Highway Kismet

Hiking With M&M

"It's just two days, it'll pass." Faith tried to cheer me up when I sat and sulked most of the evening.

Every minute that passed since Mitchell arrived felt like a year, he was the most self-centred, egoistical and arrogant person I ever came across. He wanted everything to be about him, he spoke the loudest and drew all attention to himself and seeing that made my skin crawl. The more time I was around him the more I wondered what I saw in him the first time I met him which now felt like decades ago.

The group decided to have a barbeque for dinner and Mitchell and Owen took the responsibility of that. Since I was the only vegetarian present I decided to make my own dinner which was my very own home made vegan burgers made from soy beans and chickpeas, I told the guys that I'll grill my own food mainly because I just didn't trust Mitchell with any of my edibles, I figured he'd rub sand on it or worse put boogers in it.

It was a little after ten pm, we all finish eat and Faith and Owen cleared up while I sat down by the fire and tried to beat a hard level on a game on my phone.

"Are you allergic to helping?" Mitchell asked.

Without looking at him I answered. "I'm allergic to any sort of chores or hard manual work."

Mitchell snickered under his breath and mumbled something incoherent.

I paused my game and looked up at him. "Why? Do you have some kind of idea that women are meant to clean up after everyone?"

"No but I do believe that everyone should do their bit in cleaning up when they contributed to the mess." He answered.

"I don't see you doing your bit so quit bitching about me." I retorted.

"I helped make dinner." He pointed out.

"Yeah, so did I." I answered. "And I tossed my plate in the trash, so I did my bit."

Mitchell was about to retort but Olivia who was sitting next to him gave him a look and tried to break the tension.

"So, Mila," she began. "You don't eat meat at all?"

"Nope." I replied.

"You've never eaten it?" she asked.

"I mean as a kid I did but I remember the day I found out that chicken is actually a chicken, I cried for about a week and ever since then I became vegetarian." I answered.

"That is so cute." Olivia grinned.

Mitchell was scowling like a sour grape next to her.

"Who doesn't know that chicken is actually chicken?" he remarked.

"I was three smartass." I told him.

"You know what I don't get," Owen said as he took a seat after he was done cleaning up. "You're such an ardent animal lover, yet you hate the outdoors because you're afraid of them."

"Ardent?" I raised a brow.

"Afraid?" Mitchell repeated at the same time.

"Passionate." Owen said as he playfully rolled his eyes. "Better word use?"

"Wait, Mila is afraid of the outdoors because she's scared of animals?" Mitchell was still not over what Owen said.

"I'm not afraid of them." I corrected him. "I just prefer if they stay away from me, I love them and respect them, they should just stay away."

"So, you're scared of puppies?" Mitchell mocked.

"No, I love puppies. And did you not just hear what I said? I am not afraid of them; I just don't like them touching me and the same goes for humans." I said.