Skinny Love [ON HOLD]

Chapter 5

The walk through the first bit of forest was really peaceful and calm. I kept catching James smiling to himself as he tried to soak in all the beauty of the nature around him. Recently, he’d become really philosophical which was probably down to his illness but I think it made him a better person in a way. We got to the path and it was Davy’s turn to push the cart along even though it was empty seeing as James refused to sit in it.

“It’s a bit bumpy” he complained as the cart and its contents rattled.

“What, like having sex with an anorexic?” Miles said before grinning. Bill and I chuckled at the inside joke but Davy looked slightly uncomfortable.

“What was her name?” Bill asked but Davy just shrugged.

“Casey” I reminded them, referring to one of Davy’s ex-girlfriends.

“Oh yeah” Bill began to laugh again and I joined in.

“You know she’s fat now” Miles said once we’d calmed down.

“So?” Davy frowned and Miles shrugged.

“Nothing, just saying”. There was an awkward silence and I caught up to James who had walked ahead. We strolled slowly due to James’ limping but I pretended not to notice, just like I had for the past two years.

We arrived at the bridge and stopped briefly because Bill wanted to film our surroundings and James was a little out of breath, not that he made it obvious to anyone but me of course.

“How bloody lovely is this?” Bill smiled and filmed him and James standing by the edge of the bridge with the beautiful river in the background. James smiled and held onto to Bill’s arm which he had just put on James’ shoulder.

“We need to make it to Greenhead by nightfall” Miles said and leaned against the wall on the other side of the bridge, looking out onto the scenery.

“Well, we’ll walk until James needs a rest” Bill replied and switched of the camera.

“I’m fine” James said for what felt like the millionth time. We carried on walking but in the end he gave in and sat in the cart. Bill and Davy pushed him while Miles walked behind and I walked on the left.

There was general chatter going around the boys but I wasn’t really listening, at least not until Miles told Davy to get a job. He meant it in the sense that people say ‘Oh get a life’ but my head shot round and I glared at Miles.

“What?” he raised his eyebrows innocently “I’m just saying that at least some of us have a job”

“Oh shut up Miles” Bill and I said at the same time, making James smirk. There was this strange feeling between the five us that I hadn’t really noticed before and it intensified at that moment. It was like we were all trying extra hard to act normal even though there wasn’t much need for it. I was about to mention it to Bill when all of a sudden there was a loud snap and the cart tippled slightly, catching my ankle.

“Oh no, malfunction” James half-sang and turned around to look at the back wheel as my ankle went cold.

“I told there’d be too much weight on…” Davy began complaining but a sudden sharp pain hit my ankle which was no longer numb and I cut him off.

“Fuck!” it came out as a scream and I grabbed one of the bars on the cart for support.

“What’s wrong…jesus!” James shouted when he saw the blood trickling onto my thankfully red low cut converse. He stood up out of the cart and limped over to my side wanting to help but not really in the right state to be able to.

“M’fine” I wheezed in an attempt to reassure him. Miles, who was standing about a mile away so couldn’t actually see the massive cut on my ankle, scoffed.

“Oh c’mon grow a pair, it’s just a paper cut” he sighed. James glared at him.

“Really?” I rose my eyebrows at him “You want me to ram you over with a cart full of stuff and a fully grown man and see how you like it”. Miles shrugged and walked closer to take a look at my ankle. Upon realising it was more like a gash wound than a paper cut, he told Davy to get the first aid kit out of the cart.

“Well I would but I can’t quite get it underneath all the stuff that’s weighing the cart down” he replied while glaring at Bill “And did you have to bring the bloody tree? Couldn’t you just plant an acorn?”

“Look, just start unpacking the pile. Gee whiz” Bill sighed and turned the cart over so he could get a closer look at the damage done on the cart “While you’re at it, hand me the tool box”. There was some faffing and arguing over the cart, the damage, Bill’s packing, Davy’s complaining and Miles’ teasing about the fact Bill just said gee whiz. I decided to sit down and examine my injury which didn’t actually hurt so much anymore.

“You okay?” James asked and joined me on the log I had chosen as a seat.

“I’ve been worse” I shrugged as I gave him my usual answer whenever anyone asks how I am. Davy took a break from yelling at Bill to hand me the first aid kit. It was pretty basic but luckily it had just what I needed; a packet of wipes, a small bandage and some antiseptic stuff. I quickly cleaned up the blood and began to wrap the bandage round my ankle. It wasn’t really for support, more to stop the bleeding.

“Weird” James muttered quietly.

“What is?”

“You don’t even flinch at the sight of blood. Most girls would squeal or panic. You just cursed then sorted it out” James was looking at me like he’d only just seen me for the first time. Actually, it’s the same look he’d had since we left on the trip. I didn’t know what had changed but something had. I wanted to ask, but decided not to.

“I’m not most girls” I simply shrugged and hauled myself up, offering my hand to James who just ignored it and hobbled up himself. I sighed and walked back over to the cart.