Chapter Text
As the plane took off, Daniel gripped the armrests tightly and closed his eyes. The plane climbed higher and he opened his eyes, turning to look out of the window. Below him, Los Angeles airport began to disappear. The plane banked right and he pressed his nose up against the window, fascinated by the tiny world below him. Daniel wondered if he would recognise his own neighbourhood if he flew over it.
‘Boys, you need to sit down!’ He was jerked out of his thoughts by a commotion a couple of rows behind him. A group of boys were play-fighting across the aisle and a steward was trying to get them to behave. ‘You need to stay in your seats until the pilot turns the fasten seatbelt sign off,’ she was saying.
A woman turned in her seat. ‘Gentlemen! Sit down!’ she shouted.
The boys settled down and sat back in their seats. One of them caught Daniel looking at him, smirking as he pulled his headphones onto his head and turned away. Daniel looked back out of the window.
***********************
The rest of the flight was uneventful. They landed a couple of hours later and taxied their way into the terminal. There was a mad scramble as people began to pull luggage from overhead lockers and stood in the aisle, waiting for the doors to open. Daniel stayed in his seat, waiting for the crowd to die down before collecting his things and making his way to the front of the plane.
The terminal building was bustling with people happy to be off of the cramped flight. Daniel stood by himself as he waited at the conveyer belt for his luggage. Bag after bag passed by him.
The high schoolers had landed in Salt Lake City, ready for three days in Canyonlands National Park. The school had decided that their students needed some time away from the city and was taking them hiking and horseback riding. Daniel was excited but nervous, having been hiking, had never walked further than necessary just for fun, and had never even been near a real horse.
He couldn't help but wish that Ali was with him. His girlfriend had not been happy that her class would not be joining them. Daniel had almost felt bad for going without her but when he had found that his mother had been secretly saving for months for the trip, he couldn’t say no. He didn’t say anything to Ali but he was excited to be going. Daniel had only ever seen the country fly by at fifty miles an hour when they moved from Jersey. He had never spent any time in the wilderness and was happy to be getting out of the city for a couple of days.
There was a loud buzzing sound and Daniel looked up to see another group of bags drop onto the belt. He saw his own and grabbed it, pulling the heavy bag onto the floor. Pulling it across the floor, wishing he had done what the other student had done and found a trolley, the bag at his side and rucksacks on his back heavy.
As he turned he felt something hard and heavy slam into him, knocking him sideways.
‘Oh, sorry Danielle! I didn’t see you there.’ Dutch smirked from behind a trolley loaded down with bags.
The other boys laughed as Daniel pulled himself up. ‘Hey man, watch where you are going!’ Daniel said angrily.
Dutch stepped forward. ‘Why don’t you watch where you are standing.’
‘Boys, get your luggage and go outside now!’ one of the teachers shouted. ‘The bus is waiting and we have a long drive. Move!’
Daniel dusted himself off, lifted his bag onto his shoulder. He threw an angry glance at the group of boys and stalked towards the doors.
The students all filed outside to a waiting bus and began to lift their bags into the luggage compartment. His bag safely stowed away, he climbed onto the bus and sat close to the front, facing the window.
Once all the students were on and settled down, the teacher stood in front of them all. ‘Alright, everyone, we have a long drive ahead of us. We should be in the park in around four hours and then we have another hour before we get to the cabin. You will be allocated a buddy for the next three days. This person will be your roommate and you’ll be expected to look out for each other while out on the trails. You will be expected to know where your buddy is at all times.’
The teacher looked up and down the bus and took out a clipboard. ‘Can we choose our buddy?’ one boy shouted out.
‘As I said, you will be allocated your buddy. The point of this trip is not only to see the beautiful national park and get some much needed fresh air but to get to know your fellow students and make new friends. I will be allocating alphabetically.’
The teacher held a clipboard and went through names. Students began to move to sit next to their buddies. ‘LaRusso, Lawrence,’ the teacher called.
Daniel looked up at his name being called. There was a cackle of laughter at the back. ‘Well Johnny, go and sit with your new buddy!’
He groaned as Johnny stood and walked down the aisle. Daniel looked up as Johnny reached their seats and just glared at Daniel. Daniel turned away and Johnny flopped down in his seat, elbowing Daniel’s arm off the rest as he went. Johnny didn’t look at Danial, simply put his walkman on and stared ahead.
Great, Daniel thought as he gazed out of the window. This trip just went downhill really quickly. He shook his head slightly in frustration and settled in for a long drive.
The boys passed the time by pointedly ignoring each other, Daniel read his book and looked out the window as Johnny listened to music with his eyes closed. Once Daniel turned to find Johnny looking past him out the window but as soon as Johnny realised he had been seen, he turned his head away and closed his eyes again. Daniel rolled his eyes and went back to his book. This fucking guy, he thought.
Hours later and the bus eventually pulled up, stopping outside a large structure. The cabin where they would be spending the next week. As Daniel looked up at the building, he couldn’t help but think that they used the term ‘cabin’ loosely. It towered over them, its large glass windows twinkling in the sunlight.
They all bundled off of the bus and looked at the cabin. It looked like it had once been a large barn but large windows had been cut into the side of it. They took their luggage and climbed the wooden steps and through glass doors, into a large reception area. The two-story ceiling with large windows flooded the room with light. The whole cabin looked to be made of wooden beams. Daniel looked up at the impressive room, taking it all in. He had never seen anything like it.
‘Lawrence, LaRusso, room twenty-two on the second floor’ The teacher passed Johnny the key, who turned off towards the staircase. He hadn’t so much as looked at Daniel once since the bus journey. Daniel didn’t attempt to speak to him, just picked up his bag and tried to keep up.
