‘You’re doing brilliantly. You’ve got to be halfway up by now.’
‘Really?’
Alice looks elated. Then she looks down.
First rule of climbing … don’t look down.
‘SHITTING HELL ZACH,’ she shouts. ‘I’m so high up.’
Her knuckles grip tighter and the blood drains from her face. I realise that she’s starting to panic so I try to reassure her.
‘You’re doing really well. Keep it up.’
‘I can’t,’ Alice yells, panic etched across her face. ‘I’m too far off the ground. What am I supposed to do?’
‘Exactly what you’ve just been doing,’ I encourage. ‘Find a foothold. Ease yourself up. Take it nice and slowly.’
‘But what if I fall? I can’t do this.’
There’s genuine fear written on her face now and I leap into action, scaling up the steeper route so I can scramble to her side.
‘Deep breaths,’ I instruct. ‘You’re doing great. Here, lean on me for a bit.’
‘Won’t we both fall?’
‘I’ve got a strong hold,’ I say, wrapping my arm around her waist for support. With my help she lets go of one handhold and rests her upper body against me.
‘I’m scared,’ she whispers.
‘I’ve got you.’ I hold her gaze and rub my thumb across the side of her body until I sense her starting to calm. ‘Now, we’ve got two options. Option one: carry on climbing to the top. Option two: climb back down. Either way, if you fall (which you won’t) the mat is there to protect you.’
She puffs air out of her mouth. ‘Gawwwwwd. What about option three: stay here forever. Or option four: go back in time and use the mat for outdoor sex as I initially suggested, rather than for landing on with several broken limbs after I tumble down this GIANT ROCKFACE.’
‘The jokes are back,’ I grin. ‘Which means you can do this. Do you trust me?’
She stares me straight in the eyes as if she’s searching in them for her answer. I feel like she’s sifting through all that we’ve been through, all of my baggage. Eventually she nods. ‘I’m starting to.’
In my head I’m doing a Chandler fromFriendsdance but obviously I don’t tell Alice this. I still haven’t recovered from the fact that she knows I used to love Point Romance and the Spice Girls, so I think a secretFriendsaddiction may just be the final nail in my cool coffin.
‘Let’s make it happen then.’ I ease her hand back towards the crag and track her steps with mine, pointing out each new foothold as I spot it for her. She’s breathing fast at first, completely silent with concentration and nerves. Slowly but surely, we make our way to the top of the crag.
‘I can see the top!’ She yells.
‘One more step and you’ll be over the edge.’
‘I’m going to put my foot here?’
‘Looks good to me. See, you don’t even need my help now.’
She pauses. ‘I JUST LOOKED DOWN.’
‘Stop doing that!’
‘I think I’ve developed vertigo?’
‘One more step and you’ll have reached the summit.’
With one last burst of energy she scrambles over the top, me in hot pursuit. I find her lying like a starfish on the grass. I lie next to her, our fingers touching, enjoying the rush of endorphins as I stare up at the airplane trails criss-crossing the sky.
