Unwritten: The Parker Allenton Chapters (Part 4)

Disclaimer: all characters in this short story are fictional/creations of my own imagination. Sights and locations are based on real cities/towns/National Parks located in the Western United States.

March that same year

Brooklyn didn’t see much of her dad after her day with Parker. He was gone in the morning before she woke up and didn’t come home until after she was asleep. In fact, sometimes the only way Brooklyn knew her dad came home was the absence of Sokka on her bed in the morning. Whenever Sam wandered home in the wee hours of the morning, Sokka and his sixth sense would wake up and join him in the basement, staying by Sam’s side until Brooklyn woke up in the morning.

The only day Brooklyn saw anything of Sam was her birthday. Her dad managed to get the day off, and they spent it together. First, he surprised her by being home when she woke up. Then came the trip to Denver and two tickets to the Avalanche game. It was truly a perfect day for Brooklyn, and it felt like she had her dad back. Just for a moment.

But then everything went back to the way it was. Sam’s hours were kiddywampus at best, and Skye was a nonexistent best friend. In fact, Brooklyn figured she saw Skye less than she saw her dad, which was saying something. For what it was worth, Sam left Brooklyn a note every day either on the fridge or kitchen table. Sometimes there was a note in both places, but Brooklyn knew her dad cared about her. Some days, she didn’t even know if Skye still considered her a friend. Skye was too busy flirting with Eric the football star, also known as the second hottest jock in school behind Parker Allenton.

Ironically, the only constant in Brooklyn’s life was Parker Allenton. He filled the anonymous void left by Skye and Sam, even if Brooklyn didn’t know such a void existed. Whenever he didn’t have practice and games, Parker spent his free time with Brooklyn, either at the library or her house, studying subjects that had nothing to do with psychology. Sure, they worked on their lab reports occasionally, but most of the time, Brooklyn and Parker sat across from each other at a large oak desk and barely spoke. They were too busy doing their homework for completely separate classes.

At first, Brooklyn found it annoying, but over time, Parker’s presence grew on her. He was a shockingly good study buddy, unlike Skye who felt the need to talk every five minutes. Parker was quiet when he studied, reserved and focused like he was in another realm. And he was smart. He helped Brooklyn through her pre-calc homework on more than one occasion, and Brooklyn caught him reading college level textbooks on a regular basis.

Of course, Brooklyn didn’t spend all her time studying or alone in an empty house. The minute she turned sixteen, the community center hired her as an instructor for the rock climbing wall. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and every other Sunday, Brooklyn taught adults the finer art of rock climbing and left the birthday parties and beginners classes to her coworkers.

“You sure you don’t want to help with this birthday party?” Brooklyn’s coworker Tallia pleaded one Sunday afternoon. “Ten thirteen year-old-girls all climbing for the first time. Sure to be hormones and drama.”

“No thanks,” Brooklyn responded as she finished packing up the last of her gear. In thirty minutes, her shift was officially over, and Brooklyn could head home for a quiet night with Sokka and a book. “This is a drama free zone. Besides, I have plans”

Brooklyn drew a long rectangle around her body, causing Tallia to snort back her laughter. She was a recent college graduate trying to get a job in environmental science or with the park rangers, which was one of the many reasons Brooklyn gravitated toward her when she first started at Adventure Endeavours in the community center.

“With Parker Allenton,” Tallia wore a mischievous grin that made Brooklyn feel like she’d done something wrong.

“No,” Brooklyn turned her attention back to the gear locker, tidying the already perfectly placed chords. “Why would I have plans with Parker Allenton?”

“Girl, you always have plans with Parker Allenton.” Tallia whirled around the equipment storage room until she was side by side with Brooklyn. “‘Oh I’d love to Tallia, but I’m meeting Parker at the library’. ‘Can’t Tallia, I’ve got to meet Parker for our project’. Parker, Parker, Parker.”

Brooklyn lightly punched Tallia in the shoulder in response, causing her coworker to feign pain.

“All I’m saying, you two got a little somethin’, and don’t you bother denying it. You may not be able to see it, but I got two eyes with twenty-twenty vision.”

Before Brooklyn could respond, Justin, a senior at Estes Park, thundered his way into the back room. It was a miracle he fit at all with his six-foot-four frame and gorilla-esc shoulders filling up the entire door frame.

“Hey Justin,” Tallia commented after a beat of awkward silence. “You need something?”

“Brooklyn’s got a request.” Justin’s low, gruff voice chewed the words as though they were a vegetable he despised. “Beginner.”

“Tell them I’m not available.” Brooklyn’s tone was neutral but firm. She didn’t handle beginner sessions or classes, mostly because beginners meant kids, and Brooklyn still wasn’t great with kids despite her experience in the library. “My shift ends in thirty minutes.”

“They’re insisting.” Justin looked especially glum at this statement. “He says he won’t leave until you agree.”

Brooklyn groaned and quickly went to deal with this issue. She was one of the company’s top instructors, and people often requested her to work with their children. Some even offered to pay whatever was necessary, and Brooklyn would begrudgingly teach the session, if only for the tip money. She refused to let that happen this time around. It was too close to the end of her shift to teach another class, and there wasn’t enough money in the world to deal with a bratty millionaire’s child. No, it would take a miracle for Brooklyn to agree to one final session, and she spent the entirety of her thirty second walk to the front desk prepping the speech for a soon to be disappointed parent.

“Parker?”

The person at the front desk was not who Brooklyn expected. Instead of a smugly dressed parent in designer clothes preparing to dump a wildly hyper child standing on the other side of the desk, Brooklyn was greeted by the sight of her lab partner casually chilling in a sweatshirt and slim fitting sweatpants.

