Mrs. Jensen laughed. “Sounds normal to me. And Drake sounds better than normal. I’m glad he didn’t kiss you.”
“Why?”
“It’s better for your first kiss, or any kiss for that matter, to be given only after you know what you’re giving away.”
Sierra was silent.
“Good night, honey. I’m glad you had such a good time.” She got up to leave. “Oh, Amy stopped by tonight. She had some questions for Wes about her backpack. He helped her get set for the trip. Are you almost ready?”
“I think so. Mom? Have you noticed that Amy finds reasons to be around Wes? I’m sure she has a crush on him.”
“Yes,” was all her mother said as she stood by the open door.
“Don’t you think it’s ridiculous? Wes would never like her back the same way. She’s only setting herself up to be hurt.”
“Have you told her that?”
“Not yet.”
“Then don’t,” her mom said and exited, closing the door behind her.
Sierra snapped off her light and shook her head in the darkened room. How could her own mother say that? Then she smiled. She couldn’t wait to replay the entire night in her mind, reliving each feeling, as she had Wednesday night after their walk to Mount Tabor. Then she remembered she’d planned to mark that verse from Hebrews in her Bible. But she felt so tired. It was as if her emotions, which had been running wild all night, were finally tucked away in their cages, safe and sound.
As Sierra closed her mascara-brushed lashes, she fell asleep.
MONDAY MORNING SIERRA and Wes were the first to arrive at the church parking lot wearing their camping gear and sporting their full backpacks.
“Wes,” Sierra said, deciding to take advantage of the few moments they had alone, “I’ve been meaning to talk with you about something. You said last week that if I had anything I wanted to talk about, I could come to you.”
Wesley looked interested. “Guy problems?”
“No. I wanted to warn you about possible girl troubles.”
“Excuse me?”
Randy’s white truck pulled into the parking lot and roared past Sierra and Wes. The three backpacks in the truck bed slid forward as Randy came to a halt. They could hear laughter from inside the cab as he turned off the engine. Randy opened one door while Drake opened the other and got out. Amy rolled out behind Drake, laughing the hardest of them all.
A lump formed in Sierra’s throat. “I’ll talk to you later,” she mumbled to Wes.
“If you’re going to tell me what I think you are, don’t bother. I’m not that naïve, Sierra Mae.” Wes rolled his eyes.
“Hi!” Drake called out. A donut was wedged between his front teeth like a dog bone.
Amy had powdered sugar all over her hair and a blob of jelly on her nose. She was still laughing as she approached Wes and Sierra.
“Don’t ever agree to ride with those two,” she warned. “Especially if they’re armed with food.”
The lump in Sierra’s throat swelled. Who put the jelly on her nose? Randy? Was he suddenly interested in Amy now that Sierra and Drake were together? Or was it Drake? Was Amy flirting with Drake and was he flirting back? A dark cloud of horrible thoughts crossed Sierra’s mind.
I think I want to go home, she thought.
“Donut?” Randy held out the open box to Sierra.
“No thanks.” She sat down on the grass next to her backpack. Drake came over and put his backpack down next to hers.
“Sure you don’t want one?” Drake asked. “They’re fresh as a winter snowfall.” With that he demonstrated the powdered sugar sprinkling from his donut, which accounted for Amy’s dandruff outbreak.
“Here, Sierra,” Randy said. “Sniff this jelly donut and tell me what it smells like to you.”
He had a gleam of mischief in his eye.
“Don’t do it!” Amy warned. “If you smell it, he’ll smash it into your face.” She wiped the jelly off her nose with her finger and bent down to clean it on the grass.
Sierra tried hard to smile and enter into their banter. But it was their joke. The three of them were having fun together. Sierra hadn’t been a part of it. Why did that bother her so much? All four of them had goofed around in the lunchroom during the school year, yet somehow this felt different. She and Drake should be the ones sharing personal jokes, shouldn’t they? So why was he playing tricks on Amy?
