Strings

Chapter Four | Fireworks

Nathan led the trek through the woods like he's done it a million times before, and we ended up in a small clearing. Taking advantage of the last bit of daylight, they set up camp as quickly as possible, assigning jobs--who would collect firewood, set up the tents, et cetera. Forrest employed me to help him set up one of the tents as Asher and Meg gathered rocks and arranged them in a circle to mark where the campfire would go. Everything was ready as the last pink streaks of sunset faded to black, and we had a big fire going.

Asher announced that he had fireworks, and everyone went crazy over them. It took the boys a while to figure out how to set them off, but once they did, the sky was full of color and the noise left my ears ringing. It was absolutely beautiful. 

As I was staring at the explosions in awe, Nathan sat next to me. I turned to him and smiled.

"Pretty cool, huh?" He asked, loud enough so I could hear them over the fireworks, and I nodded, looking back up at the sky as the boys sent up a huge gold firework that crackled at the ends and faded to smoke. 

"They're beautiful!," I gush. "My dad never sets off fireworks at home, even on holiday's, so I've never been this close to them." I notice how close he's sitting to me when his thigh rests against mine. He doesn't take it away, and I feel myself praying that it's too dark for him to see me blushing. I turn my attention to Meg and Andie who are writing words and drawing pictures with sparklers as Forrest takes pictures of them. 

"You've never gone to a party where they let off fireworks? Not even on New Year's?" He ask.

I reply without thinking, "I don't go to parties." Then I regret it--what if he thinks I'm a huge loser?

But he doesn't, he just laughs and says, "I don't blame you one bit. The party life is lame. I just figured a pretty girl like you would be a party girl at home. Trying to figure out if you're being sent here by choice or as a punishment." Punishment?

"No, I chose to go here. Why would it be a punishment?" Did he already think I was a bad person? I've hardly talked to him!

"Oh, I don't mean anything by that--it's just that I was sent here as a freshman as punishment. I was a pretty bad kid in middle school, so my dad picked out Deveraux and sent me here to 'straighten me out'. I just figured you were coming here as a--you're, what, a sophomore?"

"Junior," I say. I have a baby face, so it's no surprise he thought I was a sophomore.

"Well, it's really rare to get any new students that aren't freshman, and most of them are sent here by their parents with hopes of their kid coming back disciplined. Honestly, though, it's in vain. I didn't stop being bad because of the school, I stopped being bad because of Asher. He's a really good kid, that's why I trust him with my sister and let them do whatever they want."

"He seems like a good kid, " I say, looking over to where they are laying on the ground, making out with her on top of him. His hands are dangerously low on her back, and I find myself blushing. I still get embarrassed when I walk in on people kissing. I can't help it. "They seem to be really into each other, too."

Nathan laughs. "I know, god. It gets to be so annoying sometimes, but hey. He's my best friend, and he loves her to death and back. I have no doubt that they're going to spend the rest of their lives together, and hey, she could have picked a worse guy."

"Nah, they're cute together," I say.

He doesn't reply, and we both sit there in silence watching the fireworks for a while. I'm not wearing a jacket and I feel the soft cotton of his Florida Gators hoodie on my arm as he scoots even closer.

"Aren't you cold?" he asks, but before I can say anything, Makenna and Hailey come over.

"Want to share a tent like last time, Nathan?" Makenna asks, lowering her voice in an attempt to be seductive. "I know how cold you get, we can share a sleeping bag, if you'd like."