Take to the Skies

Chapter Three

Bonfire parties, for lack of a better phrase, are a rite of passage when you live in the backwoods of Alabama. It's a moment when everybody, whether they get along or not, gather together to forget life for a few hours and have fun.

And currently, it was all going in full swing.

Music was blasting, and people were drinking like their lives depended on it. Kegs were brought out, liquor, and any other cheap beer that people's older siblings would buy for them. While I never was one to drink, I didn't turn down the Modelo Elijah offered me.

He and I were sitting on the tailgate of somebody's truck. I'm not sure who's, Eli and I are never ones to drive our own cars to a bonfire party; too much risk. I once saw someone's jeep get absolutely trashed because some drunk moron thought his girlfriend was in the backseat with another guy. In the middle of smashing a beer bottle over the headlight, his girlfriend had come up behind him asking what the problem is, completely out of the loop. Long story short, he ended up leaving that night bruised and alone.

A girl and her friends were around the tailgate with us, giggling and dancing. The ones that had boyfriends were busy sucking face like there weren't hundreds of people around. I was silently wondering how long it would take for one of them to approach Eli before, as if one cue, one of them broke away from her friends, walking over.

"Hello, Elijah," a pretty girl with blonde hair said, " I haven't seen you in forever."

"Do I know you?"

It might've been wrong of him, but I couldn't help the laugh that managed to escape my throat. The poor girl's face dropped, and she scoffed before walking off, her posse following her.

"Now, why would you do something like that? She was definitely into you," I stated, sipping down on my beer.

He shrugged, "I'm not very interested in finding anybody tonight. That's for you."

I rolled my eyes and shoved his shoulder, "Yeah, I don't really see that happening. Mission impossible number one."

"Hey Preston!" a voice rang out. Elijah and I followed the sound, and we saw the approaching figure of Mabrey Whitlock. Elijah had a look creep across his face as he took a sip of his drink.

"Hi Mabrey," I nodded back in response.

"Where ya been? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" She said, propping an elbow on the tailgate.

"Oh, you know," I said, my throat suddenly going dry, "just been around."

"What have you been up to, Mabrey?" Eli asked, leaning over to look her in the eyes, "Parading around with that boy of yours, right?"

I nudged him slightly. If there was one person that didn't like Mabrey, it was Eli. They've been mutual enemies for a few years now, ever since Mabrey made the comment that she would never touch Eli with a ten-foot pole.

She remained unfazed, smiling snidely, "Not anymore. But enough about me, what kind of trouble are you two going to get up tonight?"

I shook my head, taking a longer sip of my beer before Mabrey takes it out of my hands and takes a sip herself.

"That isn't very safe of you to do," I said, taking the bottle back.

"What, do you have cooties?" she said, smiling.

In that moment, I could see why someone would find her extremely beautiful. Her cheekbones sat up high, half covered in darkness, the light of the bonfire accentuating her once big brown eyes, which now glowed amber in the firelight. Her smile was dainty and perfect, and I couldn't help but stare.