Possibilities

[RonR]

Natalie let out a gasp, clapping her hand to her forehead in disbelief as the memory suddenly hit her like a bolt of lightning. “Oh my God... YES! I completely forgot about that! It was Lauren! Remember her? The girl who thought nature was just background scenery for an Instagram post, but wasn’t quite up on the practicality of, you know... outdoor footwear?”

Mary’s eyes widened in recognition, chuckling as the memory started coming back. “Yes! Lauren! Oh my gosh, she was always the one in class with everything color-coordinated. I swear, her backpack matched her notebook. What an absolute perfectionist."

Natalie was already giggling as she nodded. “Exactly! And that perfectionism definitely extended to her outfits. That girl showed up for the most casual things as if she was waiting for a fashion photographer to jump out from behind a tree. I should’ve known she was up to something when she put on those new canvas Tretorns for the group hike.”

Mary covered her mouth with her hand, laughing at the memory now. "I totally remember! We were confused from the minute we saw her. Who wears bright white Tretorns to a hike in the woods? It’s not like it was a walk in the mall!"

Natalie raised her eyebrows, still laughing. "Oh, and she did the same thing I can totally see you doing with your Keds! She was, like, super proud of them—kept looking down at her shoes, making these tiny, dainty steps to avoid literally anything that could get dirt on them. We’re walking through leaves, dirt, branches everywhere, and she’s practically on her tiptoes like it’s a balancing beam! I was like, ‘Lauren, girl… we’re in the woods. This isn’t some sidewalk parade!’”

Mary was shaking her head, nearly bent over in laughter. “And then there was that little creek we had to cross, remember? It was pretty shallow, but clearly had some mud around the edge. She completely lost it there.”

Natalie deepened her voice, mimicking Lauren perfectly, “‘Wait, we have to cross that?? No one said there’d be mud!’” She broke character and burst into even more laughter. “Like, we were casually hiking, and she’s out here acting like she’s about to be challenged on Survivor."

“Oh my gosh, yes!” Mary exclaimed, practically bouncing in her chair. “Lauren tried to find some perfect rock formation to tiptoe across, but just like me, she failed. The earth was out to get her!”

Natalie was pounding the table with her hand as she laughed. “YUP! I think she thought she could hop across the little gaps between the rocks with her feet in mint-condition Tretorns. But just like with you and your Keds, there was that moment where she overestimated her balance. She sank right down into the mud! God, the pure horror on her face!"

“Lauren’s pristine shoes—her prized white Tretorns—gone in an instant!” Mary cried out, eyes wide with laughter. “She was standing there like a statue, freezing in panic, and all she could say was, ‘NO! No! No, no, NO! My shoes!’”

Natalie could barely speak through her laughter at this point. “YES! I swear, you’d have thought someone had just ruined her favorite designer purse. And every time she lifted her foot, there was this god-awful squishing sound, mud bubbling up over the edges of her precious Tretorns, destroying the white canvas.”

“Oh, and don’t forget her socks!” Mary added, laughing even harder. “Lauren was wearing those little ankle sock things, and the water was just seeping into them. She was practically wading in that muck!”

Natalie took a deep breath to calm down but couldn’t help herself from tossing in one last detail. “And remember when she finally snapped and just yelled, ‘THIS IS WHY I DON’T DO THE OUTDOORS!’ She stormed off and refused to walk through mud the rest of the hike—even if it meant making us take the long way back!”

Mary was wiping tears from under her eyes. “She was SO MAD! It was like the forest had personally offended her. Her shoes were wrecked, her socks were disgusting—she legitimately looked like she’d been betrayed by nature itself.”

“It was Epic.” Natalie exclaimed. "And the worst part is, she was mad at everyone else for not telling her, like it was our fault she wasn’t prepared! She really thought we should have warned her specifically because she was wearing white canvas sneakers! I think one of the guys was like, ‘Lauren, it's a forest, not a spa day.’”

