Chapter 4
My fingers jammed into the crack in the ice, pain shooting through them like they were being sliced open.
Evan rushed over, reaching for my backpack strap.
Ryan stopped him cold.
"You wanna fall with her?" Ryan snapped.
Evan clenched his jaw, refusing to back down.
"If we don't pull her up, she's gonna fall and die!" Evan shouted.
Charlie scoffed coldly.
"She was acting so tough when she smashed the oxygen tank, wasn't she?" he sneered.
"Let her climb up on her own now," he added.
The ice axe was slipping down, bit by bit.
Powdery snow seeped into my sleeves, the chill numbing me right down to the bone.
Jessica crouched at the edge of the slope, giving me that phony look of sympathy.
"Nina, just admit you messed up, and Ryan will definitely save you," she said, her voice all sweet and fake concern.
I looked up at her.
"Hand over the oxygen tank you've got hidden in your sleeve," I said.
She froze, her expression turning rigid.
Ryan's eyes flashed with anger.
"Still picking on Jessica, even now?" he snapped.
"Nina, You're completely a lost cause," he added.
My arm started to cramp up.
I could barely breathe, and my chest felt tighter with every second.
Someone in the back started shouting for us to hurry up.
"Ryan, we need to move! The blizzard's coming!"
"If we keep dragging this out, we're all gonna be in trouble!"
Ryan looked at me like I was nothing but dead weight, just waiting to be dumped.
"Apologize first," he said, with his voice icy.
"Once you do, I'll pull you up," he added.
'Turns out people can really stoop this low.'
'Even with death right in front of me, he still wants to force me to admit defeat.'
Evan broke free from Ryan's grip, dropped to his knees at the edge of the slope, and reached out to me.
"Nina, grab my hand!" Evan shouted.
Ryan sent a vicious kick into his shoulder.
Evan lurched sideways, his forehead cracking against the rock.
Blood trickled down from his brow.
Jessica gasped.
"Ryan, don't do anything rash!" she cried.
Instead of grabbing his hand, she went for the rescue rope at his waist.
She tugged the clip toward herself.
The rescue rope slipped off Ryan's waist and landed just out of my reach.
Charlie filmed the whole thing, but then tilted his phone down, making sure the camera only caught me struggling in the snow.
"Nina, say something," Charlie taunted.
"Aren't you supposed to be so tough?" he sneered.
"Apologize to the whole class," he demanded.
The wind shredded their voices, making them sound distant and indistinct.
I stared at the side pocket of Ryan's backpack.
A length of black climbing strap was peeking out.
I never noticed it in my last life.
It was a backup climbing rope.
He had a second rope.
But he just left it there.
My chest was so tight I could barely breathe, but I couldn't help letting out a laugh.
"Ryan," I said.
He frowned.
"What's so funny?" he snapped.
I slipped my other hand into the inner pocket of my jacket.
Inside was an old-school recorder, kept warm by my body heat.