nā kapuaʻi uliuli - skies of blue

It's only the second hike of the trip and Emerson already basically wants to die.

The sweat dripping down his back, the unquenchable thirst drying in his throat more and more moment by moment, the aching in his feet, and Gwen's constant happy sighing is enough to push him over the edge. Literally. There is a fifty foot cliff to his far left as they climb and it's looking mighty tempting.

"Keep up, Baldwin." Claire smirks as she passes him, her chest moving up and down as she breathes heavily.

"Shut up." He fights a smile as she chuckles and walks ahead of him, stopping beside Gwen and Isaac.

Watching his feet, he takes one step at a time, silently thanking himself for packing a lighter load on his back this time. His mind wonders to the four plastic water bottles held inside or a small zipped cooler inside of his pack. His throat closes even further.

"Can we take a tiny break?" Alex speaks for him, his face red with strain and his blonde hair wet with sweat.

Rosalind looks back at him, her cheeks only slightly pink as her ball cap hides her eyes, "Yes I suppose now would be a good time to take a short break. Everyone can hydrate themselves and we'll keep moving in five minutes."

"Thank the Lord." Emerson breathes, dropping his pack down and sitting where he is, panting as his backside hits the ground.

"Can't handle the physical challenge?" Gwen comes to stop at his side, her dark thick hair pulled up into a tight bun and her dark skin glistening.

Emerson squints up at her, wincing and smacking the back of his neck as he feels the sharp bite of a mosquito on his tender skin. "I'm not up to getting lyme disease if that's what you mean."

She gives him a bored look before shaking her head, "I'm pretty sure you're safe from ticks at the moment. You have to admit that getting some exercise feels at least a little bit nice."

He pretends to consider this, "Which part? The aching muscles or the whole dying of dehydration thing? Or maybe it's the ruthless humidity and mosquitoes that really have that charm factor." He nods sarcastically, earning a chuckle from Isaac who stands behind his girlfriend, his hands massaging her neck absentmindedly.

Gwen rolls her eyes, "Emerson, always the optimist."

"Dang babe you are sweaty." Isaac hisses, wiping his hand on his pants. She turns around with a death glare, his expression faltering with fear, "But it's hot. So hot." He smiles innocently.

She huffs, shoving past him and walking over to her own pack to retrieve a bottle of water. Emerson looks at his friend, smiling slightly at the exasperated look on his fact. "Always the happy couple."

Isaac gives him a sigh before nodding and dashing off to make amends. Watching them quietly bicker for a moment, Emerson looks away and faces the cliff, taking in the way the blue in the sky complements the blues and greens of the vast waters.

His lips pull upwards into a smile as he watches birds sail by in rows. Breathing in, he can smell the salt of the ocean.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" His head turns to see Rosalind standing before him once again in all her glory.

He doesn't want to engage in any sort of conversation with her and risk her jutting into his business again so he simply nods and looks away.

"I hope this hike isn't as horrible for you as it seems." She tries.

He doesn't answer verbally, only shrugs. He feels awkward as he silently wishes for her to leave him alone. He's well aware that his behavior is immature but something in him feels that Rosalind will do all she can to expose his every weakness. And that's something he's not willing to share.

Rosalind plops down next to him swiftly before leaning in slightly. Moving away, he regards her carefully. Her light eyes study him cooly before saying, "Emerson, I don't expect us to be friends."

His brows pull together, "Okay..." Is this because of what he said?

"But I do expect you to act civil towards me. I do my best but you won't even throw me a bone every once in a while." She sighs, looking at his friends, "I really like everyone here. I'd like to think that we could all at least be friends. But if you're not willing to try then I'll stay out of your way. I just need some sort of understanding between us."

Emerson thinks on this, looking over at her with a deep sense of regret. He knows he shouldn't have ever been so negative but sometimes it's hard to admit his failures. Rosalind really isn't so bad but it's almost as if he's making up a million reasons not to like her.

