The Jaws of Life

2

The next morning we start packing up Alia's car for our trip. I've packed a humble gym bag and suitcase filled with clothes.  I figured the basics would do for this vacation, so my suitcase is filled with shorts, shirts, a swimsuit or two, a couple of dresses, shoes of every variety and some general skincare. I packed some sunscreen and bug spray, but other than that I think I stayed pretty basic.

Alia on the other hand is way less humble than I am. She has three suitcases, albeit they're smaller than mine, and a gym bag. In her defense she's bringing everything we could need while we're away, like the first aid kit, utensils, some cookware, ponchos in case we get caught in the rain, etc. Anything one could need, she has it. She even brought five different kind of cards for us to play if we get bored.

I actually felt really silly when I first saw all of her stuff. It made me realize that I'm super underprepared in case of anything happening. She brought a goddamn bear bell. If I see a bear, you know what I brought? Nothing! I'm going to die by bear. The best I could do is spray bug spray at it and hope for the best.

"So its about a  three hour drive to get up there." Alia says to me as we load up our suitcases into the trunk of her car. "But I don't mind driving all the way."

"We can switch halfway if you want." I offer to her. Her car is bigger than mine so naturally it was decided that we would take her car. My car could fit all this stuff too but it would have to be jammed all together and there's a fair chance our seats would have to be pulled forward so much that our knees would be right under our chins. 

"No it's okay. I plan on just slapping the cruise control on anyways." she says. She stops and stares into her trunk, a pensive look on her face. "Oh, I forgot my camera I'll be back." 

I pick up the tent beside me and fold it into the car. I don't know what we'll need this for, but I'm sure its here for a reason. Next, I load up four foldable camping chairs, shoving them all together on top of the tent. I'm not sure where Alia got most of this stuff - the entire time I've known her she's never been big into camping or anything to do with nature, and yet I find myself impressed again but how prepared she is.

"So obviously Tony and I have our own cabin, and you know the cabins are small, right?" she says to me as she walks back towards me, her camera case in hand.

I look at her, unsure of where this conversation is going. She talks to me about her sex life enough as it is, but I really don't want to hear an itemized list of places they plan on having sex in the cabin.

"Yeah, you showed me the photos." I say to her. I go around the left side and put my small bag in the backseat so that we have more room in the trunk for the rest of our gear. "Why?"

"Don't kill me." she says quickly. I look over and see her giving me an apologetic smile. Thats never a good thing with her. "You're gonna have to be in a cabin with my brother."

Three weeks in a cabin alone with Jaime? Alia's older brother Jaime? Always been super hot but now is famous and has tattoos Jaime? Has dimples that could bring me to my knees Jaime? I don't know how I'll be able to concentrate.

"I know it sucks." Alia continues on. "Its Jaime and all, and we both know how he is, but the cabins are too small to fit four people into them together. You can bunk with Tone and I, but it'll have to be on the couch in the mini living room."

"No its fine." I tell her. "We'll hardly been inside anyways, right?"

"Exactly!" she says happily, glad that I'm not holding a grudge for making me bunk with her brother. "I told Jaime to not do any weird shit so he should be fine. Its not like you guys don't know one another."

"We're not like sleeping in the same bed are we?" I ask tentatively.

"God, no." she exclaims. "You really think I'd want my best friend and brother in the same bed? There's two bedrooms in your cabin but they are kinda small."

"Thats fine." I say, breathing out a sigh of relief.  I don't know how I would've been able to manage staying in the same cabin in the exact same bed as Jaime for a month. I think I would've had to start sleeping in the bathtub after the first day.

"This is going to be so much fun." Alia beams at me. "I bet Jaime will be happy to see you."

"Oh I doubt it." I tell her.

She shakes her head adamantly at me. "He asks about you still. I think he has a soft spot for you. You know, he watched you grow up with me."

Until she added that last part I had let my mind wander, thinking maybe Jaime had a crush on me back then just like I had on him. But Alia's right, he watched us grow up together. He thinks of me as like a distant cousin or something, nothing more. And thats fine, I'm over it. I haven't seen him in years, spending a month with him wont magically make any teenage crush feelings come back.