Back to me

Chapter 20

On the last day of their mini-trip, Karlie woke up tangled in thick blankets. Tiredly, she rolled over to face Taylor. The blonde was sat up against the headboard, frowning at her cellphone.

Sensing her lingering eyes, Taylor peered at Karlie. Upon realizing she was awake, she smiled warmly.

Karlie hummed, still half-alseep. "No work..." She yawned. "It's a... A vacation."

Taylor looked back to her phone, one hand stroking brown hair. "It's not work, I'm on Tumblr."

She scanned over the numerous post of her and Karlie. Many of the fans were wondering who the tall brunette was, and others were declaring themselves a part of the nameless ship.

Karlie nuzzled her head further into Taylor's hand and let her eyes shut again.

Taylor checked the clock, she still had time to catch some more sleep before Martha dragged them to whatever she had planned.

She shifted into a lying position and set her phone onto the nightstand. Taylor settled on her side, facing Karlie. Even while sleeping, she had a goofy and lovable grin.

Taylor leaned over and kissed Karlie's nose before closing her own eyes.

---

Later that morning, Martha and Cara were begging to wake. Martha stretched her arms, ignoring the fact that she was poking at the other woman.

Cara groaned at Martha's arm sprawling across her face.

"Mar," she croaked, swatting at the limb. "Knock it off."

She proceeded to exaggerate her stretches even more. "Say again?"

Cara groaned and rolled away, unknowingly throwing herself and all the blankets off the bed.

She landed with an 'oof' that was loud enough to wake the girls in the next room.

"What was that?" They heard Taylor mumble.

"It's probably just Cara being Cara..." Karlie slurred.

While Martha was sprung out of bed and grabbing her clothes for the day, Cara stayed wrapped up on the ground.

"Rise and shine!" Martha sung as she traded her shorts and t-shirt for a pair of leggings and a jacket. She threw her nightclothes into a pile near Cara, who was doing her best imitation of a log.

The model crouched down next to Cara and roughly shook her shoulder.

"Come on," she whined. "We only have a few hours left!"

"What're we even doing?" Cara propped herself on her elbows.

"A spa day!"

"We drove out all the way just to go to a spa?" Cara stood and tossed the blankets messily onto the bed.

"Not just any spa," she corrected as Cara grabbed her clothes. "A mineral springs spa."

Cara slowly blinked. "That's what spa means."

"What?"

"Spa, It literally means mineral springs."

Martha pressed her lips together and stared back at Cara. Using her phone, she looked up the word.

spa
noun
a mineral spring considered to have health-giving properties.
synonyms: mineral spring

"Well screw that," Martha tossed her phone on the bed. "Let's do something else."

Cara perked up and raised a finger. "I have an idea!"

---

"This was the worst idea ever, Cara." Martha swatted at the bugs flying around her head, accidentally smacking herself in between the eyes.

Halfway through the hike, Taylor had enough and climbed onto Karlie's back.

The blonde nodded along with Martha.

"Hey," Cara defended, waving her arm around to swipe at bugs-- today was significantly warmer than yesterday. "It's better than being tricked into that spa scheme."

"Wait," Karlie said. "We had the option to go to a spa? Why didn't we do that?"

Cara made a strangled sound of grunts. "Because the-"

There was the sound of a twig snapping.

A shiver running down their spines, the girls all became silent.

"What was that?" Karlie whispered as Taylor drew her arms tighter around her.

Martha squinted at the trail ahead of them. "Probably another hike-ah!"

Another snap echoed.

Martha stepped behind Cara, using her as a shield.

"No way," Cara hissed as she pushed Martha in front of her. "If anything, I should be hiding behind you."

"Karlie," Taylor whispered into her ear. "I can't die yet, I just learned this joke and I haven't been able to use it yet."

"What was the joke?" Karlie turned her head as far back to look at her.

"What do you call a cat scratch?" She struggled to contain her giggles. "A meow."

"Taylor, if those are your last words I will be so mad." Martha said as she tried to keep Cara in front of her.

Suddenly a squirrel appeared on the trail in front of the four. The tiny creature curiously looked at the giant humans that stared back at it before going on its way.

"I'm not sure what I expected," Karlie admitted as she watched the squirrel run off. "But I'm kind of let down."

"Okay..." Cara turned around and check the time. "Hey, It's not too late to go to the spa."

"Last one down loses!" Martha shouted as she sprinted down.

Karlie set Taylor back onto the ground then ran after Martha while Taylor protested.

"Pay back for yesterday!" Karlie tossed over her shoulder.