Mary howled at the memory. “Oh, you’re right! That just made it worse. Poor thing was furious the whole way back.”

Natalie grinned wide, shaking her head. “So now you know, Mary… you’ve officially joined Lauren in the club of people who trusted their white canvas shoes on a hike. May your feet forever squish in muddy solidarity!”

Mary sighed but was still laughing. “I guess there’s no escaping it. I’m now part of the tragic history of ruined white shoes in nature.”

Natalie gave her a playful, sympathetic look. “And we’ll never let either of you live it down. Tretorns, Keds… no shoe is safe.”

What else was Lauren wearing that day? What color stripe did she have on the Tretorns? Were the others in the group "taking bets" on how long she'd be able to keep them clean? What was the speculation at the creek? Was she going to make it? How close did she come to making it? What other comments did the guys and gals make to her after she sank in the mud?

 

[BrainBot]

What else was Lauren wearing that day? What color stripe did she have on the Tretorns? Were the others in the group "taking bets" on how long she'd be able to keep them clean? What was the speculation at the creek? Was she going to make it? How close did she come to making it? What other comments did the guys and gals make to her after she sank in the mud?

Natalie giggled again, shaking her head as the memory of Lauren’s ill-fated hike unfolded more vividly with each passing second. "Oh, you remember Lauren—we always said she could make any trip to a grocery store look like a runway. So naturally, she came fully coordinated that day. She was wearing those bright white Tretorns with the navy blue stripe, you know, the classic ones. And she had on these high-waisted light-wash jeans, cuffed at the bottom, and a perfectly tucked-in pale pink top. Oh, and let’s not forget—she was rocking a white baseball cap and a matching white windbreaker! Who wears that much white on a trail hike?"

Mary burst into laughter, waving her hand dismissively. "She was practically glowing, Nat! Like a walking canvas commercial. I think even the birds were confused about what she was doing in the woods."

Natalie nodded, wiping a happy tear from her eye. "I swear, you could see the fear in her eyes with every step we took that was slightly off the beaten path. The dirt, the leaves—they were closing in on her, and everyone was secretly taking bets on how long she'd last before disaster struck."

Mary’s eyes widened. "Wait, people were actually taking bets?"

Natalie grinned mischievously. "Oh, absolutely! You didn’t notice? The minute we saw her shiny white shoes, Kyle was like, ‘I give her ten minutes before something gets trashed.’ And then Matt and Jenna joined in with their own predictions. Jenna thought Lauren could make it until lunch, but Matt—Matt was ruthless. He was like, ‘Five bucks says those shoes don’t make it past the first mud puddle.’”

“Oh my gosh, I didn’t hear any of that!” Mary was fully in giggles, clutching her stomach. “And what about when we got to the creek? Did the speculation just skyrocket?”

Natalie’s eyes twinkled, and she started laughing all over again. “Oh, you know it! The second we got to that creek and saw the mud around the edges—" Natalie paused, wiping her eyes and adopting an overdramatic serious tone, "It was like we were at the main event; everyone was watching Lauren out of the corner of their eyes, trying to act casual but totally not casual. It was like being in a suspense movie. We were all thinking, ‘This is it. This is her downfall. The pristine sneakers won’t survive this.’ We were all just waiting for the moment.”

Mary was practically tearing up from laughter now. "And she was trying to make it, wasn’t she? Like, really doing the most to stay clean?”

Natalie nodded enthusiastically, her grin wide. "Ohhhh yeah, for sure. The rest of us just trudged through a slightly muddy spot to cross, no biggie. But Lauren? She was standing there on the edge of the creek like she was planning her escape from Alcatraz. I swear she spent, like, a full minute eyeing up the rocks, measuring steps with her eyes, and going over her perfect sneaker survival strategy. I could almost hear her internally giving herself a pep talk. She had this determination in her face like, ‘I will not be defeated by mud.’”

“She was so close, wasn’t she?” Mary asked, shaking her head, almost feeling bad for remembering the chaos that ensued.