At the top of the stairs was a long corridor, their room halfway down. Johnny unlocked the door and walked in. He stopped, looked around and threw his bag on the bed to the right of the room. Daniel stepped into the room behind him and placed his bag on the opposite bed. He turned and sat. Johnny was sitting opposite him, looking at him.
Johnny spoke first. ‘OK, this is how this is going to go. You don’t talk to me, not a word. And I’m not your fucking buddy, right?’ he said angrily.
‘Hey, I didn’t want to be your buddy either. Let’s just get through this,’ Daniel snarled back at him. Johnny didn’t frighten him any more. He was just an asshole.
‘I didn’t even want to come on this stupid trip,’ Johnny muttered, looking away. He turned to his bag and pulled his walkman out. Johnny sat back on the bed, against the wall and put his headphones on. He closed his eyes and didn’t speak to Daniel again.
Daniel sighed and began to unpack his bag. He pulled his clothes out and dumped them on the floor, ready to put them away. Glancing once more at the other boy, he stood and walked over to the small bathroom that was attached to the room. It was simple but comfortable, with a shower stall in the corner, a toilet and a basin. After glancing around and placing his wash bag in the room, he turned and sat on his bed. Johnny was still sitting silently, his eyes closed, the tinny sound of music coming from his headphones. Daniel pulled a book from his pack and began to read.
The day had been long and Daniel was exhausted. It wasn’t long before his eyes began to feel heavy and he drifted off to sleep, the open book dropping onto his chest.
*******************
Daniel woke to find the room dark and that he was alone. He rubbed his eyes and rolled over. Reaching out, he grasped his watch and checked the time. Eight o’clock. He was late for dinner. Daniel’s stomach rumbled on cue. Rolling his feet on the bed, Daniel stood up.
Looking around, he saw the room was tidy. His clothes were gone! He looked around, moving his head from side to side and couldn't see them anywhere. Johnny! What the fuck has he done with my clothes, Daniel thought angrily. He grabbed at his bag. Empty. All his belongings were gone! Swearing and stalking across the room, Daniel pulled Johnny’s bag out and shook it. Empty.
There was a dresser and Daniel wrenched the draw open. His head went back in surprise. The drawer was full of clothes, folded carefully. Daniel stared down at his clothes for a moment and slowly closed the drawer. He opened another drawer and it was full of Johnny’s clothes, jeans and t-shirts also folded neatly.
Pushing the drawer closed, Daniel exhaled and looked around him. There were some toiletries lined up neatly on the dresser, hair products and a comb sitting next to them. There was Johnny’s precious walkman, the wire to the headphones curled up carefully and three cassette tapes stacked next to it. He stared at them for a moment, only snapping out of his thoughts when his stomach rumbled again. With one last glance at the neat row of Johnny’s possessions, he left the room.
***************************
Dinner ended, a quiet affair with Daniel sitting by himself. Daniel went back to his room and settled on the bed, reading his book. The door opened and Johnny entered, glancing at Daniel, before silently passing him and walking into the bathroom. The door closed behind him. Daniel sighed and rolled his eyes, going back to his book. He heard the sound of the shower.
He wasn’t even through his first day and he was already fed up. Nothing amplified his lack of school friends than being away from Ali and her talkative group of friends. He knew that he wasn’t the most popular kid in school but here he was positively lonely. And Johnny making a point of ignoring him wasn’t making it any easier.
Johnny emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam. He was wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist. Daniel watched as he walked across the room and ran the combe from the dresser through his wet hair, pushing it back slick off his face. He watched as Johnny opened a drawer and took out a fresh pair of underwear. He kept looking as Johnny let his towel drop and pulled them up his legs.
Johnny turned and caught Daniel’s eyes focusing on his underwear. ‘You get a good look, LaRusso,’ he said with a sneer as he sat on the bed.
He looked away. ‘Yeah right, you wish,’ Daniel muttered.
‘What was that?’ He snapped.
‘Nothing,’ Daniel went back to his book.
Johnny narrowed his eyes at Daniel and laid back on the bed in only his underwear. He began to read a motorbike magazine that he had left on the bedside table. Daniel glanced around the page of his book at the long legs stretched across the bed. He looked down at Johnny’s feet, pale, with neat toenails and the high arches of an athlete. Daniel didn’t even know why he was looking, it was so strange being in such close proximity to Johnny so relaxed.
Daniel looked back at his book. He reread the same paragraph over and over, not paying it any attention. He shook his head. He couldn’t read, couldn’t concentrate with Johnny’s silent presence in the same room. Daniel eventually looked up and across to Johnny. He cleared his throat. He saw Johnny’s eyes leave his magazine, flicker in his direction with annoyance, and back at the page.
‘Uh...thanks for putting my clothes away,’ he said finally.
Johnny shrugged without looking up. ‘S’Ok. Didn’t want your shit lying all over the room.’ He carried on reading.
Daniel sat up and continued. ‘Look, we’re here. Why don’t we make the best of it? Put all that other shit on hold for the next few days. I know the tournament is coming up and there is the truce and everything. But let's at least try and be friendly if we have to stay together. What d'ya say?’ He smiled hopefully.
‘Man, you’re so annoying,’ Johnny grumbled, not looking up.
‘Yeah, well maybe I find you pretty annoying. You ever think of that?’ Daniel retorted.
Johnny threw the magazine onto the floor. ‘Fine, LaRusso. Truce. I’ll try to be friendlier. But right now I just want to go to sleep.’ Johnny climbed under his duvet and rolled over, turning towards the wall.
‘Sure, Johnny. I’m pretty tired too. We’ve got a long day tomorrow.’ Daniel pulled his clothes off under his bedding. ‘I’ve never ridden a horse. You?’ He looked over at Johnny. The other boy was quiet, lying with his back to him. Daniel sighed and turned the bedside light off.
