This is Me Trying ⭑ Rafe Cameron

forty two

She could feel herself sweating, the color draining from her face. And she was desperate to know how much walking was left until they reached their destination. That way she'd know if she was able to make it or not.

Cassie knew she had about a good ten hours left in her before things got concerning.

She pulled the old fisherman's hat over her head again, covering her sweaty face, and frizzy, blonde hair she'd tied into two braids.

At times, the group was separated by half miles, everyone breaking off into their respective pairs, following each other's tracks in the mud. Other times, they were all right on top of each other. Though all silent, too exhausted to speak, the sound of their small scoffs of laughter when they saw how rough the other looked, kept them company.

Rafe wasn't fit for the outdoors. Not these outdoors, at least. He was built to sit on yachts, and in polished backyards with freshly mowed lawns. With air conditioning just a few steps away, and the luxury of a quick shower when it got too hot.

Kiara, and even Cassie, got out hushed chuckles when they caught Rafe swatting away mosquitos, or peeling a cobweb off his arms.

"Better check for those Brazilian wandering spiders, too." Cleo hollered out to Rafe.

Rafe, who'd remained unamused at the group's attempt at toying with him, dusted the cobwebs off his hands. "What?" He asked.

"Deadly." Cleo added. "I've seen a few, too."

"Wait," JJ pokes his head around, not sure if Cleo was joking or not. "Like, for real?"

"Mhm." Cleo says. "Big, orange furry ones. About..." she measured the size with her fingers. "This big."

JJ kept steady eye contact with Cleo, not yet ready to accept the fact that they'd probably walked through their nests. "Alright." He nodded, unsure. "Pope, how much longer because I swear to God—"

"I'm not a GPS, dude." Pope responds, hatching a path through the leaves with his machete.

Cassie looks at Cleo, who gives her a wink before Rafe rejoins her at her side. "She's messing with you." Cassie says as they begin walking again, and Rafe continues to dust off his shirt.

"Cassie, what's—" Rafe starts as she steps in front of him in the narrow path. "What is that?"

She tensed, immediately looking down at her waist to see the blood that had to have been seeping through all three layers for him to say something. But there was nothing. "What?" She looks up at him, confused.

Rafe goes to move her jacket collar out of the way. "That—"

She squirms, letting out a loud shriek as she realized he was pointing out a bug, or more likely, a Brazilian wandering spider crawling around on her neck.

She flung out her arms, frantically swatting at her neck to get it off as all logical thoughts drained from her body and only a tingling sense of fear and disgust remained.

When Rafe, instead of helping, started laughing, Cassie then realized he was messing with her now, too.

The whole group had stopped to see what was happening. "Oh good," JJ says. "Now Singh definitely knows we're coming." He says, the sound of Cassie's shriek still echoing in his ears.