Natalie nodded, letting out a big breath. "Oh, SO close. Her feet were practically hovering over every rock, and she was making these tiny little precision hops, trying to avoid even the tiniest splash. I remember Jenna whispered, ‘She might actually make it.’ But then—"

Natalie lifted her arms dramatically, as if to punctuate the moment.

"—her foot just barely slipped on the last rock. Not a lot, just enough for her balance to get thrown off. The last thing she probably saw before disaster struck was the look of pure panic on all our faces as we realized she was done for. She went to catch herself, but instead? Bam. Straight into the mud. She didn’t even have a chance to scream—she just let out this ‘NOOOO!’ as one of her feet sank. The left Tretorn was immediately submerged, and she froze, like she couldn’t believe what just happened.”

Mary gasped, placing a hand over her mouth. "It’s all coming back now! Her face was priceless—like she’d just walked into a tragic fashion crime scene! And she didn’t even try to save herself. She just stood there, didn’t she?"

Natalie grinned wickedly. "Yup! She was paralyzed, just staring down at her foot like the mud monster had stolen her soul. And we all just lost it—everyone burst out laughing. Kyle was like, ‘Welp, we all knew it would happen!’ Matt was howling, saying he was ready to collect his five dollars. Even Jenna was trying to hold in her laughter but failed so hard."

Mary clutched her stomach as she bent over, laughing. "And what about the comments from the guys? They were merciless."

“Ohhh, they were brutal,” Natalie said, snickering. “Kyle was like, ‘Maybe the forest defeated you, but now you’ve got a real “earthy” aesthetic going, Lauren.’ And Matt—oh my gosh—Matt was like, ‘Don’t worry, those Tretorns just needed a little more “character.” They look more vintage now.’” Natalie giggled again, mimicking Matt’s laid-back vibe with air quotes.

Mary shook her head, barely able to contain herself. "And Lauren was just shaking with frustration!"

Natalie flung her hand in the air dramatically. "Oh, you could see it—you could practically feel her soul leaving her body. She was furious. And remember when she started trying to gingerly step out of the mud and just made it worse? Like, every time she lifted her foot, it made that squelching sound, and the mud was just everywhere. And the kicker? The more she tried to fix it, the more she dug herself in.”

Mary wiped her eyes. "And when we finally got out of the creek, she kept angrily muttering about how mud wasn’t ‘in the group chat.’ I think she genuinely believed we should’ve sent a warning.”

Natalie nodded, still grinning. "She was like, ‘Why didn’t anyone TELL me we’d be crossing this?’ Meanwhile, all of us are like… Lauren, it’s a trail hike, not tea time at your grandma’s! What did you expect?"

Mary let out one last huge laugh. “Poor girl was traumatized! But I think the worst part? By the time we made it halfway down the trail, she gave up on even trying to stay clean.”

“Oh, definitely,” Natalie agreed. “I think once the mud got into her shoes, it was over. Her shoulders slumped, her face fell, and she was just like, ‘Well, that’s it. I live in the dirt now.’ We practically had to drag her back to the car, shoes still squishing every step of the way.”

Mary sighed, still grinning. "That was such a legendary moment. I guess I shouldn’t feel too bad about my Keds incident."

Natalie smirked. "Nope, you’re definitely not alone in the ‘pristine shoes, meet the mud’ tragedy club. Lauren’s legacy lives on!"

Mary shook her head, still smiling. "Never will I ever wear white shoes on a trail again."

Natalie laughed one last time. “Famous last words!

 

[RonR]

Natalie giggled again, shaking her head as the memory of Lauren’s ill-fated hike unfolded more vividly with each passing second. "Oh, you remember Lauren—we always said she could make any trip to a grocery store look like a runway. So naturally, she came fully coordinated that day. She was wearing those bright white Tretorns with the navy blue stripe, you know, the classic ones. And she had on these high-waisted light-wash jeans, cuffed at the bottom, and a perfectly tucked-in pale pink top. Oh, and let’s not forget—she was rocking a white baseball cap and a matching white windbreaker! Who wears that much white on a trail hike?"