The room was dark and silent. Daniel laid back, staring at the ceiling. There was silence from outside. Daniel’s neighbourhood didn’t sleep and he would hear cars horns and voices late into the night. Here there was nothing, not even crickets. All he could hear was Johnny’s steady breathing from across the room. He closed his eyes and drifted off.
***************************
The next morning Johnny was up early. Daniel woke groggily to the sound of movement. He looked up with bleary eyes to see Johnny awake, sweating and wearing training gear. He rubbed an eye as he watched Johnny pull his damp t-shirt over his head. Johnny walked towards the bathroom door and stopped, looking back at Daniel.
‘Time to get up,’ Johnny said with a smirk.
Climbing up onto his elbows with a groan, Daniel blinked and looked at Johnny. ‘Have you been out already?’
Johnny shrugged, a smug smile on his lips. ‘Just a quick five miles around the grounds before breakfast.’ He grabbed a towel from the dresser. ‘You should think about it. It's a satisfying way to start the day.’
Daniel rolled his eyes and flopped back down on his pillow. ‘Yeah, right.’ He scrubbed his eyes with his hands as he heard the shower switch on.
Ten minutes later, Daniel was still in bed and Johnny was dressed and stuffing his day pack. ‘I’m going to grab some breakfast. See you downstairs?’
Daniel yawned, pulling the duvet back and sat up. ‘Yeah, sure Johnny.’
Johnny hesitated and looked at Daniel as if he was going to say something. He settled on a nod and left the room.
Daniel got up, looking around the room. Johnny’s bed was neatly made, his towel hanging on a hook on the back of the bathroom door.
This guy is so tidy, Daniel thought to himself. He never would have imagined that Johnny Lawrence was the kind of guy to make his bed each morning, to have his clothes neatly folded. Daniel would have happily just lived out of his bag all week.
It was an effort to get up, the tiredness from the day before still lingering. Daniel yawned and staggered to the bathroom, hoping that a cold shower would make him feel better.
*************************
That night, back in the room, Daniel peeled off his t-shirt. He was hot, and his clothes were covered in dust. The students had spent the day trying to learn to control a horse, with varying levels of success. Daniel didn’t see the appeal. Why would someone choose to ride a large, grumpy animal when a car could take you anywhere and wouldn’t fight you along the way.
Daniel’s buddy, much to his annoyance, had taken to horse riding much quicker. By the end of the day, Johnny’s horse was trotting prettily around the field, his horse giving him no problems. Daniel’s horse didn't seem to want to stop eating the grass in front of him, no matter how much he pulled on the reins. Every time Daniel thought he had the horse under control, it would dip its head forward and resume eating. He had resorted to just shouting at the horse, much to Johnny’s amusement and the frustration of their instructor.
Daniel pulled his sneakers off, throwing them to the floor in annoyance, just as Johnny walked into the room. Johnny looked down at them as they flew past him and into the wall. There was an awkward silence as Johnny sat on his bed, pulling his shoes and socks off. He was just as dusty. Daniel could see the dust had settled in Johnny’s hair and his jeans were filthy.
This time Johnny was the one who spoke first. ‘You know, you were too gentle with that horse,’ he commented. ‘You need to pull harder on the reins. It would have moved eventually.’
Daniel tugged at his socks, not looking up. ‘That’s what the instructor said, but I didn't want to pull too hard. The poor thing had a piece of metal in its mouth.’ He looked up. ‘I didn’t want to hurt it.’
Johnny shrugged. ‘It doesn’t bother them. You just need to show them who’s boss.’
Daniel looked up, balling his socks up and throwing them in the corner with his sneakers. ‘So, you done that before?’ Daniel asked.
‘Couple of times. We know some people who have horses, they let me ride sometimes.’ Johnny stood. He collected the discarded socks and placed them in Daniel’s bag.
Daniel watched Johnny tuck the socks away and snorted. ‘Yeah, I bet you do. Must be nice to have such a perfect life, have a rich daddy take you horseback riding,’ he muttered bitterly.
Daniel saw a look flash across Johnny’s face, like he wanted to say something. It made Daniel pause. The look disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.
‘Whatever,’ Johnny said as he pulled his t-shirt over his head and walked into the bathroom, closing the door softly behind him.
Daniel waited for Johnny to finish and entered the bathroom. The mirror was steamed up. Daniel used his towel to wipe it down and looked at himself. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed as it stuck up under his fingers. He peeled his clothes off his body, kicking the heap in the corner and stepped into the shower.
The water was warm and he stayed under for a while. Turning the temperature of the water as hot as he could stand, Daniel felt his aching muscles begin to relax. Daniel looked around him and saw two bottles on the counter. He picked them up. Faberge Organics. Shampoo and conditioner. Daniel had never used hair products, usually washing his hair with a simple bar of soap. He opened the lid and sniffed. It smelled sweet, like honey. He poured some into his hand and ran it through his hair, rinsing it out and following with the conditioner.
Time passed and he came out of the shower. Johnny was sitting in the bed reading his magazine.
‘Uh, I hope you don’t mind. I used some of your hair stuff,’ Daniel said.
Johnny didn’t look up. ‘Whatever.’ Johnny read for a while as Daniel got dressed. As Daniel sat down, Johnny sighed and threw his magazine on the floor. He laid back and stared at the ceiling.
‘You wanna borrow a book or something?’ Daniel asked. ‘I’ve just finished mine. You can have it.’
Johnny looked over at him suspiciously. After a moment he nodded. Daniel passed the book over.
‘Thanks’ Johnny muttered. ‘Pet Sematary.’ He read the title. ‘What’s it about?’
‘It’s a little creepy, about a guy who finds a pet graveyard that brings things back to life’ Daniel answered. ‘It’s good. You’ll enjoy it.’
‘Hmm,’ Johnny responded as he opened the book, laid back on the bed. ‘They spelt cemetery wrong.’
