Chapter 26
~JOSH~
It's around eleven at night and I'm just aimlessly wandering the woods like a fucking idiot. While I was initially just trying to get away from Zack for a while, I ultimately find myself completely lost with no sense of direction or any means of finding my way back to the campsite. Why did I decide to go for a walk in the middle of the woods at night, you might ask. Because I'm a petty little bitch who can't seem to accept an apology because I don't want to give Zack the idea that he can just betray me and then beat me up and simply get away with it. Though maybe I am being petty, maybe I should just get over it and accept his apology so we can be friends again. It'd be hard though given all that's happened. Obviously, neither one of us can just forget it all. It's like when you crumble up a piece of paper, it'll never return to its original form, and if our friendship can never go back to the way it was then what's the point in even attempting to renew it when I know I won't be able to look at him the same way anymore?
Or maybe I'm doing the right thing by cutting him off after the shit he pulled. No real friend does what he did. But then again no friend can be perfect after all. Everyone fucks up, but he kinda overdid it. Being selfish is one thing but taking his insecurities out on me was pushing it too far.
Honestly, at this point, I don't know what to do. I don't want to live the rest of my life hating him but I don't want to be so quick to forgive him either.
Unfortunately, I'm not given any more time to evaluate my options as my body instinctively freezes and I completely clear my mind. My pupils dilate and my heart rate quickens. I'm staring into the eyes of danger and I don't have anything on my person for defense. The animal takes small steps towards me, head lowered as its eyes stay locked on me. I don't move, I barely even breathe because I'm so afraid that even the smallest bit of movement could set the mountain lion off and in the blink of an eye I'll be nothing but the fucking beast's dinner. Yet at the same time, I know that just standing here like a statue isn't going to get me out of this situation. The mountain lion isn't going to just walk away from a potential meal so no matter what I do I'm fucked. All I can hope for is one of those Deus Ex Machina moments you see in the movies, but this unfortunately isn't a movie. This is reality and in reality who's going to miraculously appear to save me in the middle of the woods at night? Jason Vorhees? Rambo? Doubtful. I'm fucked and I know it. I'm standing face to face with a flesh-eating beast who doesn't look like he'll be going anywhere until he gets what he wants: my guts.
"Josh!" I hear Zack's voice call my name from the woods, but I of course don't call back, fearing just that could result in my immediate death. "Josh! Where are you?!" He continues to shout at the top of his lungs and I see that the mountain lion takes no notice of it at all. Nothing is getting in its way of acquiring its prey. Though I hope to god that something does.
"Josh, come on man!" He continues and as he gets closer I find it so tempting to call back so that he knows where I am to hopefully save me. Maybe if there's two of us against this one cat then maybe the pussy will be too intimidated to take on the both of us; the mountain lion, I mean. But I'm also afraid that if Zack does end up finding me, the beast might end up attacking him too. We may not be on the best terms right now but I couldn't even begin to imagine something so horrible.
Josh?" I hear Zack's voice shoot out from somewhere up close accompanied by the snapping of a few nearby branches. The next thing I know, I see Zack come into view from behind the mountain lion who's still fixed on me, though apparently, it doesn't even notice him.
After registering my situation, he suddenly disappears from my line of sight and my first thought is that he's abandoned me. That piece of shit abandoned me! He's left me to fucking die!
Or so I thought. And boy was I wrong. Just as I'd given up hope, a small red ball of flame shoots out from some bush to my right and makes for the beast, who is quickly scared off by the flare.
I have no idea whether the flare actually hit the cat or not because it all happened so fast but as I really start to think about it, I realize that it doesn't fucking matter. I'm alive right now and that's all that matters. And I only have one person to thank for that.
When he appears from behind the bush holding the flare gun in his hand I just stare at him, unable to formulate any sort of words. I should probably be thanking him for saving my life but for some reason, I'm tongue-tied, and seemingly so is he because he doesn't say a word to me either as we both just stare at each other in shock.
I think once the shock "wears off" and my heart rate slows back to normal, I'm finally able to utter the word he needs to hear, "Thanks."
"No problem... that's what friends do for each other," he says sternly.
My look of content towards him then turns into a glare and I just scoff and walk off.
Disregarding my contempt towards him, he chases after me. "We should get back to the campsite." Yeah, no shit!
"Yeah, if I knew the way back. Do you?" I say, the tension in my voice surprisingly suspending.
"Well... no," he says after a glance around. Wow, what a genius! He suggests we go back and yet he doesn't even know how to get there. Zack's never really been the smartest chicken in the coupe.
"Then I guess I'll have to find my own way back," I say with an eye-roll, beginning to walk off just before he stops me by grabbing my arm.
"Maybe it'd be a better idea if we stick together? Ya know, just in case another mountain lion shows up," he suggests the obvious.
Obviously, I'm on board with the idea considering if it weren't for him I'd most likely be dead right now but he still thinks he needs to convince me.
"Look, I know you don't like me very much right now but... I am not gonna leave you all by yourself in the woods at night, especially after what just happened."
"Okay," I say softly, but he keeps on going.
"I've brought some supplies and I think it's better than just walking around empty-handed—"
"Zack, I said okay! That's fine," I stop him as he's starting to get annoying.
"Okay, good!" He says with an awkward little smile. "Boy, am I glad I brought this backpack with me! I mean, I didn't expect you to go this far but I thought it'd come in handy in case you had. And it did!"
"Congrats on making one smart decision in your life," I say, still coming across as salty, but at this point, I think he doesn't mind.
"Haha yeah! Now come on, let's try to find our way back."
YOU ARE READING
Summer Milestone
Teen Fiction[boyxboy] Eighteen-year-old Josh Crimson has been best friends with Zack Clifton ever since childhood but when Zack is forced to move away the summer before their senior year of high school, Josh feels as if he has lost something in his life. A year...
