TrailRage
ByOliviaJames
Assummer’sfinaldaysslippedawayin MountainTown,Evareturned,bringingwith herasenseofnostalgiaandexcitement.The girlsandIhadplannedanightbeneaththe starsatanopen-airconcertonDeerValley’s hillside thesameslopesthatwouldsoon transformintothetown’sbelovedskiruns. Asthesundippedbehindthemountains,the skyexplodedinshadesofamberanddeep violet,castinganetherealglowoverthe scene.Thegrassyhillwasalivewithaseaof concertgoersspreadingoutpicnicblankets adornedwithcolorfulcharcuterieboards, multiplevarietiesofcheeseandcrackers,and freshlyuncorkedbottlesofwine.Laughter andconversationrippledthroughthecrowd asfriendsandneighborscalledoutgreetings, wavingacrossthehillsidetofamiliarfaces.
“Theretheyare!”IsaidtoEva,asIwavedto Abby,Charlie,andPhoebe,alreadyoneglass deepintothecelebration.
Aswegotcloser,IrealizedthatAbbyand PhoebeweretryingtocheerupCharlie.She hadjustreturnedfromCaliforniatovisitMatt.
Hewasundergoinganexperimental treatmentforhiscancer,buttheprognosis wasnotgood.Charliewasdrainedfromthe experienceyetstilltryingtokeepingood spirits.Evadoesn’tcometotownoftenandwe wantedtomakethemostofhervisit.
Whilewewaitedforthebandtostart,aguy wanderedoverandstruckupaconversation. HeintroducedhimselfasTodd,acityguy fromLAintowntovisitfamily.Itwasn’tlong beforehiseyeslandedonmeandIcouldtell hewasturningupthecharm.
"Whynot?"Ithought.Ithadbeenfivemonths sinceJoshandIbrokeupandalthoughI’d beenonafewdatessincenoneofthem sparkedanythingreal.Toddseemednice enough handsome,educated,andsuccessful, aprettysolidcombo.Sure,hedroppedafew toomanybignamesformytaste,butIdecided tooverlookit.Maybetonightwasjustabout enjoyingthemomentandseeingwherethe eveningmightlead.
Aftertheconcert,wemigratedtothe SaddlebackSaloon,keepingthenightalive.
Charlie,Eva,andPhoebekickedthingsoff witharoundofshots,whileToddandIgota littlemore“acquainted”.Aftersomelate-night anticsandmorethanafewlaughs,wedecided tocallit.ToddandIexchangednumbers, tossingaroundpromisesof“seeingeachother againsoon.”Buthonestly,Iknewthedrill guyslikeToddbreezeintotown,caughtupin theromanceofitall,onlytoheadbacktotheir reallives(andlikelyrealgirlfriends)oncethe vacationhazefades.Iwasn’tholdingmy breath.
Tomysurprise,Toddturnedouttobethereal deal.Truetohisword,hecalledmethevery nextmorning,rightfromtheairportashe waitedforhisflight.Wekeptthemomentum going,tradingcallsandtextsforafewweeks beforewedecidedI’dtaketheplungeandvisit himinLA.
Steppingofftheplane,Iwasamixof excitementandnerves,second-guessingmy spontaneity.WhatwasIthinkingflyingoutto seeaguyIbarelyknew?Whatifwehadzero chemistryoffthemountain?
ButthemomentIspottedhim,Ifeltthe tensionslipaway.Hewasleaningcasually againstwhathadtobeabrand-newPorsche, lookingeffortlesslycuteinacardiganand sneakers.Ihadtoadmit hereallywasa handsomeguy.
Hepulleduptothebuilding,casually mentioninghisdecisiontobuythewhole place.Itwasathree-storysetup,withhis apartmentperchedatthetop.Theotherfloors werestillvacant,buthehadplanstofillthem soon.
Pushingopenthedoubledoors,herevealeda hacienda-inspiredlivingroom,filledwith rusticwoodenfurnitureandwallspaintedin warm,earthytones.Thespacefeltcozy,a refreshingdeparturefromtheusualMountain Townapartmentsclutteredwithbikes,ski gear,andmismatchedsecondhandfinds typicalofthelocalbachelors.
