Dorm Norm - 4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Michael quickly sprinkled some water on Mark’s face.

“Sam you got the water!” Mark said faintly before slipping into unconsciousness again.

“Mark! Wake up,” Michael said splashing some more water on Mark’s face.

Mark continued to be unconscious. Seeing that Mark was not going to wake up any time soon, Michael picked Mark up in his arms.

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“Can’t you look before you walk?” Daniel said as he watched the map fly far away.

‘What is his problem?’ Sam thought, ‘Now, he is surely carrying a map.’

“Listen I don’t want your lecture. Will you let me use your map?” Sam asked.

“No will have to do for that answer,” Daniel said.

“Okay. Will you please let me use your map?” Sam asked.

“I can’t,” Daniel said.

“And why is that?” Sam said visibly frustrated.

“Because you don’t look before you walk,” Daniel said.

“Huh?”

“I was chasing the map when I ran into you!”

“Chasing? The map?”

“Yes. It flew out of my hands.”

“Do you know the way back atleast?”

Daniel held his head low and turned his head from side to side to say no.

‘So cute,’ Sam thought. ‘What are you thinking? A guy can’t be cute!’ he rebuked himself.

“I got it. I will just give someone a call,” Sam said.

“That won’t work,” Daniel said as Sam’s phone was unable to connect the call, “there is no network on the hill.”

“Shit! Its half past 5 already! Let us just walk and we will find the way eventually,” Sam said as he began walking.

Daniel was reluctant to follow Sam but not wanting to be left alone in the forest especially since it was getting dark he started following Sam.

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Michael got off the road and lay Mark down under the shade of a tree. He took out his water bottle, pulled open Mark’s mouth and poured some water in. Mark slowly opened his eyes as he drank it thirstily.

“Huh? What are you doing here?” Mark asked.

“Trying to make sure you remain alive, I think,” Michael answered.

“Oh! Ya. Thanks for the water Mike,” Mark said.

“Mike who?” Michael asked.

“You! Can’t I call you Mike?” Mark asked.

“Umm… er… okay,” Michael said reluctantly.

“Just a while ago you were laying here unconscious and it seems like you’re back to your form,” Michael said.

“Ofcourse. We should always be cheerful. Especially so now that I have found a new friend—you,” Mark said grinning.

Michael found himself smiling at this.

“What are you smiling at?” Mark asked.

“Nothing,” Michael said.

“It’s quite dark. What’s the time?” Mark asked.

“It’s quarter to 6,” Michael said, “We can make it back in time. Can you lend me your map?”

“Map? Now that I think of it…my map got torn and… I left it in the forest,” Mark said.

“So how do you plan on getting back?” Michael asked.

“We just gotta walk a bit from here and we will reach camp,” Mark said.

“Really?” Michael asked.

“Ya obviously. Come on, follow me,” Mark said getting up as he began pulling Michael.

Mark tried pulling Michael once, twice, thrice and once again but to no resort.

“Dude why won’t you budge?” Mark said clearly defeated.

Michael did not reply. He simply got up and said, “Come on. Lead the way.”

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After making their way through the dense growth for almost half an hour Sam and Daniel noticed that they had come back to the same place from where they had started.

“Stop. We are back to the same place where we started,” Daniel said.

“What are you saying now? How do you know that?” Sam asked.

“Look, you had gone behind that tree with pink flowers trying to get network and when you hit the branch some flowers fell on the ground,” Daniel pointed out.

“What the hell!” Sam said sitting down on the ground, “I can’t walk anymore.”

“Let us take rest for a while,” Daniel said sitting down beside Sam.

“So what’s your problem with me?” Sam suddenly asked.

“Regarding what?” Daniel asked.

“What’s with all the rules and lectures and stuff?” Sam asked.

“You’re very undisciplined and hence the ground rules I set are a hindrance to you. A life without discipline is merely like a ship, without a rudder,” Daniel stated.

“Wow! Philosophy doesn’t sit right with me,” Sam said.

“Look. I have nothing against you. It’s just that I don’t like trouble.”

“Trouble?”

“People do crazy things when they are drunk. Also smoking and drinking are injurious to health and we need to get sufficient amount of sleep at night for our body to function properly,” Daniel explained.

“What the…? You’re turning simple stuff into such complex…” Sam said.

“These are facts,” Daniel said puffing up his cheeks.“If only people would understand that,” he mumbled.

‘Cute!’ Sam thought.

“Okay. Now what is the actual reason behind you being so uptight? Can’t you be friendly once in a while?” Sam said.

“A guy like you won’t understand,” Daniel said.

“A guy like me? And how exactly is a guy like me?” Sam asked.

“Popular, having lots of friends. Doing whatever you want,” Daniel explained.

“Look Daniel,” Sam said seriously, “there is a difference between who seem like friends and true friends. And among my ‘lots of friends’ I have only one true friend.”

Daniel had never thought that Sam would have a serious side.

“I didn’t know that,” Daniel said.

“I didn’t expect you to. After all you too are quick to judge me like the others,” Sam said.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that all the popular people I have come across till now have been really horrible to me,” Daniel said.

“I’m not horrible to anyone. It’s just that life likes to behave horribly with me,” Sam said.

“Can I be your fr…friend?” Daniel suddenly asked.

“Sure. No biggie there,” Sam said giving a sad smile.

At this Daniel found himself saying something he had never expected to. He said, “I haven’t… ever… had any friend in the true sense before so… tell me if I go wrong anywhere. I hope I can… become a…true friend… of yours.”

Sam smile changed into a happy one on hearing this and he said, “Sure.”

‘Oh man! This guy is so cute!’ Sam thought.

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“We have been walking for about half an hour now. So I guess the way back to camp is probably not this one,” Michael said.

“No problem. I will just call Sam and ask him to come and get us,” Mark said.

As he dialed the number it was obvious that there was no network.

“I think it’s going to be too troublesome for someone to come and get us now and we are really tired now so I guess we can…let’s see…we can spend the night here and then go back in the morning,” Mark suggested nervously.

“Are you serious?” Michael asked.

“Ya. There is no network here and to say the truth I don’t know the way back,” Mark said.

Michael nodded.