The Heights

I freeze and stare at my phone for a few seconds. Suddenly I realized what his last sentences mean and jumped out of bed.

WHAT? Oh my God!! Did he just say he’ll pick me up in 20 minutes???

I hurried and got changed. I opened my closet and picked something to wear. What am I going to wear??? Jeans and something warmer? Sweater? Jacket? Coat? I didn’t even know what he meant by picking me up, and where we would go. Probably I should wear something I usually wear to campus, but maybe a little bit nicer and warmer? Maybe not a sweater because it won’t be nicer or flattering at all, and I will definitely drown in coats.

Ugh, the “perks” of being a shortie. And where the hell is Sasha when I really really need her??

I picked dark grey tight jeans and black knitted tank tops, then layered it with a light grey thicker knitted cardigan. Moisturized my face, brushed some powder, a bit of neutral-toned eye shadow, eyeliner, and lip tint. I grabbed my bag, emptied all the books and papers inside, only left my phone, wallet, simple makeup pouch, and tissues. After wore my black flats, I rushed downstairs and waited for him at the front gate.

A few minutes later, his black Camaro pulled over in front of me and he opened the door from inside.

“Hey… Please get in”, he said with a rather commanding tone, without any smile on his face.

I got into his car and he drove his car towards the highway out of town.

Okay, why has he seemed unwelcomed and strict tonight? Was it something I said? Something I did?

I guess that unsolicited annoyance from me about his Count Dracula role announcements kinda offend him. But I don’t know what to say and how to say sorry with his mood like this. Will he be madder if I talk now?

We haven't talked with each other at all since he picked me up around 15 minutes ago. I don’t know where will he take me, and what will we do, but I also don’t know what to say. I didn’t even dare to look at him, let alone talk to him because he seems so cold and annoyed right now.

He drove his car to Climber’s Hills, a rocky hill on the outskirts of our town where people go sightseeing on weekends, and the major attraction for the rock climber around the area. Since it’s Thursday night, only a very few people were seen around here.

He parked his car at one of the parking areas and said, “Let’s go out”.

I got out and followed him. He was wearing an unbuttoned grey and black checkered flannel shirt, with a white tee underneath, and torn, distressed faded jeans. I haven’t had time to take a look at what he was wearing in the car, because I was too busy with my own thoughts and really worried that he will be mad at me.

He leads me to a minimarket in the area and bought a pack of six beer bottles, two packs of chips, and a few packs of cigarettes, then asked me if I wanted to get something and I got myself a pack of cigarettes and a chocolate bar.

He grabbed the plastic bag consists of the snacks and cigarettes and his other hand holding the six-pack beer. I offered to help, but he refused. After we got out of the minimart, he walked into a small path that leads to the forest near the parking lot.

“Let me know if I walk too fast. It’s dark here.” He said with a little warmer tone.

“Okay”, I answered shortly.

“You better hold onto me. I don’t want you to get lost. It’s going to be darker in there.” He said again while stopping for a while.

I decided to held the edge of his unbuttoned flannel shirt to keep him near. I was thinking of holding his arm, but I was too nervous to do so. With very careful steps, I followed him in the dark through the forest path. The dark, narrow, uneven and sharp pebbled path took us to a flicker of lights behind the thick foliage.

“We’re almost there”, Clayton said when he looked back at me for a second.

The flickers of light behind the trees turned out to be the city lights. The dark path took us to a small opening on the edge of the hill. The opening mostly consisted of huge boulders and stones on the ground, making it unhabitable for trees to grow there, forming a small platform of rocks where we can see the night view of our city.

It was a small and very secluded place, and of course, nobody else was there at these hours on weekday nights.

“This is the place I always go when I need to be alone. I usually watched the lights all night, away from another human being and all the hustle and bustle of our busy city. Don’t tell anybody, most people don’t aware that we can see this beautiful view from here.”

That’s the longest piece of the convo he said to me since he picked me up about an hour ago.

“But, why are you taking me?” I asked him, hesitantly.

“I don’t know. I just feel like I want to show you this view, and... ask you to accompany me here tonight. Is that okay?” he asked.

I looked up at his face and the cold gaze that has been carved at the beginning of our meeting seems a bit warmer now.

“Of course”, I answered.

Am I dreaming?? He wants me to accompany him?? Here?? Secluded, in his secret place??

Anita, now get a grip and don’t go throw yourself at him straightforward, even though it’s really, really tempting…

But on the other hand, allure him? You didn’t even have the courage to hold his arm when he offered and only could muster the courage to hold the edge of his flannel shirt, let alone alluring.

We were sitting on the rock platform at the edge of the hill, side by side, looking at the beautiful twinkling city lights below while drinking beer and smoking. He tells me that he likes being here, alone, whenever he feels like he wants to get away from the spotlights.

“It’s really hard to be in the limelight constantly, you know. People are eager to know everything about you, but when you tell them something true about yourself, they cannot accept that and pick on you, throw rumors on you. I just wanna be an actor, not a celebrity, but that’s the side-effect that I have to accept. I am mostly an introverted person, I don’t do really well in making many friends, being a center of attention constantly. I’m just… a guy who loves acting and decided to pursue it to be his career”, he said when he exhales smoke from his mouth.

I listened to him talking about whatever comes to his mind that night in silence. Some of his good memories are about how he started acting, and the first time when he decided not to give any personal information about his family and his love life because he hated it when the rumors started to bother their personal life. Telling that his career started from scratch when he was constantly rejected for casting any serious character, because people think he wasn’t mature enough, or too good-looking to play a serious role.

He said people usually accept him as the Clayton Sommers, the "famous movie star", but not as himself, the student, the ordinary rather introverted man who is not really comfortable in the crowds. Nobody really wanted to know about his struggles, his weaknesses, and accept him as who he really is, but always wanted to bask in his reflected glory, or pushing their expectations to him and his behaviors. And finally, when he trusts his friends and shows his sensitive side, they use him. That’s why he decided not to be too social on campus because it’s way more comfortable that way.