Page 115 of Valley Girls
The next morning, after Thea had left for work and Rilla was working across the bottom of the Camp 4 walls, partnerless, Celine emerged out of the brush.
Rilla jumped away from the wall, brushing off her hands guiltily. If she had hated climbing in front of Caroline, she definitely didn’t want to be caught by Celine.
Celine only said, “Good morning,” politely.
“Morning.”
Celine shaded her eyes against the early morning glare of light bouncing off the granite and looked upward.
Rill stood awkwardly. Not wanting to climb, not knowing what else to do.
“You’re the one from West Virginia, right?” Celine said after a few minutes.
“Yes ma’am.”
“Caroline said you only started climbing this summer.”
Blushing, Rilla nodded. When would she stop being new?
“How exciting. What a wonderful place to begin a journey,” Celine said. She tucked back a strand of her hair and looked up. “I’m just looking at this route here. Have you climbed it? Henley Quits?”
Rilla glanced upward. “Uh, yeah.” She had. She had led it, even. Blood rushed to her fingertips and she bit down on a smile. “It’s fun.”
“Mind belaying me on it?” Celine asked.
Rilla’s eyes widened and she looked down at her gear.Really?“Sure.”Be cool, Skidmore.
And even though she stood on the ground, carefully minding her rope as Celine quickly moved up the ever shrinking crack, Rilla felt like yelling to anyone who might hear, “I’m belaying Celine Moreau!”
It was only after, when Rilla lowered her, that she understood why Celine was Celine.
Methodically. Quietly. With a strange sense of balance and poise, she unclipped her harness and turned again to the wall.
Rilla stepped back, confused.
Celine turned to the wall and raised her hands. And while Rilla watched with an unhinged jaw, Celine proceeded back up the climb. The rope limp beside her, the only sounds were the birds and the gusts of wind in the trees.
“Wow,” Rilla breathed when she returned to the ground. “I don’t think I could ever,” she started before snapping her jaw shut.
Celine smiled. “You shouldn’t. Unless you know you can.”
“How do you manage that risk?” Rilla asked, still in awe.
“For me, it’s not a risk like it is for most people. I know what I’m capable of. I know my limits because I’ve pushed every one of them on the rope. To go off the rope, it’s because I know I can physically, and the mental challenge is all that’s left.”
“But you could die!” Rilla said.
“Of course I could. And so could you. We shouldn’t fear what might happen. We should fear what we want and might not do because of fear.”
Rilla laughed. Then, without thinking, she leaned on the rope and blurted out, “Why didn’t y’all ask Adeena to haul?”
Celine blinked twice and her forehead creased. “Adeena is the Pakistani climber, yes?”
Rilla nodded, her words catching up with her. She looked down, embarrassed. “Yes. She’s from Pakistan. She climbed Everest when she was fifteen. I’ve learned so much from her. She’s one of the best climbers and teachers in the Valley.”
Celine smiled. “I only met her that one morning. She sounds wonderful. I’m so glad to see you girls all supporting one another.”
Rilla frowned, wanting to ask if she’d known Gage except that he was Hico’s partner. The quietness of it was what bothered her most—the shadow that seemed like it would never be caught and dealt with. Even now, what could she say? Get to know some girls? Celine probably knew plenty. Walker was right. And so was Petra. So was Celine. And Adeena. It seemed just when Rilla was over one mountain, there was a whole range of challenges ahead to navigate. Complicated and uncharted.
