Chapter 21
"This is... disgusting," I spat, shuddering at the foul stench.
"You were the one who said you'd rather disembowel fishes than listen to our very thought-provoking conversation back at the cabin. I guess your dream has come true." My own words used against me.
"Joel, shut up. This tent is so small. It smells like hell…I can't believe that everyone else got to do the roasting and cleaning the fish."
"There are other people who are de-gutting fishes."
"I meant from our cabin," I said rolling my eyes.
"Ah, but this isn't so bad."
"On the contrary..." I muttered.
He smirked. "What? You mean to say that you don't enjoy skinning fishes?"
"No, actually, I love skinning fish… and removing their internal organs. And oh yay, look at this fish, it's leaking slime all over me. Hooray for me!" I went on, sarcastically.
"Oh come on, you're not even touching the thing. I've skinned almost twenty fishes now. This is like what, your second one."
"As much as I enjoy decapitating poor fish, I'd rather not." I throw the fish back in the bucket, sending a few fish scales in the air.
"Well at least it's a bonding activity," He smirked.
"Aw, I feel so much bonded with you now that I have Nemo's guts splattered on my face." He gave a throaty laugh, slicing his fish in a ninety-degree angle for any remaining scales. I scrunched up my nose, somewhat hesitantly grabbing the knife.
I saw the smug look on his face. "Come on Taylor... just do it."
"Mm... is there no other alternative?"
"'Fraid not," he used his shoulder to wipe his face.
"Can't you just do them all?" I asked while he sliced into another fish.
"For a price," he smirked.
"Does it involve money?" I didn’t have much cash on me. So it couldn’t be much to bribe him with.
"No," he said with devilish grin.
"Would I dislike it?"
"Depends."
"Figures," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Anyway, you've done almost all of them now. Why not just finish off the rest too?"
"Great help, Carpenter. Real great help."
"No problem, Tayon," I smiled innocently.
"What's this air pocket here?" He suddenly commented, examining his fish. Without thinking, he poked the fish at where he presumed was an air-pocket. Suddenly, a rancid green liquid spurted out of the fish and all over him.
"Shit!" he backed away, smashing into a set of pans.
I burst into laughter. "Holy crap, that was funny as hell!" I blurted, watching him wipe the green goo from his shirt with a disgusted look on his face. I couldn't stifle my laughter anymore.
"Haha, real funny," he muttered, wiping himself with a towel. "Will you stop laughing now?"
I grabbed my aching gut. "Yes… yes," I sighed contentedly. "Have you learned your lesson now? Let's not go poking fishes in their sex-organs, okay?"
"Heugh, that was a sex-organ?! I didn't know they had those!"
"Duh, how do fish make babies then?" I said, laughing at him.
"Okay, enough with the laughing Taylor. Seriously."
"Ooh I made you mad now. What you going to do? Squirt me with fish-juice?" I laughed.
"Maybe I will," he smirked, holding up the now leaking fish. I sobered up real quick.
"Don't you dare. Take that thing away from me!" I nearly yelled.
"Aw, is Taylor scared of Nemo?" Joel said in a baby talk voice.
“What’s going on here?" A loud voice suddenly boomed. It was a counselor, coming in to check out why there was so much noise.
Joel's grip on the fish suddenly slipped when he heard the counselor. The half-skinned fish flew and landed in my hood. I shrieked and tore at my sweatshirt, trying to get the fish out. I made a wild grab for the hood, not wanting to touch the fish yet wanting to push it out. I could smell the scent of fresh and stinky fish innards. Much to my horror, the fish slid down my sweatshirt.
"Get it out! Holy shit get it out!" I grabbed the sweatshirt and pulled it off, flinging it away. My body gave an involuntary shudder of utter disgust and my stomach threatened to re-introduce this morning's breakfast.
The counselor's eyes went wide. "Uh... Taylor..."
"What?!" I said, somewhat irritated.
"Your, shirt." I looked down. My face flooded with color as I stood there for a moment, bare, shirtless and utterly stunned. When I senses regained, so did my horror.
"Oh God! Stop looking at me!" I through my arms up trying to shield myself the best I could with out them seeing anything more.
"Wha?"
"Get outta here! Both of you!" I shrieked, scrambling for my shirt that I'd carelessly pulled off with the sweatshirt. The counselor seemed amused by all this. But why wouldn't he be? He was male. And males think of the same thing almost every fifteen seconds.
At least most of them do. Don’t they?
Joel backed out of the tent, a bit in confusion and a bit in surprise.
I gave a small squeal of embarrassment. This was, most definitely, the stupidest thing that I'd ever done. But thank God I was wearing a bra.