Daniel smiled. ‘I think that was intentional.’
Daniel decided to go for a walk before dinner, wanting to experience the desert air at night. He was still too hot from his shower and felt the need to cool down. Johnny didn’t look up from the book as he left the room.
************************
The next morning Daniel woke to see Johnny, again already showered and dressed, laying on his bed, reading.
‘Morning’ Daniel said sleepily. Johnny didn’t answer, just kept reading. Daniel smiled. ‘You like the book?’
‘Yeah. It’s weird,’ was all Johnny said, not looking up.
Daniel swung his legs over the bed, running his hands through his hair. His hair was so soft. He brought his hands to his face. The smell of the shampoo was still there.
‘That stuff you put in your hair smells great,’ Daniel commented. ‘Where did you get it?’
Johnny still didn’t look up. ‘CVS. My mom buys it, I get her to pick it up for me.’
Daniel nodded slowly. He wondered how his mother would respond if he asked her to pick him up hair products on her weekly shop. He could just imagine her laughter as he told her he wanted the brand that smelt of honey. He smiled at the thought as he began to get dressed.
The day was going to be long. They were going to be learning navigation skills that morning, ready for their afternoon of hiking. Daniel wasn’t entirely sure why he needed to know how to use a map and compass. He wasn't sure why any of the group of LA kids needed to know it.
By the time Daniel was ready for the day, Johnny had already collected his pack and left.
***************************
The bus ride had taken an hour, mile after mile of empty scenery passing them by. Daniel and Johnny sat on the bus in silence, both looking out of the window at the desert that passed them. Johnny had even said a few words, asked Daniel what food he had grabbed. The hotel had provided a whole selection of snacks for the students to help themselves to for their hike. Johnny’s lips had lifted into a little smile as Daniel had shown him with excitement the multiple snack bars, sandwiches and cakes wrapped in cellophane that he had snatched. Daniel was never one to say no to free food and his pack was full.
The bus finally pulled over onto the side of the road and they were let off. Daniel looked around. There was nothing but a dirt road, a group of teens and their teachers, and mile after mile of one of America’s harshest wilderness. Daniel could already feel the sweat collecting under his pack as he pulled it onto his back. It was midday, the group having spent the morning at the cabin learning how to navigate using a compass and map. They were now due to put those skills to use.
Daniel gazed across the landscape, shielding his eyes from the sun overhead. There was desert and canyons as far as the eye could see. He looked up at the sky, it was bright blue, not a cloud in sight. He pulled his shades on, the cheap knockoff Ray-Bans that he seemed to have lived in since the day he arrived on the west coast.
‘Right everyone,’ their guide shouted over the gaggle of teenage voices. The voice started to settle and they all looked over towards him. ‘I need to make sure you have some basic supplies. I want you all to be carrying at least half a gallon of water each, some snacks and all to be wearing decent shoes. It's a warm day and you’re gonna start to feel it very soon.’
Daniel looked down at his sneakers and back up at their guide. He was wearing heavy hiking boots, the leather cracked and worn. He glanced down at his thin sneakers and shrugged. There was nothing he could do now. And a quick glance around him told him that his classmates had also not heeded the warning, most wearing sneakers of some kind.
‘Find your buddy, we are about to start out. Remember everyone, you need to stay close to your buddy. If you lose them please come and see me immediately. We don’t want anyone getting lost or stranded out here. This place can be a maze and if you get lost, there is no guarantee we will be able to find you.’ The man smiled and the class looked at each other with concern. No one liked the idea of getting lost and people began to buddy up.
Daniel looked over at his buddy, who was still laughing with the other boys. He opened his mouth, about to call Johnny when a teacher cut him off. ‘Lawrence! Get with LaRusso!’ Johnny looked up and walked towards Daniel, hands stuffed in his pockets and looking sullen.
As he walked over, Daniel looked down at Johnny’s feet. He was glad to see that Johnny had also ignored the advice on footwear, wearing his usual high top Converse. As he looked up at Johnny, Daniel saw that Johnny was also looking at his feet and saw him shrug to himself, clearly in the same mind.
After a short moment where the kids collected their belongings and found their buddies, they started off. A long procession of teens walked down the trail, their guide at the front and a teacher at the back. Most walked in twos with their buddies, some single file and there was the sound of excited chatter. Johnny didn’t say a word.
It wasn’t long before the heat began to take its toll and that pack on Daniel’s back began to feel heavy. He was beginning to regret all the food he picked up, it not occurring to him at the time that he would need to carry it all day. Not twenty minutes into the walk and Daniel was looking forward to their first water break
He glanced over at the other boy. Johnny and Daniel hadn’t said a word while walking. Daniel had hoped that their short conversations in their room had melted the ice somewhat but Johnny didn’t seem bothered about continuing the conversation. He looked ahead, dark shades on, his hand holding onto the straps of his pack.
‘Hot isn’t it,’ Daniel said. He heard only a grunt in response but it didn’t deter him. ‘You ever done any hiking?’
‘Little. With my mom when I was a kid.’ Johnny didn’t offer up any further conversation, didn’t even look at Daniel as he spoke. Daniel huffed out a little breath of annoyance and gave up. They continued to walk in silence.
They had been on the trail for about an hour when their guide called a water break and the teens all flopped down onto the floor, already exhausted from the heat. Daniel pulled his water bottle out and drank some of the now lukewarm liquid. He watched Johnny do the same, still not looking at him.
Break over, the group collected their packs with a groan and continued along the trail. The plan was to head to a point and then practice some of the skills they had learnt that morning, but even the guide looked fed up with the heat.
Daniel hated the silence, never someone who could be quiet for too long and liked to talk. He glanced over at Johnny beside him and decided on another attempt at conversation.
‘So,’ he started. ‘You used to hike with your mom? What made you stop?’
