My Say

4

Sometime early of the morning we had given up finding Craig or anyone else. Slipping off the trail and into a large divot made from a fallen tree we shared the two thermal blankets I had in my pack. We'd used the tent to form a lean too kind of thing. No one was comfortable, no one was cold, no one was happy, and no one complained we were all too tired to do anything other than snuggle up and close our eyes and pray for the sun to bring us a better day.

"If I ever decide to go camping again, and that is one HUGE mother truckin IF. But if I do, Rommie is packing my shit." Nan says as I hand out some more energy bars and water gets passed around.

"Where did you get the water", Greg sounds real suspicious as if I'd been holding out on him.

"The river is only 100 yards or so down there", I tell him pointing off to my left. "I slept on the outside, when I got up I took care of my business and refilled all the cantens." Tossing him his.

"Yeah, having a street rat around has been good." Andrew says as he stretches.

"Andrew, that's not nice. Apologise, right now." Monica tells him, while sending me apology eyes.

"Why would you say that man", Nan says, punching him in the chest.

"What"? Andrew wails as he rubs his chest, where she socked him.

I ignore him as everyone,except Greg, just shakes their heads. "It's fine man. They're just tired. Ignore their asses." Greg heads out into the forest to do whatever as I bundle everything backup and slip it into its place in my backpack.

Without another word I look at Monica and nod toward the road, she shakes her head telling me to wait. No way, let them find their own way out. This alley rat wanted a shower.

"What did he mean by 'street rat'" Charles asks, stepping up beside me? We'd been on the road for an hour or so and the trees were beginning to thin out.

"Charles, don't", Mark demands.

"No it's fine, I'm not ashamed of my life." Stopping to take a swig of water, I look Charles in the eye. "There was a point in my teens when I was homeless and lived in an alley." Putting my canteen away I headed off again.

"Why" Charles was pissing Mark off with his questions?

"My guardian died."

"Getting answers from you is like pulling teeth. Just tell me what we all want to know." Charles had moved into hostile boredom, and he had no problems fighting with me to entertain himself. Much to the discomfort of Monica, Nell, and Mark.

"Gee, I hadn't realized I was on 'So this is Your Life'. Where's the camera I want them to get my best side." Snarking off as I begin to move faster.

"What? Thought you weren't ashamed of your life decisions." I hate being baited but just this once I figured why not.

"Fine I'll tell you but if you don't keep up and don't hear a part do not ask me to repeat it." Everyone bunched up as we moved on down that seemingly never ending rutted old road.

"My parents were young when they had me, mom 16 and dad 18. I was an oops, from a party hook-up. When mom's parents found out they flipped, and had her brother, Bo, find out who she'd slept with. Dad was the unlucky guy with that E ticket. They never should have gotten married, heck they hated each other before the ink was dry on their marriage certificate. All I remember from them is the alcohol, drugs, and fights. Mom's parents came to get us the night before Thanksgiving to take them back to their place. At the last minute Bo's girlfriend asked if I could ride with them instead of in Grandfather's car. That decision saved my life. A truck driver dozed off and crossed the median."