"We can be friends. If that's still on the table." He mumbles, his jaw ticking nervously.

She laughs a little, patting his arm once before standing up confidently and considering him with a newfound respect. "I'd love to be friends, Emerson. I never thought you'd ask."

"I wasn't - " He stops himself, "I mean, yeah. Cool."

She winks in his direction, fixing her hat. "See you at the back of the line, Baldwin."

"Sure." He chuckles, watching her leave.

When they finally make it to the end of the hike, the sun has nearly set and Emerson tries not to think about how many bites he will have while descending this incline in the dark.

"Wow." Claire breathes staring out at the water, the vibrant psychedelic colors of the sunset lightning up the surface beautifully, "I don't think I'll ever get tired of Hawaii's sunsets."

"Same." Emerson can't help but agree, stopping beside her small figure.

Claire looks up at him, a bright small on her face. "I'm glad you came to see the view this time." She nudges him.

He smiles down at her, shrugging. "Maybe the whole hiking thing isn't so bad. Take away the whole sweating, itchy, miserable feeling and it's actually mildly okay."

Her brows raise high as her eyes widen. "Wow, do I even know you anymore?" She laughs at his eye roll.

"Laugh it up." He grumbles, "I won't be saying it again."

"Saying what again?" Rhyme asks, taking a swig from his bottle of water. Emerson blinks at him, somehow just now realizing that he's barely seen him all day.

"He likes hiking." Claire tells him.

"You're twisting my words." He holds up a finger as Rhyme laughs loudly.

"It's a miracle!" He claps Emerson on the back.

"Don't get too excited." Emerson waves them off dryly.

"Does this mean you'll go skydiving with us?" Alex stands behind Rhyme with a smirk.

Emerson's eyes widen, his lips opening in surprise. "You're doing what?" He sputters just as Rosalind comes to stand with the group, crossing her arms. He looks at her, "When was this planned?"

She looks around, seeming put on the spot. "Uh...the option was always on the table. I know a guy who flies over Ni'ihau and then circles back here to Kauai where we jump out and land safely in a patch of his land. He can take us for a great price."

"When did everyone agree on this?" He breathes in frustration, feeling baffled by his friends' irresponsibility. The situation sounds sketchy to him by he doesn't say so, now learning his lesson from the last few times he's shared his opinion.

"Last night after you fell asleep." Claire chips in, looking at him with an apologetic smile, "We're going on Saturday."

"That soon?" His voice raises an octave, fear coursing through his veins.

Gwen laughs lightly, looking at him with hidden concern. "Yeah, we're all excited about it. But, don't worry, we don't expect you to come." She rushes to add.

Emerson sighs in relief, his hand placed against his chest where his heart beats erratically. "Okay good."

"It would be awesome if you did come though, man. It won't be the same without you." Rhyme gives him a reassuring smile. Emerson regards his friend with a deep appreciation, nodding once.

"Thanks, Rhyme."

"Shall we head back? It'll be dark here in a few minutes." Rosalind speaks up.

Just as Emerson expected, the way down was easier on his legs but harder on his willpower and patience. As he anticipated, he now guesses there to be over twenty bug bites covering his exposed skin, not to mention the skin that's covered.

As soon as they make it back down to the bottom, everyone makes a beeline for the rental vehicle, hopping inside. After the quicker individuals make it there first, the ones left to ride in Rosalind's Jeep are Claire and, of course, Emerson. Who stops at the finish line just after his small dark haired friend.

"I guess it's just us then?" Rosalind chirps with a smile.

"I guess so." Claire grins, shoving her hands into her pockets, "I can't wait to get back to the hotel. As soon as my head hits the pillow I'll be out like a light." She laughs.

"As long as you're well rested for tomorrow's activities, I'll be happy." Rosalind tells her, unlocking her vehicle as they approach it slowly and painfully, they're feet aching.