There was a pause and Johnny didn’t answer, didn’t even make a move to show he had heard. Daniel opened his mouth, ready to ask again when Johnny spoke. ‘She got busy,’ was all he said.
‘Ah yeah, man. I know about that. My ma’s always busy. Working, you know. Suppose your mom doesn’t work. What does your dad do?’
‘I don’t have a dad.’ Johnny still didn’t look at him, just kept putting one foot in front of the other, his eyes hidden behind his shades.
‘Oh.’ Daniel looked at his feet, watched them walk for a moment. ‘Me neither. Died when I was a kid.’
‘Didn’t ask,’ Johnny muttered.
Daniel stopped suddenly. ‘What’s your problem, man?! I’m just trying to make conversation. You know,’ he said sarcastically, ‘trying to make the best of being paired up with a miserable asshole. What is your problem with me anyway? You got something to say to me, Johnny? Just come out with it!’’
Johnny turned suddenly and stalked towards Daniel. ‘Yeah, I got something to say. You’ve been a pain in my ass ever since you arrived in town. Why don’t you just fuck off back to where you came from.’ He stepped close to Daniel, towering over him, looking down.
Daniel pushed him in the chest ‘Hey, you started this! You and your buddies beat on me! I didn’t do anything to you!’
Johnny was back in his face. ‘You took my girl!’
‘Ali wasn’t your girl. She didn’t owe you anything!’ Daniel let out an indignant snort. ‘Maybe if you didn’t treat her like shit, she wouldn't have dumped your ass!’
Johnny shoved Daniel onto the ground. Daniel was soon back on his feet, ready to fight. He threw his pack to the floor.‘Come on then, Johnny. You wanna fight me! I’m right here.’
‘Bring it on, LaRusso.’
He tried to shove Daniel again and Daniel blocked him and swung at Johnny. Johnny held his face where he had been hit and threw himself at Daniel. They fell to the floor, Johnny punching Daniel in the face. Daniel hit back, pushing Johnny off of him. Johnny stood up and Daniel went for him, catching him around the waist, dragging Johnny to the floor. Johnny kicked Daniel away and Daniel fell back into the sand.
The two boys wrestled, the sand blinding them as they swung and kicked at each other. In an attempt to roll Johnny off, Daniel found he was sliding down a sandy slope. He heard a shout as he grasped Johnny’s t-shirt, trying to stop his skid and only succeeding in taking Johnny with him.
They both stopped sliding, coughing as the sand and dust covered them. The fight had gone out of them as they laid there, chests rising and falling with exertion. Daniel was the first to sit up, brushing sand from his hair.
‘Well thanks, Johnny. God, you're such an asshole.’ He climbed to his feet and brushed his hands on his jeans. His hand went up to the back of his t-shirt, which was ripped. ‘That was my favourite t-shirt!’
Johnny coughed and climbed to his feet. ‘Fuck you, LaRusso. I didn’t even want to come on this stupid trip.’ He stalked away, taking his dusty pack from where it had fallen, leaving Daniel behind.
Watching him leave, Daniel rubbed again at his hair with frustration and turned, walking back up the hill. He stopped midway up the slope and looked back at Johnny, who was walking in the opposite direction.
‘Johnny! Where are you going?’ he called.
A hand waved, not looking around, and flipped him off. ‘Away from you!’
He shook his head and jogged back down the hill, following Johnny. ‘You can’t go that way. The others are back up here. Johnny!’ He jogged towards the boy and grabbed hold of his shirt. Johnny spun around into a fighting stance, his fists raised. ‘Johnny, you can’t go off by yourself out here.’
Daniel watched as Johnny looked about, as if suddenly realising where they were. He heard a sigh and Johnny stormed past him, back the way they had come and began to climb the slope. Daniel narrowed his eyes at Johnny’s back and followed.
The hill wasn’t high and they quickly reached the top, back on the trail. Daniel retrieved his shades from the dirt where they had fallen in the scuffle and placed them over his eyes. He shaded his eyes further using his hands, looking around him.
‘Johnny, they’ve gone,’ Daniel said looking around, voice worried.
‘Don't be stupid, LaRusso. They haven’t gone.’ Johnny walked, following the trail, leaving Daniel behind. Daniel jogged to keep up.
They walked, following the trail. Johnny strolled calmly but quickly, refusing to hurry. He followed the obvious path in front of him, through the low brush of the desert. He could hear Daniel footsteps behind him, the shorter boy trying to keep up. The path started to wind downwards and he followed it for another hundred yards or so.
They reached a flat path again and the trail snaked into the distance. The landscape was quiet, not so much a cloud of dust that the group would surely make. Johnny stopped and huffed out an annoyed breath as Daniel walked into his back.
‘Watch where you’re going,’ he snarled, turning his head towards Daniel.
‘Then don’t stop like that,’ Daniel snapped back. They looked into the distance, both shielding their eyes. ‘Where are they?’
‘Probably walked ahead. We’ll catch them up the next time they take a break.’ Johnny walked away and Daniel followed.
They walked, the sun beating down on them. Daniel held the straps of his pack, an attempt to take some of the weight from his back. His feet ached, the thin soles of his sneakers giving no protection between his feet and the hard ground. He felt every stone, every tiny piece of gravel underfoot.
Johnny stopped again and this time Daniel was ready for it. He knew what Johnny was going to say, the same creeping feeling in his own stomach. The path stretched ahead of them and was still quiet. There was no one there.
‘Are you sure this is the trail?’ Johnny asked, looking around him.
‘This is the only path,’’ Daniel responded. He ahead, shielding his eyes. ‘I can’t see them.'
‘Could they be so far ahead already?’
‘I don’t know, Johnny. We need to move faster’ Daniel began to run, ignoring the pain of his feet and the ache of the pack bumping against his lower back.