Mary burst into laughter, waving her hand dismissively. "She was practically glowing, Nat! Like a walking canvas commercial. I think even the birds were confused about what she was doing in the woods."

Natalie nodded, wiping a happy tear from her eye. "I swear, you could see the fear in her eyes with every step we took that was slightly off the beaten path. The dirt, the leaves—they were closing in on her, and everyone was secretly taking bets on how long she'd last before disaster struck."

Mary’s eyes widened. "Wait, people were actually taking bets?"

Natalie grinned mischievously. "Oh, absolutely! You didn’t notice? The minute we saw her shiny white shoes, Kyle was like, ‘I give her ten minutes before something gets trashed.’ And then Matt and Jenna joined in with their own predictions. Jenna thought Lauren could make it until lunch, but Matt—Matt was ruthless. He was like, ‘Five bucks says those shoes don’t make it past the first mud puddle.’”

“Oh my gosh, I didn’t hear any of that!” Mary was fully in giggles, clutching her stomach. “And what about when we got to the creek? Did the speculation just skyrocket?”

Natalie’s eyes twinkled, and she started laughing all over again. “Oh, you know it! The second we got to that creek and saw the mud around the edges—" Natalie paused, wiping her eyes and adopting an overdramatic serious tone, "It was like we were at the main event; everyone was watching Lauren out of the corner of their eyes, trying to act casual but totally not casual. It was like being in a suspense movie. We were all thinking, ‘This is it. This is her downfall. The pristine sneakers won’t survive this.’ We were all just waiting for the moment.”

Mary was practically tearing up from laughter now. "And she was trying to make it, wasn’t she? Like, really doing the most to stay clean?”

Natalie nodded enthusiastically, her grin wide. "Ohhhh yeah, for sure. The rest of us just trudged through a slightly muddy spot to cross, no biggie. But Lauren? She was standing there on the edge of the creek like she was planning her escape from Alcatraz. I swear she spent, like, a full minute eyeing up the rocks, measuring steps with her eyes, and going over her perfect sneaker survival strategy. I could almost hear her internally giving herself a pep talk. She had this determination in her face like, ‘I will not be defeated by mud.’”

“She was so close, wasn’t she?” Mary asked, shaking her head, almost feeling bad for remembering the chaos that ensued.

Natalie nodded, letting out a big breath. "Oh, SO close. Her feet were practically hovering over every rock, and she was making these tiny little precision hops, trying to avoid even the tiniest splash. I remember Jenna whispered, ‘She might actually make it.’ But then—"

Natalie lifted her arms dramatically, as if to punctuate the moment.

"—her foot just barely slipped on the last rock. Not a lot, just enough for her balance to get thrown off. The last thing she probably saw before disaster struck was the look of pure panic on all our faces as we realized she was done for. She went to catch herself, but instead? Bam. Straight into the mud. She didn’t even have a chance to scream—she just let out this ‘NOOOO!’ as one of her feet sank. The left Tretorn was immediately submerged, and she froze, like she couldn’t believe what just happened.”

Mary gasped, placing a hand over her mouth. "It’s all coming back now! Her face was priceless—like she’d just walked into a tragic fashion crime scene! And she didn’t even try to save herself. She just stood there, didn’t she?"

Natalie grinned wickedly. "Yup! She was paralyzed, just staring down at her foot like the mud monster had stolen her soul. And we all just lost it—everyone burst out laughing. Kyle was like, ‘Welp, we all knew it would happen!’ Matt was howling, saying he was ready to collect his five dollars. Even Jenna was trying to hold in her laughter but failed so hard."

Mary clutched her stomach as she bent over, laughing. "And what about the comments from the guys? They were merciless."

“Ohhh, they were brutal,” Natalie said, snickering. “Kyle was like, ‘Maybe the forest defeated you, but now you’ve got a real “earthy” aesthetic going, Lauren.’ And Matt—oh my gosh—Matt was like, ‘Don’t worry, those Tretorns just needed a little more “character.” They look more vintage now.’” Natalie giggled again, mimicking Matt’s laid-back vibe with air quotes.