Shane arrived with a car full of backpackers. Two other cars pulled into the parking lot at the same time. After nearly an hour of organizing, everyone talking at once, and finally a group prayer, they loaded up in the church van and took off.
Randy and Drake were the first to clamber into the van, and they headed to the back bench seat. Sierra made sure she was the next one in and planted herself beside Drake. It bothered her that he didn’t seem to wait for her; nor did it seem that he planned to save a seat for her next to him. What was going on?
“Do you mind changing spots with me?” Drake asked before they took off. “There’s a little more legroom on the end.”
Sierra obliged and scooted over between Randy and Drake while he slid past her and stretched out his legs in the narrow aisle.
Now this is really strange, sitting between Randy and Drake, she thought. A week ago I would have been sitting next to Randy, probably holding his hand or sleeping on his shoulder. Now I’m with Drake, so is he going to put his arm around me? How will that feel with Randy sitting right there? Oh, why is my head pounding?
As the van moved north on the freeway, Sierra momentarily solved her problems by folding her arms across her middle and sliding down in the seat. With her eyes closed, she pretended to be asleep as she tried to figure everything out.
She could hear Amy’s voice carrying from the front where she sat behind Wes, who was in the front passenger seat. She peppered him with questions about backpacking technique—questions like, “How tightly should I adjust the straps? Will it hurt my back? Should the pack ride on my hips or my waist?”
Unlike Sierra, Amy definitely had hips for her pack to ride on. She also had a tiny waist, which was emphasized today by her choice of hiking apparel. The shorts weren’t exactly durable fabric, and when she reached up, her clean white T-shirt rose just enough to show her belly button. Definitely not a practical choice for the day.
Sierra had been backpacking many times before and she knew what worked best. That’s why she wore rugged, six-pocket green army shorts and a dark green T-shirt covered with one of her dad’s old flannel shirts. Now that was practical.
So why did she feel like such a slob? And why was Drake ignoring her and talking to Jana in the seat in front of them? Jana had a pocket-sized game of Connect Four, and she and Drake played it all the way to the hiking trail.
Every time Sierra peeked at Randy, he was looking out the window and appeared to be lost in thought. As the van sped toward Mount Adams, Sierra let her own thoughts unwind like a long roll of paper towels. And like a roll of printed paper towels, the same pattern kept repeating itself in Sierra’s mind. Not long rows of blue geese with pink ribbons on their necks, but long, connecting thoughts on how she felt about Drake and what he felt about her. The pattern of Randy and where his friendship fit in all this also ran through her mind. And every time Amy giggled, Sierra wondered if she had made such a terrific choice in a best friend after all.
The more Sierra listened to Drake and Jana play their game, the more she felt left out. I should do something to make Drake pay attention to me. No, it’s better this way, she decided. It’s like we’re together, but we’re still friends with everyone else. I should talk to Randy then. But what if he thinks I’m trying to flirt with him? Randy doesn’t know that Drake and I are together now, does he? What if he tried to hold my hand? Would he do that? Why isn’t Drake holding my hand?
“Ha!” Drake’s voice cut through her thoughts. “I did it. Right there. I connected four.”
Sierra wished she could find a way to connect four of her
unsettled thoughts—especially before this backpacking group hit the trail. She knew what it was like to enjoy the beauty of God’s world in the backcountry and, at the same time, feel as if even God’s creation has turned against you. Hiking was not a time for resolving unsettled relationships. It was a time for everyone to work together as a team. The last thing Sierra felt was that she was a part of a team.
“TURN HERE,” Wes told Shane. “The map says to park in the area by the Pacific Crest Trail. That’s down this road.”
The van bumped over the dirt road, and everyone joked and made noise as if they were on a ride at Disneyland.
“Over there,” Wes directed. “It’s on the north side. Keep going.”
“This road is ridiculous!” Shane said as they hit another big bump.
Sierra looked out Randy’s window at the mountain looming before them. “Is that the one that erupted?”
Randy turned to her. “No. This is Mount Adams. Mount Saint Helens is the one that blew her stack. I’ve been there a bunch of times with my dad because he’s worked on different geology teams, but I’ve never been here.”
