Playing with Forever

Chapter 23: Heated Feelings Around a Bonfire

In Anatomy one day in December, I sat on my desk and chatted with Mina. Class was independent work, which of course turned into a free social hour. I had quickly realized that honors classes were defined a lot differently back in Sacramento. I had gone to a private school back then, after all.

"So," Mina said in the forced happy 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 long time. I had turned down a few invites since Halloween, right after learning about immortality, when it consumed most of my thoughts and being around mortals that didn't know was difficult. The knowledge exploded in my mind over and over as I tried to comprehend it, and I worried about blurting it out. I was good with secrets of my own, but immortality was different.

As much as I enjoyed hanging out with Sam, I missed having a group of friends, particularly of the girl variety. Plus 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. "Are you guys going out?"

"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 be with. It's not like he's picking me over anybody else," I said lightly. Mina looked down at her notebook but didn't respond. "So do you care if I bring him along?"

She fiddled with her pen, not looking up at me. "Yeah, whatever. I guess you can bring him."

"Cool. We'll be there."

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

"Yes, Sam."

"But really, in his backyard? Can we not go somewhere more exciting?"

"Have you ever even been to a bonfire party before?" Sam gave me an impatient duh look, the one that he gave me when I made a stupid comment involving his immortality. Oh, right. Sometimes I forgot 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 small town?"

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

"Oh yeah, that's a whole lot better. Now stop pouting. I finally have 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, face set in a sad puppy dog face. He looked genuinely hurt.

I sighed. "You know what I mean, Sam."

"Fine, then let us go do something fun together. We could go back to the California museum and pan for gold. I'll buy you some fool's gold from the gift shop." I didn't smile back and his face fell in return. "I really do not want to spend my Saturday night listening to them gossip about the latest school scandals."

True, the small school scandals around here were nothing compared to things I'd heard, things I'd experienced. Plus I wasn't gossipy, either. But that's what normal people did, 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," I said, turning away.

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