Love Chromosomes

XXXII. Marked

Vee Vivis

The mountain resort Luke chose to celebrate his birthday provides luxurious glamping accommodations. It made life easier compared to the traditional camping ways where you have to put up a tent,  sleep on the hard ground and get eaten by mosquitoes at night. Glamping made one's life more comfortable while enjoying nature at the same time.

Mark and I have our own wooden glamping pod while the rest of my friends also went into pairs. I let Mark rest on the bed while I went out to help my friends set up for our little barbecue party around a campfire.

Luke brought his girlfriend Mei with him along with her other 2 girl friends whom I was not familiar maybe because their not from our university or I just totally don't care at all. Luke introduced them to us earlier but I have forgotten their names already. I can't say they aren't pretty but nothing would caught my attention nowadays except for Mark.

"Uhmm. P Vee, how may I help you?" One of Mei's friends came to me when I was slicing some vegetables for the soup I'll be cooking later on. She bat her eyes to me waiting for my response.

"Eerr.. You don't really have to nong...."

"Risa. My name is Risa P." She reminded me her name looking all bashful.

"Right. Nong Risa. You don't have to help me. Why don't you just go and sit with Mei and the rest of the girls?" I told her smiling politely while pointing at the direction where the other girls were chit chatting.

"But I really want to help you P. I'm familiar with this kind of task so you can count on me." She insisted grabbing a few of the carrots in her hands ad started peeling them.

"Uhm. Ok. Then can you finish this for me? I'll start putting the marinated meat on the barbecue stick."

The two of us chatted from time to time as we prepare the ingredients. But the conversation involved mostly with the girl asking things about about me rather than I asking about her. I just answered if she asked questions about the university, my friends, sports I'm into, etc. I would rather work in silent but it would be rude not to answer the girl's questions. We were later joined by Phailin and Nin which was a relief to me. The two of them will not run out of topics to talk about with Risa so I was saved. The girl looked a little flustered with Phailin and Nin intervening.

"Excuse me but I have to retrieve some water to wash this dishes at the back of the campsite." I told Phailin and Nin as I took the empty pale beside the table. The two nodded at me before I walked away.

There was a water irrigation a few meters from the campsite and that is where I was headed. The path was narrow and a little slippery because of the mud that formed due to the heavy rain from last night so it a was a little tricky to walk comfortably.

"Kyaaaaa!"

I was startled when I heard a shriek just behind me. I turned to see Risa on the ground. She must have followed me and slipped on her way down.

I hurriedly came to her aid and saw her ankle swollen.

"P Vee. I... It's painful." She was already in tears when I checked on her.

"Why did you follow me when you see it's slippery and dangerous for you to venture out here."

"I...I...I'm sorry P. I just wanted to help you P." She answered in between her sobs as she reach out to grab her ankle. Ugh. So troublesome!

I assisted her up and put her arms around my shoulder as we walked back to the campsite. The others were bothered to see us and they immediately rush to help the girl.