26. I see fire

8.3K 329 97
                                    

"Oh misty eye of the mountain below..."

An enthusiastic cheer went up from students sitting round the bonfire at the sound of the Hobbit's soundtrack. I grinned as Ruben rested his head on Noah's shoulder and the two of them beginning  singing their hearts out to Ed Sheeran. 

"Here." June handed me a slightly blackened marshmallow on stick then returned to her spot crouched by the fire watching the other ones cook.

A guitar began playing softly in the background. 

"... If this is to end in fire, then we should all burn together..."

June grinned. "Tomorrow we will fight together."

"Dramatic," Ruben teased, sticking his hands out to absorb the fire's warmth. We'd been here for a good few hours eating food and singing to campfire songs with the other students. I'd spotted Griffin sitting down on the other side of the fire about an hour ago but had ignored him; tonight I was too tired to pull any pranks. 

"... Now I see fire... inside the mountains..."

The fire crackled before us, sending smoke spiralling into the dark sky.

"It's so beautiful," I breathed.

"Can we stay here forever?" Ruben whispered and I had to agree. There was something so calm about sitting by a fire outside at night.

"... Confined in mountain halls....we got too close to the flame..."

June hopped onto the log next the rest of us and the four of us began swaying in time with the music. The glow of the flames could be seen on reflecting on everyone and I couldn't help the smile that stayed on my face.

"... Blood in the breeze... and I hope that you'll remember me..."

I looked across the campfire to find Griffin staring at me, his dark eyes reflecting the firelight. He had a strange expression on his face and I wondered what was going through his head. I looked away but still felt the weight of his gaze on me.

A weight that I didn't mind tonight.

"... And I see fire burn auburn and on the mountain side."

The song came to an end and I stood up. "I think I'm going to head to bed now. The Hobbit is a great way to end the night."

"I'm joining you." June yawned. "I'm exhausted."

"Goodnight," Ruben and Noah called out after us.

Every step away from the campfire sucked away my body heat and I couldn't wait to be in my sleeping bag. I said goodbye to June then headed across the campsite towards my tent. I'd hadn't seen Olivia for a while so assumed she'd already gone to bed. I crossed my fingers, hopefully she would be asleep already.

As I stepped between tents, my mind wandered back again to this morning. Someone else will be out there for you, Miss Winters had said. Her words had echoed in my head all day and I was finally beginning to realise that maybe I didn't want that. Just maybe I was beginning to want Griffin to be someone to me.

I reached my tent with the unsettling thoughts still swirling in my head. Maybe I had hit my head when I fell in the stream this morning. My eyes widened when I suddenly spotted my stuff in a heap on the ground just outside the doorway of the tent.

What the heck?

"Olivia?" I called out, annoyed. I knew she was still awake as our tent was lit up by a torch. "Why is my stuff out here? It'll get damp!"

Walking a fine line✔️Where stories live. Discover now