Seven Falls

"How is anyone supposed to freaking sleep around here!"

Greg Palmer covered his ears trying in vain to reduce the noise of his neighbors stereo.

It was a typical Friday night at Ashmore Hall, one of seven dormitory buildings at Crayton University. Greg had come here on a Science/Engineering scholarship seven months prior and was in the second semester of his freshman year. In the first month, he had discovered that sleeping was considered a secondary activity to partying in what was widely seen as the rowdiest dorm on campus.

Greg sat up from his bed running a hand through the tangles of his shoulder length brunette hair. He was a lanky kid, weighing in at barely one-hundred sixty pounds despite being dead on six-foot-tall in height. The noise of what sounded like a classic Billy Idol song continued to reverberate through the paper thin walls as he stood to pull on a pair of sweat pants before leaving his room. It took a full minute of pounding at his neighbor's door before he was answered by the hulking form of John Hardwick, a fellow resident, and in Greg's opinion the biggest jerk in Ashmore Hall.

"Hey, Skeleman! You want a beer?"

Greg winced at the nickname which was a play on his thin frame, as in he looked like a skeleton.

"No thanks, John, I was just hoping you guys could turn down the music a bit."

"You got something against classic rock, Skeleman?"

"I love classic rock. I don't have a problem with Billy Idol, 'Rebel Yell' was an awesome album, but not at one o'clock in the morning."

"It's Friday night, Palmer, don't be such a buzz kill!"

John's breath reeked of alcohol which was pretty normal no matter the time of day.

"I don't want to go get the R.A.," said Greg.

John opened the door more fully stepping into the hallway as Greg retreated rapidly backward. He towered over Greg by a good four inches and outweighed him by sixty pounds, having been a linebacker on his high school football team.

"You threatening me, Skeleman? I don't think you want to do that..."

The bigger man reached over and grasped Greg's arm yanking him closer. The stench of beer and cigarettes filled his nose as the distance closed between them.

"I think you should go crawl back into your bed and leave the real men to party before I decide to use your mouth for an ashtray."

The pain in his arm made it hard to think, and Greg struggled for what to do next.

"Hey, Hardwick! Are you trying to put the moves on my roommate? What will Kendra think?"

John whipped his head around at the sound of a new voice in the hallway. The gentleman coming toward him and Greg was tall enough to look him in the eye and even broader across the chest.

"Hilarious, Marcus. Your roommate was going to rat me out to the R.A."

"Why don't you turn him loose and we'll sort this out. Right...Now..."

Marcus usually jovial voice dropped to a low, menacing tone on those last two words making John Hardwick's eyes narrow, but he thought better of challenging the other man releasing Greg who stumbled back clutching his bruised arm.

"Why don't you take your pet for a walk, Marcus. I think he is going to pee himself," laughed John slamming his door shut behind him.

"You o.k.?"

"Fine..." said Greg tightly.

He went back into the room the two men shared dropping onto his bed.

The door shut as Marcus followed him inside.

Greg had met Marcus Davenport his first day at freshman orientation, and the oddly mismatched pair had quickly become fast friends. Marcus appreciated Greg's intellect and kind demeanor while in return Greg enjoyed Marcus's positive outlook and outgoing personality. If it hadn't been for Marcus watching out for him and introducing him around, he doubted his transition to university life would have gone half as smoothly as it did.

"What have I told you about poking the bear when I'm not around?"

"I was just asking him to lower the volume a little."

"Then you threatened to go to the R.A.? How did you expect that to go down? You know what John's like when he's had too much to drink."

"I know exactly what he's like..."

Marcus didn't need Greg to elaborate, they had shared their stories of home early on, and he was all too aware of Greg's abusive, alcoholic father.

"I'm just saying next time wait for me."

"I thought you were going to be back from the library by eleven?"

"Yeah, I ran into Wendy Delphy on the way back here."

"Oooohhh! Tell me more!" said Greg grinning.

Marcus blushed and tossed a pillow off the end of his bed at Greg's head catching him in the face.

"A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell," he said smiling back.

"So there was kissing?"

"No...But I believe I am laying the groundwork to move in that direction," said Marcus throwing himself down on the bed opposite. The wood frame creaked under the load of his muscular body.

"Was Kendra with her?" asked Greg.

