The Walt Way

eight o'clock: two worlds

eight o'clock: two worlds

"You reek," Donovan said, exhaling in the other direction. "How much did you spray?"

I harrumphed and said, "Enough to keep the mosquitos away. I refuse to endure a week of itchiness for a relationship that probably won't happen."

"Way to be optimistic."

I gave him a look. "Do you honestly think that this will be the exception?"

"Isn't that what Disney's about? Exceptions."

"Thanks for the pep talk, Donovan. I needed that. Now, how long do I have to wait in these bushes? I'm getting bored."

"Well, you can't exactly march right in there and join the festivities. You're sort of a girl."

"That's so sexist."

"It's the truth! You are among cub scouts, and if we get caught, things will not be good."

"It's not like they'll send us to jail."

"They might since kids are considered. At the very least, I'll have my badges revoked."

I raised an eyebrow. "You were a cub scout?"

"I don't mean to brag, but I had one of the most badges in my rank."

"You so meant to brag."

"I know."

"Why did you stop?"

Donovan only shrugged. "We only have to wait here until the kids go to bed. Then maybe you'll get to meet Nolan."

"Maybe?"

"I'm not going to guarantee anything! This is a very iffy trip here."

"Did you bring the snacks?"

There was a pause. "I thought you had them." I was visibly annoyed. "Well, we have to have food and get our tent set up. Let's just go back and get all of our stuff and then come back."

"Do we have to?"

"If you want to survive out here, then yeah, we do."

After a grumbly trip back to the car, we got lost on our way back. "Donovan, where are we?" Lugging around a heavy backpack with unnecessary supplies and a bulky tent in my arms was a struggle. When there was no reply, I said, "We're lost, aren't we?"

"We're not lost," he insisted. "Just taking a detour."

"We've been walking for almost twenty minutes. It's getting dark."

"We're taking the scenic route."

"Come on, Donovan. Can you just admit that we're lost?"

"And what will that do?"

"What?"

"Will me saying that make you feel better? No, I didn't think so."

"Just use your Cub Scout skills and get us to the fire."

"I'm trying, but it's sort of difficult with a lovesick girl on your back."

I stopped. "Hey. First off, I'm not on your back, and I'm not lovesick! You'd need someone to love first."

We had to have wandered around a good chunk of the woods before the sun started to go down. "We're not going to find them," Donovan said. "Let's just set up camp and we can try again tomorrow."

"Screw that," I said. "If Nolan doesn't want to be found, then I won't go looking."

"Suit yourself. Do you know how to put a tent together?"

"Does it look like a know how to put a tent together?"

He sighed. "I was going to try to find some firewood to make a fire."

I was impressed. "You know how to make a fire?"

He reached into one of the backpack pockets and pulled out a lighter. "Doesn't everyone?"

"I can go look for wood. You set up shelter."

At first I was considerate and only took sticks that had already been broken off, but then I got lazy and impatient, and it was getting dark, so I started breaking them off the trees. I walked back to our camp with an armful of branches, admiring the progress Donovan had made on our tent. "What took you so long?" Donovan asked.

"I couldn't find any sticks."

He gestured to a grassless patch of dirt. "Set them right here. I have our sleeping bags all set up."

"Wow. You're so prepared. Maybe you really were a Cub Scout."

"Why would I lie about that?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

"Always so difficult," he muttered under his breath. He began arranging the branches in a way that I didn't think mattered but apparently did because he got the fire started pretty soon after.

"I packed marshmallows!" I pulled out a bag and ripped it open.

"Whoa. Shouldn't we eat real food first?"

"We could, but what's the fun in that?"

"Touché. Get the chocolate and graham crackers out."

***

Midnight was approaching when I turned my phone off. "Fireflies are sort of pretty," I said. "Do you have a jar?"

"No, but I have an empty water bottle."

"I want to catch a firefly."

"Good luck with that."

"Since you're a Cub Scout and everything, would you want to help me?"

"I never had to catch a firefly. Also, I think it's sort of cruel to bottle their light. Let them be free."

"Boo. You're no fun."

"Just doing my job as a Cub Scout."

"Have you ever just looked at the stars? It amazes me that we can see them even though they're so far away."

"Mhm."

"You know, when it's not biting you, nature's pretty."

"True."

"I could stay out under the stars forever."

"Well, while you do that, I'm going to go inside the tent."

I tugged his arm down. "You can't leave me out here alone! What if there are bears?"

"Then I guess you either fight them off or come inside with me."

I frowned. "Will you carry me inside? I'm too comfortable to move."

"Nope."

I tightened my grip on his wrist. "Please, Donovan, please."

"Coralie, let go or I'm going to drag you."

"Good."

"It's going to hurt," he said.

I fell over onto his arm. "Bring it."

He rolled his eyes, threw me over his back, said "You're such a pain," and threw me onto my sleeping bag. "I hope that hurt."

I winced and rubbed my arm. "It actually does hurt."

"Lights off, Coralie."

"Lights off, Donovan."