8. Trains and Why I Love Them
The rest of the day went without a hitch, and it wasn't until after school that I decided that it was time to tell Josh about this 'X-Ray' vision of mine. The trouble was, I had absolutely no control over it what so ever, and I wasn't even sure if it was even X-Ray vision...
Josh, however, is excited as about it. He didn't care that I didn't think much of it - he is just really stoked.
"So, what? That's like two powers, now, is it?" Josh asks. I roll my eyes. We are back at his place, tucked up in the privacy of his room. It's a shame his sister isn't... forget I said that.
"Yeah, but it's unlikely that I'll get anymore..." My voice trails off, as I think of flying. I think I've mentioned it before, but almost every super can fly. It's like it's in the job description.
"But what about flying?" Josh asks. It's obvious that the power of flight must be playing on his mind as well. I suppose flying wouldn't be that bad... Okay, who am I kidding? Flying would be awesome. Way cool.
"That would be awesome." I say. "But don't you get any ideas. It's only a possibly, so don't go thinking you can..."
"Push you off a building?" he suggests, "but, dude, what about the Cloud Tower? That's one of the highest buildings in the country! All we would have to do is jump on a bus and head downtown..."
"No." I shake my head. The Cloud Tower, named like that because no one could think of a better name for a skyscraper and the Kiwi's had already stolen the name 'Sky Tower', is most definitely one of the highest buildings in the country. I don't know its exact height, but I know it's over half a kilometre tall. To me, it sounds like one of the worst buildings to be thrown off. A small building, only gives you a short fall time - only a few seconds, at the most. But the Cloud Tower? You'd be looking at a fall time of at least 10 seconds. That's a long time, to be waiting for your death.
But I know Josh isn't gonna give up. So I offer him an alternative. "How about, if I figure out I can fly, after I figure this out, then we can go downtown and you can push me off the tower." He grins and fists the air and I roll my eyes. The real question is and I don't want to say this aloud, but what kind of friend wants to push his friend off a building?
Hmmm...
"Oh, and one more thing." I add, interrupting Josh's victory dance. "I get to push you off the tower, too." He stops as it sinks in, before frowning.
"But..."
I roll my eyes. "Don't worry, I'll catch you." He frowns, still unconvinced. I laugh. "Now you know how I feel. But anyway, man. Let's do something else."
"No," he argues, "I just had the best idea..."
20 minutes later, I found myself standing on a railway bridge, next to Josh overlooking the river, which is at least 15 metres below. I don't know if you've ever been on a railway bridge, but I'll sum it up for you. Most of them - including the one I am standing on - don't have rails.
"You know," I speak carefully, trying not to freak out from the height, "this doesn't quite seem like the best idea." However, Josh managed to talk me into this, I have no idea. My fear of heights is chronic, even though I'm pretty good at hiding it (well, I hope so). This is so dangerous. It's not a height that you would die from, 'cause the river isn't very far away, but... but...
"What?" Josh asked, confused. "This is the best idea. People jump off this all the time."
"Yeah," I counter. "Brave people." It was true, though. The Jason River runs right through the city, dividing it into two halves, and one of the main daredevil attractions - that's a crucial word, daredevil - is to jump off it. Nobody has died yet, but there has been a few injures. Broken legs and stuff. Okay, you can now see why I think this isn't such a good idea.
"What? You're brave."
"Josh, you do realise that if a train comes, we will both have to jump, right."
"What, really?" I sigh. Sometimes his stupidity amazed me.
"Yes, really. I'm not jumping, so let's go." I turn around, and start to walk off. I hear him walking up close behind me. He's gonna push me, isn't he?
"Josh," I breathe, not bothering to turn around. "If you push me, whether I figure out how to fly or not, I will come back up, and push you off. And here's the crucial part: I'm not catching you."
I continue to walk forward and away from the middle of the bridge. I mean what I said, too. I really don't want to be pushed off. It's a hot day, the sun is out, and it probably won't be that bad getting wet, but... but... the height....
I swing around suddenly, catching Josh off guard. It causes him to wobble - and for a second I think he's gonna fall - but he quickly stabilises himself. "Hey!" He cries. "I wasn't gonna..."
"Just checking." I say, trying not to let my annoyance at him show through.
"Okay, dude, I'm sorry. This was a bad idea. I know you don't like heights." I'm about to shrug off his apology when he does something completely unexpected. He starts taking his shirt off.
"What are you..." I ask, already suspecting the answer.
"I'm gonna show you this isn't that bad." He declares, throwing his shirt down on the tracks.
"By jumping off?"
"Yes, by going for a swim. Wish me luck."
"That isn't the best idea..." I frown at him.
"And?" he asks.
"You might get hurt..."
"Okay, well then." Josh sighs. "How about we both jump then?"