“Hey Pieper.”

Brooklyn snapped her jaw in place before it could fall to the floor, “What are you doing here?”

“Well,” Parker flashed a lopsided grin, and Brooklyn thought she heard swooning from a group of women nearby. “For psych, this weekend we are supposed to get outside our comfort zones.”

“Right,” Brooklyn agreed, bringing a mental image of Mr. Smithers’ list to her mind. “But we don’t have to do all of them together, remember?”

“Well,” Parker continued, slowly and deliberately, “It’s not really something out of my comfort zone unless I do it in front of other people.”

“How is this out of your comfort zone?” Brooklyn looked around at the fake rock filled walls completely confused. Parker was a native of Estes Park, and, while the community center was fairly new, Adventure Endeavours was not. According to the owner, the actual shop was a staple of the community and the rock wall was the location of many kids' parties and school field trips.

“I’ve never done it before.”

“This course?”

“No.” Parker’s face burned red for a moment as he lowered his voice. “Rock climbing.”

Brooklyn smirked, “Sure. Right. You, Parker Allenton, master of all extremes, hasn’t rock climbed.”

“No Brooklyn, I’m serious.” Brooklyn looked for the joke or lie in Parker’s eyes but couldn’t find it. Either he was being sincere and telling the truth, or he was a really good actor.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously,” Parker conceded. “I’ve lived in Colorado all my life and never rock climbed once.”

“But!” So many questions filled Brooklyn’s mind, she didn’t even know where to start. “But how?”

Parker laughed and leaned over to let Brooklyn in on a secret, “Being the best hockey player in the state has its perks. Free time isn’t one of them.”

A few strands of hair flopped in front of Parker’s left eye, momentarily distracting Brooklyn from the conversation. His hair was longer now that the playoffs started and the first signs of a very red beard were starting to pop around his jawline. Brooklyn was sure there was a no facial hair policy at the high school, but like always, she doubted that policy applied to the one and only Parker Allenton.

“Well even if I could teach you, I wouldn’t.” Brooklyn responded with a smirk, trying to ignore the boyish glow in Parker’s eyes. The playoff hair and beard reminded her of a get out of jail free card, one Parker talked about at length the last few days. “The state tournament starts on Thursday, and I’m not going to be the reason you get hurt before the most important games of the year.”

Parker shrugged, “I’ll say it was my fault, and I was the one being stupid. If I get hurt, which I won’t.”

Brooklyn squinted and leaned her head into her hands, “I need that in writing.”

Parker mirrored her reaction until they were inches apart, “Whatever you need. Brookie.”

“And a signed release from your parents,” Brooklyn reached under the desk and produced the company’s waiver. All participants had to sign before they climbed, and if they were under eighteen, a parent needed to sign as well. “Unless you’ve been lying about your age for the past year.”

With a power, confident slam, Parker pulled a sheet of paper from his back pocket and held it in Brooklyn’s direction, “Done. Asked my mom to sign this morning.”

Brooklyn took the paper and scrutinized every single detail, cursing the internet as she did. Andy, the owner of Adventure Endeavors, decided to put the release form online a few weeks earlier, so people could print it at home and be ready to climb. Parker was smart enough to find it even though Brooklyn never mentioned it during their study sessions. Sure enough, the form was perfectly filled out with Paula Allenton’s signature boldly displayed at the bottom of the page. What was worse, it didn’t look forged. Parker was talented at a lot of things, but art was not one of them. Plus, Paula Allenton’s signature was practically impossible to mimic with loops and jagged edges that made letters but not completely. This was real, and Brooklyn knew there was no backing out.

“I don’t suppose you plan to pay for this venture?”

A crisp $50 bill appeared in Parker’s hand even though it was only a $20 charge for a single day pass and $10 for gear rental, “I don’t have any smaller bills for a tip.”

Brooklyn took the fifty, ignoring the newness of the bill, “Don’t worry about it. I'll find some change and prep the gear. Justin will run you through orientation.”

The behemoth high schooler begrudgingly walked over to Parker, taking Brooklyn’s spot while she went to set up for Parker’s lesson. The little kids party took out the basic beginners wall, but Brooklyn figured Parker could handle the advanced beginner’s course, even though it’s typically meant for people on their second or third lesson. It really wasn’t anymore advanced than the basic wall. It just featured a belay option: instructor or auto. Auto belays were only offered after the basic beginner’s wall, where instructors held down the fort and coached climbers through the course from the ground. Parker would have the option to either climb side-by-side with Brooklyn or have her coach him from the floor.

Twenty minutes later, after Brooklyn disinfected the harness and shoes, Parker emerged from the men’s locker room area with a gleaming sheet of paper and a smug look on his face. Justin followed looking especially glum, as though someone told him Santa wasn’t real.

“You passed the orientation quiz?” Brooklyn asked, slinging her personal, custom harness over her shoulder.

“With flying colors!” Parker held the certificate in her direction, one they usually only gave kids under the age of twelve.

“He insisted on the certificate,” Justin sarcastically grumbled in the back, his insinuation clear and evident. Brooklyn ignored him. Sure, Parker insisting on the certificate was childish but he looked so dang proud, Brooklyn didn’t have the heart to make fun of him.

“Did you decide if you want to use the auto-belays or have me instruct from below?”

“Well, I would like to climb with you,” Parker said innocently. “So whatever makes that possible.”

“I’ll belay.” Tallia appeared from the break room and ignored the stearn no on Brooklyn’s face. “Justin too. He can take Parker.”

“Isn’t Justin needed at the front?” Brooklyn spoke through her teeth and a stretched smile. Behind Parker, Justin was emphatically shaking his head, insistent that his talents were needed elsewhere. “And aren’t you supposed to be at the party?”

