Temple

Some old short fiction

This piece was my favorite thing I’ve ever written in college. I’ve been thinking about a couple other stories to write to make a little triptych. I think it deserves to live here until those happen.

Temple

There was the woods. There was overcast sky. There was Cade and there was Temple. It was humid and they walked.

"For every single thing you see you think is 'beautiful' or 'striking' or 'takes your breath away' there's something within twenty feet of it that's disgusting."

"Shut up, you're ruining this."

"I'm not ruining anything, it's all already ruined. Why did you want to come up here anyway, all anyone ever did was come up here to have sex."

"It's nice up here. Can't you just this once not actively try and ruin our walk? We haven't done this since high school and you still can't help but ruin it."

"See that majestic oak, some asshole couple came, probably had sex against the tree, and then carved their names into it. Like three months later, I bet they broke up and hated each other. The tree doesn't know that, but it still has to deal with 'BARRY + BARBARA 4EVER' carved into its trunk."

"Maybe they got married, and they still visit this tree and make love and reminisce about it."

"No one makes love anymore."

"Yes they do, I bet a ton of people do. I would, with the right person."

Temple scoffed.

"Nope, people fuck, screw, bone, pork, and rut. They don't make love. Making love is something movie people do."

"Movie people? You mean characters in movies."

"Whatever. I don't care,” She paused. “There's a condom on that rock."

"That's disgusting, Temple."

The trail steepened. Temple climbed in front and hopped from rock to rock. Cade followed her and considered each step. Temple was taking the big loping vertical steps that happen just before you start climbing on all fours.

"Empty beer can. Another condom. Sock. Hmm, someone fucked their way up this mountain."

Cade winced. "It's hardly a mountain, especially compared to what we have back west. This here is at best an italicized hill."

"Italicized hill, huh? I like that. That fancy university learnin' is doing something for you."

She stopped climbing, and looked over her shoulder at Cade.

"Ya know Cade, if you weren't such a pussy I might have actually fucked you in high school."

Cade stumbled, regained his footing and looked up at Temple. She was grinning.

"You waited until I was mid-step to say that, didn't you?"

"Yea, but that doesn't mean I didn't mean it."

"Really, though, would you have?"

"I don't know, maybe. Definitely not if all you did was make love."

"Well, I mean, for you, I'd have made an exception."

"You're saying you'd have fucked me, for me?"

"Yea, I guess."

The trail got rougher still, and the two climbed for a while in silence, except for their own panting sighs and the sounds of the woods. Cade began putting trash he found in his backpack.

"Why are you doing that?"

"It doesn't belong here."

"Neither do we, really."

"Yea, but we can walk out."

“Hopefully.”

A sizable rock Temple stepped on dislodged itself and tumbled past Cade. He scrambled out of the way.

"You're throwing rocks at me. The one trying to clean this place up gets rocks thrown at him."

"Yep, I should probably tell you I plan on pushing you off this thing once we get up there too."

"Well, if that's the case, let me get a last meal in. What do we have to eat?"

"Uh, water."

"Cool, pull over here."

“Who's driving?”

“What?”

“You said 'pull over here' like we're driving somewhere.”

“Oh, no I just meant we should stop on this rock.”

“So why not say what you mean?”

“It's an expression, I was being creative with my speech. Like you always say what you mean, Temple.”

They stopped and split a canteen. Both winded, they swallowed until they couldn't breath and handed the canteen to the other.

Cade smirked. "So, why didn't you ever do me in high school again? You pretty much fucked everyone else."

"Fuck you."

"It's not like it's an exaggeration."

"Yea well, I was an 'angsty-troubled-teen-who-exhibited-textbook-approval-seeking-behavior'."

"Is that the excuse you used on the entire football team, or just your therapist?"

"Stop. You're just bitter."

"Bitter? No."

"Liar. You were in love with me. Don't think I didn't know it."

"I wasn't in love with you."

"You were. You were, and it was pathetic Cade.”

“Oh.”

Cade looked a long time before saying anything at all. "Why everyone else but me?"

"I don't know. I just didn't want to then."

"So, what do we do now. Make sweet, passionate love and call it even?" Cade half-smirked.

Temple looked away from Cade and towards the ground.

"No, Cade. We won't be making love any time soon."

"I was only joking Temple. Can we just keep climbing?"

Cade got up and started walking. His eyes lingered on the odd piece of trash, but he left it all where it lay.

They reached the top. They looked out on what was the town they grew up in and all either of them saw was a brown blotch surrounded by green. Electric poles peaked over trees. They were not high up. The view was stark.

“Have you had any girlfriend's yet in college Cade?”

“Uh, I don't know. You know how it is. I've made a ton of friends, it's great. I have to find a girl eventually.”

“Yea, that sounds about right.”

“Why do you ask?”

“I just needed to know.”

They sat and hung their legs over the edge. Cade told Temple why he'd brought her here and Temple already knew. They kissed and Temple already knew what was going to happen, she kept her arms to her side and let him do what he wanted.

“You said we wouldn't.”

“I know.”

They left the backpack open. Some trash rolled out and the wind took it over the edge.

- - -

The walk down was silent.  Cade reached for Temple's hand and she pulled it away and hurried forward.