Hollow Veins

Chapter Twenty Nine; The Forest

The first sign of trees made them all almost excited. To tell the truth, they hadn't been excited in years so it was hard to know exactly what that felt like. But the sight of the green forest, providing shade from the blistering heat, relaxed them a great deal. They all walked into the greenish dim light. They had gone on for maybe sixty yards before hearing the flow of water. Jasper took the lead and sure enough, the creek emerged.

They dropped their packs and Ari helped Jaden to sit down. Ren look uncertainly at the water, "Is it safe?" Ari dug through her backpack, "Could have sworn I had some in here..." Prince kicked his legs, "Language." Ari gave him a glare which was returned with a grin. Ari was actually a little relieved. It seemed to her that she had probably misread some signs that morning and that Prince's hurt expression had really been one of confusion. He had merely touched her hand on accident. She sighed a little in relief, but the others assumed it was exasperation. The next day he had just been tired from the walk, not upset. Ari only felt a little embarrassed now about thinking Prince could ever like her. Aaron stood up, a grin on his face. Prince took one look and took off. Aaron chased after him, "Ready for a swim?" "Don't you dare!" Prince screamed back at him. "Climb a tree," Ari advised. "How?!?!" Was the indignant answer. All three girls looked at each other. Alice blinked, "How do you not know how to climb a freaking tree?" A scream answered that question.

Two minutes later, Prince shook his wet head. He and Aaron both had fallen in the creek as a result of their skirmish. "That," Prince rung out the edge of his shirt, "Was pointless." Aaron smirked, "So worth it." Jasper was adding what little iodine they had to some bottles of creek water. "I can't believe you don't know how to climb a tree," Ari snorted. Prince shrugged, "I grew up in a city." Ren laughed, "Oh when we get to some sort of home, we are so making you climb a tree." He leaned towards Ari, "But I am home." Ari pushed him, "Ew gross." Prince laughed with what sounded like a cross between a giggle and a snicker. Ari rolled her eyes, "Maybe we'll put your bag in a tree and you can learn faster." "You wouldn't." She grinned, "Don't push your luck. One more line like that and it goes in the creek first." Prince smirked, "All you'd do is get some blankets and some knives wet." Ari looked bemused, "You don't have food in there?" Prince shook his head, "Nope I ran out a couple days before... running into Jasper." Prince suddenly seemed very interested in the running creek. Jasper glanced at Prince. There was an awkward silence.

Prince promptly burped. Alice groaned, "Aw gross." Prince smiled, "I'm determined to disgust you all to death by the end of this." Jaden yawned and signed, "Your face does the work by itself." Ren pushed his hands down, "Shhh." He rolled his eyes but he was smiling. Prince looked back and forth between them, bemused, "What did he say?" Ren glanced at the smirking Jaden, "Uhhh..." Jaden frowned, "Come on he can't not hear that." Ren held back a smile as she said, "He says you look very nice." Jaden gave her arm a light smack. She started laughing. Prince leaned sideways towards Ari and whispered, "I assume that was not what he said?" "Not in the slightest," She whispered back. Jaden continued to sign rapidly to Ren who was laughing and shaking her head. Jaden attempted to write it in the dirt with a stick, but Ren kept messing it up. They were both laughing and fighting over the stick. Alice laughed, met Jasper's eyes and furtivly looked away. No, she was not doing this again. No more Jasper, or arguments, or drama, just focus on the task at hand.