And Then What?

by D. R. Graham

  I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. It’s not safe away from the resort.”

  “You don’t have any medical insurance. It’s better if you’re around a doctor.”

  “He’s a dentist and I’ve broken my wrist before. I’ll be okay once it has a cast or brace.”

  “We have an entire medical team there.” He leaned closer and shifted into a deep and smooth tone that he undeniably knew was charming, “And I want you to come.”

  “Thank you for the offer.” I closed my eyes before I continued so I wouldn’t have to see his face, “But I love Trevor.”

  “I know that.” He chuckled as if that wasn’t why he was suggesting it. “Do you have a problem with us being only friends?”

  “No.” I shook my head, confused by the mixed messages. “I just want to be clear, so nobody gets the wrong impression.” I paused and looked directly in his eyes for emphasis. “And so nobody gets hurt.”

  He smiled as if he thought my concern was misguided and cute. “I just thought you and Sophie would enjoy the humanitarian experience.”

  “Oh.” I felt embarrassed for assuming he wanted to be more than friends with me. But even if he didn’t have ulterior motives, going with him to the camp was a bad idea for a lot of other reasons too. “Well, thanks anyway, but I thinks it’s best if Sophie and I stay at the resort.”

  He nodded and didn’t say anything else about it.

  At the hospital, Mason talked with the people at the front desk. Whatever he said to them, or slipped them, resulted in preferential treatment. There was a waiting room full of people and we didn’t even have to wait to see a doctor. The x-rays showed that the bone was slightly fractured. They gave me a brace and we were finished in just over an hour.

  As we waited in front of the hospital for a cab to take us back to the resort, I sat down next to Sophie on the curb while the boys went across the street to buy water. Sophie smiled in a way that meant she had a plan. “Mason invited us to go with them to the school project for a couple of days.”

  “And you told him no, right?”

  She tilted her head from side to side to indicate that wasn’t exactly the answer she gave.

  “Are you crazy? They travel with armed guards because it’s too dangerous.”

  She waved off my concern. “Nothing has ever happened. Orrett’s wife came down and stayed with him for a few days and she loved it.”

  “No. You can go. I don’t want to.”

  “You can’t let me go by myself. That would be friendship negligence. It’s only for two nights. The bus goes back and forth every third day. Mason said the experience will change our lives. Guaranteed.”

  “Have you forgotten that you warned me to stay away from the sex Jedi?”

  “Don’t worry about that. I’ll run interference.” She clasped her hands together in an overly dramatic pleading gesture. “Please. I’ve always wanted to volunteer on a humanitarian project.”

  I rolled my eyes at her manipulation tactics, and not that I was even close to considering it, I asked, “How far away is the camp?”

  “About two and a half hours. Mason said he’ll ride back down to Acapulco with us if you want.”

  “I can’t do any hard labour with my wrist like this. What kind of work do they do?”

  “He said we’ll probably be painting or something. But you don’t have to do anything if you can’t manage with your wrist.”

  “There are probably snakes there. Are you sure you want to be sleeping out in the wilderness?”

  She shivered in disgust. “He didn’t mention snakes, but he did say we’d be in a two-person tent that’s built up on a wooden platform. It has foam bedrolls.”

  “And snakes slithering beneath the platform,” I reminded her, since she was basically phobic of even harmless garter snakes.

  “It will be good for us to step outside our comfort zone.” She shoved my shoulder. “Live a little.”

  I shook my head, not ready to cave in. “The food is probably disgusting compared to what they have at the resort.”

  Mason and Orrett returned and heard me. Mason chuckled and handed us each a bottle of water. “The mess tent is not as good as resort dining. I’m not going to lie.” He winked at me. “But when you take away all the fancy amenities that you take for granted you find out what’s really important to you.”

  Torn, I sighed without taking my eyes off him. I could feel Sophie jigging around in anticipation of my final decision. “Three days, two nights, armed guards?” I asked, still skeptical.

