friends at the bonfire. I had debated about whether or not it would be a good idea, but there really didn’t seem to be a reason for not going.
Shoving the side door open with my shoulder, a warm breeze lifted strands of my hair in a dance around my face. I knew I would have to put it up once I got to the beach, but for the time being I liked to feel its pull in the wind.
The night air was pleasantly cool, a blessed relief after the many warm days we had recently experienced. Trudging down the hill toward the beach, I squished my toes in the sand with a reassuring acceptance. My feet had too long been sequestered in tight shoes.
Waves surged toward me, sea foam leaving a temporary arch in a delicate mismatched pattern along the packed sand, only to be washed away moments later. Every now and again spray from an over-zealous wave splashed forward, decorating my pants with little dots.
Passing the rock wall where I had spent many a time throwing my dagger, the pier came into view along with the rest of the town. The lights from yellow glowing orbs revealed an oddly uncrowded street and as I got closer, I hastened to pull my hair into a sloppy bun at the nape of my neck. It would at least hold the majority of my hair out of suspicion.
Crossing beneath the pier, the rest of the shore came into view and I followed its curve until I spotted the large pile of driftwood resting in the distance. A silhouetted body was kneeling beside it, the sparks were beginning to turn into flames, tongues licking toward the sky. With another poke and the addition of a stick, the flames exploded to life and the boy gave a loud whoop of excitement. I smiled to myself, ready to congratulate Jonathan on his latest feat.
“Lissie!” Hannah called when she spotted me, stopping on her trail from the back of an overloaded Volkswagen, a cooler in her hands. I couldn’t help but notice the hint of surprise in her voice.
“Hey guys,” I waved and hurried to help her with the cooler. “Woah, what’s in here?” I asked, trying not to put too much of the weight in my left hand.
“Ice,” she heaved, “Lots and lots of ice. This should be a good enough spot.”
“You sure?” It seemed a little close to the fire.
“If it isn’t, someone else can move it.” She exhaled and though I knew she wasn’t trying to be funny, I had to suppress a laugh. Hannah was always the same, straightforward and unrelenting.
“True,” I said and hurried to follow her up the hill to the car. We passed five teens, their arms loaded with towels, chairs, coolers, and other assortments of supposedly necessary items. I was only now beginning to realize this gathering might be a little bigger than I had suspected.
“No—no I’ve got—it!” A boy called from the back of the car, half of his body hidden in the trunk. He gave a great groan on the last word as he pulled heavily on something inside. A cooler came into view, and with it, a bunch of hotdog buns came colliding down on top of his arms.
“Here,” Hannah said, jumping to the rescue. As she helped him extricate his arms, I hustled to pull on the cooler’s handle. It nearly tugged my arms out of my sockets. What were they filling these coolers with?
“Thanks, Hannah.” the boy sighed, straightening his Hawaiian print shirt, and when he glanced up from his half-hunched position beneath the trunk door, he finally noticed my presence. “Oh hey,” he said with a thick Southern accent and stuck out his hand. “I don’t think I’ve met you before.”
I shook his hand, “You haven’t.”
“I’m Daron Johnson, junior the third.”
Stunned for a moment, I blinked. “Wait, what?” I asked, feeling ridiculous.
“He’s insane,” Jonathon suddenly appeared behind me and we stepped out from under the trunk.
“Okay,” I
Shoving the side door open with my shoulder, a warm breeze lifted strands of my hair in a dance around my face. I knew I would have to put it up once I got to the beach, but for the time being I liked to feel its pull in the wind.
The night air was pleasantly cool, a blessed relief after the many warm days we had recently experienced. Trudging down the hill toward the beach, I squished my toes in the sand with a reassuring acceptance. My feet had too long been sequestered in tight shoes.
Waves surged toward me, sea foam leaving a temporary arch in a delicate mismatched pattern along the packed sand, only to be washed away moments later. Every now and again spray from an over-zealous wave splashed forward, decorating my pants with little dots.
Passing the rock wall where I had spent many a time throwing my dagger, the pier came into view along with the rest of the town. The lights from yellow glowing orbs revealed an oddly uncrowded street and as I got closer, I hastened to pull my hair into a sloppy bun at the nape of my neck. It would at least hold the majority of my hair out of suspicion.
Crossing beneath the pier, the rest of the shore came into view and I followed its curve until I spotted the large pile of driftwood resting in the distance. A silhouetted body was kneeling beside it, the sparks were beginning to turn into flames, tongues licking toward the sky. With another poke and the addition of a stick, the flames exploded to life and the boy gave a loud whoop of excitement. I smiled to myself, ready to congratulate Jonathan on his latest feat.
“Lissie!” Hannah called when she spotted me, stopping on her trail from the back of an overloaded Volkswagen, a cooler in her hands. I couldn’t help but notice the hint of surprise in her voice.
“Hey guys,” I waved and hurried to help her with the cooler. “Woah, what’s in here?” I asked, trying not to put too much of the weight in my left hand.
“Ice,” she heaved, “Lots and lots of ice. This should be a good enough spot.”
“You sure?” It seemed a little close to the fire.
“If it isn’t, someone else can move it.” She exhaled and though I knew she wasn’t trying to be funny, I had to suppress a laugh. Hannah was always the same, straightforward and unrelenting.
“True,” I said and hurried to follow her up the hill to the car. We passed five teens, their arms loaded with towels, chairs, coolers, and other assortments of supposedly necessary items. I was only now beginning to realize this gathering might be a little bigger than I had suspected.
“No—no I’ve got—it!” A boy called from the back of the car, half of his body hidden in the trunk. He gave a great groan on the last word as he pulled heavily on something inside. A cooler came into view, and with it, a bunch of hotdog buns came colliding down on top of his arms.
“Here,” Hannah said, jumping to the rescue. As she helped him extricate his arms, I hustled to pull on the cooler’s handle. It nearly tugged my arms out of my sockets. What were they filling these coolers with?
“Thanks, Hannah.” the boy sighed, straightening his Hawaiian print shirt, and when he glanced up from his half-hunched position beneath the trunk door, he finally noticed my presence. “Oh hey,” he said with a thick Southern accent and stuck out his hand. “I don’t think I’ve met you before.”
I shook his hand, “You haven’t.”
“I’m Daron Johnson, junior the third.”
Stunned for a moment, I blinked. “Wait, what?” I asked, feeling ridiculous.
“He’s insane,” Jonathon suddenly appeared behind me and we stepped out from under the trunk.
“Okay,” I
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