‘Hey LaRusso, wait for me’ Johnny chased after him.
They ran down the path, twisting and turning, and were soon at the bottom of a hill. The trail took them to a small canyon and disappeared between the boulders. They would need to climb up and over them. It was dangerous. No way would the guide have led the group into this.
Daniel stopped, exhausted, bending over double and clutching his knees. ‘Johnny, I don’t think they went this way.’
Johnny looked around him. ‘This is the only path.’ His voice sounded desperate as he spoke.
‘It can’t be. We must have missed a turning or something.’ Daniel turned and walked away, Johnny following. He didn’t say what he was thinking, that he was getting worried. He knew this park was like a maze, had been warned often enough not to get split from the group. And that was exactly what they had gone and done.
Daniel watched the path as he walked. A nagging voice in the back of his head told him that he didn’t recognise this path, that they had taken another wrong turn. He didn’t say anything, just kept hoping that he was wrong and they would happen upon the group any minute. The landscape around them was silent and still.
‘What now?’ Johnny asked. Daniel continued to scan the horizon as he walked. ‘LaRusso, what do we do now?’ he said louder, still following.
‘I don’t know, Johnny. We just need to keep moving.’ Daniel glanced down at his watch. Time was moving on and they still hadn't seen anyone.
Johnny sat down on a boulder, took out his water and started to drink. Daniel looked down, watching him. He watched Johnny gulp down the liquid and ran back. ‘No Johnny, don’t drink all the water!’ He snatched the bottle from Johnny’s hand.
‘What the fuck, LaRusso!’ Johnny shouted, reaching for his water bottle.
‘Johnny, we may have a problem here.’ He held the bottle back as Johnny made another grab for it. ‘Johnny, I don’t know where the others are. We should have seen them by now.’
Johnny stared at him and stood slowly. ‘No….we’ll find them. We’ve just got to keep moving.’
He walked past and Daniel watched him go. ‘Johnny! We’ve been walking too long. We should have caught them up. ‘
‘Don’t be stupid. We’ll catch them.’ Johnny flicked his hand, dismissing Daniel’s worries and walked away.
‘I don’t know. I think we’ve taken a wrong turn.’ Daniel jogged towards Johnny. ‘Johnny! You need to stop!’
‘What is it, LaRusso!’ He spun and glared down at the other boy. ‘What’s your problem?’
‘I’m worried, Johnny. We haven’t seen anyone for a while, we don’t know where we’re going or if this is even the right route. We’re gonna get lost if we just march onwards with no idea where we’re going.’
‘Do we have a map?’ Johnny asked with a long sigh.
Daniel smiled. ‘Yes, the map! I have a map and a compass.’ He swung his bag from his shoulder and dug around. ‘Here you go,’ he said, passing them to Johnny.
‘What are you giving them to me for?’ Johnny took them, looking down at the foreign objects in his hand.
‘You can use them to find out where we need to go’ Daniel said hopefully. He looked at Johnny, who looked confused, and his face fell. ‘You know how to read maps, right? You said you and your mom used to hike.’ His face fell as Johnny looked up at him in confusion. ‘You know how to read maps, right?’
‘No! I thought you did!’ Johnny thrust them back into Daniel’s hands as they were hot coals.
‘I don’t know how to use these. I have never been hiking before. You said you used to hike’
Johnny shook his head with frustration. ‘Yeah, in LA. We would walk up into the hills. I’ve never used these before.’
‘Weren't you paying attention this morning?’
‘No, LaRusso! Were you?!’
Daniel let out a long sigh and looked around him, desperate to see any sign of life. He tried to think, tried to remember everything he knew about the outdoors. He turned and saw Johnny was watching him, his face concerned.
'Johnny, we need to be smart here,' Daniel said. Johnny just licked his lips and nodded. ‘We need to decide on a direction and follow the compass.’ Daniel tried to think. What does someone do when lost out here?
‘OK,’ he said. ‘We need to check our supplies, see if we have anything useful.’ Daniel sat down and pulled his pack to the floor. Johnny flopped down next to him, crossing his leg, and opened his pack.
They worked in silence, putting all their supplies in front of them. Daniel sorted through it, putting it carefully into groups. He piled up their food; three bananas, six snack bars, one chocolate bar, some sandwiches, two small bags of chips and an apple. He then went through their clothing. They had what they were wearing, an extra t-shirt and a red windbreaker that Daniel had rolled up into the bottom of his bag. Johnny had his shades, the Stephen King novel that Daniel had given him, and a notebook and pencil. Johnny was also carrying a Polaroid camera and walkman and headphones. Daniel had the map and compass, a packet of kleenex, a cigarette lighter, an additional pair of socks and some fingerless gloves. They had just under a gallon of water between them.
‘We need to be careful with food and water, make sure we have enough to last,’ Daniel said.
Johnny picked up a pencil and began idly spinning it between his fingers. ‘Is this all really necessary? How lost can we be? We’ve only been split up for...’ he glanced at his watch and realised he had no idea when they last saw the group. ‘...not long.’
‘I don’t know’ Daniel said quietly, looking at their supplies, deep in thought.
‘LaRusso?’ Johnny said. He got no response. ‘Hey, Daniel!’ he said louder. Daniel’s head snapped upwards towards Johnny. ‘You don’t need to panic. We’ll find our way back. We have food. Water. A map. We’ll be fine. We just need to be smart.’ He saw the deep frown on Daniel’s face. ‘Don’t worry, man. We’ll be fine.’ He tried to smile reassuringly.
Daniel looked up. The sight of Johnny trying to be nice made him worry all the more, but he took the attempt at reassurance. He smiled back. ‘You’re right.’ He picked up the map, laid it out in front. It looked like a foreign language, all strange names and lines with random numbers.
