Page 40 of Here for a Good Time
“I sort of know a new shortcut, though,” Leila offers. “I’ve only used it once, and it’ll take us off the trail, so bear with me—” She cuts off after seeing my expression. “Don’t worry, even if we getlost, we’ll be okay,” she laughs, and places a soothing hand on my shoulder. “I’d know my way around these woods blindfolded.”
“Okay,” I squeak out.
The four of us start walking, Leila and Zwe leading.
“I can’t wait to take a bath,” Antonio says. He could easily walk alongside the other two, but I appreciate that he’s slowed down to a leisurely stroll so he can be beside me. “A nice bubble bath, with candles and everything.”
“That’s nice,” I mutter absentmindedly. As I watch Zwe and Leila having a lively conversation up ahead, I can’t help but feel like one of those discarded elderly pets.
What a show-off,a small voice in my head huffs. I crack my neck to shut it up. Leila is being nice. Efficient. Helpful. It’s great that she’s taking the lead and it’s no longer entirely on Zwe to formulate a plan that’ll get us out of here, that she can pitch in where I can’t. That’s agoodthing.
NINE
“I think we took a wrong turn somewhere.” It’s approximately the tenth time that Antonio’s said that, but I’m beginning to take his side. While we may have started out buoyant and optimistic, our batteries are drained and no one has said a word for the last hour, not even Antonio.
“No, we couldn’t have,” Leila says, still as adamant as she was the first time he made the observation. “Just give me a bit more time to gather my bearings.”
“The old trail usually takes us what, four? Five hours? But that sun”—he extends his arm toward the horizon where the former blue sky has been replaced by a soft blend of oranges and purples—“is setting. We’ve been out here forwaylonger than five hours. And I’m pretty sure we’re going around in circles, because I’ve seen these trees before.”
“We’re not going around in circles!” Leila snaps. “You have no idea if you’ve seen these trees before! I told you from the start that this is a new path, so you need to bear—”
“But we don’t even know if we’re any closer!” Antonio huffs. “Admit that you’ve got us lost!”
“I haven’t gotten us lost! Maybe if we cut through these trees—” Leila stomps off the path, then freezes.
“Leila? Are you okay?” Zwe calls to her back. We trade wary glances as she bends over. My first thought is that she’s spotted a snake.
“Leils—” Antonio starts, pausing when she stands back up and turns around. With a red emergency kit in her hand. The kit we’d left behind after patching up my ankle. My heart drops in my stomach, and I feel like I’m about to faint.
“Oh my god,” Leila whispers, staring at the bag in disbelief. When she looks back at us, her eyes are glazed with tears. “Wearegoing around in circles. I’m so sorry. I thought—” She has to pause to hiccup.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Antonio’s already jogging over and pulls her in for a hug. “None of us know what we’re doing,” he says as he guides her back toward us.
I push past the tightening in my own chest to reassure her by rubbing one of her shoulders. “Yeah, you don’t have to—”
“I think we should break for dinner,” Zwe suggests.
“Dinner?” I whip my head around, uncertain if I misheard. Zwe nods. “Surely dinner can wait. I think we should focus on getting on the right path while there’s still light. Isn’t it better to get our route sorted before we rest?”
“But we’re all tired, and being hungry is only slowing us down,” Zwe replies. “We haven’t eaten since this morning.”
“We also haven’t made any progress since this morning. Which isn’t anyone’s fault,” I quickly add. “But resting now seems… counterproductive. Let’s just push on.”
“Come on, Poe, we could all do with some food.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Leila responds before I can. She shoots him a tired smile. “Food will help us recharge, get our brains working again.”
“Exactly,” Zwe says.
I look at Antonio for backup, but he’s taken a newfound interest in some moss on a nearby rock. “If you’re that hungry, you can have my remaining granola bar,” I offer, irritated by what’s happening. Zwe isn’t even considering my proposal.
“A single granola bar split between the four of us isn’t going to do anything,” he says in a near-sarcastic manner. “We’ll all feel less cranky once we get some proper food—”
“We don’thaveany proper food,” I say, pointing out the obvious.
“I’m sure we can findsomethingto eat,” Leila says. “I love camping. I know how to hunt for dinner. We’re not talking about shooting a deer or anything, but I can scrounge together enough for one meal.”
Zwe throws his arms open. “Exactly! We’re surrounded by plants and animals! We just have to start a fire, which will be easier to do while there’s still sun—”
