
Rilla squirmed uncomfortably.
“I will never forget about it. I’m always going to wonder,” Adeena said. “But I agree, there’s nothing to do about itright now. But someday, Petra will be right, I’ll get to decide the team and I’ll remember this moment and give a girl like me a chance.”
Petra had run into Caroline at the edge of the campground and they could see Petra talking, arms moving dramatically.
“Can I ask something?” Rilla asked, hesitant.
“Yeah?” Adeena asked, watching them.
Rilla patted her pockets absently, forgetting she didn’t have smokes on her. “I don’t really get them. How did they meet?”
“Who? Oh, Petra and Caroline?”
“Yeah.”
Petra was still talking. Caroline crossed her arms.
“Same place I met Petra,” Adeena said. “Petra was a volunteer for the competition. Me and Caroline were talking when she introduced herself and started talking about Yosemite.”
Rilla’s stomach turned.
Adeena looked uncomfortable. “I think they hung out a few times and climbed together. But like ...” She shrugged. “Honestly, I was just excited to come to Yosemite, and Petra doesn’t bother me. I’m the middle child of six—I know how to go with the flow. But I get that other people can’t deal with her personality.”
Rilla understood. Petra was competitive even in places where it wasn’t okay to be competitive. She didn’t do things she wasn’t good at, and she exaggerated how good she was. But at the same time, Petra was the one who’d brought her in and took her climbing. If it weren’t for Petra, Rilla wouldn’t be there now. And if it weren’t for Caroline, Rilla would have never been able to grow as a climber. It was a terrible, icky feeling in the pit of her stomach with no visible resolution.
Adeena looked like she felt the same way. “I want some ice cream. Let’s get ice cream.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Rilla said, and they rushed away from Petra and Caroline.
•
The temperatures rose and the tempers stayed short—especially between Petra and Caroline, now that Caroline was hauling for Celine. Adeena and Rilla just tried to stay out of it and listen sympathetically to Petra’s rants—knowing they all wished they could be on the wall, hauling in the ridiculous heat and sweating like a pig for Celine and Nat Geo photographers. Despite the heat, the crowds grew even thicker, flocking to the dried-up waterfalls and the slow-running Merced.
“It’s just ... I don’t understand how Petra doesn’t understand that they didn’t mean anything personal by only asking Caroline,” Rilla complained to Walker after Petra had finished complaining toherand had gone back to the Grove. They were stretched out, opposite each other in Walker’s hammock outside his tent. He had his notebook open, sketching, ordoodling, as he called it. It’d been a quiet day in a busy week and the first time they’d really gotten to hang out since Celine had arrived. They were both dirty and tired.
Walker’s pencil moved across the paper. “I know, but Celine knows Caroline. Caroline has a reputation in the community. And Hico’s a famous boulderer. Gage is Hico’s partner. Petra and Adeena aren’t known.”
“Adeena climbed Everest when she was younger than me!”
Walker shrugged. “That’s ... I mean. Women just aren’t as well-known for their accomplishments. I would have asked Adeena. She can haul ass. But I know her, and Celine doesn’t. I would feel pissed if I were Petra too. I’d take it personally too.”
Rilla frowned. “It just ... it’s like a splinter I can’t get out. Festering and shit.” She plucked at the strings on her shorts.
His knee nudged hers.
“It just seemed like if I climbed as well as everyone else,” Rilla said, “I could have been picked. But Adeena and Petra both climb as well as Hico and Gage. But they weren’t picked.” Petra didn’t climb as well ... but it felt disloyal to think it, and it still left Adeena on the ground. “Adeena has the most climbing experience of everyone.”
“Except Caroline,” Walker said.
“Okay, but still. Adeena should be up there.”
“This is the first you’re hearing of sexism?” Walker asked with a chuckle.
