One Stupid Thing

3:10:106

The five of us hunkered down for the night under a copse of dense trees. Thankfully, JJ packed a tarp in his backpack and we tied it between the trunks just before it began to rain. And it rained and rained and rained. I thought that we were going to get swept away, and, even with the tarp protecting us from some of the storm, we all still managed to get soaked to the bone.

The next morning promised sunshine. I deserted my sopping wet t-shirt, leaving me in just a bra-like top and jean shorts. With the sun blaring down in us, it didn't take long before we were dry, and it was only then that I missed the cooling sensation of wet fabric on my skin.

JJ led the way continuing up the mountain with one of the machetes that Barracuda Mike gave us in hand, clearing the path ahead for the rest of us. Behind him, Kie and I engaged in feeble conversation, mainly about her time at Kitty Hawk and everything that occurred while she was trapped there.

Cleo and Pope took up the rear. Ever since catching up to them following JJ and I's argument, they've been quiet and I can sense a thick, almost-awkward tension in the air amongst the natural humidity. Cleo, despite the perspiration, is glowing with a fondness that I too had once been familiar with. And based on the glances that Pope has casted her way, I can tell that something has happened between them.

For the first time since the break up, I do not feel jealous or bitter at the idea of someone else being in love besides me. It used to make me sick to my stomach to witness affection of any kind, but instead I feel nothing but warmth and happiness for the two. They both deserve to be happy, especially Pope who was still hung up on Kie not so long ago.

Suddenly, a loud, booming sound emitted from much further up the mountain. It's presence shook the earth beneath my feet and I ducked instinctively.

"What the fuck was that?" JJ asks, looking back at the rest of us who were still in shock.

"I have no idea, but whatever it was, it can't be good," Pope replies.

A million worries flood my mind, filling my head with meddlesome anxieties and fears for my sister, John B, and Big John. I swallow hard to ease the tightness in my throat. "Come on. We have to keep going."

JJ continues up the mountainside. It gets steeper and steeper the closer we get to the top. The field transforms into a dense jungle and the terrain begins to flatten, causing me to assume that we could be close to El Dorado and therefore, John B, Sarah, and Big John.

The blonde boy clears the way even more fiercely, slashing away at low hanging branches and vines, but suddenly he stops in his tracks. I almost crash straight into him in the process.

"Dude, what the h—" I start. JJ whips around and covers my mouth with his open hand.

"Shhhhh!" His eyes are wide with panic. "Listen," JJ whispers. Without the five of us clamoring through the undergrowth, my ears pick up voices echoing in the distance. JJ quickly retrieves the remaining four machetes from the burlap sack and hands them out to each of us for protection. He then raises a finger to his lips, asking for silence, and waves us forward.

The cover of the foliage is enough to hide us from whoever we are approaching, whether it be our friends, or Singh's men. We no longer clear the way ahead, instead we blend into the greenery and use it to our advantage. I can't see a thing ahead of me with JJ's blonde head blocking the way, but I trust him not to lead us over a cliff or something.

I hear a familiar laugh ring out ahead of us and I push past JJ as soon as I am sure of who the sound belongs to. I can see her clearly now through the palm leaves, accompanied by John B and his father, but just as I open my mouth to call out her name, a hand clamps over my mouth and pulls me down behind a fallen tree.