3:30pm

40: bonfire

        <Can I call you baby? Can you be my friend? Can you be my lover up until the very end? Lemme show you love, no I don't pretend. Stick by my side even when the world is giving in . . . I need somebody who can love me at my worst. No, I'm not perfect, but I hope you see my worth . . .>

•°•°•°•

Who knew that in a couple of months I'd be in senior year? Another couple of months after and I'd be graduating from high school to enter a new phase of my life. Not that I was graduating— not at the moment—but I was soon going to be. Not too long now, seeing as the end of the term was already drawing near.

To sort of commemorate the last day before the short break given to us seniors, Gregory was throwing a bonfire party set to hold a little bit out on the outskirts of town, in the woods, and, as his and his girlfriend's buddy, there was no way I was missing it, even if I wanted to.

He'd picked Mikayla up earlier so she could help set up things at the venue, and then, later on, Stephen and I were to bring some of the packs of beer.

We were currently in the liquor store, retrieving the last of the beer to keep among the several others already in the backseat of my jeep.

Stephen took two six packs while I took the last and, together, we walked out of the store over to the car parked outside. Opening the door, Stephen kept the beer in his hands on the available space before turning to take mine. Placing it on top of his, he stepped back and shut the door.

"So," I breathed, as we got into the car together and shut the door. "Do you know the way? The exact place?"

"Yep," he nodded. "We did a stakeout of the venue yesterday, me, Gregory and some other guys."

"Oh." I put on my seat belt. 

"It's close to our place, you know?" Stephen raised his eyebrows, passing me a sideways glance, his lips up in a smirk. "The HighPointe."

With an amused smile, I asked. "So? What exactly are you getting at?"

His smirk grew wider and he shrugged. "You know, we could sneak out of the party. Go over, have some time to ourselves." 

"And risk Mikayla killing me afterwards?" I chuckled. "Nice try."

"Oh, well," Stephen sighed, turning on the car and slowly backing out. "Don't come begging when you "really, really want" me and there's a whole lotta people watching."

A sudden heat rising to my face at his words, I reached out and smacked his outstretched arm. 

"You tryna get us into an accident, woman?" He winced, holding a hand to his arm where I'd hit him, his other hand still on the wheel. 

"You know I never said anything like that," I muttered, still feeling embarrassed. 

Of course, I did, but he didn't have to use my moment of irrational words against me.

"Don't be shy, babe." He told me with a light smile. "You know you did. And there's nothing to be embarrassed about. It warms my heart to know that you "really, really want" me."

"And you "can't get enough of me"." I wiggled my eyebrows. "Who's the needy one now?"

"Shut up," he chuckled, taking a turn.

"Don't be shy, babe." My smile grew wider. "It warms my heart to know you "can't get enough of me"."

"Using my words against me, are you now?" He laughed. "Touche."

Absolved in our individual thoughts, silence ensued in the car until I spoke up again, deciding to voice the thought that'd been on my mind since the end of the term began looming.