“Caitlyn’s covering the front, Andy and Sam took the kids party.” A wide grin flashed across Tallia’s face, and Brooklyn knew she was doomed. The woman was bound and determined to witness this lesson, probably because it specifically involved Parker Allenton, the supposed thorn in Brooklyn’s side for so many weeks who suddenly spent all his free time with her. “Justin and I got it.”

With her head fully turned away from Parker and Justin, Brooklyn stuck out her tongue at her friend. She then returned her attention to the boys, guiding Parker through the harness and belay cues before suiting up for the climb.

“Why are you doing this,” she asked Tallia when they were finally separated from the boys.

“Oh come on Brooklyn,” Tallia whined quietly while Justin clipped Parker into the last piece of his harness. “Don’t tell me you don’t see it?”

“See what,” Brooklyn protested, looking from her friend to her lab partner.

“You really have no idea why he’s here.” “It’s a homework assignment,” Brooklyn stated as though it were that simple. Logically, it was. Parker was there to get his homework done, to do something out of his comfort zone, but her gut said there was something more. Like most of the time, Brooklyn chose to ignore her gut when it came to Parker Allenton.

“Please,” Tallia emphasized the word and looked Brooklyn straight in the eye. “You mean to tell me, this was the only place he could do something out of his comfort zone.”

“He’s never climbed before.”

“Bet he’s never had sushi before either.”

“You guys ready to go over there?”

“Yep!” Brooklyn quickly replied to Parker before Tallia could press the subject. With her friend and coworker holding the rope, Brooklyn started the ascent of the first wall, coaching Parker through the route with clear instructions. He actually did pretty well, though Brooklyn could tell it was his first time climbing. There were a few questionable decisions here and there, but overall, Parker made the first pass with flying colors, impressing a seasoned vet like Brooklyn.

“So what’s up with Justin?” Parker asked as he and Brooklyn moved to the second part of the wall where they could begin training boulders.

“What do you mean?” Brooklyn pulled herself even with Parker and noticed he was struggling to choose the next move in his route. “The red one. Foot on the pink below.”

Parker nodded in thanks and reached for the rock above his right hand, “He’s like a giant, sulky bear. With the shoulders to match.”

“Don’t ask me,” Brooklyn now pulled ahead of Parker, the top of the route within her sight. “I’m not really friends with the guy.”

“Yeah, but you guys are kinda a thing, right?”

Brooklyn paused and looked for Parker. She wasn’t that far ahead of him, but just enough so he couldn’t see the emotions in her eyes when she answered his question.

“We broke up after finals,” Brooklyn’s voice was even and firm, conveying the matter-of-fact move she adopted to the situation. She hardly considered Justin her boyfriend. They went on a handful of awkward dates, including the homecoming dance, and no one exactly thought it was going anywhere. Even her friends said they made an awkward couple, but it was the end of the world when she broke things off after finals before the holiday break.

“Oh,” Parker pulled even with Brooklyn, and she saw the regret in his eyes. He immediately retracted his statement, “I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t be.” She maintained her dry tone, and clipped her rope into the wall. This was the highest pass Parker tried that day, and Brooklyn figured he could use a breather. “I didn’t even want to go out with him in the first place.”

Parker, sensing Brooklyn’s stoppage, clipped in with a confused look, “What do you mean?” Brooklyn looked down and signaled to Tallia, letting her know the stop was intentional. She also checked to see if Justin was listening to their conversation or paying attention at all to the climb. For once, he actually was, though he seemed to be staring daggers right at Parker.

“He asked me out three times.” Brooklyn busied herself with the rope, checking the slack. “Twice after work, then the third time in front of my friends after school.”

“Jeez,” Parker messed with his ropes, though Brooklyn guessed it was more for show than anything else. “You’d think a guy would take a hint.”

Brooklyn’s bark laugh erupted from her chest, and she struggled to compose herself on the wall. Parker just hung in his spot, confused by Brooklyn’s seemingly bizarre, out of character reaction.

“Was it something I said?”

“No, no. You’re fine!” Brooklyn smiled wide at the boor, confused boy to her right. “Just imagine if the roles were reversed. If I asked you out three times.”

“You wanna ask me out? I’m flattered, Pieper. Really.”

Brooklyn rolled her eyes, but didn’t directly address Parker’s comment, “Think about it, though. If I asked you out three times, I’d be a creeper. A stalker. But Justin asks me out three times, and it’s cute. It shows he cares and I should give him a chance. I have to give him a chance, otherwise, I’m the bitch.”

“Huh,” Parker looked down at his belay man, clearly lost in thought. Brooklyn knew there were plenty of girls in school whose reputations were ruined because they had the gall to ask out Parker Allenton, or worse, they were caught staring at him. This wasn’t a cardinal sin at Estes High, though, for the popular girls. They could get away with the occasional long glance at Parker. It was the nerds, the dorks, who suffered the most. “I guess I never thought about it that way.”

“Never too late to change your thought process.” Brooklyn’s eyes met Parker’s with an intensity reserved for competition. It was a dare, challenging Parker to change the hot shot mindset he supposedly held over those lesser than him. But Brooklyn was beginning to realize Parker wasn’t his reputation, and he did not back down from her gaze. “Come on, let’s get climbing.”

The two high schoolers made their way to the top of the second wall with Brooklyn providing minimal instruction to Parker. She would recommend an occasional foothold, but Parker was a fast learner. He took Brooklyn’s instruction well and listened to her advice, something she wasn’t necessarily accustomed to. Even as an expert climber, Brooklyn was used to arguments with clients, especially men who thought they knew the course better than her. Parker wasn’t like that. He listened with rapt attention, taking mental notes in his mind and using it to better himself for the next pass. It was astounding to watch, and Brooklyn could only imagine what he was like on the ice.

