ROOM 7
Chapter Eleven: The Falls
---
The second day of the trip started earlier than anyone wanted.
Yuri was up at sunrise, running through the house, banging pots together. "WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WE'RE GOING TO THE FALLS!"
"It's six in the morning," Lyra groaned from somewhere under her blankets.
"THE FALLS WAIT FOR NO ONE!"
"The falls have been there for thousands of years. They can wait an hour."
"THEY'VE BEEN WAITING THOUSANDS OF YEARS FOR US! WE CAN'T KEEP THEM WAITING ANY LONGER!"
Mica appeared in the doorway, already dressed, already calm. "Yuri, put the pots down."
"NEVER!"
"Yuri."
"Fine." He put the pots down. "BUT WE'RE LEAVING IN AN HOUR! TELL EVERYONE! I'M MAKING BREAKFAST!"
"You can't cook," Calix said from behind Mica.
"I CAN LEARN!"
"You set a pancake on fire last week."
"THAT WAS EXPERIMENTAL COOKING!"
"The fire department came."
"THEY WERE VERY NICE ABOUT IT!"
Mica sighed. "I'll make breakfast. Yuri, go wake up the others."
Yuri ran off, banging the pots again.
The house woke up in chaos.
---
Part One: The Morning
Jay was already awake when the banging started.
She was sitting on the porch, watching the volcano, a cup of coffee in her hands. Black, no sugar. The way Keifer made it.
He'd left it outside her door.
She found it when she woke up. Still warm. Still perfect. No note. No explanation. Just coffee.
She was still trying to figure out how she felt about that.
"Good morning, Mariano."
She didn't turn around. She didn't need to. She knew his voice. She knew his footsteps. She knew the way he said her name when no one else was around.
"Good morning, Watson."
He sat down beside her. Two cups of coffee. One for her— the one she was already drinking. One for him.
"You're up early," he said.
"You woke me up."
"I didn't wake you up. Yuri woke you up. I just made coffee."
"You left coffee outside my door."
"Someone had to."
"You could have knocked."
"You were sleeping."
"I was awake."
"You were pretending to be asleep. Your breathing changes when you're pretending."
She looked at him. "You listen to my breathing?"
"I listen to everything. You talk in your sleep, by the way."
"I do not."
"You do. Last night you said 'Keifer stop being annoying.'"
"Because you're annoying in real life."
"You dream about me?"
"I dream about murdering you."
"Same thing."
She tried not to smile. She failed.
From inside the house, Yuri's voice echoed: "EVERYONE EAT FAST! WE'RE LEAVING IN THIRTY MINUTES!"
"He's going to wake up the whole neighborhood," Jay said.
"He's going to wake up the whole province."
"He's going to wake up the volcano."
"He's going to wake up the dead."
They sat in silence for a moment, watching the sunrise paint the volcano gold.
"You're going to come with us today?" Keifer asked.
"To the falls?"
"Yes."
"Someone has to make sure Yuri doesn't drown."
"Yuri can swim."
"Yuri can't do anything without causing chaos."
"You're coming to watch Yuri?"
She looked at him. "I'm coming because—" She stopped. "I'm coming because I want to see the falls."
"You could see the falls from here."
"It's not the same."
"How is it different?"
She looked at the volcano. At the lake. At the town waking up below them.
"Because you're going to be there," she said quietly. "And I want to see you see the falls for the first time."
He didn't say anything for a long moment.
Then: "You're impossible."
"You like it."
"I don't not like it."
She smiled into her coffee.
---
Part Two: The Hike
The trail to the falls was an hour through the forest.
Yuri led the way, machete in hand, hacking at branches that didn't need hacking. "THIS IS ADVENTURE!"
"It's a maintained trail," Mica said. "The path is right there."
"ADVENTURE REQUIRES EFFORT!"
"The effort is walking. On the path. That's already there."
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ADVENTURE!"
"I understand not getting lost."
"GETTING LOST IS PART OF THE ADVENTURE!"
"Getting lost is how people die in the woods, Yuri."
"DEATH IS ALSO PART OF THE ADVENTURE!"
Mica looked at Calix. "Is he always like this?"
"Always."
"How are you still friends?"
"He's entertaining."
"He's exhausting."
"He's both. Same thing."
Care and Cole walked behind them, arguing about something academic. Freya was taking photos of everything. Erdix was live streaming. David was carrying snacks.
Lyra and Alex walked together, not touching, not talking, just existing in the same space.
And Jay and Keifer walked at the back.
"You're quiet," Keifer said.
"I'm walking."
