by Lewis, D. C.
"Ahh, no thanks, I'll take your word for it," Lara quickly responded.
Feeling relief that her bluff worked, Kiera started unrolling the polyester and mesh to begin the process of setting the tent up. Everybody else assigned themselves their own duties to get things set up. Lara and Hilary announced that they were going to collect firewood. Alan and Pete starting digging a fire pit, a job Kiera noticed required no travel and kept them close to the cooler. Lyndsey spent her time clearing the area of pinecones and other debris so that the tent could have a flat foundation when it was finally erected. Everybody worked in unison to make things happen, of their own accord, without any direction from Kiera. With Lyndsey softly singing a Japanese lullaby to herself as she worked, Kiera felt herself relax even more. The influence of her friends' presence had done so much to that effect that she felt the urge to go and hug each one, thanking them for being who they were.
Once she was satisfied that she couldn't pick up the area any more, Lyndsey came over to help Kiera with the construction of the tent. Lying flat on the ground, it was hard to believe that with some poles and rope, the bright orange and gray fabric would become living quarters, able to easily house all six friends and their gear. It would also give the boys and girls their own rooms to sleep, more so for the privacy of the girls than the boys. Getting the tent up was surprisingly simple and by the time they had finished, everybody else was finished with their respective chores. The boys had built a nice fire pit, lined with rocks they had scrounged from around the area. The rocks would retain heat long after the fire had died, making sure the area around the pit stayed warm.
Lara and Hilary had amassed a considerable amount of firewood, piled high adjacent to the gaping hole in the ground into which would eventually be fed the entirety of the wooden buffet over the course of the next three days.
Lara and Hilary were covered from head to toe in dirt and other decorations from their journey into the forest to collect dry firewood.
"So who's up for a swim?" Hilary asked, already taking off her clothes to reveal a one- piece bathing suit underneath. Having been out in the afternoon sun and its accompanying heat, the others readily agreed. Lara, Kiera, and Lyndsey slipped into the tent to change quickly into swimming attire while the boys simply stripped down to their boxers.
"We're ready," the two announced simultaneously as Alan walked over to the cooler to get two more beers.
The girls got ready as quickly as possible, which meant it took thirty minutes for them to emerge from the tent, clad in two-piece bikinis and ready to go enjoy the water. Hilary had already made her way down to the beach, effortlessly navigating the path along the cliff face to the bottom. The boys, who were already slightly inebriated, were less graceful, stumbling their way down. Kiera thought it was a miracle that neither one fell down and slid face-first to the bottom, though there were quite a few close calls.
Being a manmade canal and thus beach, it was free of seashells or any other objects that one would typically find on a beachfront. The sand felt like a soft powder as it clung to skin, dry or wet made no difference, the soil adhering to flesh with an uncanny magnetism.
Hilary and the boys were already splashing about, enjoying the warm water as it cooled their bodies.
"It's like sitting in a warm bath," Lara remarked. She was wading out to the others, the water coming up to her waist, Kiera and Lyndsey in tow. Being the shortest by far, Lyndsey was up to her chest by the time the group reunited. Kiera recalled a conversation months ago when Lyndsey had revealed her fear of drowning and now, looking into her eyes, Kiera could see that panic start to rise and hear the rapid increase of her heartbeat as the fear threatened to overwhelm her. Pete had obviously been keeping a close eye on her as well so when he noticed her discomfort, he took action.
"Ouch!" he exclaimed, "Something just bit me!" Reaching down under the water, he acted as if he was rubbing his foot.
"You sure you just didn't imagine that in your drunken state?" Hilary jabbed.
"Ha ha, very funny," came Pete's sarcastic response. "Well, you guys can stay out here if you want but I'm moving closer to shore. Lynds, you're closer to the ground than the rest of us, you mind looking at this?" he asked, smiling at his joke.
"Sigh, I guess so, but you owe me," Lyndsey replied, though in truth it was she that would be owing him, not the other way around.
And that was how Pete came to Lyndsey's rescue.
