They called it the cliff, and David did not tell his parents what Nate had asked him to do. Soon, he would be eighteen and making decisions on his own and this seemed like a good test. His mom and dad had been supportive with every sport he had wanted to try, but looking up at the ledge where he would jump took his breath away. When he reached it, looking down at the water terrified him.

Nate controlled the drone a long distance from the ledge and told David how the shot would work as he watched the monitor. He knew the exact overhead angle and the exact place where David needed to enter the water. He had explained all of this in great detail, but David couldn’t hear any of it because he kept looking at the ledge.

What if he misjudged things and hit the water flat? What if there was something floating just underneath the surface? There were a thousand things that could go wrong, including hitting the water too close to the bank and breaking a bone. Or worse.

“What’s the risk/reward ratio?” David had asked the day before at school.

“The risk is minimal.”

“Yeah, to you. I’m talking about me. I’m the one jumping.”

“You’ll be fine,” Nate said, switching to his salesperson voice. “This is going to be the highlight of your life. Trust me. Just meet me us out there tomorrow afternoon.”

“Who is us?”

“Sam and Justin are coming to help.”

David had rolled his eyes. “Help? Yeah, right. They’ll be witnesses to my demise.”

Barefoot, David now made his way through the trees and leaves and pine cones to the ledge. He took a step closer, then one more, and leaned forward to look at the water below.

“Okay, I’m filming,” Nate yelled from his perch down the hill. “All systems go.”

David had jumped from the high dive into the pool at the aquatic center in town, but this was in a different league. The wind made ripples in the water below, and he knew he would have to push off a few feet to gain clearance.

“Don’t think about it. Just jump,” Nate yelled, his voice echoing off the rock wall.

“Don’t tell me not to think about it,” David said, pointing at Nate.

“Just jump!”

“All right, just give me a second.” David took several deep breaths. He heard a noise above the wind through the trees and looked up to the drone hovering above, propellers spinning. “What’s this thing going to do?”

“It’s going to follow along as you go. Now go!”

David looked down once more. “Okay.” He took a few steps back from the ledge, moving sticks and leaves for a clear running path. He measured the steps again, like a field goal kicker backing away from the holder’s spot.