Page 123 of Valley Girls
“Climbing probably is the first time she’s done anything, like, in the larger world,” Hico said. “It takes a lot of guts to do that.”
“Yeah, going to France would be a huge thing. Too much, too soon,” Petra said.
“She’s got time,” Caroline said.
“She could do it,” Adeena said.
“Even if she could, it requires money,” Petra said. “Andthatshe doesn’t have. She’s still using my gear. I should probably get that back before she thinks I gave it to her.”
“Yeah, her stories about West Virginia are ... confusing.”
“Like,lying about itconfusing,” Petra said. “Do we really think her mom was a stripper? It’s all a bit much. I think she likes the attention.”
“I don’t know ... she’s young,” Caroline said. “I don’t think she’s lying, but ... ”
Rilla had never known as much agony as she felt right at that moment, where all her worst fears had materialized as real from the mouths of people she most idealized. It was standing in a dry canyon and a sudden torrent of water unleashed and drowned her. One second she was fine. The next, there was no escape. It was over.
Tears sprung, bitter and hot. And she turned back and jumped into the water until it closed over her head and she imagined the steam rushing over the top of the water as it cooled the misery and heat of being alive and turned her into iron. She imagined she was the mountains, fresh and new and cooling into granite.
She rose to the surface just long enough to breathe and feel the sun against her eyelids before returning to the cold glacier water.
She heard Walker’s voice calling before she understood his words. She felt his body move the water around her. His fingers on her waist. She kicked away and up.
“Rilla,” he said as they surfaced.
Her name sounded odd in his mouth. Like she had the sudden urge to scratch it out and forbid him from ever saying it again.
“We’re going,” he said.
“I’m coming,” she said, and kicked for the rocks at the edge of the pool.
She finished the rappels in silence, at the back.
No one seemed to notice.
Thirty Seven
The only revenge was to prove them all wrong. Or at least, that they, like home, had underestimated her. Yes, she might be what they thought. But she was more. And could be capable of more. Celine had seen that. Celine had climbed with her! She could go to damn France if Petra could.
Petra was right about one thing though: Money was an issue.
“You can always find money,” Jonah said, after rolling a blunt and listening to her vent as they sat on the granite couch, overlooking the Valley.
Rilla finished holding a tight breath of smoke before blowing it out and handing it back to Jonah. “Life doesn’t let me find jack shit.”
He rolled his eyes. “You sound hangry. Did you eat?”
“I ate,” she muttered, elbows on her knees. “I’m not going to care about this. I’m going to get revenge for this.”
“That sounds an awful lot like caring.”
She turned to him, eyes narrowed. “Well,you’rebeing super helpful.”
Jonah shrugged. “Don’t shoot the messenger.”
She exhaled and looked out over the Valley. Everywhere she could see, she had memories of climbing with those people. Memories that felt ruined and tainted by what she’d overheard. “My mom said I could come home.”
“To West Virginia? I thought you didn’t want to go back?”
