A bitter laugh then escaped Angela as she realized she was more upset about this than she should be. What am I getting so worked up for anyway?
She tried to analyze her own feelings, but she ended up boring herself to sleep instead.
The next day, Angela’s alarm rang at precisely 5.50AM. She bolted upright in bed and threw the covers off, then hurried into the adjoining bathroom to wash up. To call it a bathroom was an exaggeration though, as it was more of a washroom with a small showering space.
It was 5.59AM by the time she was done putting on her clothes. She hurtled out of her room toward the entrance of the base, whereupon she saw Richard’s tall and straight silhouette standing there.
She walked up to him, and he made it a point to glance at the watch on his wrist. “You’re late by a minute.”
Defiance colored her delicate features as she glowered at him and said, “Okay, fine, I’m late. Are you going to punish me? Go
on, tell me what you want me to do to make up for my tardiness.”
Richard gazed down at the girl who was openly challenging him, and his eyes lingered briefly on her shell-pink lips. He swallowed, and there was a steely edge to his expression as he barked, “Let’s go.”
Angela had been waiting for him to mete out punishment, but when he did not, she couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
Presently, he carried a backpack full of everything he thought they would need for a hike. Angela, on the other hand, was wearing a cap and sunblock, knowing that UV rays were the most vicious foes she could meet on this hike other than the mountainous terrain.
Just like that, the both of them hiked up along the groove through which the mountain spring water flowed. There were no steps here or mapped-out trails for novice hikers, making the hike a tough exercise-albeit, an authentic one.
Angela kept up her pace with Richard, but halfway through, she was starting to regret her decision to agree to the hike. Goodness, this trail is hard. It was no wonder he had forbidden her from going hiking on her own last night; she would have lost her way or tripped several times in a row.
However, she was not a quitter, and pride. had more to do with that than ambition. She didn’t want Richard to laugh at her after all the big talk she had given him last night.
When it came to slopes or uneven ground, Richard would hike up first, then. turn and offer her a hand so that he could help her up.
Thankfully, it did not take long for them to reach the rocky terrain where the trees. were not quite as tall, and the shrubbery was not quite as dense.
The ground here was rife with wildflowers, and Angela. exclaimed in awe, “This is amazing!” She picked a couple of flowers and formed a bouquet, then sniffed its sweet fragrance as she tried to keep up with the man in front of her.
Richard walked ahead for a few minutes before turning around to see if Angela had followed him. When he saw that she had fallen behind by a dozen feet, he stopped and planted his hands on his hips to wait for her. She’s not here to hike, he decided grimly. This is just a field trip to her.
“I’m thirsty,” she said when she reached him, panting. “Did you bring water?”
He unzipped his backpack and took out the standard-issue canteen, which he handed to her. She twisted open the cap and gulped down a few mouthfuls of water, then passed the canteen back to him.
