Vagabonding.1 [COMPLETE]

13. Rose-Colored Glasses

"You don't even know where you're going," I complained with a sigh in the middle of our newfound argument. The topic didn't matter since we were both never going to give up our own opinion for the other, we were both too set on our ways.

"We're going to just drive until this car dies on us, huh?" I spoke out into the silence irritably, "Which one of us do you think will cave in and eat the other after the sixth week?"

"You have such little faith in me," Surge said as he placed the van in park before turning off the engine and stepping out of the car in a hurry, "Also, you think we're really that patient? I would have given it around four weeks before we cave in and tear each other apart. Come on, I wanted to take you to my favorite spot out here since it's on the way to the city."

I quickly unlatched the belt from around my body, practically falling out of the car in my hurry to keep up pace. Surge lead the way as he walked in between the spacing of dead twigs and uncut grass as we dented the path with our weight and the soles of our worn shoes. I could hear a bird chirping out either a cry of love or a cry of war as it sung loudly from one of the many trees. At one point, it felt as if we were in the heart of a jungle and were surrounded in the secret chambers of Mother Nature's garden.

"Shouldn't we just get to the city to tell Rotem about what happened?" I asked timidly as I pushed aside the branches in my way.

"I'm sure we can detour for at least a few hours," Surge replied as he continued leading the way. "Relax, everything's going to be fine."

I followed him as he led the way to a small clearing in the center of the woods. In the middle there laid a small spring and off in the distance there was a tiny hut.

"Might as well settle for the night in my favorite spot," Surge said as he walked into the clearance, "Cailin and I used to come here all the time when we used to do missions, we set up that hut. We even kept the ground trimmed... so I thought, why not come and enjoy it since it's been a few months since I've seen it? Mi casa es su casa, comprende?"

I nodded my head quickly as if I understood the words perfectly. I immediately felt immersed in the whole place. The dragonflies were beginning to come about and pivot their way around the spring and forest as I went over to the large pool of water and dipped my hand in. Surprisingly heated, I never thought I would be able to be in a place like this... it's like a five-star hotel experience minus all the real elements that make it five-star worthy with things like food and those colorful drinks with mini-umbrellas.

I took off my shirt and flexed my back before debating on getting into the spring. You only live once, right? So, off went my shorts. I felt like a prime piece of true manly intuitions, but I think it was mostly the nerves. Still, I puffed out my chest and dipped my body quickly into the spring before finally sighing, feeling all my muscles relax from the heated water. Even though I'm young, sleeping in a car is something that is utter crap no matter what.

Despite the past days of events, this little sauna actually made me feel that life couldn't be all that bad. And with the soak, my worries poured out of my pores as I took in a deep breath and held it in my chest as I sunk into the water.

I submerged myself underwater and stayed for as long as my lungs could spare before emerging to the surface. As I took a sharp intake of air, I spotted Surge coming out of the hut with some old boxes. He looked towards the spring and noticed my content smile from afar, as he made sure to over exaggerate his eye-roll. The boxes seemed to have something important in them since he was in a hurry to put it away into the van.

"Already in the spring?" he asked in mock annoyance. "Aren't you a cheeky one? I'm here doing all the work while you're stuck in a nice and comfy situation, where's the fairness in that?"