Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven Once

After a while, we finally lit the bonfire.Most of the wood we had gathered was wet, and the wind kept blowing out the flames we had laboriously lit.But Darren got a small bottle of lighter fluid from the car, and that's it, we lit.As soon as the bonfire was lit, the atmosphere changed immediately.The flames radiate warmth and drive away the shadows around us. But we were all silent, still depressed.For a moment, the only sounds around were the crackling of burning wood and the hissing of Dodge's meatloaf on a small grill.We were all so hungry that we didn't bother to eat lunch in order to find Martin.

Every time Emma got up to pee in the dark, go into the tent to put on a sweater, get a comb, or get a drink, she always moved her chair a little away from me and moved a little closer to Darren.I've never seen her move more than an inch, but somehow Darren's chair was drifting away from Dodge as well.Finally, when I looked up, there was a clear divide between us: Darren and Emma sat on one side of the campfire, and Dodge and I sat on the other. To be honest, seeing their fingers intertwined, Emma giggling, and Darren winking at her with a lecherous smile, I didn't feel particularly disgusted, but I was a little worried that they would use Martin's disappearance as an excuse. Excuses, paired in pairs, forced me and Dodge into a "pair".

Did Dodge notice?I secretly looked at him out of the corner of my eye, and saw him looking in my direction.I thought he was going to say something, but he didn't, he just kept staring at me. "What's wrong?" I finally asked. He shrugged. "nothing." After a moment of silence, I asked, "You really think Martin hitched a ride?" There was another silence, followed by Dodge nodding. "Yes," he said. This may be true.There's a good chance Martin wanted to run away, he probably felt terrible enough to find a lift with a stranger.I'm sad because I know part of the blame is on me, but now I'm really mad at him.He definitely knew we would be worried.Is it hard to leave a note?Maybe he's punishing us.I can picture him striding up the hill as he left, without looking back, with a smug and aggrieved look on his face, muttering that we deserved it.

I allowed myself to harbor resentment, which made it easier to convince myself that I didn't need to worry about him.only…… "I...what if he doesn't answer our call tomorrow?" I said, "or if he answers and he's actually been stuck in a ditch all night, then—" "No, Heather." Dodge cut me off.I let him go, after all, after saying this, the feeling of terror and uneasiness quietly returned to my heart.I took a deep breath and tried to find safe topics to talk about.There is only one choice. "Emma and Darren look so happy." "Yeah." Dodge looked over the bonfire and landed on them. Their faces were almost touching, and they were smiling at each other. "Yeah, I think he really likes her."

"I don't know why." I whispered what I could see he was trying to say. Dodge laughed a few times. "Darren's not cute at all," he said softly. "He's just a big fool." I grimaced and agreed with him because I didn't want to say it directly. "I think they're a good match for each other," I said, smiling sarcastically. "I think so too." Dodge also smiled. We didn't talk after that, and it was the first time I felt so comfortable sitting beside Dodge, doing nothing but watching the flames. "Guys, it's time for bed." Darren's voice suddenly startled me.I raised my eyebrows and looked at him, a little puzzled.For Darren, sleeping was a sound idea.It was just after midnight, and he had almost nothing to drink.Maybe it was Martin's affair that actually made him feel uneasy.Perhaps, after all, he was also an emotional man.

However, just as he stood up, I saw a bulge in his sleeve, and it was cylindrical, very suspicious, and I couldn't help squinting.What the hell is he thinking? It's a pity that I was too tired, so I readily agreed.I forced myself to stand up and walked to my tent.I changed into my pajamas and stood up, a little hesitant.I want to pee, but it's too dark and my sleeping bag is beckoning, it's still a little damp on the outside, but it's dry inside.However, I knew that if I crawled in, I'd still have to get up at night to get there.So, I muttered loudly, and walked outside.

Walking alone in the dark, I always feel restless, so I returned to the edge of the tent at a record-breaking speed.There are lights flickering in the tent, and the tent door is closed, showing that Emma is back.I leaned over to unzip it, then, startled, froze at the entrance. Darren lay nonchalantly on the double sleeping mat and waved to me. "Hi, beauty." He winked at me with a playful smile. "What are you doing here?" I asked, too surprised to be polite. Emma appeared out of nowhere and came to stand beside me. "Darren's going to sleep here," she said briskly.I stared at her dumbfounded, astonished.I thought I saw a hint of coyness in her eyes, but then she walked past me and turned to block me.

