by Rashaad Bell
Chapter 5
The Bonfire…
The Dave’s didn’t live that far from us really, maybe fifteen minutes if you took the long way. It was a nice little two-story house, perfect for the two of them. Much too expensive then they could afford, yet they managed to pull off rent every month and that’s what really counts in the end.
Half of America lived that way.
I could tell the place was packed by the sheer number of cars parked along the shoulder of the road. Much more than normal, which could or could not be a good thing. Either it’s filled with a bunch of people we know or it’s crowded with a bunch of people we don’t. Their parties could go either way on that front. Regardless, it’s still gonna be amazing.
I got out the car, making my way up the driveway. I was hoping Ethan was already there. That was my main reason for wanting to come now, even though I had already made plans to make an appearance. I was starting to get butterflies again, the feeling in my stomach creeping up into my chest, little waves of excitement whipping my body into an over anxious frenzy.
“Slow down!” Abigail called out.
I turned to see them at the end of the driveway trying to catch up with me.
“My bad.” I tried to play it off.
“Flash fact. I am not the Flash.” Commented Aiden.
“She just wants to see her new boy toy!” Laughed Abigail.
“Shut up Abby.” I said. “Just come on though.”
The garage door was open and there were people chilling inside, smoking cigarettes, drinking and playing what seemed to be an overly intense game of beer pong.
“Madison!” Someone yelled.
It was Dave Berger. Cool kid. He tossed me a beer.
“What’s up my girl?” He asked, giving me a hug.
I opened my beer and took a sip. “Good, good. What’s up with you?”
He just laughed. “Nothing much, same old-same old. Aiden, bro! What’s up?”
Aiden gave him a high five. “What’s up with you man?”
“Just got my butt served to me on Call of Duty by some ten year old Asian kid that hasn’t hit puberty yet, but other than that...” Dave joked. “Abigail, looking nice.”
“Thanks Dave.”
“Check it people, I’ve got beer here in the cooler, but we just put it in there so it’s still a little warm. There’s more beer down at the beach, that should be good to go.” Dave explained. He leaned in closer so the other people in the garage couldn’t hear. “That’s just the cheap stuff though. I got that good-good in the house, I don’t need all these people drinking my expensive shit, know what I’m saying.”
“Really?” Asked Aiden. “I think I might need to use the bathroom then.”
“Hahaha! That’s what I'm talking about bro!” Agreed Dave. He turned to the rest of people in the garage. “Hey, I’m gonna show my man Aiden here where the restroom is, be back in a sec.”
Resounding cheers all around from the Beer-Pong crowd.
Dave and Aiden picked their way through the throng before Dave stopped and turned around. “Madison, there’s this pretty looking mofo asking about you. Tall, kinda built...smells like oranges.”
My heart literally skipped a beat.
“Oranges? Really?” Questioned Aiden
“Hey dude...” Dave just shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe it’s his deodorant. I just know I talked to the dude and after he left, I wanted to eat oranges. Like, a lot of them.”
“You’re just high, Dave.” Abigail said.
“That could explain a lot as well.” He agreed. “Anyway, he’s down by the bonfire. Come on Aiden; let me show you where the, uh, bathroom is.”
The two of them disappeared inside.
I followed Abby out the garage, working our way around the house. It was dark here and the ground was uneven, so we had to take it slow. It wasn’t before long until we hit the back patio. There were people here and it was much brighter due to the vote you off the island survivor torches they had burning.
We gave some causal hellos then kept it moving, taking the stairs that led down to the beach from the patio. The Dave’s backyard was the beach. It was awesome. People were everywhere. Some dancing, some gathered in small little cliques around the bonfire. The music was blasting Notorious B.I.G. as the crowd sang along.
“...It’s the N-o..t-o..r-i...o...u-s, you just, lay down slow!” Screamed everyone in unison.
“Abigail! Madison!” Someone yelled out our names close to the bonfire.
“Hey, it’s Miranda.” Abigail stated. We headed over and took a seat in the sand next to her and a couple of our other friends. It was Mitchell, his sister Miranda and her girlfriend Audrey.
“Glad you two could make it.” Mitchell said. “Where’s that knucklehead brother of yours?”
“He’s up at the house with Dave.” I replied.
“Haha, Daaave!” Mitchell was clearly wasted. “I just watched him get beat down by some nine year old kid. Dave was talking all this crap over the mic on X-box live and this little kid is like, POW, headshot, then Dave respawns. POW, headshot, respawn. POW, headshot, respawn. It was awesome!”
