Hey, I’m not opposed to playing the gay best friend card if it gets me through the door and trust me, it works almost every time.
Chapter 5: Rosie
The following week.
It was around six o’clock in the morning when I heard the knock on my door. I groaned and willed it away. But then there came another knock and that’s when I realized that it was probably Foster.
I had meant to set an alarm for myself but I must have forgotten in my haste to pack my hiking supplies.
My phone started to vibrate against the nightstand, skidding across the surface until it balanced precariously on the edge. I grabbed it before it could fall and saw Foster’s name plastered across the screen. The bright light made me squint. Through my blurry vision, I managed to accept the call and in a groggy voice I answered, “I’ll be down in just a second.”
In zombie mode, I rolled out of bed and dragged my feet toward the door. I am by no accounts a morning person. Why I had agreed to this crazy idea was beyond my level of understanding. Sometimes you just do weird things.
Finally, I reached the door and unlocked it, and there he was looking as chipper as a blue jay. Speaking of blue jays, he wore a hockey jersey that looked a little out of place for hiking but I wasn’t about to question him on his sense of style. “I need some coffee,” I mumbled as I turned back into the kitchen and turned on the coffeemaker.
A second later, Foster reached over my shoulder and flicked it off.
“Hey, why’d you do that?” I moaned in annoyance. “Couldn’t we have gone hiking at noon or something? I mean, seriously, why do we have to leave at freaking six o’ clock in the morning? It’s practically the middle of the night as far as I’m concerned.”
“To make the most of the day,” Foster answered as he placed a cup of coffee in my hand. “Chai latte. I thought you might be needing one and I guess I was right because you’re Miss Grumpy Pants right now.”
“Sorry…” I sighed into my drink, holding the cup with both hands to make the most of its warmth. “I’m just not used to waking up this early.”
“With me around, you might want to make it a habit.”
I rolled my eyes. “I hate morning people.”
Foster held a hand to his heart to show that he was seriously wounded by my comment. “How dare you say such a thing!”
His dramatic tone was enough to elicit a chuckle from my lips. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”
***
Foster wasn’t lying about the place being beautiful. It seemed everywhere I turned there was a scene more spectacular than the last. I couldn’t put my camera down because doing so risked missing something I could go back and look at later.
“Have you tried looking at the world through your eyes instead of through a viewfinder?” Foster looked over his shoulder. He was sitting on the edge of a cliff, legs swinging. It was clear that he didn’t have a care in the world. I envied him. I was the kind of person who worried about everything and it never really got me anything but trouble.
I sat down beside him, finally placing the camera back in its bag.
“See, isn’t that better?” He asked with a smile. “Nature exists to heal us. That’s why I offered to bring you out here. I can’t say I know what you’re going through right now but I do know what it feels like to be lonely. It sucks. It’s as simple as that.”
“You’re not wrong about that.” I drew my legs into my chest and rested my chin on my left knee. I took in the scene, soaking it all in. Here, everything seemed to shine with a vibrancy I had never seen before.
Overhead, a hawk soared. I craned my neck to follow as it sliced through the clouds before diving toward the ground, eyes locked on a helpless prey below. If I had to guess, a mouse or something. Wanting to capture the moment, I reached for my camera but Foster placed his hand on mine, stopping me. “Just watch.” He whispered as we both moved toward the edge.
Effortlessly, the winged hunter swooped down and crushed the tiny mouse between his talons. I was glad we were too far away to hear its final squeal. Still, I flinched as if feeling its pain.
Foster tightened his grip and I locked eyes with him. For the first time since our acquaintance, it sent a shiver through my spine. My eyes widened as the air around us became artic. He flashed a knowing smile, his eyes dilating into slits. I blinked and the vision was gone.
I shook my head, pushing the hallucination aside. I must be seeing things. That was the only explanation.
Foster continued to look in my direction like he was on the verge of saying something but he never did. I looked away and my eyes settled on the lake beneath us.
The dragon!
How had I forgotten?
“So… Foster…” I ran my tongue along my lips as I tried to prepare myself for what I was about to say. “I know this sounds crazy but I had a dream that this roommate of yours… Myles… that he was actually a dragon.” I laughed at the insanity of it. “I know, I know, vivid imagination. Dragons aren’t real. They’re just monsters you can slay in video games.”