Entering our cabin, I was greeted by a sleepy Andrew who seemed to be the only one up even though it was midday. The first stop was the bathroom, and the purging of my wounded and sore hands which were covered in bits of hardened mud and bark trapped under my nails. Then, was the preparation of something filling to eat.
It had suddenly grown a lot hotter than before and I contemplated whether or not to change into something more suitable for the weather. But something more suitable for the weather would be less suitable for the messy job of climbing trees. I really didn't want to dirty another outfit in the space of one day so I decided to roll up the ankles of my leggings a little and just put on a vest.
Didn't really make much of a difference, to be honest. I was still equally as hot.
I was glad for the shade cast by the trees as I ambled back to Rhyse. It felt much cooler than in the cabin and I wasn't blinded by the afternoon sun high in the sky.
Back at the area we were at before, Rhyse was already there. He was leaning comfortably against the tree we fell out of and knocking the branch back and forth between his feet. He was also shirtless.
When he heard my footsteps draw nearer he instantly flashed me a toothy grin and approached me, picking up the knife on his way. He swung it haphazardly in his left hand. I eyed him cautiously and made sure to keep my distance so the blade didn't end up between my eyes or in my gut. I knew he had no aim and knew he wasn't focusing on keeping that blade firmly in his hand.
"Hold it still," I ordered firmly.
He stood up straight and positioned his feet together like a soldier would and saluted me in a joking manner, "yes ma'am!" The little American twang in his accent really came out in the most random moments.
I rolled my eyes at him and instructed him to recap what we practised earlier with throwing knives. He was much better now compared to when he hit the tree with the handle instead of the blade. I was genuinely surprised that he couldn't throw them anyway. He did live in the forest after all! He never threw a blade to catch prey before after living here? I knew I had to a few times.
"You could be an assassin, with knives as your weapon; they're silent and deadly," he commented as I demonstrated how throwing from the tip of the blade gave more momentum than the handle. He went to collect my knife for me, "except, you're a very... jumpy person."
I snatched my knife from him and frowned. I wasn't a jumpy person at all, I was just always very cautious of what was happening and what could happen. With this boy, everything was unpredictable.
"You were jumpy when I first approached you a couple of days ago-,"
"I thought you were going to kill me! What would you expect? You terrified me," I argued.
Rhyse wrapped an arm around me and rubbed my shoulder as a way to mockingly console me. He laughed as he apologised and assured me not to worry, it was "unlikely that I'd be killed out here." I shrugged him off me, he was all sticky from the fierce heat and I didn't like having his nipples resting so close to my face.
About 20 minutes later in the sweltering heat that was now building up under the welcome shade that once provided protection from the sun, Rhyse and I sat resting, leaning on a tree trying to cool down.
"Let's go swimming in the lake. I know a good spot with shade," he said suddenly after a deep sigh. He stood up and stretched causing his bones to crack quite unnervingly.
Maybe I should've come to the forest more often if it meant my body would stay as lean as his.
I promptly shot him a look of confusion as he graciously extended his hand out for me to take so he could heave me up. Neither of us had swimming gear with us. I mean, Rhyse was halfway there already since he had no shirt on and was just in a pair of shorts anyway, but I was still fully dressed.
"You can go in your underwear. I don't care, I'm gay anyway," he said nonchalantly as he began walking in a northerly direction against the beating hot sun and in the same direction his house was in.
I never asked if he was gay...
What difference would that make? He could still judge my body.
I keenly followed. A swim didn't sound like a terrible idea, besides, I was getting exhausted from teaching Rhyse to throw a knife. He'd get it eventually with some more training, but right now, it was just way too hot to even have the energy to be standing up and focusing on aim. I knew damn well neither of us were going to be climbing in this heat, and I could climb a tree if I was provoked so I was doing pretty well in that area. Hopefully, Rhyse could swim, I didn't want to have to teach him that as well.
"So, Sophia, what do your parents do for their jobs?" He politely asked, slowing down slightly to walk leisurely at my pace, he languidly turned his head in my direction. His brown eyes were barely open as he observed me, waiting for my response.
