“It means, you’re basically blaming evolution.”
“Excuse me,” Julie said sarcastically.
“When evolution took place, both genders looked more or less the same, except women had breasts. So, men are supposed to look for people with breasts. In order to procreate, and to secure the survival of our species, and all that.” Andrew shrugged.
“So you’re blaming it on instinct? Is that it?”
“Well, that too, I suppose. But the main reason men look for breast is because they are rewarded with a good sensation when doing so. Kind of like when you eat something high in calories, such as fat and sugar. To encourage you to keep eating, your brain rewards you with dopamine and such.”
“Just because something brings you delight, doesn’t mean you have to do it. Either way, you still have a choice. I enjoy chocolate, but I don’t stuff myself every chance I get. I can control my urges,” Julie said. “You still control your eyes, don’t you?”
Andrew took a few deep breaths before answering. “Why don’t you?”
“Why don’t I what?”
“Why don’t you eat chocolate every chance you get?”
“Because I care about my health.” Julie shrugged. “What do you want me to say?”
“Exactly, that’s my point. But when men stare at breasts, they don’t endanger their health,” Andrew said. “If you could eat unlimited amounts of chocolate without, endangering your health, then wouldn’t you eat chocolate every chance you got?”
“I know I would,” Nancy suddenly said.
Julie arched her eyebrows. “You’re such a pig, Andy.”
“Yeah…” Andrew sighed loudly. “Men are pigs.”
“No, I didn’t say that.” Julie raised her index finger in the air. “Not all men, just you, Andy. You’re the pig.”
“Stop calling me Andy. I told you, my name is Andrew.”
Julie arched her eyebrows once more. “You’re such a pig—Andrew.”
Andrew sighed heavily before he rose to his feet and walked determinedly along the shore. This time, toward the mountain.
“That’s a little harsh,” Nancy said.
“I don’t care for him. He’s a misogynist.”
“What does that got to do with anything?” Nancy asked. “People should be free to have sex any way they please. Just because you’re boring in bed, doesn’t mean the rest of us have to be. Besides, most of these guys just do it for the money.”
Julie looked clueless. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“And you didn’t answer the question,” Nancy added.
“What question?”
“If you could eat anything you wanted without gaining any weight. Then wouldn’t you stuff yourself?” Nancy asked. “I know I would.”
“I know what you mean. I’m hungry too.”
Nancy made an attempt to rise, but Julie grabbed her arm.
“Where you’re going?” Julie asked.
“I’m going to talk to him before he disappears into the woods.”
“No, you shouldn’t walk,” Julie said. “Let’s just sit here, and wait for Jack.”
“Who?”
“You remember Jack, don’t you? The big guy.”
“The black guy?”
“No, that’s Kevin.” Julie exhaled heavily. “The other guy. The pale one with, all the muscles.”
“Oh, him. I don’t know his name.”
Julie sighed and also shook her head. “Jack is his name.”
“I meant I don’t know his real name.”
Julie frowned. “What did you say?”
“Jack isn’t his real name,” Nancy mumbled.
Julie’s face plummeted, and she kept staring at Nancy with wide eyes.
“We’re not supposed to use our real names,” Nancy said. “Your real name isn’t Julie, is it?”
Julie’s face dropped once more, and she took her time before answering.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Julie said. “You’re not making any sense, Nancy.”
“What did you call me?”
Julie exhaled deeply. “Did you board the plane with Jack? Or whatever his name is. Do you two know each other? Is that what you’re saying?”
Nancy blinked a few times and looked as though she was about to fall asleep.
“What plane?”
Julie closed her eyes, and rubbed her forehead. Then she explained to Nancy all that had happened over the past few days. For the next several hours, Nancy dozed on and off, and each time she woke up, she drank a substantial amount of water from the lake.
Afternoon
A few hours later, Andrew finally returned to the sloping tree, and when he saw Nancy; he looked mortified.
“Is she all right? She looks drunk.”
“Of course, she’s not all right. She needs a hospital,” Julie responded harshly. “She’s delusional, and the swelling on her temple is even worse.”
Nancy kept leaning forward, and her body had the same posture as the notorious tree; her pupils were dilated, and she kept focusing on Andrew.
“I’m Andrew.”
Nancy didn’t respond, but eventually she extended her arm, and pointed at Andrew’s crotch, her eyes flickering.
Andrew took his cell phone out of his pants pocket. “It’s just my phone.”
“Did you find any food?” Julie asked.
“I found some mushrooms, but I was afraid to have any.”
Julie sighed heavily.
“How’s it going with those chopsticks?” Andrew pointed at the branches without bark. “I thought you were going to start a fire?”
Julie rolled her eyes, then looked at Nancy.
“As I was saying, some people have such low self-esteem, they feel the need to humiliate and ridicule other people in order to feel better about themselves. That way, they don’t have to think poorly of themselves—instead they can think poorly of others.”
Andrew smirked. “Subtle. That’s real subtle, Julie.”
Julie kept her eyes on Nancy. “A person with good self-esteem can see the beauty in others, and especially in people who can’t see the beauty in themselves. They care—”
“That’s from Harry Potter,” Andrew interrupted.
Julie swallowed once, and looked uncomfortable “So what? I can’t quote someone else, is that what you’re saying?”
“You make it sound like it’s something you thought of.” Andrew chuckled. “What, you just quote others, then try to pass their wisdom off as your own. That’s so weak.”
Julie kept staring Andrew in the eyes, but eventually she turned her head around and whispered a few words to Nancy, who then briefly looked at Andrew before she burst into laughter. At that, the two women looked at each other and then laughed even louder. Then something happened to Andrew’s face. He didn’t look like the same person anymore. His facial muscles appeared all cramped up. His profile didn’t look the same. His eyes held an empty, metallic stare, and his eyes locked in on Nancy.
Andrew suddenly jumped to his feet and lashed out with his arm toward Nancy. He grabbed onto her forearm, which she seemingly was using to protect her face.
“I know who you are!” Andrew screamed in Nancy’s face.
“You’re hurting her, Andrew.”
“I know who you really are.” Andrew squeezed Nancy’s forearm.
“Let go of her, Andrew. You’re hurting her!” Julie’s voice trembled.
“You’re just a dirty whore! Aren’t you, Candy?”
Andrew pushed Nancy’s arm toward her before he let her go and then he began walking away, this time toward the hillside, in the opposite direction of the mountain.
“What’s wrong with you? Are you insane?” Julie’s voice cracked.
Nancy cracked altogether and started to sob as if overwhelmed. “He hates me.”
“Never mind what he thinks.”
“But I’m a whore. That’s why he hates me,” Nancy mumbled while gasping for air.