I took a sip of my beer. “Yeah, he told us. How long have you been here?”
“Not long.” Miranda said. “We brought in some wood pallets for them to burn. Our contribution to the cause.”
“So who are all these people?” Audrey asked. “I only know about half of them.”
I just shrugged.
“They had flyers all over Flagler beach this morning.” Abigail stated.
“You were at the beach? I wanted to go swimming all day!” Audrey exclaimed. “And it sucks because I sit by the window in most of my classes and it was so nice out.”
“Did I miss anything at school today?” My beer was done already and I wanted another.
“Nope. Most exciting thing was a fire alarm, but that’s about it.” Mitchell got up. “Beer run. Who wants what?”
“Heineken.” I said.
“Corona.” Said Abigail.
“Me too.” Miranda added.
“I wanna Bud light.” Audrey stated.
Mitchell paused. “Really? A Bud light?”
“What’s wrong with that?” She asked.
“What are you on, a diet?” He asked. “Fuck it. Bud Light. I’ll be back.”
I scanned the crowd searching for Ethan, but he wasn’t here. Well I knew he was here, especially after the way Dave described him, but he wasn’t here. I hope he hasn’t left already. That would totally suck.
Besides, Abigail, Miranda, Audrey and Mitchell were the only people I really hung out with. There weren’t a whole lot of things I had in common with the people of Palm Coast, yet the few that I did click with made my life extremely easier.
“Hey, have you seen this kinda tall guy...” I made a motion with my hand to demonstrate height.
“Girl, you got to give us more to go on then that.” Laughed Miranda.
“Well if you would just let me finish.” I rolled my eyes. “Kinda tall, dark hair, really cute...”
“Really cute, or really cute to you, there’s a difference.” Audrey stated.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Cause, you thought that one guy was cute, what’s his face.” Continued Audrey. “The one who looks like Conan O’Brien.”
“Jimmy!” Abigail cried out.
“Yeah, that’s him, Jimmy.”
“What are you talking about?” I demanded. “Jimmy was cute.”
“Jimmy peeled and ate his own scabs.” Audrey made a barf face.
“What?” I refused to believe that. “No he didn’t.”
“Yes he did. I was there. In Chem class.”
“Yeah, I saw him. I was there to.” Abigail sadly agreed.
“Why would he, why would anyone do something like that?” I asked.
“Because they dared him to do it.” Audrey exclaimed.
“Well that’s different then, t
hat’s a dare.” I conceded.
“Are you really making excuses for him?” She asked
Mitchell returned with an arm full of alcohol. “Ladies.” He started passing out orders, then sat back down. From his pocket, he pulled out a bunch of shot glasses and a bottle of Grey Goose Vodka. “Compliments of Dave. He said don’t drink it all and don’t share it with nobody but us.”
Miranda took the bottle “I’ll pour the shots!”
“That still doesn’t mean he wasn’t cute though.” I whispered under my breath.”
Miranda placed the shot glasses all in one line and began pouring, moving the bottle from one glass to the next, in rapid succession until they were all filled.
“Cheers!” We said in unison, then slammed it down.
Rinse. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat.
I was feeling extremely good. Very happy. The music was excellent, a mix somebody brought down from New York. I stood up, drained the last of my beer, took another shot then closed my eyes and started to dance, just letting the rhythm flow through my consciousness, overtaking me with its tempo.
Audrey got up and we danced together for a bit, moving in concert with the bass. Seductive and sensual. I felt free from all the madness that can swallow a star whole and crack a planet in half. We were dancing close, her hands around me, touching my stomach. She was soft, delicate and extremely beautiful. Heads turned and stared. We continued to dance, enjoying the attention. We gave them something to stare at.
That’s when I saw him.
Sitting alone across from us by the bonfire, extremely close to the flames, to the point that the heat should have made him back up, but it didn’t. He was watching me, smiling, enjoying the show. The firelight played off his eyes, those beautiful eyes of his; so emerald they named an entire city after it.
I made my way over to him, I wanted to be in his arms, to relive the way it felt when he touched me, but it was so hot next to the bonfire.
David Anderson threw another wood pallet on and there was an explosion of heat and flames as the bonfire arched towards the sky.
“I have made FIRE!” David screamed in his caveman voice, grabbing fistfuls of sand, throwing them in the air.
I grabbed Ethan by the arm. “Come on. Come with me. It’s too hot here.”
“Okay.” He replied as I dragged him back towards my friends.