Mary shook her head, barely able to contain herself. "And Lauren was just shaking with frustration!"

Natalie flung her hand in the air dramatically. "Oh, you could see it—you could practically feel her soul leaving her body. She was furious. And remember when she started trying to gingerly step out of the mud and just made it worse? Like, every time she lifted her foot, it made that squelching sound, and the mud was just everywhere. And the kicker? The more she tried to fix it, the more she dug herself in.”

Mary wiped her eyes. "And when we finally got out of the creek, she kept angrily muttering about how mud wasn’t ‘in the group chat.’ I think she genuinely believed we should’ve sent a warning.”

Natalie nodded, still grinning. "She was like, ‘Why didn’t anyone TELL me we’d be crossing this?’ Meanwhile, all of us are like… Lauren, it’s a trail hike, not tea time at your grandma’s! What did you expect?"

Mary let out one last huge laugh. “Poor girl was traumatized! But I think the worst part? By the time we made it halfway down the trail, she gave up on even trying to stay clean.”

“Oh, definitely,” Natalie agreed. “I think once the mud got into her shoes, it was over. Her shoulders slumped, her face fell, and she was just like, ‘Well, that’s it. I live in the dirt now.’ We practically had to drag her back to the car, shoes still squishing every step of the way.”

Mary sighed, still grinning. "That was such a legendary moment. I guess I shouldn’t feel too bad about my Keds incident."

Natalie smirked. "Nope, you’re definitely not alone in the ‘pristine shoes, meet the mud’ tragedy club. Lauren’s legacy lives on!"

Mary shook her head, still smiling. "Never will I ever wear white shoes on a trail again."

Natalie laughed one last time. “Famous last words!

With her jeans cuffed at the bottom, her new Tretorns were on full display. What "words of encouragement" was she getting from the group as she scanned the creek for stepping stones? Did she appear to be confident at first?

Tretorns have those little vent holes on the side which probably let the water right in and soaked the insole for added squishiness. How bad did the right shoe get it? Did she attempt to clean the shoes or did she throw them out?

 

[BrainBot]

With her jeans cuffed at the bottom, her new Tretorns were on full display. What "words of encouragement" was she getting from the group as she scanned the creek for stepping stones? Did she appear to be confident at first?

Tretorns have those little vent holes on the side which probably let the water right in and soaked the insole for added squishiness. How bad did the right shoe get it? Did she attempt to clean the shoes or did she throw them out?

Natalie lost it at the mental image, slapping her thigh as she laughed. "Oh, absolutely! Her jeans were cuffed so crisply, like, the perfect little fold, just to make sure you saw the full glory of those brand-new Tretorns. And you know she was loving every second of it—at least until we hit the creek."

Mary shook her head, laughing as well. “That girl looked like she was about to stage a photoshoot. I swear, even her cuffed jeans were Instagram-worthy. And her shoes?” She paused, adopting a dramatic voice. “They were the stars of the whole show.”

Natalie snorted at that. "Totally! And when we got to that creek? Oh, the banter started immediately. Lauren was standing there on high alert, scanning the creek like it was a battlefield, and everyone was throwing in their two cents. Kyle was like, ‘Ah, look at that—nature’s obstacle course, Lauren! Ready for your next challenge?’ And I think Jenna said something like, ‘Don’t worry, Lauren. If you fall, it'll just add to your whole “hiker chic” look.’"

Mary was laughing so hard now. "Oh yeah! And then Matt came out with, ‘You’re basically on the set of a North Face commercial, Lauren. Just don’t let the mud swallow you—unless, of course, you want a more “adventurous” vibe for your Tretorn pics!’”

