Chapter 2

The next morning, even Will is dragging around the camp, but the girls all act like nothing happened during the night as they yawned and rubbed their eyes and discovered that there were no showers, only the river, if they wanted to bathe.

“Bathe in the river? Nude?”

Lisa responded to this one, “Well, AT the river. Otherwise, I’ll have to find you a safe spot if you want to go IN the river. And, well, nude if you like. I’m sure Will won’t mind, right Will?”

Will flustered and blushed, “Well, ah, I guess, so. Uh, just WARN me...”

He thought to himself, ‘Does Lisa know about last night?’

The girls all giggled.

Lisa added, “But you could just wear your bathing suits.”

The girls all giggled again.

Will was yet again presented with buckling each of them into their life vests; this time with just their tiny wienie bikini’s on, skipping the shorts and shirts. He tried to act professional, but when it came time to do Palila’s vest, he blushed the entire time, and she kept smiling and making sure he touched her as much as possible, rubbing against him and making little noises mixed with her giggling. “Oh ... touch here ... love you ... honey ... kiss me...” All just to unsettle him.

Kalena and Mele, too, were being rather suggestive with him, wiggling their little butts at him, holding his arm, acting like their foot hurt, smiling, even sliding a hand across their hips under the edge of their bikini bottom, pulling it outwards as if to adjust it while his eyes followed the erotic move.

Breaking the spell, “Well, I’m glad to see everyone is in such a good mood today!” Lisa kidded them as she arrived with gear from the camp.

“You get William to guide you today. There’s a run of class V’s, so you need to listen and obey him completely.”

The girls cheered and laughed, “Oh, we will obey ALL his commands, alright!”

Will blushed again, still wondering if Lisa knew.

The rapids gave them all quite a ride, but the girls, with Will’s help, made it just fine. Lisa had taken the supply raft through first after she and Will had scouted some of the runs.

“Lisa, you ok? Nothing bothering you?” Will offered when they were out of sight of the girls.

“Sure, no problem. I think the question is, are YOU ok? You’ve acted a bit ... funny ... today.”

He suppressed a gulp and tried not to act like the cat that ate the canary.

“Sure. Just a bit ... tired.”

“Yeah, it was kinda noisy last night.”

‘Oh God, she knows!’ he thought, “Ah, I didn’t notice.”

“Oh, yes, just some of the girls were running around last night. I didn’t bother them since I figured they wouldn’t go far. They settled down finally.”

“Oh.” He didn’t want to say more, not knowing what else she had figured out.

By the time they got to their second camp, the girls were worn out. They barely were able to prep their tents, crawl in and fall asleep. It was just mid-afternoon, and Will had initially planned a short hike to some ruins, but he just left them. He and Lisa prepped for dinner and only woke the girls when it was nearly ready. They only got up to eat because they were so hungry and it smelled so good. Afterward, all were back in their tents by early dusk. Even Will turned in early. Though Lisa joined him in his tent this time. They just slept, and none of the girls stirred until early the next morning.

Lisa woke to see two little faces looking into her and Will’s tent.

“Well, hello, girls!” Lisa greeted them. They just tittered and said they felt much better today.

Another day on the river, this time just a couple hours, and they made it to their departure point.

Looking around, Mele asked, “How do we get back?”

“Walk!” Will said.

“WALK?!” Mele and Tiare said together, staring wide-eyed at Will.

“It’s only about a day’s hike. Remember, the river winds around while our trail is straighter. As the crow flies, it’s only about 10 miles.”

“Walk, how far?” Kalena asked, worried.

“A little farther than that.”

They looked stern at him.

“You can do it. You won’t have but a small day pack. And I know all of you are perfectly able.” He said, avoiding the answer.

Mele went back into her pouty mode, “I WON’T DO IT! I CAN’T!”

“You will, and you must! This is part of your preparation. Mele, don’t do that.” He deflected again.

“Preparation for what?” Palila asked, concerned.

“The primary goal for this exercise.”

“Huh?” they all chimed.

“Here, come over here. Look up there.” He pointed towards a mountain top.

“Huh? All I see is a mountain.”

“Yes.”

“NO WAY! We can’t climb THAT.”

Lisa cracked up, “WAY! And yes, you can! We will PROVE it to you. This is your biggest goal.”

Tiare looked at the mountain top again, “There’s snow on it.”

“Yep, I get to teach you some ice climbing. Don’t worry; we have all the gear back at camp.”

The girls relented, but their faces reflected their fears.

The next morning, with much consternation, the group all started their hike out. Will was in front, and the girls trailed behind. It was nearly an hour into the hike before Kalena, at the back of the group, noticed that Lisa wasn’t behind them.