“So, what next?” After a quick belay down, Parker eagerly looked at Brooklyn, waiting for more instruction.

“Well, we have time for one more course,” Brooklyn answered after looking after her watch. She was already twenty minutes over her shift and could have asked Tallia to take over, but she didn’t want to. Brooklyn was actually enjoying the lesson with Parker and wanted to finish it out. “You passed the first two with flying colors, so we can move on to the third course or you can do the race.”

“The race?” In an instant, Parker’s eyes grew wide with excitement, and Brooklyn swore he started salivating. She already knew he was an adrenaline junky that thrived in competition. It didn’t take a profiler to figure that out, but she had no idea even the mention of a competition would cause this visceral of a reaction.

“You challenge your instructor to the race,” Tallia walked up to the two of them with an impish grin. “You win, and we reimburse you for the entire session, no questions asked. There’s also a free t-shirt, and bragging rights.”

Brooklyn didn’t even need to ask the follow up question. She knew Parker’s choice just by his body language. He wanted to beat Brooklyn at her own game and prove he was the best. Not because he was overconfident and didn’t understand Brooklyn’s skills. He wasn’t one of the normal clients who challenged Brooklyn because she was a girl, and there was no way in hell a high school girl could beat an expert climber. No, Brooklyn knew Parker wanted to beat her because he knew she was the best, and he wanted to get better. Parker Allenton spent all of January and February proving he respected Brooklyn, and because of that, he wanted to beat her. Bad.

He just didn’t realize Brooklyn was unbeatable, at least on this course.

“What are we waiting for,” Parker responded with a smirk. “Let’s race.”

The group moved across the room to a seemingly plain rock, filled with multicolored footholds and arm grips like all the rest. The biggest difference, though, was the big yellow line running smack down the middle, and a glaring red button at the top of each side.

“Alright Brooklyn, you know the drill.” Tallia started as Brooklyn helped Parker hook his harness and ropes into the proper position. “Parker, your choice. Either you can have thirty second head start, or you and Brooklyn start at the same time. First one to hit the button at the top wins.”

“That’s it?” Parker asked with a hint of disappointment in his voice. “No other rules? Just the option of a head start.”

“Nope, it’s pretty straight forward.” Tallia responded with a shrug, “Obviously don’t do anything to endanger yourself or Brooklyn. Do that, and it’s grounds for removal and a permanent ban from the facility. Also, no crossing the yellow line for any reason unless it’s to save yourself from a fall.”

“And no using your belay man for help,” Brooklyn added quickly. “Justin and Tallia can’t give you pointers on a route. You have to pick it yourself.”

“Works for me,” Parker turned from Tallia to Brooklyn, staring her down like the competitor he was. “I want to start at the same time. No head start.”

“Fair.” Brooklyn crossed her arms, unwilling to back down from Parker’s challenge.

“And let’s sweeten the deal.” Parker took a step closer, not breaking eye contact, “No refund or anything like that. First one to the top picks dinner. Loser pays.”

“Deal,” Brooklyn didn’t hesitate to agree, mostly to hide the sound of her grumbling stomach. She skipped her lunch break to help Tallia prepare for the birthday party and felt the first pangs of hunger in her stomach.

Nothing happened for a short moment as Brooklyn and Parker just stared at each other, tension and sweat fizzling through the air. It crackled around them like smoke off maple bark, and the wall disappeared behind Brooklyn. Only Parker, the bet and an unspoken challenge existed, much like that first day in psych class.

“If you two want to end this staring contest,” Tallia joked, breaking Brooklyn’s concentration and reprieve. “We’ve got a race to run.”

Brooklyn took her place on the left side of the wall, the one meant for the instructor. It was more challenging than the course on the left, as it was meant to slow the more experienced climber and give the client a better chance to win. It had been over a year since Brooklyn last climbed the beginner’s route, but already her mind was forming a path to the top, analyzing the terrain and finding three different options to success.

“Parker, last chance. Are you sure you don’t want the head start?” Parker emphatically shook his head no, and Tallia smiled. “Alright then. On your marks, get set. Go!”

With Tallia’s cue, the mad scramble for the top started. To Brooklyn’s surprise, Parker managed to stay with her through the first third of the wall, making strong, smart choices with his grips and footholds. He was more of a sponge with information than she anticipated and was using the information Brooklyn taught him to his advantage. “So I’m curious,” Parker started at the halfway mark, looking a little more fatigued than earlier. “Exactly how long have you been doing this?”

“Basically since I could walk,” Brooklyn assumed Parker meant climbing, not her actual job as an instructor at the community center. “I got certified when I was ten and climbed my first mountain when I was twelve.”

“Wait for real?” “Yes,” Brooklyn responded, burying her bark laugh in her throat. “Not like Mount Everest or anything. Just a small mountain in Wyoming.”

“A small mountain in Wyoming, she says.” Parker paused, using the moment to choose his route. Brooklyn was impressed. Usually, rookie climbers weren’t nearly patient enough with the routes and tried too hard to be fast to be first. “You climb any mountains in Colorado.”

“None of the big ones. My dad and I want to do a smaller day hike this spring and then maybe do a fourteen footer in the summer. We’ll probably do the Lion Lakes trail once it opens.”

“Think I could do it?”

“Absolutely,” Brooklyn was shocked by her own eagerness, as though she actually wanted Parker to come on one of her sacred hikes with Sam. “We’ll probably go in late March or early April if you want to come.”

