Chapter XII
Afni and I set up camp that night, creating a small tent that hung between two trees. In the darkness, it was nearly impossible to see it, and she found that to be a positive.
"Who wants to take first watch?" I asked, looking around. No one wanted to, but I saw Afni reach over, and pinch Christopher's arm, causing him to throw it into the air.
"Hey!"
"Alright. Wake someone up when you get tired." He dropped his jaw, and gave her a look, as she giggled into her pillow.
I couldn't sleep, so I stayed up, sitting inside the tent, for a second watch. It was only an hour into the night, but Afni slipped out the tent, and I heard her sit down outside.
"Christopher?"
"Hm?"
"Sorry…" she said. I turned my head, slightly, to listen. I took my sword and cut a hole in the tent to watch, and smiled. He looked over at her.
"You should be. That hurt…" She sighed, and looked at her hands.
"Its just that…I don't think I've seen you take watch once."
"So you pinched me to make me do it?" he asked, confused. Afni didn't answer, so, cupping my hands around my mouth, I took a breath.
"She likes you, stupid." He turned to look back at the tent, but I ducked, stifling laughter. He turned back to her as I sat up.
"True?" Hesitantly, she nodded.
"Yes…" she whispered. In the deep darkness, I could faintly see him move, jerk forward as she looked up at him. After only a second, she stood up, pushing him to the ground.
"What?" he asked, confused.
"You can't just do that to a girl…they don't all enjoy it." She stormed back to the tent, and crawled inside, smacking me in the head as she went to lay back down.
Morning came and went, and by the time I opened my eyes, the tent, blankets, and pillows were gone, and Afni was dousing a fire.
"What time is it?" I asked, rolling over, pushing myself up.
"Back home? It's almost four. Here? Who knows. Judging by the sun, near eleven, maybe." She straightened her back, and cleared her throat, turning around. Christopher walked up, and took her arm, pulling her to the trees. I trudged over, crouching beside the tree they were at to pick up my things, and listened to them.
"Afni?"
"What do you want, Christopher? We need to get moving."
"I'm sorry…" he whispered. I glanced up quickly, and saw his head beside hers, and he was speaking softly into her ear with his eyes closed. I looked back down, checking out my pack, making sure everything was there.
"You should be," she replied, with a slight whimper in her voice. I shot a look up again, before looking back down, and saw his fingers digging into her shoulders, as she leaned into the tree. "Christopher? Please…let…go…" He stepped back as I stood, and she faintly smiled as I walked by, to kick Jalil awake.
"Sorry…" She paused, silent, and neither one of them said anything for a moment, so I turned to see them…kissing. I froze for a second, surprised, and turned back, shaking my head, and jammed my toe into Jalil's foot. He shook his head, and looked up.
"I wasn't sleepin…nah…" He pulled himself off the ground, and I laughed. Afni looked over at me, and took a breath, licking her lips, staring down at the ground.
"Christopher?"
"Yea?"
"When you called my brother…how did he sound?" she asked, pulling away from the tree. Christopher shrugged, as we all gathered to head off.
"He sounded good. Healthy," he said, smiling. She nodded.
"That's good…" I handed her my sword, and she clipped it about her waist, jogging up to catch up to me. I smiled at her. "David?" she asked. I looked up.
"Hm?"
"Are you mad at me?" I looked at her, slightly confused.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Well…it's just that…well…I don't know…But…why did you have to tell Christopher I like him?" she asked softly, looking around.
"What do you mean?" I asked again, acting stupid. She reached up and smacked me in the head.
"You know what I mean." I laughed.
"Sorry, Af. But he's so dense…" She reached out and touched my arm.
"David?"
"Hm?" She paused, and I looked at her. She was trying to think.
"Do you forgive me?" she asked, lifting my hand.
"For what?"
"Everything. My father, my mother, the way I've acted since we met up again here…and this?" she asked, lifting my hand up further, and showing me the scar on the back of it. I sighed.
"Yes, Af. I forgive you. You can't control your parents, you've been unsure of how to act because some of us," he said, casting a glance at April, "don't want to take the time to trust you, and this was a complete accident." She leaned over, and hugged me quickly.
"Thank you…"
"Why do you think I'd still be upset about all that?"
"…" She started to say something, but before the sound came out, she froze, looking up in front of her. I turned my head, and widened my eyes, too. Before us stood the tall Aztec temple of Huitzilopoctli.
