AURORA ☾ Leah Clearwater ✔

Chapter 17... Forgotten

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Leah

My hair smelled like smoke, my clothes were damp, and I hadn't seen the inside of a shower since Thursday night... But I felt fine. After spending the weekend camping in the woods, away from all the tangled complications of my life, I felt calmer and more collected than I had in weeks. 

We hadn't gone far. We decided to camp out in the small cluster of trees behind Sophie's house. It had been far enough. Even after just a few days away, I was already dreading my inevitable return to reality.

Sophie pulled into my driveway, slowing to a stop before she turned around in the driver's seat and looked at me. Lisa was in the passenger seat. She was another friend of Sophie's from Neah Bay that was conscripted to join us after Gina had bailed. I felt somewhat guilty about that. I was sure it was my behaviour that turned her off of the whole thing.

"That was really fun!" Sophie said, grinning, almost relieved. 

I knew she had been carefully watching me this weekend, probably wondering when I was going to blow my gasket. Somehow I had managed to keep it together.

I smiled back in earnest. "It was," I replied. "It was nice to get away from... everything."

Both Sophie and Lisa nodded knowingly.

"You do seem a lot less tense now," Lisa interjected in her signature soft, child-like voice. She was all caught up on my dramatic life after this weekend.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "I bet." 

Sophie cut in to gloat. "See? What'd I say? Some distance did you good." She flipped her hair triumphantly. "I'm always right."

My eyes rolled before I could stop them. "Sure you are..." I reached for the door handle.

"Are you sure you don't want to go shopping with us this afternoon?" Sophie prodded one last time.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I need a shower," I replied. With a sigh, I pushed open the car door, dragging my heavy, overstuffed backpack with me.

"Well, it was nice to meet you," Lisa said through, leaning through the open window.

"You too!" I said, closing the door behind me.

"We should do this again soon!" Sophie shouted from inside the car.

"Maybe," I replied, leaning down to look at her through the passenger window.

"Like you can say no to me," Sophie replied with a dramatic cackle.

Lisa and I exchanged an exasperated look and then laughed.

"Well, we've gotta get going," Sophie said. "If we don't leave now, nothing will be open. The shops in Port Angeles close early on a Sunday."

"Right," Lisa said as leaned back into her seat. She gave me a wave. "See you!"

They pulled out of the driveway, and I waved after them until they were out of sight.

I lingered there for a moment, then threw my backpack over one shoulder and clomped my way back to the house. It was going to be nice today; I was sure the mist that hovered around my ankles would recede and burn off by noon. Already blue sky was peeking through the perforated clouds above.

This mist would be nice for a run, I thought to myself. It'd keep me cool. Maybe I should put off that shower...

Most people would be eager for a shower after spending two nights roughing it in the woods, but I wasn't eager to wash off the grime just yet. It didn't make sense to shower only to get sweaty again with a run. Might as well run dirty and get dirtier before I got clean.