“Let me win this race and a state championship first. Then we’ll talk.”

Brooklyn rolled her eyes before resuming her route. She was exactly at the halfway mark with Parker right on her heels. His natural athleticism and strength was on full display as he fought the exhaustion in his arms and legs. Brooklyn knew better than anyone climbing was a different animal. It took stamina and strength well-seasoned athletes didn’t possess. After a full hour of climbing, Parker should have been exhausted, yet he pushed on, hanging with Brooklyn stride for stride.

Adrenaline captured Brooklyn’s being as she lost herself in the moment. It had been a long time since anyone challenged her on a course and made the race fun. Brooklyn typically found herself free hanging from the wall, waiting for her client to join her at the top. Even the difficult courses were boring races. No one had the stamina or determination to stay with her, but Parker did. Brooklyn started taking uncharacteristic chances. She abandoned her logic just to ensure she beat Parker Allenton and forgot the cardinal rule of climbing: never focus on the end.

With a few meters left, Brooklyn came to the crossroad in the course. There were two obvious paths that led to the button. One veered left and was far easier than the path straight ahead. The design was intentional. It was meant to slow down instructors so the client had a sporting chance to win. It was the path Brooklyn was supposed to take. She knew that, but all she could think about was hitting that red button. The path ahead was more challenging but faster, and as an experienced climber, Brooklyn knew she had to take it.

The first few steps were fine. The ridged boulder made it challenging, but Brooklyn was finally gaining a substantial lead on Parker. Victory was within her grasp, but she got cocky. Brooklyn reached for the next grip before her foot was steady and lost her footing, sending her body into free fall.

It only lasted a matter of seconds. Logic and habit took over when Brooklyn slipped. Her vocal cords called out the proper command to Tallia, and her body went into the proper defensive position. Arms at her chest. Knees bent and braced for impact. Head loose waiting for the jolt. The fall itself lasted ten seconds maybe before Tallia pulled the belay, bringing Brooklyn to a snapping stop, but it was enough to pull Brooklyn back to her senses. If she was on a mountain, her carelessness would have resulted in injury at best, death at worse, and Brooklyn scolded herself mentally.

Worst of all, she lost her standing in the race. Parker was now near feet from the button, while Brooklyn was back at the crossroads. The direct path was her only option if she wanted to win, and Brooklyn still wanted to win. This time, she was more careful, though. Brooklyn paced her entire walk and focused on the next step rather than the final button. In no time at all, she gained ground on Parker, pulling even with him at the very top. The difference was arm length. Just as Brooklyn pulled even with Parker, he reached for the button even though he was still feet from the top.

Brooklyn’s competitive nature seized her body. She could not, under any circumstances, lose to Parker Allenton. Not only would it ruin her perfect record, it would just be embarrassing. There was only one move she could make, though. Without hesitating, Brooklyn buoyed herself up the last of the boulders, risking another fall, and gaining just enough momentum to slam the button. At the exact same time as Parker.

No one moved. After grabbing back onto the wall, Brooklyn just hung there, staring at the button. In the year she’d been volunteering and working for Adventure Endeavors at the community center, Brooklyn couldn’t remember a tie. It was a first. It had to be, and she, for one, was shocked it happened against her of all people.

Only Parker truly seemed more surprised than Brooklyn. He made his way down the wall in stunned silence. It’s one thing, Brooklyn knew, to proclaim victory. It’s another thing to actually do it. Parker may legitimately believed he was going to beat Brooklyn, but actually doing it could still come as a shock, especially after Brooklyn recited her climbing resume.

“Oh my gosh you guys that was epic!” Tallia was in the midst of a full blown freak out as Brooklyn and Parker belayed down the wall. Their feet barely touched the ground before she pounced, “I mean that was just, wow! Just wow! Parker are you sure you’ve never climbed before?”

Brooklyn looked over at her pupil and noticed he looked tired. Not the type of overachieving teenage tired most teenagers wore like a bag. Parker looked physically exhausted, like he skated through a five overtime hockey game. His smile was infectious even when the rest of his body was completely drained.

“Scouts honor.” As if to confirm Brooklyn’s observations, Parker bent over and clutched his knees, “That’s exhausting though.”

Brooklyn shared a look with Tallia and laughed. Brooklyn knew the exhaustion of climbing, but she lived for it. The aches and pains, the challenges of the rocks and boulders, invigorated Brooklyn in a way nothing else really did. Whether she was taking on a wall or an actual shale cliff, Brooklyn felt powerful and accomplished whenever she tackled a course, and the race against Parker was no different.

“All in a day's work,” Brooklyn casually responded. “You have enough energy to get out of your harness?”

Parker gave her a deadpan look, as though that was the easiest task of the day. He quickly proved otherwise. It took Parker a solid two and a half minutes to shimmy out of his gear despite subtle instructions from Brooklyn and Tallia. The shoes, ironically, proved the most challenging, probably because it was all velcro, no laces. And no blades for that matter.

“You doing ok there, Allenton?” Brooklyn approached Parker as he was disinfecting the gear. He was meticulous with the process, making sure every square inch of fabric was covered in the company’s special spray before moving on to the next piece. Brooklyn found herself almost mesmerized by the process, fascinated by Parker’s focus.

“Yeah,” Parker answered sincerely, though he never looked away from the shoe he borrowed. “Seriously Pieper. That was the most fun I’ve had in ages.” “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.” Brooklyn started coiling and sorting the ropes to keep herself busy. “Where are we eating?”

The question seemingly broke Parker’s trance, as he snapped his head in Brooklyn’s direction, “What do you mean?”

“You won the race,” Brooklyn responded matter-of-factly. “You pick where we eat, I pay. Remember?”