Everybody else knew what was going on and smiles were passed between the remaining four as Pete and Lyndsey ventured to shallower waters, walking the awkward manner of people wanting to hold hands but afraid to show such a public display of their affection for each other.
Seeing the tender moment between her two friends caused Kiera's mind to flash back to her tender moment with Brandon. Her heart pained at his lack of presence in her life over the past few weeks. She wanted to hear his voice, smell his scent, look into his blue eyes. Banishing such thoughts from her mind lest they ruin her time with her friends, Kiera turned her thoughts to other things.
Lara, Hilary, and Alan were splashing each other and laughing, having chosen to stay out in deeper waters. They were well aware of Pete's attempt to mask his concern about Lyndsey via a fictitious story but nobody saw the need to call him out. While typically there was no topic that was considered off limits or taboo, this was one time where the group collectively decided, without any discussion, to let the love story unfold as it would, without interference from any outside force.
The group spent the better part of two hours enjoying themselves on the beach, all except Kiera and Alan showing the beginning stages of sunburn, skin turning a light shade of pink, tan lines becoming noticeable from shoulder straps holding up bathing suits.
"Ugh, I forgot to get sunscreen," Lara lamented when she chanced to look down at her sun reddened arms.
"Don't worry, I have some in my pack back at camp," Kiera responded.
"You think of everything," Lara said, giving her friend a big hug, only to aggravate her now-tender skin. She recoiled from Kiera's embrace, jumping up and down saying "Ouch, that hurts!"
Everyone laughed at Lara's predicament but sympathized as well since the majority were in the same boat.
Making their way back to the campsite, the boys were now completely sober, the sun having sweated all the alcohol from their systems. They went ahead and got a fire started while the girls went to the campground's showers to rinse the salt from their hair and bodies and also to use the bathroom. It obviously had never occurred to either Lara or Lyndsey that they might actually have to use the bathroom out in the wilderness and they were quite panicked when they learned of this possibility. Luckily the communal bathrooms were only a half a mile from their camp, which both of them walked without complaint since it meant avoiding having to squat in the woods.
Lara related a story of how a friend of a friend's cousin's sister had peed in the bushes while camping had unknowingly sat in some poison ivy, and had a very severe reaction in a very sensitive spot. It was an old folktale that Kiera had heard multiple incarnations of, over the years, but one that she didn't comment on. If going to an actual toilet made Lara feel more relaxed and allowed her to enjoy herself more, so be it.
By the time bladders had been relieved, bodies rinsed, and dry clothes put on, followed by a brief walk back to camp, the boys had also changed and had started a nice fire. Since it was late afternoon in the summer in the South, there was still plenty of light and warmth so that the fire really wasn't needed, but no camp is complete without one. Pete had hung a pot over the crackling flames and a savory smell was coming from it. Kiera surmised it must be one of the freeze-dried family-size soup packets she had bought. The delicious smell hovering around the campsite reminding everyone just how hungry they were and more than one stomach growled in response to the stimulus, reminding Kiera of Pavlov's dogs.
The rest of the evening was uneventful, just six friends sitting around the fire while Alan dazzled the
m with tall tales, all original of course, and very entertaining. As the night progressed, people started to seek the comfort of sleeping bags for a break from the host of blood suckers that had descended upon the group. The dozen citronella torches that the group had brought with them kept a majority of the bugs at bay but it took only one or two of the bravest insects that made it through the ring of protection to cause misery for the victims.
Stating that she needed to use the bathroom one last time before turning in, Lyndsey passed a sideways glance at Pete as she walked into the dark of the night. After a few seconds, Pete announced that he needed to go as well, going in the opposite direction, leaving only Kiera and Alan sitting around the fire. A sly look from Alan and the accompanying smile let Kiera know that he was thinking the same thing she was. The thing she couldn't tell him was that with her superior sight, she could actually see Lyndsey and Pete walk about forty yards into the darkness of the surrounding woods and then make a direct path towards each other to meet up halfway, which was directly in Kiera's line of view.
