being blind will be.
Ricky steps toward him. “His name’s on the contract. It’s O. P. Daniels, the same one from the comment section.”
He looks around at us, I think to see if we’re surprised. I’m not in the slightest. There’s something to the fact that Ricky hasn’t said this man’s name until now. I don’t know what it is, but I’ll figure it out soon enough.
John opens his mouth to speak, but Ricky interrupts.
“John, listen. I know you may be scared. I don’t blame you with your scholarship and all.” His voice is soothing. “But we’re doing this jump because it’s fucking awesome. We’re doing this jump because we’re going to make money. And we’re doing this jump blindfolded because Ben had a sweet idea. It’s about our legacy. Remember.”
John looks at me and doesn’t answer Ricky.
Ricky grabs him around the neck with one hand and loops the other around mine before walking to the railing. “Trust me.”
“You okay?” I ask John, but I keep my eyes on Ricky.
“Not really. You?”
“I may shit myself I’m so nervous.” I laugh and John chuckles a little.
Then he asks, “So why the blindfolds? Isn’t the bridge enough?”
I feel as if Dad’s standing next to me, not John. His tone is the same as when I used to get lectured about Ricky. But it’s not Dad, and I’m not in eighth grade. “I want this to work. I don’t know why, except . . .” I don’t finish.
“Except what? Seriously, Ben, I’d love to know, because this is some crazy shit and we both know I’m not smart enough to figure all this out. Hook me up. Why are we doing this? The contract?”
“I’m not concerned about the contract. That’s not why I wanted to do the first dare. I don’t want to get to the end of senior year and feel like it all passed me by. You know?”
John grunts.
“Maybe you wouldn’t. You have basketball. What do I have?”
“You got me.” John shoulders me. “And that brain of yours.”
“I guess. But you know what I mean. Stories. Action. A fucking life. I get decent grades, do as I’m told, and it’s just so boring.”
John claps my shoulder. “This sure as shit won’t be boring. Let’s get to it.”
There’s no time to thank John, because Ricky’s back to business.
“Here we are, gentlemen. Dare number two. Time to man up. Let’s get our masks on.” He pauses. “Who’s going first?”
Another silence. We look at one another, through the slits of our ski masks, while holding black napkins. We must look like some cult. John steps up. “I want this over with.”
“Ben, hit up the camera. I gotta direct.” Ricky shows John where to plant his feet and talks about going in like a pencil.
I turn the power on and stare at the screen. It feels, for a moment, like I’m not here with them, like this is someone else’s post and I’m at home in front of my computer. I like that idea a little too much, the voyeurism. It feels so safe . Then I look over the railing. It’s a long way down, and the water’s moving at a good clip. We’ve got to grab a section of rock and pull ourselves out, after. There’s no time to panic. I turn back to Ricky and John and none of this feels fake anymore.
“All right. So Ben, you’ll get me, then a shot of the Gorge, and then John jumping,” Ricky says. “Stay tight on him. I’ll grab the camera from you and run across the bridge and narrate as he gets out. Do a little interview and that’ll be that. We’ll take turns with the camera. Cool?”
“Sure.”
“Good. John, you solid?”
“Yeah.” His voice is weak, but he’s sitting on the railing, both legs over the side. All he has to do is stand. And jump.
“On me, Ben. In three, two, one . . .”
I hit record.
“Here we are today for our second dare. For those of you that missed the first, make sure to search YouTube for ‘Brookwood High Senior Year Dare Number One,’ now brought to you by Get Out There Adventure.”
I cringe when he says
Alexandra Ivy, Carrie Ann Ryan