“Yeah, but it was a tie.” Brooklyn could see the cogs whirring in Parker’s sports-minded brain. He was trying to figure out how exactly he won if they pushed the button at the same time.

“It’s a win in my book.” Brooklyn responded with no need to elaborate. She wasn’t sure she could explain her own thought process anyway. “So, where we eating?”

Parker put his freshly disinfected shoes and harness in the proper bins and turned to Brooklyn with a smile, “I want to take you to my favorite place, but on one condition. Actually two conditions.” “Ok, I’ll bite.” Brooklyn gathered her gear and walked toward the staff locker room. “What is this place?”

“Well, I’m obviously not going to tell you,” Parker followed Brooklyn like a puppy, almost forgetting he wasn’t supposed to go into the staff areas. “But I’ll pay and drive too.”

“No Parker, I can’t let you do that.” Brooklyn protested maybe a little too loudly, attracting the attention of Tallia and Justin, and lowered her voice. “A bet is a bet. I promise, I can hold up my end of the bargain, unless this is a five star sushi place or something.” “No, I promise it’s not that.” Parker insisted, “I just, I would like to pay. If that’s ok.”

“Sure,” Brooklyn gave Parker a sideways glance. “But I’m covering Wednesday then.”

“Deal.”

Twenty minutes later, after a brief ribbing from Tallia, Brooklyn pulled into her driveway with Parker hot on her tail. She needed to feed Sokka and change out of her work uniform before their dinner adventure, especially if Parker was taking herself someplace fancy. While Parker didn’t fit all the hockey player stereotypes, Brooklyn knew he enjoyed the finer things in life when it came to food. His family had money, and hockey teams don’t exactly skimp out on fast food burgers during tournaments. Sure, he enjoyed burgers and fries whenever they went to Rudy’s, but Brooklyn guessed his favorite restaurant was a bit on the spendy side otherwise why else would he offer to pay.

“Hey there boy,” Sokka greeted Brooklyn and Parker at the door, his telltale helicopter tail spinning wildly behind them. “Look who I brought for a visit.”

Sokka barked and pounced on Parker, rising to his full height to give the boy a hug. It had become their thing in the past few weeks. Sokka would wait for Parker to come in and shut the door before greeting him with a shake and hug, once he had permission of course.

“I still don’t know why he likes you so much,” Brooklyn hollered from the kitchen as she prepared Sokka’s food dish. Honestly, she was grateful for the distraction. Parker’s presence meant Sokka wouldn’t hover over his bowl while Brooklyn prepped the food, trying to sneak extra bits and kibbles.

“Because he has good taste,” Parker yelled back. “Don’t you Sokka?”

Brooklyn rolled her eyes and returned to the living room. She wondered what it was about dogs that reduced them to just large children. Even Brooklyn and Sam used baby voices around Sokka, and all her friends, Skye included, were victims of the dog’s charm and charisma. There was something about Parker, though, that elevated him above all others. While Sokka enjoyed the attention of all Brooklyn’s friends, he was genuinely excited whenever Parker came to visit and would literally abandon Brooklyn just to be near him.

Parker didn’t hold a candle, though, to Sokka’s food dish. The minute Brooklyn set the metal bowl on the ground, Sokka dashed away from Parker’s side into the kitchen, leaving the poor boy’s fingers suddenly very cold and abandoned.

“Welcome to life with Sokka,” Brooklyn motioned as she rejoined Parker in the living room. “Loves you one minute, then leaves you hanging. Such a boy.”

Parker pouted, “I thought I was special.”

“We all did,” Brooklyn offered a comforting pat on the shoulder. “I’m gonna run upstairs and change real quick.”

“No need,” Parker quickly cut Brooklyn off before she could turn and run up the stairs of the split level house. “There’s no dress code where we’re going. It’s just come as you are.” “You sure?” Brooklyn gave Parker a leery gaze, remembering their last trip together. He didn’t exactly warn her about teaching at the library, though she certainly was appropriately dressed for that extravaganza. “Because I’m pretty sure I could find some clothes that fit you. In my dad’s closet that is. Not mine obviously.”

“Relax Brookie,” Parker used her nickname, abiding by the rules she set for him weeks earlier. “I promise, you won’t be over or underdressed where we’re going. Just trust me ok.”

Brooklyn gulped but nodded, “Ok. Let me write a note to my dad real quick, and we can go.” It took Brooklyn all of five minutes to write two quick notes. One she left on the kitchen table, the other on the fridge, hoping he would see at least one if he beat her home. She doubted he would. He’d been pulling all-nighters all weekend despite his latest promise to spend all day Saturday with Brooklyn and Sokka. He probably spent four hours at the house that night, all of them sleeping or in his basement office.

“You good?”

“All set,” Brooklyn grabbed a jacket from the coat closet and gave Sokka a quick goodbye boop on the nose. “See you later.”

The drive to the restaurant took thirty minutes, and every single one was filled with conversation. The minute Parker pulled out of the driveway, the two settled into easy conversation. Parker peppered Brooklyn with questions about her rock climbing background, mountains she climbed, trails she wanted to try out. In return, Brooklyn interrogated Parker about his childhood, specifically how he avoided rock climbing for seventeen years of life. His excuse was the same as always: hockey got in the way, to the point where Brooklyn asked if he even enjoyed the sport anymore.

“Thanks to you,” Parker responded with a smile as the surface changed under the cars tires. “Oh look we’re here.”

Brooklyn pulled her eyes back to the road, not entirely certain where he was. She knew Parker drove east, away from Rocky Mountain National Park and the main part of town. In fact, if she had to guess, they were on the very edge of town based on the towering evergreens surrounding both sides of the road.

