Wildfire (Maple Hills, #2)(27)

The guys all spring across, making it look ridiculously easy, but as soon as they’re all on the final platform together it’s immediately clear that there is not enough room for six people. Even if there was enough room, there’s no way we’re making that jump.

“How the fuck are we supposed to do this?” I’d put my hands on my hips but there isn’t enough room without nudging Maya off.

“Is anyone concerned about the weight limit of these platforms?” Clay says, looking at the creaking box beneath their feet.

“Was anyone a cheerleader?” Xander asks.

“This isn’t the type of teambuilding we’re supposed to be doing right now, buddy,” Emilia says sarcastically.

Rolling his eyes, he points at the distance between us. “Two of you can launch the other across the gap. We can catch.” We’re all silent. “You’re telling me nobody was a cheerleader in high school?”

“Yeah . . .” Maya says. “That’s not a thing where I live.”

“Aurora got kicked off the cheerleading squad freshman year and, as for me—ballet and human pyramids aren’t a good mix.”

“You also aren’t very cheerful,” I mutter under my breath.

“What did you get kicked off for?” Clay asks immediately.

“Not importa—”

“She stole the other team’s mascot and lost it.”

“Emilia!”

Xander peers over to the other teams, his face twisting in concern. “Guys, we really need to get moving . . .”

“How do you lose a mascot?” Russ asks, looking right at me.

“I, uhm, it ran off.” That gets his attention. His eyes widen and I immediately feel the need to clarify. “It was a pig, not a person. They found him a few hours later, he was totally fine. He was hanging out with the janitor’s dog, but, uhm, they felt my actions did not align with the team’s core values. Anyway, can we get on with this? Who are we throwing?”

“Guys, if we lose because you’re all short and Aurora is a pig stealer, I’m going to be so pissed,” Xander snaps.

“Everyone’s short when you’re a freaking giant. Maya, you’re up,” I say, linking my fingers together and bending for her to put her foot into the cradle my hands have made. Emilia copies me and Maya holds onto us both as she tentatively steps into our hands.

“For the record,” she says quietly, “I think this is a terrible idea.”

“Be ready to catch her! Three . . . Two . . . One . . .”

It feels like we’re playing human bowling as Emilia and I launch poor Maya in the direction of the guys a little too enthusiastically. Thankfully, they catch and squish her against them to keep her on the platform. There is physically no more room for people and I’m not sure how we’re supposed to do this.

“Get on someone’s shoulders, Maya!” Emilia shouts. Russ and Clay hold Maya’s arms and help Xander move her onto his shoulders, once again creating a tiny bit of space for another person. Emilia nudges me lightly, something she can do now there’s a tiny bit more space. “You next.”

“Absolutely not. You next.”

Xander is once again looking at the other groups. “Aurora, as much as you think you’re not, you are tall enough to jump.” If he thinks I’m more qualified because I’m five foot seven to Emilia’s five foot three, he clearly doesn’t know she’s capable of leaping across a stage like a freaking gazelle. “Emilia, I have an idea, do you trust us?”

“Not even a little bit,” Emilia calls back. I shake my head too, trying not to smirk when Xander immediately looks irritated.

“Can you learn to trust us in the next five seconds? Jump forward with your arms out. Like you’re diving to catch a baseball.”

“Do I seem like the type of person who knows anything about baseball?” she snaps.

I’m laughing before I’ve even said what I want to say. “You know a lot about third base . . .”

“No! No! No!”

I manage to stay on the platform by clinging to Emilia, even though she’s the one trying to push me off, much to the horror of our teammates and their screams.

“Jesus Christ this is stressful,” Clay groans. “Arms out, Emilia. Me and Russ will grab your hands and pull you over, you just need to get far enough for us to reach you.”

“I hate you for convincing me to come here,” she mumbles before setting herself at the edge of the platform with her arms out. To Xander’s credit, it works perfectly and within a few seconds Emilia is across and sitting on Clay’s shoulders.

There’s no way that Clay can help pull me across with Emilia on his shoulders, which means I’m really going to have to jump. The urge to just step off the platform and make us lose is overwhelming. “I’m scared,” I yell, trying and failing to visualize myself being able to cover the distance. There’s a lot more room now I’m over here on my own, but it’s not enough for me to have a run up before jumping.

“You can do it, Rory,” Emilia shouts from above Clay. “Please do it quickly though, I think I’m developing a fear of heights.”

“I don’t think I can . . .”

“Aurora,” Russ says softly, shuffling so his body is the one closest to the last space on the platform. “Look at me. You can do it, you just need to jump toward my arms and I’ll catch you, okay?”