Collision by Stefne Miller Page A

going to be extremely peeved,” she said.
    “Wake up! It’s raining.”
    She popped out of the bag. “Bollocks! I thought you said you checked the weather.”
    “I did.”
    “It’s a monsoon,” she shouted as she tried to climb out of her sleeping bag.
    To try to even describe the scene that took place in the following thirty seconds would be impossible. All I know is that we both looked like crazies escaping from a loony bin while we tried to climb out of the bags, pick up all of our stuff, and get to the car with nothing to lead the way but a small flashlight.
    In the process, I finally had the opportunity to hear some of the cuss words she’d been taught by her cousins. She was right. She did cuss like a sailor, and they flooded out of her mouth like a tidal wave, causing me to laugh so hard that I could hardly stand up straight or run like a normal human being.
    By the time we’d made it inside, we were both laughing uncontrollably and we were very, very wet. I turned the car on and cranked up the heat so we could try to get rid of the shakes. She also made an ill attempt at drying her dripping wet hair.
    Just as I was about to apologize for my piss-poor planning, she looked over and smiled. She had obviously enjoyed every second, and come to think of it, I did too.
    About an hour later, when we were finally somewhat dry, I turned off the car and we went back to sleep.
    The next morning, I woke up with my hip shoved into the seatbelt contraption and a crick in my neck, but it was some of the best sleep I’d had in over a year.
    The car was cool, and a fog covered the windows. We were in our own world.
    I turned on the overhead light and looked over at my bunkmate. She was in the fetal position in the passenger’s seat, her red hair covering most of her face.
    “Kei?” I carefully moved the hair off her face. “Kei, we need to wake up if we’re going to see sunrise.”
    Her body slowly stretched out inside the bag. “Does this mean we’ve survived the night?”
    “As far as I can tell.”
    “Very well.”
    “Yeah. Very well.” Using the sleeve of my shirt, I rubbed the window until I could see outside. It was still dark, but a little bit of light was starting to appear. “I’m going to go ahead and get out. I need to go to the bathroom.”
    “All right.”
    Once finished, I stumbled back to the car and opened her door. “You up? I think it’s about time.”
    “I’m up. Would you get my camera?”
    “Sure.” I reached into the backseat and grabbed her camera case as she rolled out of the car, plopped onto the ground, and then climbed out of the sleeping bag.
    Placing the bag in the seat she’d just left , she unzipped it and pulled out the camera and attached the lens. I was impressed with the equipment. She obviously took her hobby very seriously.
    “Shall we?” she asked, turning to me with a smile.
    “We shall.”
    Insane. It was completely insane. I’d just spent the night with a girl I didn’t try to make a move on. Not only that, but she didn’t care that she woke up with no makeup, her hair a mess, and teeth that hadn’t been brushed. There hadn’t even been any alcohol involved. I actually kind of liked it. The only other girls I’ve seen under those conditions were my sisters or my mom.
    In less than ten minutes, the sun was rising and Kei was snapping pictures.
    “It’s beautiful. Would you agree?” she asked, peering into the camera.
    “Absolutely.”
    “Should I take your picture with this lovely backdrop?”
    “No. I have enough pictures of myself.”
    “Okay.”
    “Is there a tripod in that case of yours?”
    “Yes.”
    “Then how about a picture of the two of us? That’s one picture I don’t have.”
    “Sounds splendid.”
    I helped her set up the tripod and moved around while she positioned it for just the right shot. “To the left a bit. There. Just there. Perfect.”
    She set the timer and ran up next to me. We took several, all differing poses, some