Snippet #2515158

The last vestiges of anxiety faded away with both Ryou and Dae's assurances. Dae speaking up next to him did startle him a little, though. He hadn't adjusted to that raspy brogue yet. If what he expected came true, he should have plenty of time to get used to it. Kyle's grin widened at the encouraging words. Not only could he enjoy school, but he didn't have to be that troublemaking kid. He could change. He wanted to change! He bounced on his toes and opened his mouth to say so, but closed it again when Ryou explained what he wanted them to do. Haru and Ji Na were totally lying when they said there would be no jumping off cliffs, but he still wasn't scared. To him, it sounded exciting.

A trust exercise? Well, the cliff-divers he saw on TV were never alone, so it probably did make perfect sense. There was also the risk of dying usually with cliff-divers, so they needed to go in groups. Ryou said there weren't any rocks at the bottom to crack their heads on, but if someone didn't know how to swim, like obviously Tallyho, it would be impossible. Kyle's heart beat hard in his chest and his breath caught when she started drifting further down. Kat caught her before he could and he released that breath like a deflating balloon.

Harper, on the other hand, everyone knew he could swim and was practically obsessed with it. Today was most likely the worst day of his life, and for that Kyle did manage to find a touch of pity for him. He could do without the sour smell Harper left behind though. Because of that sour smell, he pitied those left on this side of the cliff.

Kyle wasn't afraid to take the jump alone, but he sought out someone who might be. The only 'month warriors' left were Skylar, Falke, and himself. Skylar didn't seem to be the easily frightened type, and actually neither did Falke. The German boy didn't seem to like people much, so he thought he should approach carefully. "Falke..." he called the other blond boy's name, and paused for a response. If and when he answered by turning in Kyle's direction, he added, "I can help you if you want it." If Falke said he wanted help, Kyle would take his hand and lead the blind boy to the edge. "The water's below us, so stay close. I won't let you get hurt." He reached over to get a better grip on the other boy, but Falke swatted his hands away and he relented. "Okay! On three we can jump together. 1... 2..."Kyle bent his knees in preparation. "Ready?" If he got his answer in the form of a nod or statement, "3!" Then he took the plunge and swam slightly away to give Falke room to follow. When Falke was ready Kyle swam over to catch him.

Carrying Falke, who was taller and possibly heavier than Kyle, would be a hard struggle to shore but the younger blond trusted he was strong enough to do it. After pulling them both safely to shore, he was exhausted. With a spluttering gasp, he announced, "We made it!"