A Beginner's Guide to the American West ✓

chapter thirty-two

t h i r t y - t w o

*

It's getting on by the time we eventually make it back to the campsite, after another twenty minutes of walking, then twenty minutes of waiting for the bus, and then fifteen minutes trundling from the Mirror Lake trailhead to our campsite. When we get off, I wrap myself around Arjun once more, and I'm aware that the moment someone spots us, there are going to be a lot of questions.

Most of them from Sam, probably, followed by Young-mi. And I'm sure I can count on Klara to make my splutter on her bluntness.

"Home sweet home," Arjun says when we make it to our cluster of tents. We're the last ones back this time. Everyone is here, sprawled out between the tents with playing cards and earphones, playing games and listening to music.

Young-mi spots us first. Her gasp alerts everyone to our presence, and Sam shoots to his feet with a cry when he sees Arjun carrying me. When I slip down to the floor and hold one foot off the ground, Sam rushes over and drops his shaking head into his hands.

"And here I was, thinking you'd managed a day in Yosemite without an injury," he says. "What happened?"

Arjun helps me over to my mat and I sit down with a huff, lifting my swollen ankle. It's throbbing, agony shooting in all directions, but I've had worse.

"It's just a sprain," I say. "I slipped in the lake."

"Mirror Lake?" Sam asks. I nod. He looks at Arjun. "You carried March back from Mirror Lake?"

"Mmhmm."

"You should have called me!" he cries out. "Arjun. You could have injured yourself, and then I'd have two broken campers." He tuts and unzips his bag, tipping it out to find an emergency medical kit at the bottom. "Are you sure it's just a sprain, March? Do I need to take you to the medical centre?"

"Yes I'm sure, and no you don't," I say. I explain my history of sprains and my certainty and my deep knowledge of what different injuries feel like, and I wince as Sam elevates my ankle and wraps a tight elastic bandage around it.

"What're you like," he mutters. "That really should have some ice on it but we're all out."

"It'll be fine," I assure him. "I promise. I am very used to sprains. I just need to rest."

"Me too," Arjun says. He collapses onto the mat next to me. I can feel Young-mi's probing eyes on me but I avoid her gaze for now. I tip my head back and lift my leg higher when Sam comes over with a camping chair to prop it up on, and I cross my hands over my stomach. My t-shirt didn't have much time to dry and it's still damp; all of me is a bit uncomfortably wet.

After he fusses for a couple more minutes, I insist that I just need to chill and I'll be ok, and Sam eventually backs down. He returns to his guitar, a wary eye on me, and Young-mi takes his place. She scrambles over to my side, looming over me with huge, curious eyes.

"You fell in the lake?" she asks, both of her hands wrapped around my forearm.

"Yup."

"That's why you're wet?"

"Correct."

"Oh, March." She sighs and her lips turn downwards, and she takes my hand. "You are disaster. Are you ok? You are hurt?"

"Yeah, it hurts, but it'll be fine," I say. I nudge Arjun with my other hand; he looks up at the contact. "Luckily I was rescued by a knight in shining armour."

Young-mi glances at Arjun. I can see her doing calculations in her head, trying to figure out what happened on the walk, but she doesn't say anything. She drops onto her knees and gives me a sad look. "That looks painful," she says, nodding at my ankle. She's not wrong. It looks like it feels: red and hot and swollen and angry and tender. "Good thing you were together, not me and March." She looks at Arjun. "I am weak; I can't carry him."