"How is that better?" I look down hesitantly at the water and whimper. There's something about the no rails that just makes it seem so much more daunting.
"I was just offering solutions." He shrugs, and prepares to jump.
"Don't do it!" I cry. "You might die or something."
Josh bursts into laughter. "Has anybody ever told you that you act like a girl when you're scared?"
"No..." I think on it for a few seconds. "Well... yes... but..." he laughs again, before throwing himself off.
I lean hesitantly over the side, watching him fall. For a spilt second, I'm tempted to jump after him. Only for a second, though. Josh hits the water and surfaces straight away, shaking the water out of his hair. The river is slow moving and calm, but it still quickly drags him under the bridge and through to the other side. I walk over to the other side and watch him swim to the riverbank.
"Jump!" he calls. I shake my head. "Scaredy-cat!" he taunts. I shrug. He hauls himself up onto the riverbank and grins up at me. "Okay, how about this," he continues to call. "You if don't jump, I'll tell my sister."
"You'll tell her what?" I call back, confused.
"I'll tell her..." he cuts off mid-sentence and I grumble, frustrated.
"What?" I ask, annoyed at his refusal to get to the point.
"TRAIN!" Josh yells and I, being as scared of being hit by a several ton locomotive as the next guy, jump. Wise move, I know. That's exactly what I'm thinking, as I free fall through the air. Wise move, Tim. Wise move. I bet there isn't even a god damned train coming. But there isn't any time to think anymore, because I'm already splashing into the water.
'Damn you, Josh.' I think as I fight my way to the surface and gulp in a massive hunk of air. My legs are stinging from hitting the water so hard and my clothes are weighing me down. So much for flying. I quickly swim to the back where Josh is, feeling grateful for the swimming lessons my mum made me take when I was a kid. I scowl at Josh as I haul myself onto the bank beside him. He laughs.
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" he chuckles.
"You!" I hiss at him. "There isn't a damned train coming!" He laughs even louder. I groan, and shake the water out my hair. One of the advantages of having longer hair, is being able to dry it and wet everybody around you at the same time.
"Hey!" he grumbles.
"You deserve it." I shoot back. He shrugs and I think of what he said before, about his sister. "What were you saying you were gonna tell your sister about, if I didn't jump?"
"Oh," Josh laughs. "I was gonna... oh never mind, you would hate me if I said it. Good thing you jumped, eh?"
"I already hate you." I sigh and take off my soaked shirt, wringing it out over the river.
"Wait." He frowns. "You don't mean that, do you? About hating me?"
I laugh at his naivety. "You're so lucky that your idiocy makes you pretty impossible to hate."
"Hey!" I laugh at his face of outrage.
"We should do that again. Jump." He grins at me. I shake my head. That was horrible enough the first time. "Just kidding." He laughs. "But I have to get my shirt." I follow him as he climbs up the bank and jumps back onto the bridge.
When we reach the middle again, he laughs at me. I shoot him a confused look. "Why are you laughing..?"
"And you call me an idiot..." He chuckles out the words. "You asked for it, following me back onto the bridge." I frown at him, realise just what he means by that, and take a step backwards. I don't know where I'm going, though. It's only air behind me.
"Don't you dare." I warn him, holding out my palms. "I'll shock you."
"And?" he laughs.
"Josh, I mean it. I don't like heights, and the first time was bad enough. Please, don't."
"Did you try to fly, the first time?" He asks. I shake my head in annoyance.
"No." I spit at him. "I was too busy worrying about my impending doom." I sigh, and look over his head, at the sky above. Not that many people can succeed in pissing me off, but Josh, well he just got an A+ in it. I'm about to turn and leave, when I feel the rumbling, through the tracks. We both look at each other, the exact same word on both of our lips.
"Train!"
I look hesitantly at the water below and shake my head, deciding to try run off the bridge before the train makes it. Josh screams at me.
"Tim, you idiot! That's the direction that the train is coming from!"
"What!" I cry, looking up and see the train in the near distance, rumbling its way towards me. "Oh, so it is." I swear, before turning around and running the other way. Josh grabs my arm, and stops me. "What!" I scream at him.
"There's no time! We're gonna have to jump." I groan. This is not fair. Then a slightly evil thought comes to my head and I let myself ponder over it for a spilt second. Oh, why not? He was gonna do it to me, anyway.
I grin at Josh, before pushing him off the bridge. I throw myself off it after him, hearing the train rumble along behind me. What a close call. The water rushes towards me, not looking in the slightest bit appetising. I try and convince myself to think flying thoughts. Flying thoughts, flying thoughts.
For a second I think it's actually working, as I feel myself slow down a little bit. Shouldn't I have hit the water by now? But it still rushes towards me, ready to greet me in its cold embrace. 'Oh, go away.' I think.807Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UTcHKtrsc
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