She watched as her two friends embraced, Lyndsey's petite frame completely engulfed by Pete's arms, his nose buried in her black hair as he mumbled something incoherently to her, his mouth obscured by her raven locks. They stood like that for a few moments, enjoying the close proximity of each other, their bodies exchanging heat until they reached equilibrium. Then finally Lyndsey looked up towards Pete's face. Standing on her tiptoes, she stretched her neck to kiss him on the lips, missing entirely and kissing his chin. Laughing his infectious laugh, Pete bent down and planted a kiss soundly on her pouting rosebuds.
Their lips locked in passion and still held close to one another, Kiera watched what she believed to be the beginnings of a relationship that would last a lifetime. Happy for her friends, she couldn't help but also feel a slight pang of jealousy, knowing that she would never be able to have the same thing, a normal life. A tear rolled down her cheek that did not go unnoticed by Alan as it sparkled like a diamond on her face, the firelight reflecting and refracting the watery prism.
"You ok?" Alan asked.
"Yeah, just fine, some smoke from the torches got in my eyes," Kiera nonchalantly replied.
"Been happening to me all night too," Alan stated," And on that note, I am going to turn in. It might take the lovebirds another thirty minutes to finish 'using the bathroom'," he said, doing air quotes, but with a smile on his face that conveyed that he also approved of the budding relationship between his friends.
Deciding not to wait for the lover's return, which would force them to come up with a reason their bathroom break took so long, Kiera followed suit five minutes after Alan turned in, seeking the comforts of her down-filled sleeping bag and dreams of a normal life.
The next day everyone was up early, many complaining of stiff backs and necks. Their bodies were not used to sleeping on the ground, and the tent floor and sleeping bags did little to cushion them. Kiera had risen before the rest to go stoke the fire and build it up so she could cook breakfast. Mixing some powdered eggs with water, she had enough food to feed a small army in a matter of moments. The smell of food cooking lured her friends out into the open to efficiently gobble up the contents of the pot, leaving not the smallest trace.
Once everyone had their fill, Kiera stood up and announced that she and the rest of the girls were heading to the bathrooms while the boys cleaned the morning dishes. Pete and Alan just sat there with a dumbfounded look on their faces, shocked that they had had no say in the matter.
"But what if we needed to go too?" Alan eventually asked.
"Why would you need to?" Kiera responded. "How many times have you guys told us that you were 'glad to be born male' and then proceeded to flip out your 'mini-me' and used the bathroom in the closest available bush or tree? I think you two will manage just fine, there are thousands of trees and bushes out here."
The boys had no retort since they had said the exact thing on numerous outings when the girls were rushing to find a bathroom. The boys just weren't having any luck against the women of the group this trip, so instead of arguing, they started their assigned chore.
When the girls returned, the pots and plates were hanging on a tree to dry. The boys were down at the beach, fishing with poles they had fashioned from some of the oak saplings that were numerous in the area. The green wood was perfect for this task, bending and flexing just like a store-bought pole. This was a requirement for catching large fish, otherwise the pole would snap when the bait was struck violently.
From her vantage point, Kiera could clearly see Pete's shoulders caked in sunblock, a sheen of sweat standing out from the uncoated parts of his skin. Alan of course had no need for sunscreen, the pigmentation of his skin providing that naturally, while he could sunburn, it would take much more than a few hours in the summer sun to affect him.
After suggesting that the other girls might douse themselves in sunscreen before joining the boys, Kiera ducked into the tent to rummage around in her pack to retrieve the Coppertone she brought with her. Emerging from the canvas enclosure with bottle in hand, she generously deposited gobs of the white goo into waiting hands.
The girls took turns applying the lotion to their friends' exposed body parts that they couldn't reach on their own, especially their backs. Since she needed no protection from the sun, Kiera took care of Lara while Lyndsey and Hilary painted each other, rubbing the lotion on until you couldn't tell where it was, unlike the hack job Pete had done.