“I didn’t know your dad was a geologist,” Drake said, leaning close to Sierra and looking out Randy’s window. “Are you the experienced nature boy when it comes to living in the wild?”
“Something like that,” Randy said, his lopsided smile appearing for the first time since the trip began.
“What about you, Sierra?” Drake asked. “Didn’t you grow up near Lake Tahoe?”
Sierra nodded and leaned back, aware of how near he was to her and how equally close she was to Randy. They hit another bump, and her head banged against Drake’s shoulder.
“Oops, sorry,” she mumbled.
Drake slipped his arm around her shoulders as if he were a human seat belt. “Go ahead. What were you going to say?”
“I don’t remember,” Sierra said, realizing their relationship had now been revealed.
She glanced over at Randy. He turned his head and looked out the window.
“Did your family do a lot of camping and backpacking while you were growing up?” Drake asked her.
“Yes, but Wes is more of a pro than I am. So is Randy.”
She hoped Randy would turn to them and come back into the conversation. He didn’t.
“I’m sticking with you guys,” Drake said, giving Sierra’s arm a little squeeze. “You want to hear a confession? This is my first backpacking trip.”
“I’m sure you’ll like it,” Sierra said.
“I’ve only been camping once. My dad’s idea of roughing it is staying at a hotel that doesn’t have cable,” Drake joked.
Sierra laughed. Randy didn’t.
The van came to an abrupt halt.
“This is the place,” Shane said. “Now, I want everyone to help unpack the trailer.”
They filed out, and their laughter tumbled out of the van with them. Sierra pitched in and hoisted packs out of the trailer. Many of the girls were giggling and standing around, admitting they weren’t sure how to put on their packs and asking the guys to help them.
“Don’t look at me,” Drake said to Jana. “I’m the novice here. Ask Sierra. She’s our nature woman.”
“What do I do with this strap, Nature Woman?” Jana asked.
“That’s for you to hang a water bottle or canteen on. Did you bring one?”
“No.” Jana looked embarrassed.
“It was on the list,” Sierra said.
“I know, but we didn’t have one at home.”
“I brought extra water bottles,” Shane said, stepping into their conversation. “Who needs one?”
Five people responded, “I do.”
Sierra caught her brother’s glance, and she could tell he felt the same way she did about this trip. Shane hadn’t said if he had done much backpacking, but he clearly was glad when Wes agreed to come along. Sierra was glad Wes was there, too. She had looked at the maps Wes was given the night before and was relieved to see it was an easy hike. Only twelve miles total and a gain of less then 2,000 feet in elevation.
The elevation at the trailhead was marked 4,750 feet. The morning air was still cool. Sierra hitched up her wool socks and stomped her heavy hiking boots on the heels.
“Is this an old Indian tradition?” Drake teased, imitating her heel stomping. “You look like a thoroughbred ready to race.”
Her heart did some racing of its own as she looked up and read the kind expression in his eyes. “You ready?”
“I think so. I’ve been looking forward to this.”
I’ve been looking forward to this, too, Sierra thought. And I’m excited about spending time with Drake. But is he still glad we’re together?
Shane’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Okay, everybody, listen up. The hike this morning is nice and easy. We’re only going about two miles. We’ll stop at a place called Lava Spring. Stay on the trail. Stick together. I’ll lead, and Wes will bring up the rear. If Wes passes you, you’re in trouble.”
“Roger-dodger, Ranger Rocky,” one of the younger guys said.
Everyone laughed, and Shane called out, “Head em up, moo-oove ’em out!” Sierra waited for all the eager hikers to fall in line behind Shane. She knew it was a safe guess that Amy would be the last person before Wesley. Randy took off down the trail, and Drake waited for Sierra. The trail was too narrow to walk side by side, so Sierra went first with Drake behind her followed by Amy and Wes.