"Then where am I going to sleep?" I said through gritted teeth. "Ah, I don't know." She winked at me shyly, "Why don't you go somewhere else." "Emma, ​​you can't treat me like this." I scolded in a low voice, but the matter is a foregone conclusion.Emma ignored me and just reached out to unzip the tent door. "You'll thank me later for today," Darren yelled when I was turned away. After understanding the meaning of his words, I couldn't say anything.Not only did she kick me out of our tent, but she told Darren about my feelings for Dodge.Darren, this man can't keep any secrets.I gritted my teeth so I didn't swear.

Just like that, I dropped my shoulders.There's no way I'm going to run afoul of Darren tonight, so I start thinking about my only options.I was like a condemned prisoner about to go to the gallows, hesitantly walking towards another light.There is a boys tent.Dodge tent. I stopped in front of the tent, hesitated, and kept switching my feet. I was so embarrassed that I didn't dare to say that I was coming.I wanted to knock on the door, but the tent was made of canvas and I couldn't knock.So, I cleared my throat, took one last look at Emma and Darren in my tent with frustration and pleading, and took a deep breath.

"Dodge?" I said hoarsely, keeping my voice as soft as possible.I don't want Darren or Emma to hear that. He didn't answer. I heard the sound of shuffling feet coming from inside. After a while, he poked his head out of the tent. "Hey." He greeted me, "What's up?" That said, he didn't know Darren and my "friend" had committed an act of betrayal. I was speechless and just looked at him.He was puzzled at first, then amused by me. "Can I sleep here?" I finally whispered, wishing I could find a crack in the ground. He was confused by me again.

