Francheska Beeckley walked quickly in the frosty air in the colorful day of fall. She counted her steps as she walked down the cracked sidewalk on her street, to her small but cozy house. One, two, three, four, five,... Francheska thought her feet crunching on the thin sheet of frost. Wind whistled by her slightly pink ears. Francheska's backpack felt like it was going to pull her to the ground because of homework in every subject.

Francheska trudged up the seven stairs to her front porch which had two sort-of rusty chairs and a wooden shade that needed paint. She stood in front of her white-washed door. She hesitated but opened the creaky old door. Screeeeeech! The door made that horrifying scratching sound against the linoleum floor of the living room/ kitchen.

A blast of warm air gently carrying the the smell of gooey fudge covering warm, right-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies, greeted her.

" Hey... Francheska, how was the second month third week and fifth day of high school," said her non-working mother Caroline swiping her hand across her forehead.

" Same as normal, but more homework," Francheska groaned, but gazed over at the cookies raising her eyebrows, " but can I have one of those double chocolate fudge covered chocolate chip cookies."

"Yes you may and you can have as many as you want. But be careful because they are really gooey, just how you like them," replied her mother with a slight grin on her face.

Francheska took three (her favorite number). She bit into the cookie and a flood of semi-sweet and dark chocolate fudge filled her mouth also with the sweetness of the cookie. Francheska could taste the salt, brown sugar, granulated sugar and the semi-sweet chocolate chips embedded in the cookie. She smiled with chocolate covered pink lips. She swallowed and felt it going down her throat. Francheska took another bite out of the cookie.

" I'm going to do my homework," she said reluctantly after she ate the other two cookies.

At least that I will get it done sooner, thought Francheska as she ran up the stairs to her room and took out her books. She finished her math first and after that she went to work on her social studies and her science. Once she had finished her normal school priorities Francheska worked on her reading and her favorite class which was crafting a design of hiking boots to be safer, a climbing harness to be more comfortable and a swimsuit to be faster.

The hiking boot were made of regular boot material but had metal spikes on them so that in rocky or slick terrain they would have more traction. The climbing harness had leather on the outside and a very comfortable cloth and fluffed cotton padding. And the swimsuit was made of stretching material but the thread had a water resistant coating so that you could glide through the water.

She had always wanted to be brave but never got the chance.Mostly because of her a little over protective mother.

Francheska finally finish her project and saw her two-year-old tri-colored pitbull mix named Snickers rubbing her chocolate colored furry head against her leg, "Yes you are cute but I have homework to do....Hey what is this?" Francheska said looking at an envelope halfway in her backpack.

She bent down to grab the unfamiliar envelope and her name was addressed on it and it was written in a computer font that she had seen at school.

" Honey how are you doing up there. It's been four hours. Is all your homework done," called Caroline holding a new batch of cookies and bracing it on her hip.

Really, It's been that long Francheska thought.

" It's going fine mom. And yes my homework for today is done. Just give me a sec,"

Francheska replied trailing off half heartedly and smashing the envelope into her blue and green backpack.

" Good."

"Okay mom."

Francheska listened intently to make sure that she couldn't hear her mother coming up the stairs. Good, shes not coming up here, thought Francheska. She carefully smoothed out the envelope and read her name five times. Put it to the light in her room to see if she could tell what was in it. A piece of paper. Words. A short note.

Should I open it... I don't know...yes... no... yes... no... yes... no... maybe... Yes! Francheska debated. She had made up her mind. She would open it.

She tore into the letter and practically ripped off the top and unfolded the piece of thin paper. Francheska franticky opened the paper and read:

Hello Francheska,

I know that you love to explore, to navigate and to challenge yourself, but never got the chance. Now you do.

Go to the rock wall as soon as you can.

Gabe :)

"Okay who is this? And why would this... this... Gabe person send me something like this," muttered Francheska to herself.