"You're thinking."
"I'm always thinking."
"About what?"
She looked at the trail ahead. At the trees. At the light filtering through the leaves.
"About how this is the first time we've been outside the city together. Just us. No families. No roommates watching."
"There are ten other people on this trail."
"They're ahead. They're not watching."
"You think they're not watching?"
She looked ahead. Freya's camera was pointed at them.
"Freya is always watching."
"Freya is documenting. There's a difference."
"There's literally no difference."
"You're learning."
She laughed. He smiled. The trail was quiet. The forest was green. The air was cool.
"Jay."
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad you came."
She looked at him. "I'm glad you're here too."
They walked in silence for a while. Their shoulders brushed. Neither of them moved away.
---
Part Three: The Falls
The falls were beautiful.
Water cascaded down a rock face into a pool of blue-green water. The sound was thunderous. The mist was cool. The air smelled like earth and rain and something clean.
Yuri ran ahead, shouting, "I'M GOING IN FIRST!"
"Yuri, wait—" Mica started.
Too late. Yuri was already running, already jumping, already screaming as he hit the water.
"IT'S COLD!"
"You didn't check the depth!" Calix shouted.
"I CHECKED WITH MY BODY!"
"That's not how you check depth!"
"IT WORKED! I'M ALIVE!"
"You could have died!"
"BUT I DIDN'T!"
Mica put her head in her hands. "I can't do this."
Calix put his arm around her. "You can. You've been doing this for months."
"I need a raise."
"I'll talk to the university."
"The university doesn't pay us."
"Then I'll talk to Yuri."
"Yuri doesn't pay anyone."
"Then we'll take his snacks."
"That's fair."
Freya was already in the water, camera held high, documenting everything. Erdix was right behind her. Care and Cole were arguing about the geological formation of the falls. David was setting up snacks on a rock.
Lyra stood at the edge of the water, toes in the shallows, laughing at Yuri's antics.
Alex stood behind her, watching.
Jay found a flat rock near the edge. She sat down. She took off her sandals. She put her feet in the water.
It was cold. It was perfect.
Keifer sat down beside her.
"You're not going in?" he asked.
"Maybe later."
"You don't like the cold?"
"I don't like being wet."
"You don't like anything."
"I like some things."
"What things?"
She looked at the falls. At the water. At the way the light hit the spray.
"I like this."
"This?"
"This place. This moment. This—" She looked at him. "This."
He was quiet for a moment. Then: "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
"I wasn't talking about you."
"You were looking at me when you said it."
"I was looking at the falls."
"The falls are behind me."
She looked away. "I'm going in the water."
She stood up. She walked to the edge. She stepped into the water.
It was cold. Colder than she expected. Her breath caught. Her legs went numb.
But she kept walking.
"Jay!" Keifer was behind her. "You're going too far—"
"I'm fine."
"The rocks are slippery—"
"I'm fine, Keifer."
She took another step.
Her foot slipped.
The world tilted. The sky became water. The water became sky. She was falling, arms flailing, heart in her throat—
And then arms. Strong arms. Familiar arms. Arms that had caught her before, on a rooftop, in a hallway, in a hundred different ways.
Keifer caught her.
His arm was around her waist. Her back was against his chest. Her hands were on his arms. The water was up to their knees. The falls were roaring. The world was spinning.
"I've got you," he said.
"You caught me."
"You were falling."
"I wasn't falling. I was— testing the water."
"The water tested back."
"I was seeing how cold it was."
"How cold is it?"
"Very cold."
"You're shivering."
"I'm not shivering."
"Your teeth are chattering."
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine."
"I'm fine. You can let go now."
"I know."
"You're not letting go."
"I know."
"Keifer."
"Jay."
She turned in his arms. Her face was inches from his. His arm was still around her waist. Her hands were still on his arms. The water was cold. His chest was warm. His eyes were the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
"You're not letting go," she said again.
"I don't want to."
"You have to."
"I know."
"Then why aren't you?"
He looked at her face. Her eyes. Her lips. Her cheeks, wet with mist and water.
"Because you're scared," he said. "And I want you to know that I'm here. I'm always here. You can fall a hundred times. I'll catch you a hundred times. You don't have to be scared with me."
Her eyes filled with tears. "Keifer."
"Jay."
"I'm not scared."
"You're shaking."
"I'm cold."
"You're not cold."
"I'm—" She stopped. Swallowed. "I'm not scared of falling. I'm scared of—"
"What?"
She looked at his face. His eyes. His lips. The way he was looking at her like she was the only thing in the world worth seeing.