“Will! Lisa’s not here!” she called out.

“No worry. She had to stay with the rafts and gear. We’ll have to come back to pick her up.”

The girls froze. “WHAT! You mean we could have stayed there, and you would have come got us?”

He laughed, “Sorry, that’s not how this works. You hike out.”

Mele plopped down; the other girls used that as an excuse to rest as well.

“I WON’T DO IT! I want to go back and wait with Lisa.” Mele pouted.

Will stopped and looked at them all, his stern stance back again.

“Sure, go right ahead. Bye.”

Tears started down Mele’s face, “But, I don’t know the way. I could get lost.”

“True, so I would really prefer it if you all stayed together with me and complete this journey. You can do it.” He went on to tell them why this was required, not optional.

Tiare, who was closest to Will, jumped up and hung onto Will, looking back at Mele. Her little 4’ 10” body pressed tight to Will’s over six-foot height.

“I’m going with Will.” She exclaimed. He accepted her hug.

As he stood there, she looked like a little girl beside him, not a 16-year-old teen. She picked up her day pack and started slowly up the trail. The others moaned and followed suit. Will waited beside the path, encouraging each of them as they passed. Mele gave in, wiped her tears, and started as well. She came to Will and like Tiare, hugged him tightly, her slightly taller five-foot frame pressed against his.

She looked up at him and bashfully whispered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I ... I...”

“It’s ok. See, you can do it. You are stronger than you think. Stronger willed if nothing else!”

She held her face up, even raised up onto her tiptoes in her shoes, wanting a kiss, but he just patted her and started off again. She determined right then and there, she would do something about that. She wasn’t a virgin, after all.

After several more hours of hiking, with numerous stops, including a few where the river came beside the trail and a scramble down by all the girls while Will stayed discreetly out of sight, they stopped for lunch in a shady area with a large flat rock. Will pulled out the sandwiches and nuts, apples, and honey (the girls had long given up being very picky. Amazing what exercise, outdoors, and hunger does.) The girls pulled off their shoes and socks, leaning against their packs and wiggling their toes.

“Ah, you might not want to do that. Your feet will swell. But, hopefully, you can loosen your shoestrings enough to get back into them.”

After lunch and a short break, they discovered he was right. But it felt so good to have their shoes off, they didn’t care. He had to bandage a few blisters before their boots went back on anyway.

While they ate, Mele came and sat beside Will, “Thank you, and I’m sorry.”

He laughed, “Mele, you’re fine. You already apologized.”

“Do you like me?”

He thought, ‘Uh oh, here it comes. Shit, I’ve seen her ... naked.’ He felt stirring in his shorts.

“Of course, Mele. You are an adorable girl.”

She didn’t like ‘girl.’

“I’m a young woman!” she said forcefully, even if at just at a whisper.

“And you’ve SEEN me! HELD me! ... kissed me.” Her voice petering out at the last few words.

He blushed, “Yes. And yes, you are a wonderful young woman.”

She put her hand into his. He felt her soft little hand and had to look away from her beautiful face. She was nearly aglow. Her blue eyes were entrancing. He rubbed her fingers and palm and then let go, composed himself and pushed away his desire to kiss her, got up, and told everyone to get ready to leave.

“How FAR?” was the first question, of course.

“I’ll tell you when we get there,” he deflected.

After what seemed like forever, but was just several more hours of up and down, left and right, one foot in front of the other, the girls all cranky and complaining, they turned a bend, and there was their cabin. It was late afternoon when they arrived.

“OH MY GAUD! Home! We made it!” they all were re-energized and headed for their cabin, dumping their packs and boots and socks on the steps and crashing into their beds.

Finally, Palila rolled over as Will dumped their stuff just inside the cabin door.

“Ok, BUSTER, how far did we walk?”

“About 18 miles,” he said nonchalantly.

“18 MILES!!!”

He heard nothing but screams and moans and cries until he finally left them.

“See, you guys are better than you thought!”

A sandal was tossed at him as he closed the door.

After a couple hours, they started to stir; nature calls and desires for food urged them on.

“I have BLISTERS!” “I can’t WALK! I’m LAME!” “I HURT ALL OVER!”

“Here’s medicine and band-aids for your feet, aspirin for your pains, and ... IT’S A MIRACLE! You can WALK!”

They all glared at him. “FOOD! Are you starving us now?”

He laughed and started pulling out things for dinner. And, yes, they had to help prepare it.

