Arrogant Bastard | Summerz

Chapter 5

- Can I assume you've done this before? - We had been at the campsite for half an hour, but Kazuha had already lit a fire and was finishing setting up the first tent.

- Every summer, with my family. My father used to take my sister and me camping every year in the Australian Outback. Those are the best memories of my life. And it wasn't a fake camp like this one.

- Fake?

- The campsite was unnumbered, with toilets and security. We were really camping. What about you? What made you dislike camping?

- Nothing, really. I've just never done it before. - Kazuha finished setting up the first tent and stepped back, admiring her work. - This tent is huge.

- It's not the first time I've heard that. - She laughed.

I shook my head.

- Why did you buy such big tents?

- Damn it! - Kazuha shouted, as she slapped a mosquito that landed on her face. The sudden noise startled poor Esmerelda Snowflake, who froze in place and started to lean over and faint. We laughed a lot about it.

Kazuha threw more wood on the fire and sat down.

- What about the other tent? - I asked, looking at the fire. I really hoped she wasn't imagining that I would try to set it up myself.

- What other tent?

- You only bought one?

She took a Pixy Stix from the back pocket of her pants and popped some of the sugary powder into her mouth.

- The tent has two rooms. It has a partition. You and your son can sleep on one side. I'll sleep on the other.

I had no right to complain, considering that she had done all the work and paid for everything. So I kept quiet for a change.

We ate the equivalent of a month's worth of carbohydrates and sat around the fire. Kazuha cut a stick with a penknife and roasted a marshmallow on the end, before offering it to me. She was really good at that.

- We're sharing a tent tonight, we've adopted a pet together, and I don't even know what you work at.

- I guess you could say I'm retired.

- Retired? With what? Twenty-one, twenty-two years old?

- Twenty-three - she corrected.

- Ah. Of course, it makes sense now. - It was dark, even with the firelight. I lifted my roasted marshmallow to analyze it. It was well toasted on one side, but still white on the other. - Retired from what?

- Soccer.

- Did you play professionally?

- In Australia. Yes. Well, not for long.

- What happened?

- I had an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

- Wasn't there any way to fix it?

- I had a few operations. But I got injured again.

- I'm really sorry. How long did you manage to play?

- One game.

- One game? You mean you got injured in your first professional game?

- Yes. First and last professional game, both on the same day.

- How long ago was that?

- I fulfilled my three-year contract. I had a few surgeries... But I never managed to get back into the shape I needed to be in. I retired at the age of 21.