Like Real People Do [🗸]

06. bonfire

It's late into the night before we depart from Jorge's thing, wading into the night. Rayne chooses to stay the dark, accompanied by Basil and Aarya who has bestowed upon herself the task of getting them home. 

When we step out into the night, Esther's arm is linked in mine, eyes reflecting the moon, and Elliot is at my other side, hands swinging at either side of his body. Sometimes he slips them into his pockets, other times he clasps his hands together in front of his chest.

Esther and I walk him to his dorm and we loiter in front of his room for a few moments. He eyes me before his gaze drops to the floor, rises back up to me. Before I can offer him a wave goodbye, words tumble out of his mouth.

"The seniors of the performance art department are organizing this inauguration thing for freshmen? It's a bonfire, essentially. I can invite anyone to come so if you and Esther wanted to come then—"

"Yeah," I nod, push my hair back at the same time Esther offers a lopsided grin and a: "that seems fun."

"Alright," Elliot says, slipping his hands into the pockets of his corduroys. His grin tilts upward. "I'll see you."

Then we're parting ways and waving goodbyes and turning a corner as we head to Esther's dorm. Esther's roommate is a heap on her bed across the room, nothing visible save for a blanket burrito. 

I always wondered how folks could waltz through dreamland while my mind works the night shift. Shit has got to be a joke. We settle down on Esther's bed across from each other, legs crossed. 

"So, how'd you find it?" I ask, carefully letting the words touch the air. 

Esther shrugs. I nudge her socked foot with mine. "That's all?"

"I don't know. They were cool," she decides. She turns on her tiny bedside lamp so her face is softly illuminated. "Phoebe was hella cool."

I grin. I imagine in the darkness there's a flash of my teeth. "Lead singer and electric guitarist is no joke."

Esther nods. I nudge her foot again. "But honestly, you have got to be extremely badass to throw up all over the Claire's floor." 

Esther snorts. "Shut the fuck up." 

"No," I say. 

"You know," Esther says, "when I first met you, I thought you were a strange little man."

There's a silence that follows. Esther's roommate left their window open a smidge, so a cool breeze billows in. All that can be heard is breathing, wind, and the snores of Esther's roommate from across the room. 

"And?" I supply.

"Still think that, to be honest. Minus the little part because of the time your 6'3'' ass bulldozed me in the hallway."

"You're such an asshole." 

"You trampled me."

Esther Okoye is all smiles. That is who she is, down to her very core. So yes, when her face lights up as we are both silently unable to sleep with different worlds in our minds, I think that perhaps Esther and I are an alright duo.