That was the only part of the area that felt like Colorado. It felt like Brooklyn was transported to another state, another time even. A tattered looking saloon stood at the edge of the gravel road, completely at odds with the nature scene surrounding it. Brooklyn expected it would have fit in much better on the set of an old Western movie, and maybe that’s where it came from, long abandoned by directors and actors.

Except it wasn’t abandoned. Light was streaming through every open window, and a chorus of voices harmonized with the sounds of a live jazz or country band. The building itself was alive despite the mountain chill that clung in the air.

“This is it.” Brooklyn commented as she got out of the car, collecting as much visual information as possible. “You’re a serial killer, and this is where you’re gonna dump my body.”

Parker’s rich laugh rang through the clearing as his feet hit the gravel with a crunch, “You watch too much tv, you know that?”

Brooklyn rolled her eyes, but continued to take in the sight in front of her, “What is this place?”

“The Cajun Frog,” Parker responded as though it was obvious, which, based on the neon glowing sign atop the building, it kinda was.

“Well, I can see that Captain Obvious.” Brooklyn noted, “I mean, what kind of restaurant is it?”

“Cajun.”

Brooklyn froze, truly petrified for the first time in her life. She knew she lived a fairly sheltered childhood compared to the teenagers of Estes Park. Sure, she grew up hiking the paths of Yellowstone, mostly, and sampled plenty of “nature based” meals during her time in Wyoming, but her food options growing up weren’t exactly exotic, save the occasional elk burger with fries. Cajun was practically foreign food, something Brooklyn only heard of but never had the chance to try. It was also 100% out of her comfort zone.

“Hey,” Parker noticed Brooklyn’s drop off, and stepped back to check on her. “You ok?”

“Yeah,” Brooklyn blanched, trying to keep her cool. “It’s just, I’ve, um. Well, I guess I’ve never really eaten anything like this, you know.”

“Cajun?”

“Spicy,” Brooklyn answered honestly. Seasoning salt was the hottest spice used in the Pieper household, mostly because spices in general were expensive in West Yellowstone and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Parker turned to look Brooklyn in the eye, “Do you trust me?”

Brooklyn thought about it for a moment and answered with a quick shake of the head. A month earlier, her answer would have been very different. At the start of the semester, Brooklyn trusted Parker Allenton about as far as she could throw him, but somehow, especially in the last three weeks, Parker dismantled his own reputation, proving to Brooklyn she could at least trust him enough.

“Then let me order for you tonight.” Brooklyn immediately started to protest when Parker put a hand on her shoulder, “If you hate it, I promise to let you order anything off the very generic, bland kids menu. Ok?”

Again, Brooklyn nodded in agreement, and together, the two ventured into the restaurant. It was cozy inside, with a warm, yellow light that banished the lingering cold and nerves from Brooklyn’s body and wood paneling that was reminiscent of a fishing shack or old cabin. It was well-worn and loved, much like the speakeasies and bars Brooklyn read about in books, and the music was uplifting, an old time jazz band that could get anyone dancing.

A waitress quickly attended to Parker and Brooklyn, taking their drink orders before leaving them with two menus. Brooklyn didn’t even bother looking at hers, instead putting her full trust into the boy sitting across from her. Parker asked a few questions, asking if she’d ever had seafood and what her spice threshold was. Brooklyn tried not to sound like a total doofus, but admitted most of her seafood was either freshly caught and cooked in a fire or deep fried and served in a school cafeteria. There really was not an in between.

Yet, even with little history in the seafood world, the meal Parker ordered was perfect. Brooklyn even enjoyed the alligator fingers, which were cooked to perfection with a batter that wasn’t too dense or overwhelming. Her po’boy, a sandwich Brooklyn didn’t even know existed until that Sunday night, was made of the best shrimp she ever tasted. It melted in her mouth, and the sauce wasn’t overly spicy or powerful. Parker even remembered to order her meal without tomatoes or onions, and although Brooklyn didn’t know what exactly hushpuppies were, she was adding them as a preferred side at restaurants everywhere.

“That was amazing,” Brooklyn gushed as Parker pulled into her driveway almost two hours later. They stayed at the restaurant far later than she expected, but it was completely worth it. Brooklyn was so full of quality food, she could hardly move, short of like Thanksgiving 2.0. “How did you find that place?”

The boy shrugged in the driver's seat, “Just stumbled on it one day. When you live in Estes Park, things get old pretty quick you know?”

Brooklyn nodded, understanding exactly what Parker meant. Sure, there were times where it was cool to live in a tourist town, but it does get old. The tourist stuff, at least.

“Anyway, I hope you liked it.” Brooklyn couldn’t see it, but she swore Parker was blushing slightly as he pulled into her driveway. “I know it’s kinda weird, and not a lot of people like cajun food.”

“I loved it,” Brooklyn quickly interrupted Parker, sensing a hint of self-consciousness. “Thank you for sharing it with me. I don’t think I would have been brave enough to try it without you.”

Parker smiled back, “Thanks for trusting me.”

“You make it pretty easy.” Brooklyn noticed a sudden shift in the car. The air itself seemingly changed, as Brooklyn somehow felt herself being pulled closer to Parker. He was like a magnet, and it felt like they just passed some crazy trust exercise to advance to the next level of friendship. Brooklyn didn’t believe in that stuff, though, so she opened the passenger car door and walked out onto her driveway. “See you at school tomorrow?”

“I’m not sure,” Parker responded with a rueful smile. “It might get in the way of winning a state championship.”

Brooklyn leaned through the open window and playfully punched Parker in the shoulder, “See you tomorrow Parkzy..”

