Free Solo by Sarah Schofield

heard my dad's voice in my ear; "Safety first."
    Staying straight on course, I listened for the river. The occasional sound of a snapped branch would send echoes through the woods. Each time I turned to see if I was being followed. My imagination started to get the best of me and I began having second thoughts about searching for the meadow.
    I looked at the sky to clear my mind. The sunshine peeking through the leaves comforted me and I continued my quest. Finally, an opening in the trees came into view. I'd made it through the forest. To my surprise, the tiny meadow was the size of a football field. The grass looked untouched. I'd assumed it would be tall, but it was barely past my ankles. I didn't see any 'no trespassing' signs, so I stepped into my own little bubble of solitude. I'd found my personal sanctuary.
    Strolling to a spot in the middle of the field, I spread my blanket out, bunched up my hoodie for a pillow, and lay down. The sun warmed me. I closed my eyes and listened to—nothing—only peace and quiet.
    I glanced at the time on my cell phone and realized it had been almost three hours since I'd left my grandparents' house. There was only one bar showing on the phone. I strolled around the field trying to get better reception. At the edge of the forest, near the river, I picked up three bars. I dialed Mom, hoping she wasn't worried.
    "Eliana, I was starting to think you'd forgotten to check in."
    "No, I waited for a good place to stop."
    "So, how is it up there?"
    I looked around the field. "It's beautiful and the trails lead to wonderful views."
    "Well, call back in a few hours," she insisted.
    "Don't worry, I'll call. Love ya."
    "I love you, too. Bye."
    Now, Mom was pacified and I had a few hours before my next call. I returned to my blanket, pulled out my sandwich and water and settled back to read Pride and Prejudice . I read until I got an itch to dance.
    After stretching for a few minutes, I put my iPod on. Classical music seemed to fit the scenery. Selecting track three, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath waiting for the music to start. My movements flowed with the rhythm of the instruments. My leaps were high and I effortlessly landed on the ball of my foot, sending me into clean pirouettes. It felt like I'd never stopped dancing. I lost myself in the music and the freedom of the field. Whenever the song intensified, so did my movements. What a rush! The song slowed and so did I. Sweat poured and I inhaled trying to catch my breath. Every emotion came rushing at me all at once. I bent over and my tears flowed. I missed my dad and my friends back home. I missed my freedom to dance openly. I was afraid to let Casey and Lucas get to know the real me.
    Then my sadness turned to anger. I couldn't understand why Sasha disliked me so much. I hated that I couldn't be myself without worrying how she would retaliate and I didn't know what to think of Lucas. What kind of guy asks a girl to hang out with him when he's on a date? The only word that came to mind was "player."
    I turned on my hip-hop play list, selected my favorite track, and I pushed play. I stepped slowly forward until the tempo picked up. My movements matched the forcefulness of the tune. I made quick, controlled moves that would put a certain cheer squad's dance routine to shame. The fast pace let me work out my frustrations. A violent surge of discontent flowed through me. I spun and took off running, building enough speed to make three mid air back flips, landing with precision each time.
    Looking at the sky, I wiped my wet cheeks with the back of my hands. "Oh, that's what I needed."
    I ran back to the blanket and grabbed my cell phone to call Mom. I wanted to be a little early to make up for my late call.
    "Hello?"
    "Hey, just checking in."
    "Okay, call back in a few hours."
    "Okay, Mom. Bye for now."
    "Bye, honey."
    I sat on my blanket and ate my apple. The rest of the afternoon I distracted myself by listening to music and periodically