What I have been waiting for

Chapter 5

Sleeping in the woods has its challenges. Every rustle or howl jolted me out of my sleep and even with the pillows and blankets the flooring was still hard it did not even come close to the bedding back home. I woke up to a small voice it sounded husky and rasped as if it were dehydrated.

"Ora, stop cuddling me." Moving my arms I found out that my right arm was around someone's waist, but that can't be possible unless... "L.A I am so sorry!" moving my arm immediately off of her waist. She rolled over her face looked like she was sucking on a lemon with her eyebrows lowered.

"Ora,"

"I-I said I am sorry, I'm not used to sleeping with people."

She began to come out of her sleeping bag when I noticed that her shoulders were bare. "L.A where is your shirt!" I covered my face with one of the pillows on the floor. "Calm down Ora, it's not the end of the world."

"But me cuddling you is huh!" I quickly interjected. "Hey watch it, Ora, this is my tent remember." "And this is my arm, it should be free to cuddle whoever it chooses!" I finished crossing my arms over my chest. L.A shook her head "look whatever, but since I am assuming has been out here less than a week do you have any soap I can use?" I placed the pillow on my lap. "I didn't pack soap" I whispered.

"Ugh! what about toothbrushes"

"No"

"Deodorant"

"Nope."

"PADS?!"

"Don't need them."

She squinted her eyes at me rubbed her chin "Ora" she started "how old are you?''

"Fourteen, what about you?''

"Fifteen, so you just never thought it was going to come one day?"

"If what would come one day, look L.A get to the chase." By now I was getting frustrated going in circles with her. "No-no it's fine I am not having that talk with you" She crawled her way to the entrance of the tent, "Come on let's go "freshen up."

She led the way to the river while I stared at her bare back as we ducked and maneuvered over tree branches. Suddenly, she stopped and I rammed right into her back grabbing her sides to stop myself.

She smacked me. "Ow! L.A why?" "Keep your hands" she began to pinch them "and your eyes to yourself" she, eventually, let go and kept on walking through the bushes. Rubbing my hands I still followed behind her. As we walked farther and farther into the dense woods, the sound of water was getting louder. L.A soon left the main path and went onto a much smaller one. We walked this path for a few minutes till we reach the small sand bar.

'Alright you ready?" she asked me as she began unbuttoning her jeans, followed by her boots. "Um, what if someone sees us?" at this point my face was flushed and my hands were glued to my eyes not wanting to see the rest of L.A. "Look, I will go further down the river if you're this uncomfortable, and you can stay here.". I guess that wouldn't be too bad. "Fine, I will meet you back at camp." As she entered the stream small sloshes and splashes were heard as she went down the stream. Once I could no longer hear her I uncovered my eyes and started to take off my clothes.

I looked at my reflection in the stream, my eyes had bags underneath them and L.A's handprint was still visible on my left cheek. The stream itself looked quite clear and I could see small fishes swim from time to time. Lifting my left foot, I lowered it slowly into the water, not too hot and not too cold. "Better get on with it then" I groaned.

After finishing my shower, if I can even call it that, I made my way back to camp where L.A beat me to it. She was already dressed in a black T-shirt, blue jean shorts, and her military shoes. She had her backpack on her back and a small knife that she was spinning with her fingers. "You got the tent all to yourself." she winked at me. I got in the tent put on a white t-shirt and cargo shorts, with my sneakers from yesterday. I put on a baseball hat and went back out.