Marcus raised an eyebrow, "Wendy was alone tonight. You know if you're looking to give John Hardwick a reason to kill you hitting on his girlfriend will probably do it."

"It's nothing like that I was just asking. We have Astronomy together, and I offered to help her with some of the work. I was just curious what she was up to since I hadn't heard from her today."

"Right, because I've never caught you staring at Kendra Hawkins. Have I?"

Greg curled up on his bed hugging the pillow Marcus had thrown at him.

"She is pretty," he said wistfully.

"...and spoken for," added Marcus.

"I don't get what she sees in Hardwick. He is such a...a...dick!"

Marcus laughed, "He is that, but when he's sober he isn't so bad. I know John from way back. We went to grade school together before his family moved to a different district. He wasn't always such a dick."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Did you ever decide if you're going with us tomorrow?" asked Marcus changing the subject.

"Going where?"

"Jesus, Greg, we've talked about this a dozen times in the last two weeks. Whether you were going on the hike to Seven Falls?"

Greg hesitated lost momentarily in his thoughts.

Seven Falls was a well known if seldom visited area near the largest state park in the vicinity. Technically laying outside the park boundary, Seven Falls was a series of waterfalls that started from water running down off the top of a high cliff marking the end of a box canyon. The water had formed multiple pools on the way down always spilling over and forming another waterfall down to the next level of rock before eventually reaching the bottom of the canyon and turning into a creek that ran back out the mouth and into the nearby park. The water that formed the falls came mainly from snow runoff from the mountains that comprised the western edge of the park, so they didn't run evenly year round. The best time to see them was in the spring when they would be flowing the strongest.

"I don't know Marcus. I've heard it's a dangerous hike."

"I'll be there to watch out for you. I also heard that Kendra Hawkins is coming..."

"If Kendra is going to be there then so will John I take it."

"O.K. so maybe that isn't quite the inducement I was hoping it would be, but I still think you would have a good time. You need to spend a bit less time in the library and a bit more out in the real world my friend."

"If you promise you won't let me fall off a cliff. You know heights aren't exactly my thing."

"I will be right behind you every step of the way."

"Wait! If Kendra is going then could Wendy Delphy be coming as well?"

"Maybe..." drawled Marcus with a wink.

Greg launched the pillow back, and Marcus blocked it with his arm.

"Asshole! You won't be watching out for me if you have your eyes fixed on Wendy Delphy's ass."

"Aye, and a fine ass it is indeed. Maybe I will just tie a rope on you and let you walk behind me."

"Thanks, Dad. I would look like a two-year-old in a harness."

"Seriously, the hike isn't that bad I've done it twice already. I think you would have a good time. Get some fresh air at least."

Greg sighed in defeat, "O.K. I'll go. It's just one night right?"

"Yep! We plan to sleep under the stars and pack out the next morning."

"Fine. I need to get some sleep then."

"Don't worry I'm going to go tell John to turn that shit down. I love Billy Idol, but no one needs to hear 'White Wedding' this loud!"

OVERNIGHT -

The following morning dawned sunny and hot. Greg was on his way back from the student union having just finished his breakfast when he spotted Marcus in the dormitory parking lot with a small crowd around him. Even at this distance, he recognized Craig Hatcher and Mitch Rothstein, two fellow dorm residents who lived three rooms down from him and Marcus. They were loading what looked like backpacks into the back of the van.

They weren't the only faces that drew Greg's attention. He also saw the much more attractive ones of Wendy Delphy and Kendra Hawkins.

Marcus had met Wendy at the same time as Greg, during freshman orientation. At the time, she had still been dating her high school boyfriend, Chad, and although Marcus had felt an instant attraction to the leggy blond, he had respectfully kept his distance. She and Chad had gone their separate ways over winter break, and for the past several months Marcus had, after allowing for an appropriate grieving period as he put it, slowly been making his move. It appeared his strategy was beginning to bear fruit because Wendy was hanging very close to Marcus taking every opportunity to touch his arm while brushing her long hair backward and laughing uproariously at everything he said.

"Fucker ain't that damn funny," said Greg smiling and shaking his head at Marcus's antics.