"Never mind," she said.
"Jay—"
"Never mind."
She pulled away. He let her go.
She walked back to the shore, her legs shaking, her heart pounding, her face burning.
He followed her. He always followed her.
---
Part Four: The Rock
She sat on a rock near the edge of the pool. Her feet were in the water. Her hands were in her lap. Her heart was still pounding.
Keifer sat beside her.
They didn't talk. They didn't touch. They just sat there, watching the falls, listening to their friends laugh and shout and argue.
"You almost fell," he said.
"I did fall. You caught me."
"You were about to hit your head."
"I wasn't."
"The rocks were right behind you."
"You caught me before I hit them."
"I caught you because you were falling."
"You always catch me."
"You always fall."
She looked at him. "Do I?"
"Every time. On the rooftop. In the hallway. In the room. Every time you slip, every time you trip, every time you're about to fall— I catch you."
"You make it sound like I'm clumsy."
"You're not clumsy. You're—" He stopped.
"What?"
"You're distracted."
"By what?"
He looked at her. "By me."
She didn't answer.
He didn't look away.
"Jay."
"Keifer."
"You were about to say something. At the house. On the porch. Before Percy came out."
"I was."
"You were about to say something again. In the water. Before you walked away."
"I was."
"Why did you stop?"
She looked at the falls. At the water. At the way the light hit the spray.
"Because I'm scared."
"Of what?"
"Of saying it and then—" She stopped. "Of saying it and then losing it. Losing you."
"You're not going to lose me."
"You don't know that."
"I know that. I've been here since we were fourteen. I'm not going anywhere."
"You can't promise something like that."
"I can promise whatever I want. I'm promising you. I'm not going anywhere."
She looked at him. His eyes were steady. His face was open. His hands were in his lap, close to hers, not touching.
"You're impossible," she said.
"You like it."
"I don't not like it."
He smiled. She smiled. They sat on the rock, watching the falls, not touching but close.
"Keifer?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For catching me. For always catching me."
He reached out. His hand touched her face. His palm was warm against her cheek. His fingers were gentle.
"You don't have to thank me," he said. "I'll always catch you. Every time. Always."
She closed her eyes. His hand was still on her face. His thumb traced her cheekbone. Her heart was pounding.
He leaned in.
She leaned in.
His lips touched her forehead. Soft. Gentle. The way he'd been wanting to kiss her for fifteen years.
She opened her eyes.
He pulled back.
His face was red. Her face was red. The world was still.
"What was that?" she whispered.
"A forehead kiss."
"I know what it was. Why did you do it?"
He looked at her. "Because you were scared. And I wanted you to know that I'm here. I'm always here. You don't have to be scared with me."
She touched her forehead. His lips had been there. His lips had been on her skin.
"You kissed me," she said.
"I kissed your forehead."
"That's still a kiss."
"It's a forehead kiss. It's different."
"How is it different?"
"It's—" He stopped. "It's safer."
"Safer?"
"Safer for you. For now. For when you're not ready for the other kind."
She stared at him. "The other kind?"
"The kind where I kiss you. For real. On the lips. The kind I've been wanting to do since I was fourteen years old."
Her heart stopped. "Keifer—"
"Not yet. I know. You're not ready. That's okay. I can wait. I've been waiting fifteen years. I can wait a little longer."
She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to feel. She didn't know anything except that his lips had been on her forehead and her heart was still pounding and she wanted—
She wanted—
"JAY! KEIFER! GET OVER HERE! LYRA'S ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING STUPID!"
Yuri's voice. From across the pool. From the worst possible moment.
Jay stood up. Keifer stood up. They looked at each other.
"We should go," she said.
"Yeah."
"Before she does something stupid."
"Before she does something stupid."
They walked toward their friends. Their shoulders brushed. Neither of them moved away.
---
Part Five: The Slip
Lyra was standing on a rock in the middle of the pool.
It was a big rock. A flat rock. A rock that was clearly, obviously, extremely slippery.
"Lyra, get down," Alex said.
"I'm fine!"
"The rock is wet!"
"I have good balance!"
"You fell off your bed last week!"
"That was different!"
"How?"
"I was excited!"
"About what?"
Lyra opened her mouth. Closed it. Her face went red.
"About—" She stopped. "About nothing. I was excited about nothing."
"You were dancing because Jay and Keifer almost kissed."
"I WAS NOT!"
"Freya has photos."
"FREYA HAS PHOTOS OF EVERYTHING!"
"Then you admit you were dancing?"
"I WAS—" Lyra's foot slipped.
Time moved in slow motion.
