Free Friends ForNever by Katy Grant

to the top!” I blurted out. Saying it out loud committed me. Now I had to do it.
    Jerry, the hiking guide, heard me say that and grinned. “Sounds good, but just do what you’re comfortable with.” He was helping Brittany, the chatty girl from the Angelhair Falls hike, into her harness. Erin Harmon was belaying her. Rachel and Jerry stood behind the belayers to facilitate.
    â€œClimbing,” I said to Nicole, to let her know I was ready.
    â€œClimb on,” she answered.
    The climbing tower was similar to climbing walls in some ways. It had the same kinds of holds all up and down the logs.
    I was moving along at a pretty good pace in the beginning; the holds were close together, so it was easy to find my handholds first, then my footholds. Little by little, I was working my way up. But it didn’t take long until my arms got tired. I stopped to rest and catch my breath.
    I made myself look up and plan out the best way to get to the midway platform. The calf muscles in my left leg started quivering from the exertion I was putting them through. I tried not to think about it. I had only a short way to climb until I was high enough to grab the edge of the platform and wriggle myself onto it.
    â€œGreat job, ladies!” Jerry shouted from below us.
    It felt so incredibly comforting to have something solid underneath me. I sat perched on the platform and peered over the edge at Nicole and the other belayers on the ground. Looking down made my stomach do flip-flops, so instead I looked up at the maze of beams and ropes over my head.
    The top was still at least twenty feet above me. I looked up at the highest platform and imagined myself already up there, looking out over the whole camp and the surrounding woods, feeling such a huge sense of accomplishment because I’d made it.
    That was a trick Paul had taught Blake and me when we shot hoops together. He’d tell us to picture the ball swooshing through the net before we made the shot. I wasn’t sure if it worked, but it seemed like I’d gotten better lately.
    Brittany’s head appeared at the edge of the platform, then the rest of her. She pulled herself up so she was sitting beside me. “What a view!” she said when she’d caught her breath.
    â€œI know. Just imagine what it’ll be like at the top,” I said.
    â€œThis is far enough for me. Are you gonna keep going?” she asked.
    â€œI think so. Wish me luck.” I looked down at Nicole. “Climbing!” I yelled.
    â€œClimb on,” she called back.
    I’d never made it this far. I concentrated on finding my foot- and handholds and wouldn’t let myself think about how high up I was.
    â€œUp rope,” I yelled down to Nicole because there was too much slack. I wanted to be sure that if I did slip, I wouldn’t go very far. I felt her take up the slack from below. Then I let go of the pole so I could reach above me for the next handhold.
    I’d made it all the way to the spider’s web—the rope ladders that would take me up to the highest platform. It looked like it would be easy to climb, but with every step, the rope webbing swayed, making me feel like I was going to fall right through it. I kept going.
    I concentrated on picturing myself at the top, and before I knew it, I was almost there. I pulled myself up and onto the top platform, legs shaking. Far below me I heard everyone burst into cheers and applause. The view was so scary, I couldn’t look down. In fact, I wanted to get down as fast as I could.
    â€œRappelling!” I yelled. Slowly they let out the slack and belayed me down to the bottom.
    â€œYou’re the first Middler to make it all the way to the top this summer,” Rachel announced. Everyone was patting me on the back and congratulating me. My legs wouldn’t stop shaking, but other than that I felt great.
    Brittany came up and gave me a high five. “Wow, I’m impressed! You got