Joining the boys on the beach, wading out into the water till it lapped at their knees, everyone took turns with the homemade poles. It was more a social activity than any real desire to catch fish, especially since nobody felt like having to deal with cleaning and gutting any living creature. In unspoken agreement, anything they caught was thrown back. This wasn't much of an issue since the only thing that took their bait and managed to stay hooked was a mean old toadfish, the aggressive Batrachoidid refusing to open its tooth-filled mouth so that Alan could remove the hook embedded in its lip. After a few moments of chasing Lara around with the ugly fish dangling from the fishing line and causing her to hyperventilate, Alan simply cut the line and threw the fish back, hook and all, into the waterway, the toadfish rocking its new adornment sure to make it the coolest of all the aquatic wildlife.
When they got bored with fishing, they hiked the trails in the area. Hilary got to see her first Venus Flytrap, that amazing evolution of nature, a carnivorous plant with the ability to move that gobbled up any creature small enough and unlucky enough to cross its path and spent about forty-five minutes catching ants and other tiny bugs to drop into the hairy mouths of the plants. She was fascinated each time that the two opposing, oval shaped halves folded together to trap the meal inside.
The group of friends roamed about, turning over logs to see what was underneath, exploring holes, and climbing trees, enjoying the opportunity to be outside and experience nature. The trek ended in an afternoon swim, the warm water decreasing body temperatures and letting the sextet cool down. The girls of course went to go use the showers but this time were accompanied by the boys. Nothing was said about the addition. The girls acted like it was expected and they all walked to the building together, one solidified unit with the exception of Pete and Lyndsey bringing up the rear. Kiera wished they would just open up and tell everyone that they cared for each other so that the sneaking around could stop but she figured they probably weren't yet fully comfortable with what was going on between them. They were still trying to understand just what was going on and needed to fully comprehend their relationship before making a public proclamation. And there was probably the excitement of sneaking around, avoiding getting caught, that heightened the fun. Kiera wondered what that felt like.
The showers were crowded, apparently everybody on the island had decided to use the facilities at the same time. A line had formed, like you would see at a popular nightclub except this one was segregated, boys in one, girls in another. Each person
waiting for their turn was praying that the hot water didn't run out before they got their chance to stand under the silver sprinkler. Kiera and her troop were lucky enough to get in and out before the water ran cold. It wasn't as long a shower as Kiera would have preferred but at least it allowed her to remove the salt from her hair and wash it thoroughly, and that would have to suffice for the evening.
The group reconvened at the picnic table area, clean and feeling rejuvenated. Pete was carrying a plastic bag loaded to the brim with shrimp.
"Bought them off a guy that was selling them out of a big cooler on the other side of the showers," Pete said when asked by Kiera. "Five pounds for fifteen bucks seemed like too good a deal to pass up. Besides, I love boiled shrimp."
"Well, you get to clean them," Lara said.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Pete responded, grinning broadly.
What Lara didn't realize was that there was no need clean shrimp if you boiled them. You simply dumped them into a pot of boiling water that contained whatever seasoning you wanted. When the shrimp turned a nice pink color, not so different from the pink of her comrades sunburned skin, the shrimp were ready to eat. These shrimp were referred to by the locals as "peel and eat."
Since they were boiled whole, to eat one you first had to remove the head from the hard armor-like exoskeleton encasing its body. Next you would pinch off the tail, leaving just the body and its five pairs of legs that were still attached to its hard exterior. Using a fork or some other tool that had a long thin prong, you slid it in between the meat of the body and the outer shell. Lifting up, you would remove the shell in its entirety, leaving only the succulent meat inside and throwing the leggy husk aside.
Lara wasn't aware of this process and that was why Pete so readily agreed to cleaning them. There would be no cleaning before they went into the pot, and each person would shell their own shrimp before eating. Kiera contemplated making Lara aware of this fact but chose instead to remain silent, since she was positive that Lara's reaction when a big plate of whole shrimp was put in front of her would be priceless.