Her arms flailed. Her eyes went wide. Her mouth opened in a small, surprised gasp.
She was falling.
And Alex was already moving.
He crossed the pool in three strides. His arms went around her waist. He pulled her against his chest. The water splashed. The world stopped.
Lyra's back was against Alex's chest. His arms were around her waist. Her hands were on his arms. Their faces were inches apart.
"Hi," she whispered.
"You were falling."
"You caught me."
"You were standing on a slippery rock."
"I had good balance."
"You fell."
"I was testing the rock."
"The rock tested back."
She laughed. He didn't.
"You could have hurt yourself," he said. His voice was tight. "You could have hit your head. You could have—"
"I'm fine, Alex. You caught me."
"What if I wasn't here?"
"But you were here."
"What if I wasn't?"
She looked at his face. His jaw was tight. His eyes were dark. His arms were still around her waist.
"You're always here," she said. "You've always been here."
He stared at her for a long moment.
Then he kissed her nose.
Quick. Soft. A brush of lips against skin.
Lyra's eyes went wide. "What was that?"
"A nose kiss."
"I know what it is. Why did you do it?"
"Because you weren't listening."
"I was listening!"
"You were standing on a slippery rock after I told you to get down."
"I had good balance!"
"You fell."
"I was testing—"
"You were being reckless. You're always being reckless. You dance on beds and climb on rocks and do things without thinking and one day you're going to get hurt and I'm not going to be there to catch you and—"
"Alex."
"And I can't— I can't lose you. I can't watch you fall and not be there to catch you. I can't—"
"Alex."
He stopped.
She reached up. Her hand touched his face. His cheek was wet. From the mist or from something else, she didn't know.
"You're not going to lose me," she said. "You're always here. You've always been here. You're always going to be here."
"You don't know that."
"I know that. I've known you since I was five years old. You're the most reliable person I've ever met. You're always here. You're always going to be here."
He looked at her. "You were standing on a slippery rock."
"I was."
"You fell."
"You caught me."
"I'll always catch you."
"I know."
She smiled. He didn't.
"Lyra."
"Alex."
"Don't stand on slippery rocks anymore."
"I won't."
"You're lying."
"I'm not lying."
"Your face is doing the thing."
"What thing?"
"The thing where you say you're not going to do something and then you do it anyway."
"That's not a thing."
"It's your thing."
She laughed. He didn't.
"I'm serious," he said. "Don't stand on slippery rocks. Don't dance on beds. Don't do things without thinking. I can't always be there to catch you."
"But you're always there."
"One day I might not be."
"Then I'll catch myself."
"Can you?"
She looked at his face. At his eyes. At the way he was looking at her like she was the most important thing in the world.
"I can try," she said. "But it's easier when you're there."
He stared at her for a long moment.
Then he kissed her nose again.
"What was that for?" she asked.
"For not listening."
"I was listening!"
"You're still standing on the rock."
She looked down. Her feet were still on the rock. His feet were in the water. Her hands were still on his arms. His arms were still around her waist.
"I'm going to get down," she said.
"Okay."
She stepped off the rock. Into the water. Into his arms.
He didn't let go.
She didn't want him to.
---
Part Six: The Shore
They stood at the edge of the pool, not touching, not talking, just standing.
Everyone was watching. Freya was taking photos. Yuri was holding his breath. Mica and Calix were smiling. Care and Cole had stopped arguing. David was eating chips.
Lyra's face was red. Alex's ears were red. Neither of them moved.
"That was—" Lyra started.
"A nose kiss," Alex said.
"You kissed my nose. Twice."
"Because you weren't listening."
"I was listening."
"You were standing on a slippery rock."
"I got down."
"After I kissed you."
"The kissing helped."
"The kissing was because you weren't listening."
"So if I don't listen, you kiss me?"
Alex's face went redder. "That's not— that's not how it works."
"How does it work?"
"I don't— I don't know."
"Then maybe you should kiss me again. To figure it out."
"Lyra."
"Alex."
"Don't stand on slippery rocks."
"I won't."
"You're lying."
"I'm not lying."
"Your face is doing the thing."
"I don't have a thing."
"You have a thing."
"You have a thing too."
"What thing?"
She looked at his face. At his eyes. At his lips. At the way he was looking at her like she was the only thing in the world worth seeing.
"The thing where you look at me like—" She stopped.
"Like what?"
"Like you're scared. Like I'm going to disappear. Like you're waiting for something."
He didn't answer.
"Alex," she said. "What are you waiting for?"
He looked at her for a long moment.
Then he looked away.