As he drew closer, Greg found it very difficult not to stare straight at Wendy's roommate. He had been introduced by Wendy to Kendra Hawkins the first week after classes started, and he had been smitten with her from the word go. She hit every physical attraction button he had. A petite brunette with short hair, cut in a single layer that fell perfectly around her round face, Kendra possessed the singularly most beautiful pair of eyes Greg had ever seen. They were a light shade of blue like the sky on a summer day, and they seemed to twinkle when she smiled. The color of her eyes was in perfect contrast to her thick, dark eyebrows that formed graceful arches over each one.

Kendra was standing just behind Wendy her full lips pursed in thought, arms folded across her substantial breasts that pressed against the front of her scoop neck t-shirt. Greg paused behind her clearing his throat and trying to bring himself to say something without stuttering when John Hardwick's brawny body flew past him scooping up Kendra from the ground like she was a child's toy. She giggled like a school girl as he swung her around before dropping her back to the ground and planting a loud, wet kiss on her lips.

"Hey, Babe! You ready for the adventure of a lifetime?"

Kendra laughed, but Greg missed what she said in reply. He was too busy feeling disgusted that any woman so sweet and gorgeous as Kendra Hawkins would willingly spend her time with a jerk like John Hardwick.

"How's it going, Greg?"

Craig Hatcher's voice pulled Greg from his musing. "It's going all right. Can you tell Marcus I went to get my backpack. I'll be back in ten."

"Sure."

Greg quickly turned his back on John and Kendra not interested in watching any more of their public displays of affection. He rode the elevator up to his room, stopping inside to check that he had packed everything he needed. The weight of his pack was substantial on his thin frame, and he worried briefly about being able to make the hike back to the falls. The last thing he wanted to do was look foolish in front of Kendra if he wasn't up to the challenge, not to mention how much hazing he was sure to get from Hardwick. He briefly considered leaving his image-stabilizing binoculars behind since they added a considerable amount of weight to his load, but he hated to be out away from the city and not take advantage of the lack of light pollution.

"I think Marcus is going to leave you behind if you don't hurry," said a pleasant sounding voice from behind him.

Greg knew that angelic voice all too well. It had haunted more than one dream of his in the past seven months, and he turned to face Kendra Hawkins.

"You following me, Kendra? I hate it when my fans stalk me," said Greg jokingly.

Kendra laughed, "Marcus just wanted me to make sure you were coming back and not up here playing with your mad scientist's stuff. He says you tend to get distracted."

She stepped further into the room, and he caught the scent of her exotic perfume making his head spin.

"Marcus is one to talk if there is a football game on you can hardly pry him from in front of the T.V."

Kendra had stopped by his study desk. She bent over to look at a small block of wood that sat in the middle of it.

"What's this? Is that thing in the middle...floating on air?"

She bent closer noticing that a small piece of dark material was hovering about a quarter inch above the silvery bottom of the wood box.

"It's an experiment I put together to help my cousin with his 8th-grade science fair. The floating material is pyrolytic graphite. It's strongly diamagnetic."

"Dia...What?"

It was Greg's turn to laugh, "Diamagnetic, it just means that it repels magnetic fields. See, everything we think of as being non-magnetic like paper or wood, even the human body is diamagnetic. We all have loose electrons that form parallel charges repelling stronger magnetic fields. It isn't noticeable for the most part because diamagnetism is so weak as a force. Graphite is one of the few materials that display a diamagnetic field strong enough to have an easily visible reaction. That is why it's floating above those neodymium magnets underneath."

"This is so cool..." said Kendra leaning in for a better look.

"Even materials with weak diamagnetic fields could be levitated like that with a strong enough magnetic field in play. I saw an experiment where they levitated a frog once."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, at a laboratory over in Holland. The video is online. I could show it to you?"

Greg had moved over close to Kendra, so close he smelled the fresh tea tree odor of her favorite shampoo.

"You're a really smart guy, Greg."

His heart nearly skipped a beat at the compliment. Kendra glanced over at him, and he felt himself almost falling into her soft blue eyes, his heart raced in his chest.

"I just read a lot," he said chuckling nervously.

"Oh! Don't be so modest. You're easily the smartest guy I know. I'm kind of jealous. I'm lucky to get through my classes and hold onto a B average and here you are all full of genius."

"I think you're plenty smart, Kendra, and..."