After gobbling up more food than they had eaten in what seemed like forever, the girls headed off to get a shower, except for Mele, who came around to Will again. She was really buttering him now. Her shirt was tied well up her chest, showing off her dark-skinned well-muscled abdomen, her sport shorts pushed down far below her belly button and tight on her hips. Bare feet, and bare arms, though he had seen more of her, much more, she looked even sexier now, every curve accentuated.

“Aren’t you going to pick up Lisa and the rafts?” she asked timidly as if she already knew the answer.

“Uh, no, too late. Lisa knew it would be tomorrow...” He replied, then realizing ‘Shit! Alone with these four.’

He added, “Aren’t you tired? And going to bed, I mean going to sleep early?”

She didn’t answer but instead leaned against his arm. Her hand moved into his. He stood up quickly.

“Oh! I need to finish up before dark. You should, too, I mean...”

She responded, “I’m going to take a shower. I probably stink!” and she started unbuttoning her shirt.

He quickly averted his eyes, not knowing if she was going to completely disrobe right here. But she stopped, leaving her shirt tied off but buttons all undone, breasts visible and nipples peeking as she moved.

“Will, I COULD use some help.”

“What?” he flustered.

“The pump. Remember the shower pump. You pump me, and I could then pump you.”

“Oh, I don’t think that’s a very good idea,” he asserted, even as his little man stirred at the thought of seeing ... and feeling her sexy cute body.

“Suit yourself, I’ll have to see if Kalena or the others can.”

“Yes, yes, that will be good.”

He busied himself as she left, her perfect little butt swinging her tight shorts as she left. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

As he finished up and was about to head to the cabin, Palila sauntered up wrapped in a towel that only reached to just below her crotch, with another towel being used to dry her hair. He tried not to think that she was totally nude under that little cloth and that they had been lovers just a few days ago.

“Hi, Will! I feel much better now. Thank you for everything. Even as hard as today was, I kinda enjoyed it.”

“I’m glad,” is all he could safely manage.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?”

‘Uh oh,’ he thought.

“Sure.” And he sat down.

She sat beside him. He tried not to stare at her bare thighs and hints of what was between her legs.

“I told you about being adopted out when we were just babies.”

“Yes”

“You know that I wasn’t a virgin.”

“Uh, yeah,” he replied quietly.

“Oh, it’s ok, I’m on the Pill ... but you probably knew that from going through OUR stuff.”

“Uh, sorry ... yes.”

“My mom and dad, our adoptive parents, brought us to America. We moved around quite a lot. My dad was a contractor for the government. So it was kinda hard to make friends, especially as we got older. Some of the places we went, well, the other kids didn’t like us. I think some didn’t like our, well, looks. Beauty, I mean. Girls were kinda jealous, I guess. And boys, they ... well ... liked us too much.”

“Palila, you four are, I hate to say it, but, yes, you guys are stunningly beautiful,” he regretted saying it already. Not to feed their ego, but admitting his own attraction, likely much like the boys she just mentioned.

She blushed and leaned against him, her towel parted at the leg where it was wrapped around her. Her bare hip was now visible to him.

“Thank you, Will, but yeah, I guess that was part of the problem. Can a girl be TOO pretty? I kinda got with the wrong crowd. Wrong guys. I guess I was just lonely.”

“Palila, you don’t have to tell me. And I think you are smart and competent young women.”

“And pretty?”

He smiled at her, “Yes, pretty, very ... and silly too!”

He couldn’t resist. He tickled her side. She giggled and laughed.

“Stop! Stop!” she laughed, losing control of her towel. It parted both at the top and then at the bottom. She grabbed at it to cover her breasts, while her bush and pussy were exposed.

“Now look what you made me do! This is serious. I’m trying to talk to you!”

“Sorry! I relent,”, he couldn’t resist one more quick pinch, “Go on, go on. I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

“You better!” she adjusted herself but ended up pressed against him.

He helped her cover her modesty and then put one arm around her. She wiped a tear out of her eye.

“I hope that was a tear of joy...”

She ignored him and continued, “The boys I was with were bad. They hurt. My first time.”

That stopped him. He hugged her closer, knowing that is really hard on a girl.

She took a breath, “anyway. I, ah, I have a ... request.”

“Uh, oh ... kay...” he worried.

“My sister.”

“Tiare? Oh, I don’t mean to let her, ah ... I mean, I know she likes me...”

“No, no, I think you don’t understand. She is a virgin. I want you to be her first.” she blurted it out.

“Oh! Uh, I uh, I really don’t think that is a good idea at all. I mean, she’s...”

“Young, yes. I was 14 for my first. It was terrible. It made me not care. Not care what I did after.”