Darwin Expedition by Diane Tullson Page B

He points with his thumb down the mountain. “We’ll drop down over the next ridge and hook up with the main road. Then we hitch a ride into town.” He pushes the rest of the gear under the truck and scrambles in after it. “We’ll leave in the morning.”
    I watch his feet disappear under the truck. “How do you know which way to go?”
    His voice is muffled. “The forestry road runs east of the main highway. We walk west.”
    â€œYou don’t think it’s a bit more complicated than that?”
    I hear Tej crack a Coke, then a spraying sound, then Tej curses. I guess the Coke is a bit shaken up. I stick my head under the truck to find Tej wiping his hands on my sleeping bag. I crawl in and grab it from him. Under the truck the rain pings like we’re in an oil drum, but it’s dryReasonably dry. Tej has taken the most sheltered spot, next to the tailgate; I’m sitting in a small stream of rainwater that runs under the bed of the truck.
    â€œShove over,” I say.
    He shakes his head. “It’s my truck.”
    â€œIt’s not much of a truck anymore.”
    â€œYou’re an idiot, Liam.” But he shifts his legs so I can move in beside him. Now my ass is out of the water, anyway. I rummage in a duffel bag and pull out a sandwich. It’s slightly mashed but it’s food—my school lunch from hours ago. I take a big bite and then offer him the sandwich. He waves it away. He says, “Tomorrow at this time, we’ll be in a Whistler hot tub with a couple of Aussie babes of questionable virtue.”
    â€œI’ll be happy when I’m back in Tremblay with Jordan.”
    Tej yawns. “She’s probably not wasting any time thinking about you.”
    I ignore the barb in his voice. I poke him in the side and say, “A little jealous?”
    He snorts. “Not of her. Not of anything in Tremblay.”
    He drains the Coke, belches, draws his sleeping bag around him and lies down. He fits this space better than I do—I have to keep my knees bent. The bed of the pickup is uncomfortably close to my face and makes me feel like I’m in a coffin.
    I say, “Chances of us getting to Whistler are about as good as you ever meeting any babes.”
    â€œHow long have we been friends, Liam?” He doesn’t wait for me to answer. He says, “Since first grade. Now we’re in twelfth grade, so that’s what?” He pauses and pretends to count on his fingers. “Twelve years? In all those years, when have I ever been wrong?”
    Tej doesn’t know the meaning of wrong, which isn’t the same as never being wrong. I say, “You don’t know anything about hiking through the mountains.”
    â€œIt’s not exactly Everest, Einstein. And I’ve done some hiking.”
    â€œYou’ve hiked. Yeah, right.” Tej spends every waking hour at school or studying. He got early acceptance at three big universities.He says I should go with him, get a job, share a place. “People disappear in the mountains, Tej.”
    â€œYou want to sit here and wait for someone to find us? They’ll find our sorry skeletons. No way. We’ll walk out.”
    I finish the sandwich and wish I had another one. Could be Tej is right. Could be that tomorrow at this time we’ll be sitting in McDonald,s with a tray of burgers AND the Aussie babes.
    The light is gone and it’s so dark I can’t see Tej. I can’t see my hand in front of my face. It’s so dark we could be in a coffin. Panic creeps into my throat and I take a deep breath.
    Tej’s voice is quiet, calm. “We’ll be fine, Liam.” I feel his hand on my shoulder, a touch so quick it could be accidental, and then it’s gone. “Trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

Chapter Three
    â€œIt’s barely drizzling now.” Tej, ahead of me, peers up at the sky from under the hood of his