A day in the woods (1,502 views)

“Okay sure, Princess. Did you know some bugs are actually nutritious? Besides, it’s either that or dying out here. Take your pick. ‘People like me’ would choose to live, thanks.”

“We’re not going to die.” Kara snapped, putting her phone away. “That sounds like a good idea, though. The fire, not… eating bugs. We’re not that desperate.”

Arthur shrugged, watching the smoke again with half-lidded eyes. “Whatever."

Arthur snorted at Chardonnay. “Well, look who’d survive in the wild. Not you, that’s for sure.” He stared at her ankle, which was either beginning to bruise or swell, whichever. It was bothering her, so she’d probably wind up complaining about it all night.

“Didn’t you even elevate it?” Arthur asked, glaring at her foot as though it insulted him. He reached over and grabbed the biggest rock he could find, one with a flat surface, anyway. “Put your foot up here, or your ankle’ll be so swollen we need a wheelchair to get you back.”

Kara went back to idly fiddling with her phone, frowning. How deep were they in the woods?

“Excuse me, princess, but I don’t exactly have ice in my pockets.” Arthur snapped. “Just keep your damn foot elevated.”

He started to draw in the sand with his finger, drawing some stupid sun. He gave it a frowny face, just for kicks. This was really sucky, especially when they sat down. It was like a camping trip, minus the fun. “And you’re fucking welcome, by the way. Ungrateful spoiled brat.”

Kara sighed and lied down, closing her eyes. She wasn’t going to sleep, but she felt more relaxed laying down.

“Because it’s polite, you priss.” Arthur snapped. “Why aren’t you laying down? That defeats the whole purpose of keeping your foot up. You might as well toss the rock if you’re going to keep sitting like that.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. The light was flickering strong, but there were no voices. No one was near them yet. He added a tree to his drawing.

“You’re useless.”

Arthur gave her a blank stare.

“You’re useless because you can’t lie down on the stupid dirt without having a hissy fit! When we get back to the school, you can take a bath! You’re already covered in dirt anyway! And I’m not about to take off my shirt so you can lie down on something, so you can just deal with the pain!”

This was why he never bothered to help people in the first place. She was so stupid, why couldn’t she get off her high horse and lie down?

“You’re useless because you act like you’re some primadonna girl who’s too good for the dirt when we are in the woods!” He gestured to Ace and Kara, who were both on the ground. “They don’t have a problem with the ground! The ground isn’t going to give you a disease! By that logic, toss the rock, because it’s been touching the ground for years!”

“Done nothing?” Arthur laughed, the sound dry and mocking. “I’ve done plenty, unlike you Are you forgetting the reason we’re fucking lost in the first place?! YOU decided to go off the trail!”

Kara rolled her eyes and turned over, so her back was facing the couple and the fire. She was hoping they’d quieted down earlier, but they just went right back to being loud and annoying.

It was impossible. This girl was so spoiled, so rotten, and so vile that she thought it was her privilege to not stay on the ground because she was born into wealth. His mouth twisted upwards into disgust. He’d never liked money much, never really collected it. Susan had to work herself to the bone for enough money to feed them both and here was little miss princess too wealthy to sit down on fucking dirt.

He wanted to shove her, but what was the point? Lying down was to help her pain. If she was too high strung to help herself, what was the problem?

“Okay. Suppose if we do excuse that disaster from the scenario,” Arthur snapped. “What have you done for the good of the group? Nothing. You whined, whined, whined, and then fell and twisted your ankle, so now you’re basically useless if we want to wander anywhere. Or if an animal comes. Guess who’ll be the first one eaten because she can’t run.”

Arthur would have snapped about her dad doing something after she was mauled to death by a ravenous animal, but then she threatened the teacher responsible. If she was injured any more than this, hell, even this might be enough, she could get Susan fired.

She might be an obnoxious spoiled brat, but that was for a reason. She obviously had a father who cared enough about her to throw away hundreds just to make her happy. If she got hurt and wanted a teacher gone, or was killed and there was a teacher to blame, he’d get her fired. What was Susan to the school? A new teacher, an expendable teacher who decided to give them this dumb project that got them lost.

She was on thin ice already, because of this entire situation.

Something passed through his face for only one second as he thought this over. Oddly enough, it wasn’t rage. It was a mix of guilt and fear. He blinked, however, and those ravenous emotions were gone before they could get comfortable. If he got angry at Chardonnay, she’d just get Susan fired. If he let her know he cared about Susan’s stupid job she’d hold it over his head.

Oh well. Susan’s happiness mattered more than his anyway. If he had to deal with this brat holding something over his head, he would.

“It’s our fault we got lost. The assignment said the flower would be located on the trail.” He said, glaring at Chardonnay. “So let’s not blame other people for our mistakes, brat.”

He sounded just like he normally did, even though anxiety was swimming in his gut now.

“It’s not the teacher’s fault!” He snapped, glaring at her with the flames highlighting his face in a twisted way. “Yeah, I pass the blame to you, because this is mostly your fault.”

He ran his fingers through his hair, lips pulled into a frown.

“Is your ankle still bothering you?” he snapped, not looking at her. He didn’t want to ask, but the better her ankle felt, the less whiny she’d be to daddykins. “I’d suggest compressing it, but we don’t really have anything to do that with. Is there seriously nothing here you'll lie down on?”

Arthur scowled at her. He could deny Susan's blame all he wanted, but Chardonnay's opinion wasn't going to change. It sucked, that she wouldn't just drop that subject.

"Because if you don't lie down, you're going to hurt that ankle more, and guess who's going to need to listen to you whine and moan all night? Me."

Arthur stared at the flickering fire, his chin held in his palm. "Do you want to lie down on my lap." He deadpanned, not really meaning for her to take the offer seriously. There was no pleasing her. Whatever, let her ankle swell.

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Like I want you within ten inches of my lap! But it ain’t the fucking dirt! And that was sarcasm, in case you couldn’t tell.”

She was a real piece of work. Getting all offended just because he offered that? Not like he meant anything by it. Not like he wanted it, either. He just wanted her to elevate herself, and she wasn’t about to lie down on the dirt.

“Jeez, you’re so sensitive. How about you get your head out of the gutter, hm?”