"I don't know," he said.
She wanted to ask more. She wanted to push. She wanted to know what he was thinking, what he was feeling, what he was waiting for.
But she was scared. She was always scared. Scared of saying too much, scared of asking too much, scared of losing the one person who had been there her whole life.
So she didn't ask.
She just stood beside him, not touching, not talking, not moving.
And that was enough.
For now, that was enough.
---
Part Seven: The Walk Back
The hike back was quieter than the hike there.
Yuri was tired. Lyra was quiet. Alex was quiet. Care and Cole had finally stopped arguing. Freya was looking at her photos. Erdix was editing. Mica and Calix were holding hands. David was sharing snacks.
Jay and Keifer walked at the back again.
"You're quiet," she said.
"I'm thinking."
"About what?"
He looked at her. "About forehead kisses."
Her face went red. "That was—"
"A forehead kiss."
"I know what it was. I was there."
"I know you were there. I was kissing your forehead."
"You were kissing my forehead because I was scared."
"You were scared."
"I'm always scared."
"I know."
"You kissed my forehead to make me not scared."
"Did it work?"
She was quiet for a moment. Then: "A little."
He smiled. "Good."
They walked in silence. Their shoulders brushed. Neither of them moved away.
"Keifer?"
"Yeah?"
"That was my first forehead kiss."
He looked at her. "Your first?"
"I've never let anyone kiss my forehead before."
"Why did you let me?"
She didn't answer for a long time. The trail was quiet. The forest was green. The light was golden.
"Because it was you," she said finally. "Because it's always been you."
He stopped walking.
She stopped walking.
They stood in the middle of the trail, looking at each other, not touching but close.
"Jay."
"Keifer."
"I'm going to kiss your forehead again. Someday. When you're ready."
"What if I'm never ready?"
"Then I'll wait. I've been waiting fifteen years. I can wait fifteen more."
"What if I'm ready tomorrow?"
"Then I'll kiss your forehead tomorrow."
"What if I want you to kiss me somewhere else?"
His breath caught. "Jay—"
"Not yet," she said quickly. "I'm not— I'm not ready for that. Not yet. But someday. Maybe."
He looked at her for a long moment.
Then he smiled. "Someday. Maybe."
She smiled back. "Someday. Maybe."
They started walking again. Their shoulders brushed. Neither of them moved away.
---
Part Eight: The Night
That night, they sat on the porch again.
Everyone was inside. Yuri was telling stories. Lyra was laughing. Alex was watching. Mica and Calix were cooking. Care and Cole were arguing. Freya was editing. Erdix was sleeping. David was organizing snacks.
Jay and Keifer were on the porch, watching the volcano.
"You kissed my forehead today," she said.
"I did."
"You kissed my forehead in front of everyone."
"I did."
"Freya has photos."
"Freya has photos of everything."
"She's going to put them in the folder."
"The folder is eternal."
She looked at him. "You're not embarrassed?"
"Should I be?"
"You kissed me. In front of everyone. Freya was taking photos. Yuri was watching. Lyra was screaming. You kissed my forehead and you're not embarrassed?"
He looked at her. "Why would I be embarrassed? I've been wanting to kiss your forehead for fifteen years. I finally did it. I'm not embarrassed. I'm happy."
She stared at him. "You're happy?"
"I'm happy." He smiled. "I kissed your forehead. It's a good day."
She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to feel. She didn't know anything except that he was looking at her like she was the only thing in the world worth seeing.
"Keifer?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you—" She stopped. Swallowed. "Can you do it again?"
His eyes went wide. "The forehead kiss?"
"Yes."
"Now?"
"Yes."
He reached out. His hand touched her face. His palm was warm against her cheek. His fingers were gentle.
He leaned in.
She closed her eyes.
His lips touched her forehead. Soft. Gentle. Slow.
He pulled back.
She opened her eyes.
He was looking at her. She was looking at him.
"Thank you," she said.
"You don't have to thank me."
"I want to."
He smiled. She smiled. They sat on the porch, watching the volcano, not touching but close.
"Jay?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm going to kiss you someday. For real. On the lips. The kind of kiss I've been wanting to give you since I was fourteen years old."
She looked at him. "What kind of kiss is that?"
"The kind that says everything I've been wanting to say for fifteen years."
Her heart was pounding. Her hands were shaking. Her face was burning.
"Someday," she said.
"Someday."
"Maybe."
"Maybe."
She looked at the volcano. At the stars. At the lights on the lake.
She wasn't ready.
But she was closer than she'd ever been.
---
End of Chapter Eleven