  “Perfectly safe. I wouldn’t take you if it wasn’t. The bus leaves from the resort at four o’clock if you’re coming.”

  The cab arrived and Sophie bounced up all excited. “So?”

  She and Mason both looked convinced that I was going to give in and say yes. Even though I was leaning that way I said, “I’ll think about it,” and then climbed into the cab.

  CHAPTER 11

  I told Mason that we’d meet him at the bus at quarter to four, whether it was to say good-bye or to join him I wasn’t sure. Sophie sat on the couch as I paced in our room. “Lend me your phone. I need to text Trevor,” I said after I remembered that mine was shattered.

  “I didn’t bring it.”

  I stopped pacing and faced her. “Why?”

  “I didn’t want to be tempted to contact Doug.”

  I sat down next to her, hoping she was ready to talk about their break-up. “Trevor called Doug and apparently he’s pretty messed up.” I glanced over to gauge her reaction.

  She shrugged, unfazed. “He was just surprised because he didn’t see it coming. He’ll get over it after he’s been on the road for a while.”

  Not buying her tough-as-Teflon act I said, “He asked Trevor to ask me to ask you to call him or respond to one of his emails.”

  She stood and changed the subject as she headed to the bedroom, “I’m going with Mason. Make up your mind if you’re coming with me or not?”

  She threw enough clothes for three days into her bag. She knew I wouldn’t let her go alone and she obviously knew I was at least considering it and would take the risk if she pushed me. Without saying anything I got up and packed my bag in a rush because I wanted to have time to stop at the computer stations on our way to meet the bus.

  Liam and two of his friends arrived back at their room as Sophie and I stepped out into the hall. “Ladies,” he said and pretended to tip a non-existent hat. “Whoa. What happened to your arm?”

  “I fell off a horse.”

  He frowned at our bags, confused. “Are you leaving?”

  “Just for two nights.”

  Liam’s friends went into their room, but he hesitated. “You’re not going with those guys you met at the bar last night, are you?”

  “Why?”

  “It’s not safe to travel outside the resort, especially with guys you don’t even know.”

  “We’ll be fine,” Sophie said and threw her bag over her shoulder as she walked down the hall towards the elevator.

  Liam looked genuinely concerned, so I said, “I actually know the one guy from back home. He’s a friend of mine, so you don’t need to worry.”

  “Does your boyfriend know?”

  “I’m going to send him an email right now.”

  He stepped back, obviously not in agreement that it was a good idea but also not in a position to argue with me about it. “All right. I’m not the boss of you. Have fun.”

  “Thanks. And if I don’t see you before you leave, bye.”

  “Bye.” He gave me a wave and then opened the door to their room and disappeared. I ran to catch up with Sophie.

  Notices were taped to each of the computer screens in the lobby. The internet wasn’t working. “Shit. I’ll be right back,” I said to her and sprinted back to catch the elevator. I knocked on Liam’s door. I could hear their voices, but it took forever for him to answer. “Hi, Liam. Can you do me a huge favour?”

  “Maybe. Wha
t’s in it for me?” He grinned.

  “Nothing is in it for you. The internet isn’t working right now. I was wondering if you could send this message to this email.” I scribbled Trevor’s email address and a note on the piece of paper:

  Sophie and I are heading out of the resort area for two nights to volunteer at the school project Mason has been working at. I’ll email when we get back.

  Love Derian.

  Liam read the note and stuffed the paper in his pocket. “Okey dokey.”

  “Don’t forget.” I pointed at him and shot him a stern expression.

  “Being responsible is my forte.”

  Although that was definitely not true, I said, “Thanks,” then rushed back to the elevator and made it to the old blue school bus one minute before four o’clock. Mason was waiting for me on the sidewalk. Sophie was already on board. “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” I said breathlessly. “The internet is down, so I asked Liam to email Trevor for me.”

  “That blond kid from the bar?” He chuckled. “I bet you one thousand dollars that he forgets to do it.”