She walked quickly down the stairs so that she could quickly go to the rock wall. " Mom I'll be right back I'm just going to the Bookstores all around town for a project that I need to do and I'm going to make a loop," lied Francheska.

"Okay. Do you need me to drive you there" asked her mother.

"No, I'm going on foot," said Francheska rushing through the door and closing it before her mother.

Phew... that was close. Francheska thought her feet willing to go faster but frozen at the same time.She navigated the way to the climbing center (where the rock wall was). Once she had reached the center she stood outside and looked at the double doors, which were big... REALLY BIG and covered from top to bottom in glass. More like plexi glass though. She slowly looked over the entire thing... well the doors, and walked to it. Francheska opened the door with ease. Looked up to see the very top of the rock wall (which was very tall and had a bridge going across because there were two floors). Francheska walked slowly but steadily to the entrance.

"Ugg, It costs money," mumbled Francheska.

" Oh but not for first timers," one of the people that worked there said.

" Oh, that is nice to know. Plus this is my first time," said Francheska not thinking that he would believe anyone who said that they were a newbie here.

" I can tell that you are a new person at this 'cause I haven't seen you here before and I remember everyone's face here and there names," He said again.

" Well then. I have never rock wall climbed before and never been up high before so I don't know if I'm even afraid of heights," Francheska remarked shrugging her shoulders.

" We should probably get you started then. The first question is: what is your name. My name is Gabriel. Gabriel Smith," Gabriel said flashing a perfect smile.

" I'm Francheska Beeckley."

" Well nice to meet you Francheska. My nickname is Gabe."

" Oh. nice to meet you too."

" Next question is: How old are you? For safety reasons"

" Fifteen."

" Okay you are good to go."

" One more thing though that I almost forgot to tell you are the rules," Gabriel said smacking his forehead.

" Okay go on..."

" The first one is, That you can't pass this yellow line until you're called," Gabriel said pointing to a yellow and black striped line indicating to stay on the other side.

"Okay the second one is?" Francheska said waving her arms in small circles wanting him to go on.

" The second one is to obey whatever the person who is going to help you climb up the wall."

" Okay I think I can handle that."

" You can go right over there so that you can get your harness fitted," Gabriel pointed over to a station decorated with harnesses of different sizes.

Francheska walked confidently to the clattering harnesses. She saw the harnesses being taken down for her to try on and to adjust to her feminine features.

Once she had the harness and the helmet on top of her straight brown hair smooshing it down on her head.

A gentleman waved her over to the rock wall climbing contraption.

" So did Gabriel tell you how this pulley system works," said the employee.

" Um... I don't think that he did."

" My name is Bill. I know it's a very 'usual' name. But back to business. First how this thing works is that first I make sure that everything is correct and where it is supposed to be. Second is, I make sure that your harness is tight enough and not too loose. Third is the saying that go along with this. When you're ready, and clipped to the rope you say wall. Which means you want to walk to the wall. Then i say Walk On. You then walk to the wall. Next you say climbing and I say going up. Then you climb to the highest part you want to. When you want down just say stop and going down. Then you can sit like you're in a chair and push off the wall and you will go down." Bill explained.

" Okay I think that I can do that." replied Francheska trying to take it in.

Bill fastened her harness up and was checking the ropes. He clipped the very large clips that seemed to weigh three pounds.

" Wall?" said Francheska hesitantly.

" Walk on!" Bill almost shouted.

" Climbing?" Franchesk asked and half said while reaching for the first knob.

" Going Up!" Bill exclaimed with a smile.

Francheska climbed up to about of a fourth of the way and saw that it was to high for her. She had fun trying to climb up and was smiling when she came down.

" That was fun. I'm glad that I had tried. Even though I didn't make it to the top. It was fun while it lasted. The next time that I come here I try to get higher.

" That is very nice to hear a positive note about the rock wall." Bill replied with a smile.

" Thanks It was wonderful." Francheska said as she walked out with a smile and a memory still fresh in her mind.