He froze realizing he had been about to say, "...and beautiful."

"And...What?" she asked.

The awkward moment was broken by John Hardwick's loud voice from the doorway.

"What's the problem? Skeleman can't carry his pack to the van? If you can't make it that far this hike is going to kick your ass, Pal."

"We were just coming down," said Kendra.

"Shake a leg then, Marcus is raring to go!"

Greg slung his pack over one shoulder, locking the door behind him as the trio walked to the elevator together.

"Hey, Skeleman. No hard feelings about last night, Huh? I just had a little to much joy juice..." said John managing to almost sound sincere.

"John, you told me you were going to go easier on the drinking," said Kendra.

"Hey, Babe, it was Friday night. I was just blowing off some steam."

"It's cool," said Greg though his tone said otherwise.

They arrived back at the van to find everyone else ready to go. Greg put his pack in the rear with the rest of the group's equipment. Not surprisingly, Wendy had called shotgun, taking the passenger seat next to Marcus. The next row was occupied by John, Kendra, and Craig Hatcher leaving Greg and Mitch to ride in the cramped far back seats.

"You two kids o.k back there? If you're nice I'll toss you a juice box when we stop for gas," laughed John.

Kendra elbowed him but still laughed.

"Let's roll!" shouted Marcus up front while tuning his radio to the local rock station.

The trip out to the park was thankfully reasonably short, just an hour and a half, which Greg truly appreciated given he was jamming his six-foot frame into a space meant for someone considerably smaller. The ride had been mostly uneventful except for John's revelation that he had brought several pre-prepared water bottles filled with an alcoholic mixture he called a "scenery improver." He had started sipping at the concoction and passing it around the van. Kendra had declined, and the very smell of alcohol brought back bad memories for Greg who opted out as well.

"What's a matter, Skeleman, this will put hair on your chest. You know if you ever get one," joked John.

"John! Be nice..." said Kendra.

John looked contrite, "Sorry, Greg, just hacking on ya! It's a party am I right?"

"Sure," said Greg trying to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

When they had the van parked, and Marcus had gotten them passes everyone shouldered their load, and they set off in a long line with John and Kendra taking the lead followed by Craig and Mitch in the middle, then Marcus and Wendy with Greg bringing up the rear. The initial route was easy going along extensive, well-marked trails. They hiked at a brisk pace taking periodic breaks along the side of the path with Marcus keeping one worried eye on his less athletically inclined friend.

"Are you doing o.k.?" he asked him privately at one point.

The straps of his backpack were cutting into his shoulders, and he was already getting a stitch in his side, but the last thing Greg Palmer would have wanted to admit in front of John and Kendra was that he couldn't make it.

"I'm all good, Big Man. I just need to catch my breath. I promise I'm not going to puke."

Greg was listening to Marcus, but watching Kendra where she stood a short distance away taking pictures of the scenery with her cell phone. The hike had made no impact on her so far. She was barely even breaking a sweat. He wasn't surprised. From experience, he knew that Kendra jogged every day and was in way better shape than he was for a walk like this one.

"I do need to get out of the planetarium more..." panted Greg.

Marcus gave his friend an encouraging pat on the shoulder before rejoining Wendy.

John came stomping out of the bushes whistling an off-key rendition of an old Rolling Stones tune while carrying a flower he had plucked from the ground.

"Here you go, Sweetie. A bloom almost as beautiful as you," he said handing it to Kendra who leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

"Now I am going to throw up," mumbled Greg.

The group continued leaving the main park a short while later. The terrain started to become more difficult, rising uphill before them as they moved away from the more developed areas. It was late afternoon by the time they reached the box canyon leading to Seven Falls. The trail here started up at a steep angle to run along the edge of the canyon wall. In the distance, they could hear the roar of water echoing back to them.

"This is where the going gets a little tougher. The trail is kind of narrow in spots, and you'll have to hug the canyon wall and scoot along, but it's not as bad as it sounds," said Marcus.

Greg swallowed hard trying to fight down the rising bile in the back of his throat. He had never been a fan of heights and the thought of clinging to the side of some rocky outcropping while facing the possibility that one slip could lead him to plunge hundreds of feet to the bottom of the canyon didn't help his confidence.

"Just stick close to my back," whispered Marcus as he passed by.