  “You’d probably win that bet.” I tapped his arm to remind him he wasn’t supposed to be wealthy. “But where would Bill Murray get a thousand bucks from?”

  “Good point.” He pushed me by the shoulders to board the bus. “You can call Trevor when we get to camp. We have a satellite phone.”

  The bus was really old and apparently had no shocks. It stunk a little, too. Or the stench might have been coming from one or two of the motley crew of volunteers. The Mason I knew did not, in any way, fit in with such an earthy and shaggy group of people. Surprisingly, he seemed completely comfortable with them. Maybe even happy.

  He noticed I was staring and smiling at him. “What?”

  I leaned in and whispered into his ear. “The you that I knew was too clean-cut to be travelling under these conditions.”

  He pressed his finger up to his lips and whispered, “Shh.” Then he looked around to see if anyone was listening and said, “That wasn’t the real me. Remember?”

  “And this is?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “You smell too good for that to be true.”

  He laughed.

  The bus ride was loud and increasing stuffy. It was fun, though. The scenery, once we got out into the countryside, was really unique compared to anything I’d ever seen before. Donkeys, goats, and chickens just wandered around on the side of the road. I slouched down and wedged my knees up against the seat in front of me to get comfortable. “So, Bill, where are you from?” I winked at him.

  “Ottawa.”

  “Oh.” I wasn’t sure what I expected he would say, but for some reason it surprised me that he said that instead of Squamish. But, then again, he had only lived there for one year.

  “How about you?”

  “I’m from a little village called Britannia Beach. In British Columbia. It’s between Vancouver and Whistler, near Squamish. You wouldn’t have heard of it.”

  “Actually, I think I have heard of it. Is there an historic Inn there?”

  “Yes. I grew up in that Inn. My granddad owned it.”

  “Hmm.” He smiled. “Small world.”

  “Yes. It is a very small world.”

  I leaned my head back on the seat and was completely relaxed until I caught a glimpse of the machine gun strapped to the guard who was sitting on the first seat. The other uniformed guard who openly carried a weapon was sitting at the back of the bus. I scanned the people on the bus and wondered which one was Mason’s personal bodyguard. None of them looked particularly burly. If I had a bodyguard I would want him to look like Murphy.

  Sophie and Orrett talked the entire time. I eavesdropped a little. He was telling her about the band he used to play in when he was in high school and university. They liked all the same music and he had even toured as a roadie with some band she idolized. He told her she should keep working on the music, but not discount going to university. It was as if her dad had paid him to say all the right things. I also heard her mention that she’d been toying with the idea of becoming a teacher. I didn’t even know that. I thought she told me everything, but I had no clue about that, or Doug. Maybe she would have told me if I hadn’t been so preoccupied with school. Knowing that I had been neglecting our relationship made me worry again about the consequences of neglecting my relationship with Trevor.

  “What are you thinking about?” Mason asked.

  “The many ways I could be a better friend.”

  He didn’t respond at first, and he seemed surprised. “I’ve never met anyone who is a better friend than you.”

  “Thank you, but lately I’ve been a little too focused on myself.” When I looked at him, I noticed the dark circles under his eyes. “Are you feeling okay?”

  He nodded. “Just a little tired.”

  “You should try to sleep.”

  He shook his head. “I’m okay. I’d rather hear more about you.”

  “Well, I refuse to speak until after you’ve had a nap. It’s my first act of kindness on the path to becoming a more attentive friend.”

  “Fine.” He smiled and took my sweatshirt to prop it against the window. “I’ll have a five-minute nap. That’s it.”

  He slept for over an hour, but when we pulled off the main road and headed down a winding dirt trail, the off-roading bounced him awake. “Hey, sleepy head.”

  Still groggy, he stretched and rotated his head to unkink his neck. It was weird to think that just a few days earlier I had been sitting in a classroom in rainy Vancouver listening to a lecture on modern design. From that to a five-star luxury resort to a remote part of the Guerrero State that definitely didn’t get many tourists. Mason’s life was so different from mine.

