Chapter 18: Watch out for your feet.

The rope is still shining blue. We put our feet on the bridge, tense the rope, and start moving.

"Do you remember back in high school that your boyfriend went crazy over losing the semifinals?" I say.

"What boyfriend?" Ellie asks.

"Homura," I say, confused.

"Homura!" Ellie laughs. "He's not my boyfriend!"

"Then why were you so close that day at the party?" I ask.

"I just touched his chest!" Ellie says. "And I did it to keep you from smacking each other up."

"Oh. Well. You were a couple back then," I say. "The one that hid his cup protector in your bag was me."

"I knew it!" Ellie says.

"You did!?" I say.

"Sure. You were always the one that Homura picked the most," Ellie says. "But in the end, your joke ended up affecting me more!"

"I'm sorry. I still remember you washing all of your things," I say. "But the face of Homura when he couldn't find his lucky cup before the most important match of the year was worth it."

Ellie frowns. "You know. Homura told me more than once that he scolded you because you were actually good.”

“That’s a joke, isn’t it?” I say, laughing. “Me?! Good at sports?! Never!”

“I don’t have reasons to lie to you right now,” Ellie says, shrugging.

“And what did he tell you?” I ask, skeptical.

“That you had talent, but you wouldn’t even try a little,” Ellie says. “He scolded you, trying to bring some anger out of you. Thinking that you could release it in the games.”

I am quite shocked. Homura cared for me? “I guess it worked sometimes. But I was too busy studying. I didn’t have time to practice more as he wanted.”

“You were too busy studying for you to notice anything else than your grades,” Ellie says.

“Ouch!” I say. “But I already told you. I had this urge to have the best grades. And I do regret missing so many things.”

“Do you remember when I invited you to see me at the athleticism regionals, and you didn’t go?” Ellie asks.

“I did go,” I say. “I just didn’t sit with Ayasaki and your other friends. I cheered for you but from a distance. You won your heat that day. You ran so fast.”

“Ha! It’s nice to know that you were actually there,” Ellie says. “Remember when we played the zombies that jumped at the end of the haunted house we did for our last school festival?”

“That festival was a blast!” I say, smiling. “How could I forget about the frightened faces of so many innocents and how hard we had to contain the laughter.”

“For those days, it was like being kids again, being friends again,” Ellie says. “But as soon as the festival ended, you were back to being stressed Rin.”

“Hey! The college admission exam was very close. I was under a lot of stress,” I say.

“I understand, but you could at least show up for a little while at my party,” Ellie recriminates.

“I don’t get why you started to invite me to many places with your friends back then,” I say.

“Because after those great days at the school festival, I wanted my friend back,” Ellie says.

“I thought I already said sorry for that,” I say. “I would never fit in with you and your friends.”

“You didn’t need to fit, Rin,” Ellie says. “I was just trying to bring the old days back.”

“I still don’t get why you tried when I started to be an asshole to you,” I say, looking away. We’re almost on the other side of the bridge. Almost safe. “I wouldn’t even confirm to assist, and you just kept insisting until we graduated.”

“Because I knew you were trying to drift me away from you as you do with everyone else,” Ellie says.

We’re a step away from the cavern’s floor when I stop for a second.

“I gave you all the reasons to break any friendship that was left between us,” I say. “Why didn’t you just drift away?”

“Maybe because I liked you, duckbrain!” Ellie shouts.

“You what?” I stammer.

All of my body stops working. My feet slip down the bridge, and I fall down the cliff.

“Rin!” Ellie and Jern scream as I fall.

It’s amazing how slow I’m falling, as if everything was in slow motion. I can see Ellie running to try to catch me. Jern runs to the barrier, trying helplessly to step in.

Ellie liked me? Me?! In past tense. And i screwed it up. Nothing new for me.

The sudden tug of the rope and my body smashing against the cliff’s wall bring me back to reality.

My left hand is still holding on to the rope, even though I’m not even trying to.

For some strange reason, the rope is still glowing with an intense blue color, shining stronger than ever.

“Hold tight, Rin!” Ellie shouts. “I’m pulling you up right now!”

“Ellie, there’s no way you can pull me up. I’m too heavy for you!” I shout, but I still hold to the rope with both hands. “You have to let me go.”

This is it. I can not drag Ellie down the cliff with me. If she doesn’t let go, I will.

“No!” Ellie screams. “I won’t let you run away again.”

“Ellie, you have to…” I say, but the rope starts pulling me up.

“I’m not letting you!” Ellie shrieks as the rope keeps bringing me up and up.

When I’m on the edge of the cliff, Ellie shouts, “You could help me a little!”

She’s grounding her feet on a big boulder and is pulling the rope. On her own?

“Rin!” Ellie screams.

I get back to reality, Grab the edge of the cliff, and pull myself back to the safety of the cavern.

I go and sit next to an exhausted Ellie.

“How were you even able to do that?” I stutter as I look at a stupified Jern, looking at Ellie with the same disbelief as I do.

“I have no idea, but I did it,” Ellie says, gasping and covering her face with her hands.

We stay in silence for a while as Ellie recovers from her tour de force.

“I’m so sorry, Ellie. It’s just that when I drift people away, they never get to hurt me ever again,” I say. “And I’ve been so alone because of that. That I’ve hurt myself even more than other people ever would.”

“That’s why I’m trying to change. But it is not easy for me,” I say. “But with you. I always take a step in the right direction. I want to be your friend again.”

“Friends, like in the old days?” Ellie asks. “Didn’t you say that you changed SO much?”

“I mean. It won’t be the same, but I can try,” I stutter.

“Sounds good,” Ellie says. “Now, let’s get out of here.”

I take the backpacks and help Ellie stand up.

We cross the invisible barrier together, which disperses with a blue gleam.

The rope I’ve been unable to let go falls to the ground. The petrified dragon starts breaking before us.

“We’ve made it,” Ellie says.

“I think that this time, you made it,” i say. “Without you, I would never have finished it.”

“Well. That’s what friends do, isn’t it?” Ellie says with a tone of disappointment.

“Guys!” Jern runs and hugs us. “You did a great job. Especially you, Ellie. Are you sure you’re not a dragon in disguise?”

We all laugh as we watch the other dragon come back to life in front of us.

I smile. I’ve taken a step forward.

I hope she’s happy too.

I’m friends with Ellie again.

Just friends…