"What do you have planned?" Emerson asks as he regards her Jeep, admitting it silently to himself that he is indeed jealous.

"You'll see. Just something chill and scenic before the wild adventure on Saturday." The blonde notices his eyes on the vehicle, a knowing smile on her lips before she pauses, her hand touching his arm to stop him. Twitching away slightly, Emerson stops and looks at her curiously.

"Wanna drive?" Her eyes are alight with a genuine smile, the stars and the light of the moon combined into the orbs, complimenting the color.

"You're serious?" Emerson cocks a brow, excitement sparking inside him. He hides it behind a suspicious expression before her hands hold up the key on her cluttered key ring.

"I don't kid about my baby, Emerson." She chuckles, "It is a stick shift so I need to know that you're experienced with driving manual."

Emerson thinks back to the three total times he drove with his father and never quite mastered the whole manually switching gears thing. However, he knows he's skilled enough to not kill everyone in the car.

"Yeah I've driven stick before." He tells her calmly.

She hesitates before laying the keys into his palm, "Okay. I'm trusting you with my most valued possession, Emerson."

He smiles slightly, "I would have thought your hat took that title." He's expecting her to laugh along with the joke he's made but instead her smile falls from her lips before she quickly picks them up again and forces a small laugh.

"Alright, well I'll sit shotgun just in case you need some help." She jogs to the passenger side door and pulls it open, leaving him standing outside with her keys in his hand.

"Huh." He hums curiously. Shrugging it off, he wonders what brought Rosalind to trust him to drive. Is this her way of reaching out a friendly hand? Of creating a bridge between them? If so, he can't really complain.

"Okay so how this works is you start it up like a normal car with your foot on the break." She tells him. He knows this but chooses to allow her to teach him anyway considering this is her "baby."

"Okay." He chuckles, doing as she says.

"Now," she says slowly, "Lift your foot off the break and place your left foot on the peddle to its left. Then place your right foot on the gas but don't press down on it." He does, smirking to himself a bit, listening to the stress in her voice as she watches him perform the tasks.

"Alright." He tells her, his voice deep while Claire watches quietly from the back. Emerson wonders briefly if she's fallen asleep.

"Okay now slowly switch the pressure from the clutch to the gas and put it in first." She tells him, her hands mirroring the movement of his feet. He fights back a laugh, somehow forgetting his dislike for her as he watches the tenseness in her face, "Look at what you're doing!" She says harshly when she sees his eyes on her.

"Okay okay. I've got it." He defends, holding up his arms. Successful pulling onto the road, he repeats the action and switches to second. Then third, then fourth, and finally fifth until their going a solid fifty-five miles an hour.

"Oh geez I guess you actually can drive stick." She sighs with relief, leaning against the back of her seat, "I thought you were lying."

"Thanks." He shakes his head.

"It's happened before, okay?" She laughs, looking to the backseat, "Claire is out." She informs him with a smile.

"Yeah I figured." He laughs, "She always falls asleep in the car. That is, if she doesn't get motion sickness."

Rosalind pauses, looking out the window quietly before asking, "So are you two dating or...?"

"What?" He chokes on his spit, the wheel veering slightly to the left before he quickly straightens it, "No. No, of course not."

"Okay." Is all she says with a shrug before turning back to the window.

He looks over at her before tapping his finger on the steering wheel. "Why?"

"Hm?" She hums, her chin rested on her fist.

"Why were you asking?" His mind begins racing. Do they act like a couple? He doesn't think so.

Rosalind sighs, "I was just wondering. And making conversation."

"Oh." He replies, staring out at the road. "Okay. Yeah we're just really close friends. She's been here for me for as long as I can remember. I don't know what I would have done without her when - " He stops himself, "Well whenever I needed her."

"It must be nice to have a good friend like that. Especially when you both know you're always just going to be friends and there's no confusion. That's rare." She says casually, laying her head against the window.

"Yeah." He mumbles, "We're really lucky."