Page 26 of Love Never Happens with your Brother’s Best Friend

I turn on the headlamp, look around to make sure I have everything and walk back to the campsite.

“It’s so beautiful here,” I say when I get back to the fire. “The stars are amazing.”

“Yes. It’s magic.” Rita stands and walks a few feet away into the darkness. She looks straight up. “You don’t get this in town. Too much light pollution. Sometimes you can see shooting stars.”

I’m looking up too, but my neck begins to ache. So, I go over to the tent and rummage around in my backpack until I find the rain jacket Dylan packed for me. I pull it out and lie the rain jacket down on the cool damp ground next to the tent.

“I have an idea, Rita,” I say sitting down on the jacket. “If you sit here, behind me, and lean up against my back, we can be a bit more comfortable watching the stars.” Rita comes over and sits behind me. “Alright, then relax your head against my shoulder and I’ll do the same.” Rita leans against my back. “How’s that?”

“It could work if you don’t lean on me so hard,” Rita says wiggling her shoulders.

“Alright.” I sit up straighter. “How’s this?”

“I don’t know. Your shoulder is too high and it’s not that relaxing. How about if we lie down?”

“Okay. Let’s try.” We lie down, heads together, side by side, cheeks almost touching. Our feet point out in opposite directions. “How’s that?”

“Yeah, better,” says Rita, shivering slightly. “But I’m getting cold.”

The unattended fire is burning low and, from where we are, lying on the rain jacket, I can’t feel any warmth from it at all. Rita jumps up and goes to the tent, returning in a moment with another jacket and a sleeping bag. I sit up and move over as she arranges her rain jacket on the ground next to mine, then she covers herself with the sleeping bag.

“Great idea,” I say jumping up to get my sleeping bag from the tent.

It’s easy to find, and I quickly resume my position beside Rita, snuggled under the thick downy quilting. We lie still looking up at the stars in the dark. Neither of us says anything. I feel Rita breathing and sense her warmth against my neck. I don’t want to move or break this magical moment. The night sky is incredible. I’ve never seen so many twinkling lights pulsing in different colors.

“Ah, look. A shooting star.” I point upwards, instinctively. “Beautiful! Did you see it?”

“Yep. Wow.”

We lie quietly, our faces almost touching, watching the sky for shooting stars.

“There’s another one. Wow.”

“Nope,” says Rita. “That’s a satellite.”

“Ah, yes. You’re right. I’m getting carried away.”

A few more blissful moments pass then, there’s rustling in the grass close by. Something twitches on my leg.

“Argh! There’s something in my pants!” I leap up in a mild panic. But I’m not as panicked as whatever is in my combat’s pocket, which jumps out with a squeal.

“Brodie, really? Please. Get a grip.”

“An animal, or something, was in my pants.”

Rita is laughing. “Okay. It was probably a mouse or a rat.”

“A rat? Argh!”

“Okay. Calm down. It’s not going to harm you,” says Rita still laughing. “What was in your pocket?”

“I don’t know. Nothing.” I pace around slapping the side of my pants.

“Are you sure? Maybe there was some food? Trail mix or something?”

“Ah. The protein bar,” I say pulling out the half-eaten snack. “I only ate a bit of it. I was saving the rest for an emergency.”

“Ah, that’s funny. You might as well give it to the rats now... Unless you really want to eat it.”

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