Page 53 of Between Here and There

“Oh, it will be,” I mumble, picturing myself struggling up a mountain, probably covered in bug bites. I catch Joshua’s amused look. He’s looking at me with a smirk, and I narrow my eyes at him. “Don’t look so pleased, hiker-boy.”

“Anyway,” Bon says. “We have the tents. I have shoes I can lend you, the weather will be a bit cloudy, and we can always buy bug spray. Come on, be spontaneous, you guys!”

Kate sighs, already defeated. “Fine.”

“Kate!” My mouth drops, and it looks like I’m the only one left who’s still not on board. Which probably means that I already am.

Bon cheers, already setting plans in motion. “Perfect! We’ll leave first thing tomorrow!. I’ll bring snacks. Ryan and I mapped out this beautiful trail. It’ll be unforgettable!”

I’m not sure if ‘unforgettable’ is quite the word I’d use, but one glance at everyone else’s reluctant smiles, and I know I’m not getting out of this.

“Alright,” I say. “But I’m allergic to dust, so if I die, it’s on you.”

“I’m not gonna let you die, Em,” Joshua says beside me.

“Whatever,” I roll my eyes, but I feel slightly better.

The extra pair of hiking shoes that Bon so generously offered turned out to be broken. Completely useless. So I’m currently at the mall with Joshua and my sister Lila to look for something functional for tomorrow.

“No, really,” Lila says as we wander through the endless maze of shops, trying to locate a hiking or sports store. Or whatever you call the place they sell those boots. “What did you even like about Ate?”

My hand immediately flies out to swat her arm, and I widen my eyes at her in warning. “Shut it,” I hiss under my breath.

Joshua, ever unfazed, just chuckles. He peeks over to my right side, since I’m walking between the two of them. “What’s not to like, Lila?” he says, his tone light but warm enough to send an annoying flutter through my chest.

“Umm…” Lila pretends to think, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. “She’s a control freak? She’s stubborn? She always has to be right? She—”

“—also pays for everything you want and need, so you might want to rethink that next sentence,” I cut in, raising a brow at her.

My sister shrugs, unbothered, and sticks her tongue out at me. “Just stating facts.”

“Don’t worry, Li,” Joshua says, his voice laced with humor as he steps closer. “I’ll buy you anything you want today. Just finish that sentence.”

I glare at both of them, rolling my eyes so hard it’s a miracle they don’t get stuck. “Traitor,” I grumble to Joshua.

He smirks. “Just trying to help her express herself.”

Lila grins triumphantly, but before she can respond, we finally spot the store we’ve been searching for. “Thank goodness,” I mutter, speeding up to get inside before they can gang up on me again.

As soon as we enter, Lila darts off to look at colorful sneakers, leaving me and Joshua in the hiking boot section. I sift through the rows of sturdy boots in various shades of brown, gray, and black. “Why are there so many options but they also look exactly the same?” I ask him.

“Because hiking is serious business,” he says. He’s holding a box of boots he already picked out for himself, his confidence in his choice evident.

“Howhave you already decided on one? We’ve been here for two minutes,” I say.

“These are the exact ones I have in New York. Tried and tested,” he replies. “Anyway,” he steps beside me, picking up a pair and turning it over in his hands like he knows exactly what he’s looking for. “These should work.” He hands me the pair.

“They’re fine,” I say dismissively, grabbing a random pair. “But what about these?”

He glances at them and immediately shakes his head. “Those are nice, but they’ll wreck your feet halfway through the hike.”

A sales associate approaches, and Joshua waves him over, showing the pair in his hands. “Can we get these in her size?”

“Excuse me, I can pick my own shoes,” I protest, crossing my arms.

Joshua raises a brow. “Sure, but do you want me to let you suffer tomorrow when I know these are the better choice?”

I don’t argue, because as stubborn as I am, I also know that I have no knowledge of hiking boots to counter Joshua. The associate returns with the shoes, and I reluctantly sit down to try them on. Joshua kneels in front of me, taking the boot from my hands before I can do it myself.

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