"Where's your tent?" "Darren's in there." I said truthfully. "Ah." He looked at another tent and laughed, "So that kid is there." He stepped back, widening the opening and letting me slip in.I am extremely embarrassed.I stumbled in and sat in the corner with the least clutter in the back.Dodge goes to zip, bare back to me, and again I'm enjoying his smooth muscles moving under the skin with his movements, but just as he turns around, I force myself to look away.Out of the corner of my eye I saw him pull out a T-shirt and pull it on, feeling uncomfortable and a little disappointed. "Okay." He got into a crimson sleeping bag and looked at me with a smile.I feel better. "Blue or green?" He pointed to the other two sleeping bags.In order not to look at him, I had to look at the sleeping bag.The place is so cramped and the tent walls are paper thin, it feels claustrophobic. "Which is Darren's?" I asked, trying to be calm but failing. "The blue one." "Then I'll choose the green one." I pulled the sea-green sleeping bag over and began to burrow into it.I planned to fall asleep quickly to avoid this embarrassing ordeal.I knew Emma would be disappointed in me, that in the morning she would call me a coward, that I wasted a great opportunity.I just hope we don't hear anything coming from the direction of the other tent.Of course she wouldn't embarrass me like that. "It's cold in here," Dodge reminded me, and I rolled over on the end of the air cushion.This air mattress is much larger than the one in our tent, maybe a super-sized one. "The roof is too high and the space is too large to gather heat." "It's okay," I said, staring straight ahead to see Darren's blue sleeping bag crumpled to show he wasn't in it.I'm already feeling cold.Martin's sleeping bag isn't as thick as mine, with a shiny fabric, cotton lining and rain-resistant nylon outer fabric, whereas my sleeping bag has a fluffy cotton lining, so it's much more insulated.I burrowed a little further in so my nose wasn't exposed, I just showed my eyes and peeked at Dodge, but it still felt too intimate.I had to close my eyes, wondering if he was still looking at me.I tried to turn around quietly so I could turn my back on him and not be so embarrassed, but he spoke so suddenly that I had to give up. "It's so cold." He sighed. I opened my eyes and stared at the canopy. "Yeah." I murmured, agreeing. "We should be huddled together," he said matter-of-factly.Seeing me give him a wary look, he laughed, "You know, just like a penguin." penguin?It would be more appropriate to say that they were two extremely uncomfortable people.Or at least one person was particularly embarrassed.A hopeful but uncertain, timid, self-conscious person.But he kept looking at me, waiting for my answer, with a smile still on his face.I'd really like to do what he says, but I really don't want to.Not knowing what else to do, I started moving toward the tent like an oversized worm.As Dodge weighed down, the sleeping pad tilted toward him, and I nearly rolled the last bit, putting my hands on the side of the sleeping bag, hoping to stop my rolling body.Seeing this, Dodge had to catch me, otherwise under the inertia, we would both hit the tent wall.With my face buried in his chest, I sniffed his deodorant spray hard, my face pressed against his T-shirt.The clothes smell really nice.I hastened to stop myself from being distracted. "I'm sorry." I said out of breath. oh my god.my God!It's so embarrassing.But he laughed.Whether he was laughing at me, or with me, I couldn't tell.I was so ashamed that I didn't even dare to look at his face. "There's no need to apologize." He said with a smile, "Which man doesn't want a woman to take the initiative to throw himself into his arms? And twice a day!" "Okay." I was speechless.My face felt like it was on fire.I'm not cold now, that's for sure. Dodge isn't cold either.He wrapped his arms around me, and his body against mine radiated heat.He never felt cold at all.I raised an eyebrow, a little confused and curious, but the idea lasted only a second before I denied it.Don't be stupid, I told myself. I also couldn't explain why he wanted us to be like "penguins", I turned my body and put my back against his chest.In this way, the uncomfortable feeling was relieved a little.Seeing the entire length of the tent, I felt that we were not that close.One of Dodge's hands was hanging by my side, and the other was under his head, acting as a pillow. "It's much warmer this way," he said softly. I nodded, figuring that if I spoke I would only embarrass myself more.His breath on my neck made me shudder.I tried not to care, but listened to the rhythmic lapping of the ebbing water and wished I could fall asleep.I finally got what I wanted. When I opened my eyes, it was already morning.Dodge's arms are no longer around me, and his chest is no longer pressed against my back, giving me comfortable pressure.I listened to see if I could hear his soft breathing, and my ears picked up only the slow, steady crash of the waves.I turned to look, only to see that I was alone in the tent, with his crimson sleeping bag next to me, empty. I immediately sat up, stretched my waist, and frowned slightly.The boy's air mattress may be bigger than mine, but it's not comfortable at all.My shoulder hurts so bad my spine rattles when I move.My hair was all tangled from being in the sea, and while I was combing my hair, the tent curtain was pulled back, and the sun shone in, blinding my eyes. "Wake up," said Dodge. He was fully dressed, except for his shoes.Don't know how he got dressed without waking me up, I'm always a light sleeper. "Yes." I smiled at him, but with a smile, I yawned involuntarily.I quickly covered my mouth with my hand, but it was a pity that I was a little late. "Are you alone?" I asked.There was no sweet voice from Darren or Emma outside. "Well, I can't sleep." "I'm sorry." I immediately admitted my mistake.God bless me for not snoring last night.If I snored, Emma must have complained already? Dodge shook his head, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "It's none of your business," he told me. "You're like my thermos. I give you permission to sleep here whenever you want." He sighed. "I'm just thinking about things." "Thinking of Martin?" I guessed. Dodge nodded, and I bit my lip, feeling uneasy.Sleeping in the same tent as Dodge was irritating and awkward, and made me forget about our friends.Again I am filled with shame. "I mean, maybe Darren is right. I won't be able to rest assured until I confirm his news." He sighed, running his hands through his hair nervously. "I know," I said. "I always thought he wasn't going to walk away without a word." "When Darren comes together, I want to drive to the main road and find a place with a signal." "Going without breakfast?" It's not hard to imagine Darren's reaction. "If I could, I'd like to go now." "That—" I thought for a while, "Why don't you go then?" Dodge looked at me suspiciously. "how to get to?" I shrugged. "Don't you know how to drive? We'll just drive the car away. Maybe we'll be back before they wake up." I watched Dodge consider my offer.He frowned, the idea clearly appealing to him. "I can drive." He said slowly, "It's impossible for a police car to pass by in such a place where the birds don't shit. Besides, it's still early, and it's lucky to see another car." I laughed, glad Dodge took my advice. "Where did Darren put the car keys?" I asked. "Behind you." Dodge pointed to the inside of the tent. "In that big black travel bag." I reached for the zipper. "Not there," he called after me. "In the side pocket." My hands froze.Among Darren's scrambled things was a very familiar red smock.I pull it out.Underneath the smock was a glass box and a pair of corduroy shorts that Darren would never wear. "Dodge..." All I found were Martin's.