"They're both barristers, how about yours?"
He nodded looking somewhat impressed, "I guess that's how you guys afford to come here for the majority of the summer then, huh?"
I shrugged.
He had ignored my question. I wasn't sure if he didn't hear me or just chose not to answer, but I decided to ask again just in case it was the former. Once more, he didn't respond. Instead, he announced we were close to the spot and pointed to it as we walked along the grassy lakeside.
In the distance, all I could see was a wooden handrail that went out into the body of water and disappeared into the forest behind. Just behind that was one of those tire swings. I grinned and ran ahead towards it. I'd always wanted to go on one of those!
"Be careful-"
-SPLASH!
His words were lost to me as my foot slipped on the water's edge and I found myself face down in the lake, the unforgiving cold water had knocked the breath out of me. I couldn't scream even if I wanted. When I resurfaced, all I could hear was Rhyse howling with laughter. I parted my dishevelled hair from my face and saw Rhyse stood where I abandoned him, smacking his knees and clutching his chest as he continued laughing at me.
"It's a bit slippy there." He finally managed to get out between breaths.
I cursed over and over again mentally, my hair would be reverted in no time getting it this wet! I sat in the water fuming, my hair, my clothes and my body completely soaked. The more Rhyse cackled, the more I felt my sensitive ears get hotter out of embarrassment- any hotter and the lake would heat up with me.
Finally, he approached me, tears in his eyes and face slightly reddened. He extended his hand out to me to haul me up when he realised I wouldn't get up of my own accord. I took his offer, and just as he started pulling me up, he let go and another deluge of frigid water ran over me. This time I screamed. I couldn't believe he really let me fall again!
He burst out into a violent fit of uncontrollable laughter once again, not as hard as the last time, but equally as annoying. He thought he was so hilarious as I glared up at him.
What an a-hole.
"Okay, I got you this time. I won't let you fall again," I was sceptical, but I accepted his offer, nonetheless. Except instead of allowing him to pull me up, I yanked him down into the water with me.
Rhyse bitterly cursed as he fell.
I didn't think it through well enough, though, because he landed on top of me. Luckily the water here wasn't deep, or I'd be drowning underneath him. He stayed above me for a few minor seconds, his body shocked by being coated in the icy coldness of the lake as opposed to the sickly humidity it was once encased in.
Now it was my turn to laugh wickedly. He flung water at me to shut me up and stood up to waddle back to dry land eagerly. Without a word, he threw off his shorts, and I almost screamed because his boxers were so low down that I didn't think he had any on. I was not about to skinny dip with my parents not even 20 minutes away, and most certainly not with an overgrown boy I barely knew. The overwhelming relief that washed over me when I caught sight of the green waistband underneath his shorts was immense. He turned back around, and an enormous smile was present on his face; his teeth were immaculate.
"May as well swim in your underwear now, since your clothes are wet anyway," he said as he hung his shorts on the wooden rail and tugged on the tire swing making sure it was still sturdy.
I agreed and took off my clothes; a bra and knickers were no different to wearing a bikini, so there was nothing to be modest about. I guess since he was gay he also wasn't going to be like: "hey I like your boobs," in a creepy kind of way, which was reassuring. I also hung my clothes on the handrail so they could dry since there was a little sun there.
Slowly, I edged my way back into the shimmering lake. Its coldness still caused me to seize up slightly, but it was refreshing, and now that my hair was already wet, I didn't have to worry about trying to keep it dry so I just tied it up. It was going to revert back to its naturally kinky state now anyway.
Just as turned around from wading further into the lake-
"Woo!" I was struck by a huge wave of water. The only culprit being Rhyse who launched himself into the lake not too far from me.
I waited impatiently a few seconds for him to resurface, so I could splash him back but he didn't. I peered anxiously at the spot he entered the water but the ripples were obstructing my view.
Panicking, all I could think of was 'what if he hit his head somewhere below the surface?' He would be dead by the time I managed to get help. I couldn't dive for him because the deeper the water got, the less you could see.