  “I can’t believe I’m here,” I said.

  “I can’t believe you’re here either.” His tone was hard to read. He smiled as if he was happy that I decided to come along, but there was something more serious in his eyes that made it seem like maybe he knew deep down that spending time together would inevitably just make the good-bye harder.

  When we eventually arrived at the camp, a bunch of little kids ran to meet the bus. As the volunteers filed out, they handed the children things like pencils and erasers and colouring books. Mason gave Sophie and me a Raggedy Ann-like doll each so we wouldn’t be empty-handed. I offered my doll to the most precious-looking girl. She was probably about four years old, with bare feet, and big brown eyes. She hugged the doll and then hugged me around my legs. I was instantly in love.

  Mason showed us our tent first so we could put our bags down. Then he gave us a tour of the construction site. The school was pretty much built. Most of the work that was left to do was on the inside. They had volunteers who were plumbers, electricians, and dry-wallers, plus they used local tradesmen to do the carpentry. Mason’s job was to organize the volunteers and step in to any job where they were short-handed. Orrett was doing dentistry for the villagers and he helped with the construction only if someone got sick or hurt. The rest of the medical team consisted of a nurse, an optometrist, and a surgeon. Mason’s dad obviously spared no expense and their equipment looked state-of-the-art. I wondered if they only travelled in a beat-up bus to appear less wealthy while they were on the road.

  It started to get dark quickly because of where we were located nestled in the mountains. Since there were no street lights and it was cloudy, it got pitch-dark. I didn’t like it. I held one of Mason’s hands and one of Sophie’s hands wherever we went. Mason carried a lantern and never went more than a foot away from me. He showed us to the mess tent for dinner. The food wasn’t quite as bad as I imagined, but it wasn’t exactly good.

  “You’ve been eating this for four months? You should talk to the guy who’s funding this project and get the menu upgraded,” I joked.

  Sophie laughed. Mason gave me the same stern look that my grade-two teacher used to scare me with. Then he smiled. “I
apologize if it’s not up to your five-star-hotel standards, Miss Derian and Miss Sophie.”

  “Are you calling us snobs?”

  “Yes. I bet you’re accustomed to flying around in helicopters or private jets and driving around in chauffeur-driven Town Cars or expensive Italian sports cars.”

  I shot him the stern-teacher look and said, “Mr. Murray, you shouldn’t judge me. You don’t even know me.”

  “I know your type.” He pointed his fork at both of us and winked. “You’re all the same.”

  I raised my eyebrow to accept his challenge to banter. “You’re wrong.”

  Orrett joined us at the table with a tray and seemed amused by the animated discussion. “Fighting already? You just got here.”

  “We’re not fighting.” Mason shrugged and chuckled. “Derian slagged the conditions here. I’m not sure she’s cut out for roughing it in the wilderness.”

  “You’re judging me without even knowing me,” I said and shovelled some off-white slop into my mouth.

  “All right, then, I’ll give you one chance to prove yourself.”

  “Only one chance?” I almost gagged and struggled to swallow whatever it was that I just put in my mouth. After a sip of water to wash everything down I said, “Even I would be willing to give a person more than one chance to prove themselves.”

  Mason’s eyes met mine and he grinned because he knew I was referring to the first time we ever went out. “All right, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt if you eat all your dinner.”

  My fork hung hesitantly over the plate, not sure I could choke all of it down. Sophie, Orrett, and Mason all scooped up the blah food as if they thought it tasted good. Maybe I was a snob.

  “How’s the wrist feeling, Derian?” Orrett asked between forkfuls.

  “It’s throbbing a little.”

  “I’ll give you some Tylenol 3s before you go to bed. They should knock you out.”

  “Thanks.” I ate a few more bites, alternating between sips of water, because Mason was watching me with a satisfied look on his face. I finished the slop and kept the bread for last because I assumed it would be the best-tasting part. Fortunately it was. “What time do we get up in the morning?”