Page 109 (1/1)

"A cagoule?" I pull a face "Do I look like sooule?"

"What about a stick?"

"I don’t need a stick," I explain "I’ up a hill What’s the fuss?

Just to prove it to hiround is a bit slimy with drizzle, but I stick rab on to the rocks lining the path -- and in about two minutes I’ hard, and reat! God, it just shows, cli really isn’t that hard I reach another bend, and look back in satisfaction I’m practically halfway up the mountain already!

This is so easy I always knew people ent hiking were showing off about nothing

Down below, I can faintly hear Ji, "Becky! Come back!" But I close my ears and resolutely keep on, one foot after another I need to hurry if I’ to catch up with Jess

Except she must be a pretty speedy walker Because after about an hour of steady cliht up with her In fact, I haven’t caught up with any of theht for a while, but somehow they seem to have disappeared The man in blue has vanished too And I haven’t even clapped eyes on Jess

Which is probably because she’s run the whole way up, I think a bit disconsolately She’s probably doing twenty one-handed press-ups at the top, because clih God, it isn’t fair You’d think I enes too

I take a few ht of et outfairly steep up here Not that it’s hard or anything In fact, I’ht foot, which is getting a bit painful Maybe that guy had a point -- these aren’t the best shoes in the world for cliood for slippery bits

I look around the eed e, and beyond that a sheer drop down into a valley Which I’ to look at Or think about

I put the Evian spritzer away and look around, a bit uncertainly I have no idea howup with the other walkers and finding out frohtly colored anorak, but the air is hazy withto rain And I don’t even have a cardigan

Suddenly I feel a bit stupid Maybe I shouldn’t have rushed up here Maybe I should go down Cautiously I take a step backwards… but the ground is rab on to a sharp rock to stoppain in my arm -- I must have wrenched a oing back do Anyway, it’s probably farther to go back down than carry on I’ll keep on following the path It’ll be fine If I just speed up a bit I’m bound to reach Jess It’ll be worth it just to see her face She won’t believe her eyes Then I’ll tell her -- and she won’t believe her ears! She’ll be totally, utterly gobsht to e of energy, keep on clier

My knees ache, my hands are sore, andfor what seeoes on forever Every tiot to the top, I see another peak rising up in front of me

Where’s Jess? Where is everybody? They can’t all be quicker thanon to a large boulder for balance The view over the valley is as stunning as ever, with purple and gray clouds rolling across the sky, and a single bird soaring high aboveTo be honest, I don’t care I just want to sit doith a cup of tea That’s all I want in the world

But I can’t I have to continue Coe effort I let go of the boulder and start cli, like the Von Trapps Yes That’ll cheer le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">