"I'm so excited!" Nami exclaimed as Anka entered her room, glancing at the supplies that rested on her bed.
"Me too, I've never been camping." Anka grinned sheepishly, setting her things against the wall and flopping down on a clear spot on the bed, "Rechecking your supplies?" She teased.
"Well, yeah, I don't want to forget anything." Nami replied, "We'll be out there for two weeks... Camping, hiking, swimming... Wait, did you say you've never been camping before?" She said in realization.
"Nope, my family isn't too into nature." Anka shrugged, "They're too lazy to tote the beer anywhere, and the idea of doing any physical labor freaks them out."
"We've known each other... what, two years now?" Nami said thoughtfully, "How come you never told me?"
"It never really came up." Anka tapped her fingers thoughtfully on the bedspread.
"I've raved about past camping trips and talked about going as well..." Nami stated.
"Yeah, but did you ever ask about any trips I'd taken?" Anka pointed out.
"It never realy came up I guess..." Nami said sheepishly.
"Mmhm, that's what I was saying." Anka nodded.
"Girls!" Kelly called from elsewhere in the house.
The two slipped quickly out of the room and down into the kitchen, "Whats up, mom?" Nami asked.
"Have you got everything together?" Kelly asked, sipping at a steaming mug of coffee.
"I'm just rechecking to make sure I remembered everything now," Nami nodded.
"I've already checked and double checked, my stuff is sitting in Nami's room." Anka replied, "I've got room for a bit more, though, if you guys need me to hold on to anything."
"We should be alright," Kelly replied, "Oso and Dan will be carrying the majority of our supplies, Siffy and I have the toiletries and the food the the guys can't carry. Don't worry about overloading yourself, this trip is supposed to be fun and educational." She smiled and patted the chairs beside her, "Why don't you girls get some of the cocoa I've got sitting on the stove and join me for a few minutes? I'd like to go over the map with you girls."
Agreeably Anka and Nami poured themselves a cup of steaming cocoa and sat down next to Kelly. Patiently the older woman pointed out their trail and indicated locations that they'd been visiting. "I'm going to give you each a map of your own. I have the trail highlighted and stickers over our stops. If we somehow find ourselves seperated I want you to be sure that you'll be able to find us again. We'll also all have walkie talkies in which to contact one another in such a case."
"Um... Mom?" Anka said hesitantly.
"What is it, dear?" Kelly asked.
"Did anyone remember to pack the first aid kit?" Anka tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Well... Shoot." Kelly muttered in realization, taking a last sip of her coffee and rising, "I'm going to have to make a run to the store real quick... I can't believe we forgot."
"I'm going to get all my things packed and we're probably going to head to bed so we're ready to go in the morning." Nami grinned sheepishly.
"Don't worry, you'll have about two hours to sleep on our way up to the trail." Kelly chuckled, knowing her daughter preferred to sleep in.
"Goodnight, mom." The girls chorused and headed back up to Nami's room.
Anka stretched out patiently on the bed as Nami finished going through her things and set them in the corner of the room with Anka's things, "Looks like we're good to go." She said happily as she set her alarm, "Though I can never quite look forward to waking up so early..."
"Maybe we can sneak a cup of coffee?" Anka suggested, "Adults are always drinking that stuff in the morning. I've noticed grouchy moods before they drink and better, more alert moods after..."
"Its a thought." Nami nodded, "We'll have travel mugs for cocoa, nobody is gonna worry about checking what we're drinking anyway. I need whatever boost I can get to get myself going in the morning."
Backwards Outcasts