“Sit.” He dropped his own pack and rummaged in the front pocket, pulling out an electrolyte packet. Filling it with water, he swirled it around and passed it to Kinley. “Drink this.”
She took a gulp then scrunched up her face and stuck her tongue out. “That’s disgusting. What is it?”
Shane laughed. They were gross. “It’s a sports drink on steroids. You’re losing a lot of water and you need to replenish your electrolytes so you don’t get dehydrated. Do you need to pee?”
She shook her head.
“That’s not a good thing. I want you to take a large sip of water every ten minutes while we’re walking.”
She nodded and choked down the rest of the electrolyte mix. “How far have we gone?”
“A little more than four miles, give or take.”
“That’s it? It feels like it should be more than that.”
Smiling, he said. “We’re doing about fourteen hundred meters every twenty minutes.”
“What is that in miles?”
He did the math in his head. “Eight-tenths of a mile, I think. We do all our pace count in meters since it’s easier to calculate than miles.” He pulled out a packet of crackers and cheese, passing them to Kinley. “Next best thing to gourmet.”
She took the food from him. “Huh. I need to go to the gym more.”
“I’ve been setting a pretty fast pace. I can slow down if you need me to.”
She shook her head. “I’m okay.”
“We have a few more hours before we’ll camp for the night. We’ll rest again in an hour or so, but if you need to stop before then, let me know.”
“Okay.” She ate the cracker and looked around their little rest stop.
“What?” he asked.
“I have to go now and I’m not looking forward to squatting in the jungle.”
“Oh. Hang on.” He unzipped several pockets before he found the item he was looking for. “Here.”
Kinley took the thin cardboard triangle. “Thanks. What’s it for?”
“It’s a funnel.” At her blank stare, he said, “So you can pee standing up.”
Her eyebrows raised and she pressed on the sides of the cardboard, opening up the funnel. “Why do you have them?”
“Paige included them in all our go bags so she doesn’t have to try to squat with all her gear on. I’ve only ever had to do it a few times, but it’s not fun.” He paused, realizing he was talking about taking a shit with the girl he liked. “They’re biodegradable, so you can leave it when you’re done.”
“Cool.”
They each went to different sides of the clearing, Kinley walking a few extra steps into the brush to relieve herself. With the possible exception of his mother and sister when he was little, he could honestly say he’d never peed around a woman before—not even his ex. They’d always done their private business in private. He didn’t feel any discomfort or embarrassment or need to hide the fact that he was human and had bodily functions like every other person on earth. It was weird at the same time it was comfortable.
They set off again, Shane keeping the same pace as before. When he offered to take another break, Kinley waved him off and told him she’d rather get as far as they could that day, although she did accept another electrolyte packet with a grimace as well as a granola bar.
As the light faded, Shane kept an eye out for a suitable spot to make camp. Finding a spot slightly larger than the one where they’d taken their break, he cleared the area of branches and underbrush as best he could for the tent.
“It’s going to be tight.” He stepped on the anchor with his heel to drive it into the ground. “We can’t leave anything outside the tent.”
“Why?” Kinley asked.
“Snakes. Spiders. Wayward monkeys.”