Toddhadthoughtfullypreparedacozydinner athome,knowingI’dbewipedoutafterthe flight.Afterdinnerandafewdrinks,wemade ourwaytothebedroom.Itstartedoffabit awkward,butthingseventuallywarmedup.It wasthefirsttimewe'dbeentogethersincewe initiallymetattheconcert.Thesparkwasn’t quitelikewhatIhadwithJosh,buttherewas anexcitementinitsnewness.
Thenextmorning,Iwokeuptobreakfastin bed courtesyofTodd,whowaslayingiton thick.JustasIshiftedtogetdressed,hepulled mebackintobed,professinghisundyinglove. Iwascompletelycaughtoffguard,mymind blank. "Thankyou,"wasallImanagedtosay,before givinghimaquickkissandmumbling somethingaboutneedingtobrushmyteeth.
Wesidesteppedtheelephantintheroomand kickedoffourdaywithajetskiadventure Toddhadlinedup.Thewindandwaves workedtheirmagic,liftingthemoodaswe spedacrossthewater.
Afterdryingoff,wemetupwithTodd’s brother,Patrick,andhisgirlfriend,Mimi. Mimiwasallquestions askingifIliked Todd’snewcarandtheupdateshe’dmadeto hisplace.Itoldhereverythinglookedgreat, butIcouldn’treallysay,nothavingseenit before.WhenIaskedwhenhe’dmadethe changes,shesaiditwaswithinthelasttwo weeks.Odd,Ithought.
OnourwaybackfromMalibu,wehittraffic, andIfoundmyselfinurgentneedofa restroom.ImentionedittoTodd,who,despite lookinglikehewasonthebrinkoflosingit, pulledintoagasstation.WhenIgotbackinthe car,hetoreoutofthelot,sweepinghismiddle fingerupacrossthedashboardandshouting, “F@%kyou,allyoumotherf@%kers!”toward thecarsinfrontofus.Ijustsatthereinstunned silence,frozenbytheoutburst.
DespiteTodd’sroadrage,wemadeithome safely.Desperateforsomepeace,Iinventedan excuseaboutneedingawalk.OnceIturned thecorner,outofsightandsound,Iquickly madeanSOScalltoEva.
“Eva?ThankGodyoupickedup!IfeellikeI’m inthetwilightzone,andIneedasanitycheck.”
“Layitonme.What’sup?”Evareplied,as directasever. IfilledherinonwhatMimihadsaid. Apparently,Toddboughtanewcarand overhauledhisplacerightaftermeetingme— allformyvisit. “That’seitherreallysweetorseriouslycreepy. It’slikehefelthehadtotransformhimselfto impressyou.”
“Exactly!Andthentherewastheroadrage episode.Hewentoff,flippingthebirdand shoutingattraffic,justbecauseIaskedhimtostop soIcouldusethebathroom.Andit’snotlikewe hadanywhereurgenttobe!”
“Whaaat?Oh,no,girl.That’saHUGEredflag!You gottacutthatcord.So,I’mguessingthisisthelast timeyou’llseehim?”
“Well…he’salreadybookedourtripinSeptember. WewereplanningtohikeTimpanogostoprepme forthetrekCharlieandIaredoinginthe Himalayas.Idon’tthinkthatIcangetoutofit.”
“Yes,youcan.Hereishow“HeyTodd.Ihave decidedthatyourcrazyassbehaviorisnotgoing toworkforme.Iamleavingrightnow.Noneedto bringmeinyourfancybrandnewPorsche, becauseIwouldliketogetthereinonepieceand willbecallinganUber.“
“Ican’tdothatEva.Itwillbefine.Iwilllethim downeasyonhisnexttriptoMountainTown.”
“Ok,don’tsayIdidn’twarnyou!”
Itwastheperfectearlyfalldayaswesetoffon ourhikeupMountTimpanogos.Inmyselfdeclared“yearofyes”,I’dsomehowagreedtoa HimalayantrekwithCharlie,whichincludesa climbto16,500feet.WhatwasIthinking?I’m practicallyafish,bornandraisedatsealevel. Luckily,Todd,anexperiencedhiker,offeredto helpmegetusedtotheelevation.
Sincemylastvisit,thingswithToddhad been…tensetosaytheleast.Still,Idecidedto setitallasideandjustenjoythefresh mountainair,hopingthishikemightbethe resetweneeded.
ItwasaSaturday,andapparently,theentire stateofUtahhadthesameideawedid.
