I Left Long Before You Looked novel · Chapter 6 of 24
Chapter 6: Five Point Ten
Wyatt's POV
On Saturday morning at ten, with eighty people on the floor, Brody Landry clapped his hands and announced a race.
"Listen up, everybody! This is my friend Turtle. Say hi, Turtle."
Nobody said hi.
Brody was in new climbing shoes with the tags still on the laces, and his day pass was clipped to his shirt.
Sadie stood behind the front desk with her hands flat on the counter.
She had been staring at him since he walked in, and he hadn't stopped talking.
"Turtle's been climbing for a week," Brody said. "I've climbed for ten years. So let's do it for charity. First one to the top of the big overhang. Loser apologizes to the whole gym."
A few people laughed.
It wasn't a hostile laugh. It was the kind people give when they aren't sure yet who's the joke.
"No," I said.
"Come on, bud. Your girl's watching."
"She isn't my girl, and I'm not racing."
"Then I win by forfeit."
"You can win by anything you want." I reached down and tightened my laces. "I'll climb my route. You climb yours."
Brody's smile held.
"Same wall?"
"Same wall."
I heard Cal, somewhere behind me, whisper "Oh no" with a lot of joy in it.
The woman with the chalk arms stopped in front of me on her way to the rope station.
"That overhang's a 5.10," she said, quietly. "It's too much for a week."
"I'm not doing the overhang. I'm doing the orange route again."
"Good." She looked at Brody. "Do you want me to stop him?"
"No."
"Then I'll watch the knot."
Cal tied me in himself.
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