12

Nicholas steps out from the treeline, awed by the scenery in front of him. The mountain which they have been climbing gives up its thick woods, giving way to a few feet of rocky clearing. And then the cliff drops off — a steep fall, at the bottom of which lies a small lake, shimmering and reflecting off sunlight of the first sunny day they've seen in over a week.

Everyone gasps collectively. Nick glances to his side to find Valeria looking just as blown away as he his. Her mouth hangs slightly ajar, her eyes wide, and a blissfully surprised smile decorates her lips. He catches her eye. He gives her a small, crooked smile.

"Oh my God, this place is beautiful!" Stella exclaims, running forward with her arms spread out. "Scratch that," she turns around to face the group, beaming, laughing out. "It's magical!"

Keithia purses her lips, her smile shy, yet confident.

She was the one who'd suggested they stop their trek and go off track to come see the spot, saying that it was her favourite place in the entirety of the range.

How she had even managed to find such a place at such high altitude in the first place, is out of Nicholas' reasoning. So he lets the thought go, instead choosing to focus on his group of friends. He finds the happy and exciting mood rubbing off on him, then enlarging into a bubble of bliss, encircling them all.

Nick would capture the moment, if he could, he finds himself thinking. Steal the momentary happiness and contentment and save it, locking it up inside a jar — forever visible, always accessible, especially in times of sadness and hopelessness.

And so, he decides on doing the next best thing. He fishes out his Polaroid camera, one of the only gifts his dad ever gave him. At the feel of the cool plastic beneath his fingertips, a giddiness takes root inside Nick, a smile growing on his lips.

"Alright everyone," he calls out, happiness even in the tone of his voice. Nicholas shakes the camera for show. "Time to make some memories."

Stella smiles, pride and approval showing on her face. She whips out her phone, too, and the process of taking pictures begins.

Somewhere along the line, someone pushes Nick and Val to stand together for a photograph. Valeria grins, taking one timidly placed step closer to him. Nicholas smiles, pursing his lips together, his head tilted downwards a little, feeling himself drawn closer to Val as if by magnetism, so much so that barely an inch of space remains between their bodies.

It will probably be one of his favourite pictures from the trip, he decides.

Next up, Stella catches his eye and winks at him. For a moment he's confused, but then he sees her surreptitiously glancing toward Richard and Keithia — standing apart but together, never going more than a foot away from each other — and instantly he's able to gage just what is going on inside his minx of a friend's head. One side of his mouth curves up in amusement.

Stella throws one arm around Richard's shoulders, the latter stooping down a bit so as to make the action easier, and then loops the other arm through Keithia's. She draws them together in way of a group photo, then later steps out from between, leaving the blushing duo in spotlight.

Richard and Keithia stand under the warm sun, their cheeks burning. Keithia tries to leave, a breeze suddenly blowing her hair onto her face as if the wind, too, works on her whims. However, Richard's hand shoots out. He wraps an arm around her waist, much to both of theirs expense as their blush increases. Then just as Nicholas presses the shutter, Keithia moves her head slightly, her hair obscuring almost half of her face; and Richard throws caution to the wind, bending down to place a small kiss on her head at the very last moment.

The shutter clicks.

"Go Rich!" exclaims Stella, jumping on her bespectacled friend's back before pulling Keithia into a hug. Valeria, standing beside Nick, smothers a laugh behind her hand.

Nicholas smiles contently, his hand catching the Polaroid the instant it slips out from underneath the camera.

The picture shows Richard's pinkened ears and the blush running up his neck, but it has also captured the smile on the side of his lips; then there's Keithia, her eyes wide with surprise, her cheeks blazing red, her hair splayed about her head, her lips curved in an almost smile.

The picture also shows a tint, a hue of green light surrounding Keithia's form.

And her eyes — incandescent, and burning a bright orange.

Nicholas swallows, unable to let this thought go. He looks up and finds Keithia staring at him, smiling her dreamy smile.