Crossroads/Borrowed Lives—2026-04-03 (Patreon)

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Chapter 72: ALREADY MESSED UP by Evan Calder

This version is unique for Patreon.

Not even a full day of camping has passed, and already, we messed up. Not bad. Just not what we agreed upon. And it was totally a mistake. Not bad. Just not what we agreed upon. And it was totally a mistake.

To get to the point, a few details about camp. We set up our tents about fifty yards apart and put together a main camp area in the middle. We have our food hung from branches there. We have a small backpack cook stove. Blankets to sit on. We might build a fire later.

About fifty yards downhill from the middle area, we created a wilderness latrine. Very basic. Shovel… biodegradable TP… pack of wet-wipes tied to a tree. We do want to be conservation minded and follow sanitary camping practices.

It was about dawn when I woke up to the sound of Mara—I assumed—going to the latrine. Of course, that alerted me to the need to go, also. I put on my pants and boots, and waited until I heard her coming back.

When I went outside, she was just about to the middle area. She saw me about the same time I noticed she had on no pants.

So, I’m standing there staring shocked at a girl I’ve got strong feelings for who is walking toward me in a hoodie, panties, and hiking boots.

I’m not proud of it, but wholesome thoughts did not follow.

“Mara!” I tried to get myself under control.

She stretched her hoodie and started fast-walking. “I had to go…”

“Yeah… I see… You didn’t have time to put on pants?”

“You should understand…” She fast-walked on to her tent, stretching the back of the hoodie down as I turned away and went to the latrine.

When I got back to the camp, she had her pants back on and was waiting for me.

“What’s your problem?”

“I was surprised.” I said. “I’m wrong for having thoughts?”

“Seriously? It’s not like I had on a thong. They’re basically tight gym shorts.”

She was right about that. Just your basic tan brief panties; no frills, not revealing, hardly interesting. Except they were panties and my mind reacted badly, going places I shouldn’t have allowed it to go.

“So,” Mara said, “what’s the big deal?”

“I don’t know. Why wouldn’t you put on pants?”

“Evan, think about it. It’s a lot easier for me… you know… to not have to pull my jeans down. I took the easy route.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, didn’t think about that, and now, I can’t un-think about it.”

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Mara shook her head and looked away.

“I know… but I’m just trying to do the right thing and not let my thoughts run wild.”

“I’ll wear shorts next time, then. Same coverage, different layer.”

“Okay.”

“Really?” Mara shook her head. “That makes a difference?”

I sighed and looked down. “It shouldn’t.”

“But it does?”

“I’m sorry. Obviously, I’m not as in control as I think I am.”

“What does that mean?” Mara looked at me and furrowed her brow.

“I’ll work on it.”

“Work on it? Work on what?”

“We agreed we’d not go too far. I’ll get my thoughts back under control. Okay? I’ll work on it.”

At that, I think she finally saw more clearly where I was.

“Oh… Okay…” She turned away and went to the blanket and sat down. “Okay, I get it.”

“Hand me a package of trail mix,” I said. “I’m going to go down to the stream and wash my face.

She tossed me a pack with a smile. “I get it, Evan.”

I smiled. “Be right back.”

So, now, my brain is flooded with images of her walking into camp pantless that I saw with my eyes and images of her using the latrine that I saw with my imagination.

The thing is, we talked about the camping idea a long time before we decided it would be our go to ground solution. We made a good agreement, and if I’d just stayed in the tent two more minutes, there wouldn’t be a problem.

But I didn’t.

Honestly, besides camping in an area like this, I can’t think of any way we could pass three nights somewhere that we wouldn’t need debit cards or IDs. We have to make this work.

That means I have to get myself under control. I know it’s irrational, but I don’t think I’m the only one who sees swimwear and underwear differently.

Underwear is supposed to be private, and when it’s not… Whatever… Forget it…

I’d Google it, but we have our burner phones off to save battery until Sunday when we get our next orders.

Until then, I’ll just work harder at controlling my thoughts.

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All characters in this story are fictional characters, their images generated with AI for AGI Stories. They do not represent any real person, nor is their appearance based on any real human.

Chapter 73: SATURDAY WORKDAY by Emma Knox

Hey everyone! New Hope Williamsburg got a big donation from a little boutique shop that sells soaps, lotions, and scented candles. We’ve had donations like this before, and today I get to work some extra hours sorting it all out.

It’s sort of satisfying work to take a few big boxes of this and that and turn it into a whole bunch of little help kits. Plus, I can use the income.

Nobody’s keeping score, but let’s just acknowledge that me being a student full time and working at the church part time, I got the least money coming in. If Pay It Forward Society wasn’t paying my rent—like it does for the whole team—I sure wouldn’t be living in New York City!

Speaking of Pay It Forward Society, Paul come by like he does every day or so to check in on us. He’s not heard a peep from The Society since we got back from the Gulf.

That leaves me to worry some on account of what I said before about my rent. Nobody at Crossroads has a guess why we didn’t do anything in March. We sort of got the idea it would be monthly, but then March came and went.

I got a joke though. Why is everyone so tired in April? Because they just finished a thirty-one day March!

My daddy texted me that. He’s still working on the Mississippi for a barge company. His boat runs all the way from up north of St. Louis all the way down to New Orleans. They haul a lot of grain downstream and then upstream imported steel, petroleum products, and fertilizers.

He says he’s doing good and of course that he misses me. I miss him, too, even though growing up, he worked the farm so much… Well, that’s normal, I guess, and I’m running out of space to write.

I’ll wrap up to say me and Noah are going to get burgers later for supper, then we’ll hang out at Crossroads like a lot of people do.

We’re still not rushing, and we don’t plan on it either. Thanks for reading my story!

Chapter 74: PIZZA NIGHT by Conner Wiltshire

I’ve been in the common area this morning. Officially, I’m on duty. Unofficially, I’m watching Liza and Caleb watch YouTube videos.

Ryder Family Protection Services put us all through situational awareness training—how to read a room to identify threats and things like that. I’m saying that Liza and Caleb don’t even know there is a room. Moving on.

When Olivia came out of her apartment, I met her in the kitchenette. “Hey… I know you’re supposed to be off today…”

I paused too long for her not to respond. “Eric said I should pick eight days a month to go to on-call status, so yeah…”

“Well, I was going to say that Sh…” I caught myself and went with the cover names. “Mara and Evan are planning pizza tonight. I know that’s been your thing, so if you want, I can swap for tomorrow… whatever…”

“So, Mara likes keeping things steady… Friday or Saturday seems to be eat-out night, or she sort of gets uncomfortable.”

“You and Merritt seem to have been enjoying them.”

She smiled. “Well, nice guy, nice smile, and good conversation. Sometimes Mara seems lost to everything going on, so D… Evan and Merritt could keep the conversation going.”

I looked over at Liza, then back at Olivia, whispering. “We should be better at cover names by now.”

She nodded, then looked at me. “Look, if you don’t want to go for pizza, I’ll swap with you. I don’t mind being a third wheel.”

“It’s up to you,” I replied. “I’m good either way.”

“I’ll go. I don’t mind.”

Then from somewhere utterly unexpected, I caught myself letting slip a little something I’ve been holding back. “Well, if you don’t feel like third-wheeling it, I can smile and make conversation…”

She looked at me and smiled. “Yeah, that would be good. It would look less like a bodyguard and protectee that way.”

Once you start down a slippery slope, it’s hard to stop. “Well, you don’t look much like a bodyguard, if you ask me.”

She just smiled, took her coffee and went back to the apartment, stopping at the door to look back and say, “Pizza it is.”

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