The trail’s beginning provided an easy descent. As they hiked, the group’s spirits were high and so were their voices, filling the valley and frightening any form of wildlife that might be within a mile of the trail. Sierra was frustrated. She had learned to hike silently, observing the beauty around her and listening for new sounds.
The only new sounds she heard on the trip, though, were Amy’s questions for Wes.
“Is this strap supposed to rub on my shoulder like this? Do I have this buckled too tightly? Was I supposed to put the moleskin you gave me on my heels before we left, or do I put it on after I have blisters?”
Sierra wished she and Drake could walk behind Wes and take their time enjoying this gently valley. Before them spread acres of wild lupine, covering the wilderness like a royal-blue carpet. The way was dotted with pine trees, which framed a spectacular view of Mount Adams. The late-morning clouds lifted, and the great mountain jutted into the heavens in all its snowcapped glory. Sierra wished she had brought her camera to capture this sight, this feeling. A faint, familiar song began to rise within her heart. Having been born and raised in the mountains, Sierra couldn’t help but feel as if she were coming home.
Glancing over her shoulder, Sierra caught the look on Wesley’s face when the mountain came into clear view. He felt the same thing. She could tell.
Inside she laughed to herself. We’re like Peter and Heidi on our way to see the grandfather. All we need is a couple of goats and a girl in a wheelchair.
The morning hikers all made it to Lava Spring without incident. When Sierra arrived, Shane and some of the other guys were peeling off their shirts and shoes, ready to go wading. “It’s going to be cold,” Randy warned them. “That water was snow this morning.”
Shane was the first to plunge his foot in. He let out a whoop. “You weren’t kidding!”
“You know,” Wes said, speaking to Shane in a way that didn’t put him on the spot, “I’m not so sure it’s a good idea to pollute the water like that when it’s so close to its natural source.”
“Are you saying my feet are a source of pollution?” Shane teased. “Okay, you guys. Wes is right. We’d better not go in. I can tell you, it’s freezing.”
Sierra loosened her pack’s arm straps and released the waistband. Before she could take it off, someone took hold of the side frame and helped her out. It was Drake.
“Thanks,” Sierra said. “You want help with yours?”
“No, I got it. Thanks anyway. That was an awesome trail, wasn’t it?”
&nb
sp; Before Sierra could agree, they heard a squeal behind them. Amy had plopped down without taking off her pack, and she was now lying like an overturned beetle, with arms and legs flailing but getting nowhere.
“Somebody help me! Wesley! I’m stuck. You guys, this isn’t funny!”
Sierra smiled. For the second time that morning she wished she had her camera.
THE HIKERS DECIDED TO EAT lunch at Lava Springs and then head farther down the trail before setting up camp. Sierra stretched out in the midday sun beside Drake and savored her teriyaki beef jerky. She loved the sun on her face, the salty taste of jerky, and the sound of Drake’s deep voice telling her about the time he had tried to catch a bird when he was a kid.
Sierra noticed that Randy had taken off and was eating by himself down by the stream. Amy was seated next to Wes so he could examine her heels for blisters.
“That’s all we get to eat?” Jana asked, sitting down next to Drake. “Don’t we have sandwiches or anything?”
“Nope,” Sierra said. “The food they gave you to carry this morning is all you get for the whole trip. Hopefully we’ll catch some fish tonight. The map shows a fairly wide stream up ahead.”
“I thought the trail mix stuff was just for snacks. I don’t even like nuts.”
“You want some of my jerky?” Sierra offered.
“I don’t mean to complain, but I don’t really like jerky either. It’s too chewy.”
“You need to eat something,” Wes said, walking over to their group. “And drink a lot of water. You can get dehydrated pretty quickly as this altitude.”
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Sierra asked Wes.
He took a long swig from his canteen and glanced around them. “This would be a great campsite for tonight. The trail ascends from here.” He motioned over his shoulder. “Makes for chillier nights.”
Sierra wondered if Wes was finding it hard to be a follower on this trip when in so many ways he might have been a more competent leader than Shane. If he felt that way, he didn’t show it. And he was sure being nice to Amy as she followed him around.