Let It Be

Chapter 18

In Econ one day in December, I sat on my desk and talked to Mina. Class was independent work, which of course turned into a free social hour. I was quickly realizing that honors classes were defined a lot differently back in Sacramento.

"So," Mina mentioned in the somewhat awkward tone she had acquired after I had started hanging out with Sam more than her. "We're having a bonfire at Dylan's tomorrow. You should come."

"Really?" I could feel my face light up. I hadn't been invited to do anything with them in a really long time. Actually, even before Sam, we rarely did anything outside of school.

As much as I enjoyed hanging out with Sam-- after Halloween it seemed sort of weird to hang out with people who were still oblivious to the immortal thing-- I missed having a group of friends, particularly of the girl variety, and I really did like Mina and her bright pink aura and matching hair. And the fact that she seemed to like me back. "That'd be really fun. Do you mind if I bring Sam?"

The smile on Mina's face fell for a second. "Do you guys have a thing going on?"

I laughed in response. "Me and Sam? No."

"You guys are always hanging out, and sit together at lunch--"

"He's my friend, Mina. Plus he doesn't have anybody else to sit with. It's not like he's picking me over anybody else." Mina looked down at her notebook but didn't respond. "So do you care it I bring him along?"

"Yeah, whatever. I guess you can bring him."

"Cool. We'll be there."

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Sam made a face when I told him the plans I had made for the following day. "A bonfire?"

"Yes, Sam."

"But really, in his backyard? We cannot go anywhere more exciting?"

"Have you ever even been to a bonfire before?" Sam gave me a patient duh look, the one that he gave me when I made a stupid comment involving his immortality, and I realized that there were probably very few things he hadn't done. "Well," I said instead, trying to recover, "what else are we supposed to do in this town?"

"I do not know," Sam shrugged, making a face again. "Set off potato guns at cars?"

"Oh yeah, that's a whole lot better. Now stop pouting. I finally get a chance to be with people, and I'd like to take it. I want to do something fun."

"Hanging out with me is not fun?" he said, honestly saddened.

"You know what I mean, Sam."

"Fine, then let us go do something fun together. We could go back to the museum." I didn't laugh and his face fell. "I really do not want to spend my Saturday night listening to them gossip about the latest town scandals."

True, the small town scandals around here were nothing compared to things I'd heard, things I'd even experienced. Plus I'm not gossipy, either. But that's what normal people do, right? And I craved doing normal things, with normal friends. To me, it sounded heavenly. "Fine, if you don't want to go then I'll go alone."

"No, do not do that," Sam sighed, slamming his locker shut to follow after me, then swore softly in French. "Fine, I will go."

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I drove down the long dirt road to Dylan's house half an hour late. My phone rang, my one expensive possession I indulged in for safety reasons, and I turned it on speaker.