PhoebeandAbbydecidedtojoinusforthe hike,especiallyafterhearingaboutTodd's outburstinLA.Theyweredeterminednotto letmewanderintothewildernessalonewith apotentiallunatic. Notthattherewasanyriskofisolationtoday thetrailwaspacked.Itwasclearthishike wasgoingtotakewaylongerthanplanned. Butasweclimbedhigher,wehopedthe crowdwouldthinout,givingusabitofspace andachancetopickupthepace.
Toddstartedmutteringsnidecomments underhisbreath.
“Canyougoanyslower,Grandma?Atthis rate,wewon’tgettothetopuntilafter sunset.”
Hopingtocoolthingsdown,Isuggestedwe takeabreakbythelake.ButjustasIwas catchingmybreath,IturnedtoseeTodd flippingoffthehikerswehadjustpassed.I wasmortified—hisroadragehadofficially transformedintotrailrage!Phoebelooked horrified,andAbbystartednervously giggling,herusualreactionwhenshewas uncomfortableandunsureofwhattodo.
“Whatareyoudoing,Todd!?”Iexclaimed.
“What?It’snobigdeal.They’rejustabunchof losersholdingusup.” Therewasdefinitelyaloseronthismountain, butitwasn’toneofthehikersinfrontofus.
Itdidn’ttakeadetectivetofigureoutIwas annoyed evenToddhadpickeduponit.I hungbackonthetrailwithPhoebeandAbby, givinghimthesilenttreatment.Ifhewasin suchahurry,hecouldblazeaheadsoloforall Icared.
Aswereachedthesaddle,avoiceechoed throughtheair:“MOUNTAINGOATS!
MOUNTAINGOATS!”
Roundingthebend,wespottednoneother thanTodd,holleringlikehe’djustdiscovered alostcivilization.Hewaspointingwildlyata fewgoatsperchedonthehillside.
Wequicklyduckedoutofsight,slippingtothe edgeofthetrailtotakeintheviewbefore Toddnoticedwe’darrived.
IpeekedaroundtocheckifToddhadmoved on,butinstead,IspottedJoshmakinghisway downfromthesummit.Seriously?Couldthis daygetanyworse? BeforeIcouldturnandhide,Joshcaughtmy eye.Wehadn’tspokensincethatdayat Saddleback,despitehismultiplecallsand texts,allofwhichI’dexpertlyignored until now.
“Hey,girl.”Hisoldgreetingfromwhenwefirst met.
“Hey,Josh.Howwasthesummit?”
“Olivia!Olivia!”Todd’svoiceechoedashe wavedlikeamadman. Joshraisedaneyebrow.“Whyismountain goatguywavingatyou?Areyouwithhim?” “What?Nooo,Ihavenoideawhothatguyis.”
“Olivia!I’mgoingtothetop!”Toddhollered again.
Joshshotmeaskepticallook.“Thenwhydoes heknowyourname?”Hepausedandthen shiftedtheconversation.“Anyway,I’vebeen tryingtoreachyou.”
“I’vebeenbusy,”Isaid,keepingitshort. Joshsighed,hiseyeslockedontomine.“I’mso sorry,Olivia.”
Theintensityofhisgazemademyresolve crumble.Iglanceddown,takingadeep breath.“Iknow.Look,itwasgreattoseeyou, butIshouldgetbacktoPhoebeandAbby.” Iturnedandwalkedawaybeforehecouldsay anythingelse.Evenafterallthistime,itstill stung.AsIglancedback,Isawhimheading downthetrail,thedistancebetweenus growingonceagain.
Wefinallymadeitdownthemountain,andas soonaswegothome,ItoldToddtopackuphis stuffandleave.Icouldn’ttakeonemore minuteofhisantics.
Whilehewasgatheringhisthings,Idecidedto goseeCharlieandfillherinonthespectacular seriesofdisastersthathadunfolded. Ibargedthroughherdoor,talkingasIwalked in.
“YouwillneverbelievethedayI’vehad ”But beforeIcoulddiveintothedetails,Inoticed Charlie’sface,streakedwithtears.
“Charlie?Areyouokay?”
“No,”shewhispered,hervoicebreaking.
“Matt…”
“Matt?Whathappened?”
“Matt…he’sgone,Olivia.Hepassedaway.”
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