Natalie grinned even wider, her cheeks hurting from how hard she was laughing. "Lauren was silent at first, probably trying to act like she wasn’t secretly worried. But you could see the wheels turning in her head. She thought she had it all figured out—like total main-character energy. She was giving us this look like, ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got this. Watch and learn.’ And to her credit, for the first five seconds, she looked confident. She spotted those stepping stones like a treasure map and carefully placed one foot on the first rock, then the next—"

Mary jumped in, eyes wide with glee. "—And then it all went downhill!"

Natalie was giggling too hard by this point. “Yup! Right as she was transitioning from the second to the third rock—oh, you could almost hear the dramatic music building—her foot slipped just enough to set off the chain reaction. First, that left Tretorn went straight in—shhoooop! Down into the mud. You could see the look on her face—this mix of disbelief and rage—as the water started pouring into those little vent holes, soaking her no-show socks and filling those shoes with muddy soup.”

Mary had her hands over her face now, barely able to control her laughter. “Oh my God, the squelch! You could hear it from the other side. With every step, it was like squish-squish-squish—and her face! She looked like she was trying to decide whether to cry or strangle someone.”

"Exactly!” Natalie nodded, holding her stomach from all the laughing. “And of course, the group did not hold back. Kyle, naturally, couldn’t resist: ‘Well, there’s no cleaning that up! You might as well embrace your new mud-therapy shoes with ventilation holes!’ And Matt? He was like, ‘What’s that they say? Waterproof? Nah, they never meant the vent holes… those are for ‘character development.’”

Mary practically leaned back in her chair, her grin wide. “Oh man, and I’ll never forget the way she slowly lifted up her right foot—like she was praying it hadn’t suffered the same fate. But nope! The right shoe was just as messed up—mud clinging to the sole, and the water had already seeped in. She might as well have been walking through the trail with mini puddles inside her shoes. And, girl, you KNOW those insoles got soaked.”

Natalie wiped a tear from her eye, still grinning. "Oh, and once she realized the right shoe was toast too? It was game over. You could see her little internal breakdown happening in real-time. Lauren was just standing there, stuck in the realization that her shoes were ruined, and the squelching? Total insult to injury. At that point, we all knew her hiking spirit was officially broken."

Mary tapped the table, still laughing. "Right? She didn’t even try to save them anymore. Just gave up."

“Totally!” Natalie agreed wholeheartedly. “By the time we were halfway down the trail, she was walking like a zombie. No more dainty steps—just acceptance. And every few seconds, you’d hear that wonderful squish as her sodden Tretorns worked in glorious cooperation with the mud.”

Mary wiped her face, still cracking up. “And did she even try to clean those shoes?”

Natalie tilted her head, thoughtfully considering. “Oh, she tried, but I don’t think they were ever the same. I think a few days later, when we asked, she said she’d washed them twice, and they still had that permanent brown tint to them. She admitted with such defeat, ‘They’re basically unwearable now. The canvas is all weird and stiff from the mud soaking in. They’re dead. I can’t even look at them.’”

Mary gasped, eyes wide with shock and laughter. “She threw them out, didn’t she!?”

Natalie nodded dramatically. "Yup. Went right in the trash. She said something like, ‘They were ruined spiritually, not just physically.’ And I think she even said, ‘I’m never wearing Tretorns on a hike again.’ Like, girl, they were never for hiking in the first place!”

“Oh, poor Lauren,” Mary laughed. "But honestly, the moment those vent holes filled with water, it was over."

Natalie sighed, laughing as she took a deep breath. “Yep. Vent holes and muddy water? A nightmare combo. And let that be a lesson to all of us—white canvas shoes, whether Tretorns or Keds, are destined for disaster when mud is involved."

Mary sighed, smiling. “I guess Lauren and I are eternally bonded in our bad choices—doomed by fashion, destroyed by nature.”

“Embrace it!” Natalie grinned. “It’s a badge of honor.”

“Ha! I’ll frame my Keds next to a photo of those Tretorns,” Mary joked, still giggling.

Natalie laughed, wiping away the last of her tears. “White sneaker disasters: a tale as old as time!”