‘What do you know about maps?’ Daniel asked. He was annoyed at himself for not paying attention during their lesson that morning. He felt like a fool for assuming he would never need to use it. They had all the tools they needed to get themselves out of here, had even been shown how to use them, and now they looked at the map totally bewildered.
Johnny bent over the page. ‘What did the guy say about these lines?’
‘I don’t know,’ Daniel said with a frustrated shake of his head. ‘Something about hills.’
‘The lines show hills?’
‘Something like that.’ He shrugged.
‘Come on, man. Think!’
‘Why don’t you think,’ Daniel snapped with annoyance. ‘You were in the class too!’
Raising a hand to his head, Johnny exhaled and closed his eyes. ‘I’m not gonna fight with you, LaRusso. We need to do this.’ He bent back over the map.
‘Fine.’ Daniel sighed with impatience and pointed aggressively to the map. ‘He said that the lines show how high the hills are.’
See!’ Johnny nudged Daniel with his shoulder. ‘You did listen.’ He smiled and looked back at the map.
‘Good thing one of us did. Dumb blonds,’ he muttered bitterly.
Johnny stopped and sat back on his heels, looking at Daniel. ‘Don’t call me that.’
‘What?’ Daniel looked up at Johnny. He expected anger but Johnny just gazed at him, the expression on his face unreadable.
‘Dumb. Don’t call me a dumb blond. I don’t like it. It’s, like, racist or something’ Johnny looked away, examining the map.
‘You don’t like it?’ Daniel screwed up his nose at the blond head looking over the map. He snorted out an unfriendly laugh. ‘Maybe you should pay a little more attention in class, you might get smarter. And blond isn’t a race, asshole.’
He fell back as Johnny shoved him with both hands. ‘Fuck you, LaRusso. You wanted a truce! You wanted to look at the fucking map, so that’s what I’m trying to do.’ He began to stuff items back in his pack. ‘You know what! I’m getting out of here by myself.’
‘Come on, Johnny. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you dumb.’ He watched as Johnny jumped to his feet and sat up. ‘I’m sorry, Johnny. We can’t split up. We need to work together.’ He saw Johnny pause. ‘You’re right. I was an asshole. Truce, OK. I’m sorry.’ He held his hand out tentatively.
Johnny narrowed his eyes and after a moment, grasped Daniel’s hand, pulling him slightly off balance with a smirk. He sat back down next to Daniel and ran his hand through his hair.
‘So we know that the lines mean hills, so let’s keep away from there.’ Daniel pointed. ‘That’s the road.’
‘Uh-huh.’ Johnny’s voice was enthusiastic. ‘And how do we know where we are?’
‘I don’t know,’ Daniel answered, his shoulders slouched. ‘I have no idea where we started.’
Johnny moved forward and pulled the map towards him. ‘Um...right….’
Daniel watched Johnny examine the map. He couldn't help but notice that as Johnny was thinking, the pink edge of his tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth. He wasn’t sure whether it was sweet or stupid. No, it was definitely stupid!
‘OK, the map is upright, right?’ Johnny picked up the compass, placed it on the map. He began to turn the map until it was upside down.
‘What are you doing?’ Daniel grabbed the map and pulled it back.
‘I’m moving the map so that it faces the same as the compass.’ Johnny said as he yanked the paper from Daniel’s hand. ‘The compass tells us where north is and the top of the map is north, right? If we line it all up we can see what direction things are.’
Daniel’s head went back in surprise as he watched him rotate the map. ‘That’s really smart, Johnny.’
Jonny smiled smugly but Daniel caught the hint of a blush on his cheeks. ‘See, LaRusso. Not as dumb as your think.’
‘OK, Johnny. But you’re still blond,’ Daniel teased easily.
‘Being blond is awesome.’ Johnny shook his hair out playfully. ‘You’re just jealous. Everyone wants to be blond.’
‘Oh, yeah. Well, maybe I should just dye it.’ He joked, running his hand through his hair through his short, dark hair.
‘Hmph,’ Johnny snorted. ‘You couldn't handle being a blond.’
With a roll of his eyes and a little shake of his head, Daniel went back to concentrating on the map.
‘Where do you think we should go?’ Johnny asked. ‘Can you see the cabin?’
‘It’s not on here.’ Daniel looked across the map. ‘Maybe we should just head for a town or something. We could get some help.’ Daniel scanned around. There was a road marked in purple down one side of the map, heading into a marker for a town. ‘There’s a road here. If we find that, we could flag someone down who might take us into town.’
Johnny looked up at Daniel and nodded. ‘Let’s do that.' He looked at the map and the compass. ‘So we know this way is north, and the road is kind of southeast.’ Johnny’s head went up and he looked at the landscape around them. He pointed. ‘That way.’
His eyes following Johnny’s finger, Daniel looked out into the distance. ‘But if we don’t know where we are, how do we know it’s that way?’ He pointed to a spot on the map. `We might be here, and then the direction to the road would be northwest. Or we may have walked off this map altogether.’
‘I don’t know what to tell you, LaRusso. We need to pick a direction,’ Johnny answered with a shrug. ‘You wanna go northeast instead?’
With a final glance at the map, Daniel sighed. ‘Nah. Let’s go southeast.’ He got up, dusted himself off, and pushed the map into his back pocket. He stuffed the final items back onto his pack. Johnny jumped up and pulled his pack on. He turned and held his hand out to help Daniel up. Daniel looked at the hand and then took it, getting to his feet. They walked.
They passed the next few hours in semi-silence, checking the map intermittently. They had no real clue where they were but kept checking that they were at least still heading in their chosen direction. The sun passed over and began to get lower and shining into their eyes. They both had their shades on but had to keep their eyes downwards as the sun got lower. Long shadows followed them across the landscape.
Exhausted and his feet aching, Daniel finally stopped, desperate to rest. ‘Johnny, it’s getting dark. We don’t want to get stuck out here at night. We need to find somewhere to rest.’