She barely made it two steps up the driveway before Parker cried out, “Hey Brookie?”

“What Allenton?” Brooklyn pretended to be exasperated, but a smile snuck across her face all the same.

“Thanks for not letting me win today.”

“Don’t think it will happen again,” Brooklyn hollered, knowing no one could really hear her. The closest neighbors were miles away, one of the many benefits of living closer to the national park. Neighbors were a bit more scarce in this part of the mountain, but not completely obsolete. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

With that, Brooklyn made the trek to her front door, trying to conceal the grin on her face. The hum of an idling car accompanied her walk, and Brooklyn knew Parker was waiting to make sure she got inside. This was part of their ritual. He’d drop her off or follow her home, and she’d flicker the light twice to indicate she got inside safe and sound.

That night, though, a touch of food induced laziness overtook Brooklyn, and she opted to go through the front door rather than the garage. Overcome by a sudden wave of euphoric exhaustion, Brooklyn swung the screen door open wide and slid her key into the lock, her mind too distracted to think about anything other than food.

Once inside, Brooklyn quickly closed and locked the door behind her. A chill krept through her body as she moved to the front window, waving to let Parker know she was inside, safe and sound. It wasn’t until he drove off and out of site that the chill grew and an eerie feeling settled in Brooklyn’s shoulders. The split level house was entirely dark. The shutters were drawn, and the living room lamp was off, even though Brooklyn swore she turned it on before leaving with Parker.

On instinct, Brooklyn’s hand reached for a baseball bat hidden by the coat rack. Sam insisted she keep one there and one in her bedroom in case anything happened when he was at the park. Brooklyn thought it was overkill, but at that moment, she was grateful for her dad’s overprotective nature. The darkness morphed into familiar shadows, but just as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, illumination barreled into the room from the corner, temporarily blinding Brooklyn.

“Jesus dad!” At the turn of the light, Brooklyn readied herself in an offensive stance, fully prepared to whack the intruder. There was no intruder, however. Just Brooklyn’s dad sitting in the back corner in his old chair. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

But Sam didn’t smile. He didn’t laugh. He just sat in that chair with a level, blank, unreadable look on his face.

“Where have you been?”

“Dinner,” Relief washed over Brooklyn’s body as she returned the bat to its rightful place. “Parker stopped by the course today, and we went out to eat afterwards.”

“For three hours?”

“We fed Sokka before we went,” Brooklyn explained as she looked for her dog. He wasn't curled up at her dad's feet, so she figured he was already sleeping in her bed. “We didn’t leave until after six, and Parker took me to this place on the east side of town.”

Alarm flared behind Sam’s eyes, “The east side?”

“Yeah,” Brooklyn paid no attention to her father’s sudden worry. “It’s called The Cajun Frog. We have to go there sometime dad. They’ve got all these really cool sandwiches from Louisiana that’s super spicy but it’s really good, and.”

“No,” Sam interrupted, his voice stern and harsh in a way Brooklyn never heard before. “You won’t be going back to that restaurant.” “Dad, it’s a restaurant. It’s not like anyone there tried to poison me or anything.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Sam dismissed her with a wave of his hand, and Brooklyn felt the first thrum of frustration in her chest. “You won’t be going back to that restaurant or walking alone in the woods behind the house.”

“What?” Brooklyn scrunched her nose at her father in confusion, “Dad, what is going on?”

“Don’t talk back to me Brooklyn,” Sam moved to stand but remained seated.

“Talk back?” Brooklyn threw her arms out, looking to the house for guidance. “When have I ever talked back, dad? When have I ever stayed out late and not told you? I always call the station house or leave a note.”

“Not tonight.”

“I wrote two,” Brooklyn stood her ground as her left arm flew towards the kitchen. “One for the fridge and one for the table, just like always.”

“Either way, you’ve had too much freedom, Brooklyn,” Sam stood suddenly, and Brooklyn thought she saw an outline of a gun at the hem of his t-shirt. “I think it’s time to lay down some rules.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re out too late and never home.”

“I’m out too late?” Brooklyn could no longer contain her shock or frustration. The man standing across from her wasn’t her dad. The man was far too sickly, tired and contentious to be Sam Pieper. “You’re never home dad. You wouldn’t know if I was out late or home at all. You’re gone before I wake up and get home when I’m asleep. I don’t even know what you look like anymore.”

Brooklyn paused, waiting for her dad to come up with some type of excuse or try to lay down more laws. It seemed, though, her words landed with more force than she expected.

“I don’t know what case you’re working on dad, but I’m worried,” Brooklyn conceded, giving a voice to the anxiety she’d been ignoring for weeks. “When I go to bed at night, I’m scared when I wake up, someone else is going to knock on the door to tell me you’ve died or been mauled by a bear or plowed in an avalanche.”

“Brooklyn.”

“Just promise me you’ll come home dad.” Tears flowed down Brooklyn’s face, stingy scrapes left behind by the mountain wind. “Whatever this case is, just promise me you’ll come home.”

The living room scenery melted away for Brooklyn. By the time she was twelve, Brooklyn knew how to survive multiple nights in the harshest of environments. She could climb mountains the size of skyscrapers, cook her own meals, feed Sokka and find her way home using the sun and moss. Brooklyn knew she could survive on her own, but this was the first time she didn’t want to. She was nothing more than a child looking into her dad’s eyes, begging and pleading with him not to leave her.

But Sam couldn’t make that promise. He was an investigative Park Ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park. His job was far riskier than a normal Park Ranger, and Brooklyn knew whatever case he was working on was far more dangerous than anything before.

So rather than stand there and force her father into a promise he couldn’t keep, Brooklyn turned and left the living room, praying for a miracle she knew would never come.