Johnny stopped walking and turned towards Daniel. He shrugged. ‘Sure.’
The constant silence had been tough on Daniel. He was never one to stay silent for long and Johnny never seemed to want to talk. He had long given up trying to make conversation with the other boy, becoming sick of Johnny’s one-word responses. He was eager to sleep, not sure he could bear to sit in silence all night.
They walked for a while longer before an outcrop of stones came into sight. Daniel looked at them, seeing an overhang that created a shelter. He pointed. ‘Let’s stop there.’ There was another silent shrug from Johnny.
They walked over the rocks and Daniel dropped his pack to the ground and threw himself down next to it. He was done! The ground was sandy and cool and the rock formation blocked out the cool breeze that had begun to pick up. Johnny soon joined him and they sat with their backs against the hard rock for a moment, just enjoying the feeling of being off their feet. Johnny rolled a shoulder out, the straps leaving a dull ache and his muscles feeling tight.
After a moment of silence. ‘Shall we make a fire? It’s gonna get cooler through the night,’ Daniel asked. Johnny just nodded silently, digging into his pack. Daniel sighed in frustration at Johnny's silent treatment as he stood and began to collect some dry twigs. Johnny was soon by his side, silently helping.
Not long after, Daniel and Johnny were sitting crossed legged next to roaring fire. Daniel found himself glancing to his right at Johnny, who stared into the fire. He was getting pissed off. They had called a truce, were stuck here together and Johnny refused to talk to him. Well, Daniel was calling him out!
‘Hey man, what’s with the silent treatment?’ Daniel blurted out. ‘You’ve been ignoring me all day.’
Johnny looked around with surprise. ‘What do you mean? I haven't been ignoring you.’
‘You have! I talk and you just kind of shrug or nod. I’m not happy to be out here either but you could at least try to be a little polite.’
One shoulder was raised in a small shrug. ‘I don’t know, LaRusso. I just don’t have much to say so what’s the point in talking.’
‘Oh come on, Johnny. You don’t have anything to talk about at all? How about the trip? You said you didn’t want to come out here. Why’d you come if you didn’t want to?’ He huffed a laugh. ‘Or were your parents just happy to get you out of the house?’
‘Something like that.’
‘Something like that,’ Daniel parroted sarcastically. ‘See, that’s what I mean. Don’t talk in riddles, it’s annoying. Just talk like a normal person for once!’
‘Alright, LaRusso. I have the tournament coming up and my grades are shot to shit with midterms coming up. So yeah, I didn’t want to come on this trip.’ Johnny threw a rock angrily at the fire.
‘So why did you, then?’
‘Because my stepdad wanted me out of the house. Said he and my mom wanted some time alone without their ‘loser kid hanging around stinking up the place’.’ Johnny used air quotes as he spoke. ‘So he sent me on this trip to get rid of me.’ He threw a rock aggressively into the distance. ‘And now we’re lost out here. If I don’t come back my stepdad would throw a party.’
Daniel was silent, watching Johnny draw circles in the sand with his finger. ‘I didn’t know, Johnny.’
‘Why would you?’ Johnny shook his head. He paused before speaking again. ‘You think it’s bad that your dad died? I’d trade that for a dad who didn’t want me. A stepdad who doesn’t want me.’
He watched Johnny, who didn’t look up at him, just continued to draw circles in the sand. Daniel has never thought about it like that. He missed his father desperately but his memories of his father were some of his best. Daniel’s father had loved him and his mother, he had never doubted that. He wondered how he would feel about his father if he had left rather than died. Probably much like Johnny did.
‘I’m sorry, Johnny. You’re right. I’m lucky. My dad’s dead but he would never have left if given the choice.’
They sat like that for a few minutes, just watching the fire in silence. Daniel reached over to his pack and pulled it close. ‘You want something to eat,’ he said.
‘I’m so glad you said that. I’m starving.’ Johnny instantly perked up, glad for the food and the change of subject.
‘We should eat anything that won’t last.’ Daniel picked up the sandwiches. They were crushed and warm and did not look at all appetising but they needed eating and would be no good for another day in the desert heat. He picked up a candy bar and examined it.
‘You’re right. Put the candy back. We can eat that at any time.’
Johnny was watching Daniel and could see the temptation to eat the bar on his face. He smirked as Daniel looked at him. With a sigh, Daniel placed the candy bar back into his pack. He knew Johnny was right, no matter how much he craved the sugar.
They ate in silence, Daniel reflecting on their conversation. He had always assumed that Johnny had everything a boy could ask for. Friends. Money. A loving family. Would he give up his loving mother and the memories of his father for Johnny’s money? No. Not for all the money in the world.
When they finished their food, both boys laid back with their packs under their heads and looked up at the sky. It was dark and the sky looked vaste, neither of them ever having seen the night sky so bright. It was as if they could see the whole universe. It felt a million miles away from the orange glow of the sky of LA.
‘Hey, Daniel.’
‘Hmmm.’ Daniel turned his head and looked at Johnny, who was staring up at the sky
‘I’m sorry about all that shit before, you know. The beach. Ali. Knocking you down that hill.’
Daniel rolled onto his side and looked at Johnny. ‘Really?’
Johnny didn’t look around and continued to gaze up at the stars. ‘Yeah. I was upset about Ali but that wasn’t your fault.’ He smiled and huffed out a sharp breath of a laugh. ‘You sucker-punched me though so I did have to kick your ass. I’m not taking responsibility for that. But you’re not that bad.’
Daniel laughed. ‘Thanks, Johnny. You’re not that bad yourself. When you’re not being an asshole.’ He smiled at Johnny as he said it and Johnny laughed.
After that, they both settled down and drifted off to sleep, the warmth of the fire keeping out the worst of the cold.