Truth

5.Bonfire

"The sun is shining and we are going out!" A low voice sung to me. I opened my tired eyes to see Evelyn whipping open my curtains and twirling about in the sunlight it cast through my room. She looked magnificent, like I'd been awoken by a goddess.

I couldn't help but smile.

"Where are we going?" I asked. My morning voice was low and croaky, I sounded horrific and I feared that Evelyn agreed. But it was just a voice; the sun was just a candle.

"That, my dear fellow, is a surprise." She said, spinning on her toe and landing facing me with a wide grin on her careless, youthful face. She was so beautiful, but I doubted I would ever have the guts to tell her.

I got up and pulled on some clothes, then followed her out of the room. When we had gotten out of the dorm block, I spotted Tarim and Lucas ahead of us just as they spotted us. Tarim nodded toward us, as if to say hello. Evelyn ran up to the two of them and had a group hug, she'd seen them the day before so I didn't get what they had done to deserve it that I hadn't. I told myself not to read anything into it.

"Can you tell me where we're going now?" Lucas asked. I was about to say the same thing, so I just nodded in silent agreement, though, I may as well have just not bothered as no one noticed. I didn't blame them. What was there to notice?

"There's a bonfire party on the beach today, but I wanted to stop for lunch on the way. There: proof that I am a good friend, who takes her buddies out for a good time. Don't tell me I don't treat you guys." Evelyn said, twirling her car keys on her finger. We followed her to her car.

I still felt so new to the group, as if I didn't really belong. I felt like Evelyn's pet, who she took places with and had to keep an eye on but who her friends didn't really care about. I felt out of place like I shouldn't have been there, and I felt as if I should have just stayed a loner here.

I could never tell if Evelyn was that girl Steven had told me to avoid once. "You'll feel it in the pit of your stomach, telling you that she's dangerous, like a flame. You're instinct should be to run away, to steer clear; but you might get drawn in, and you'll only get burned." I could feel it in the put of my stomach; these butterflies that could make me do anything she asked. I knew she was bad, but there was something about the way she made me feel, something about the way I felt when I was around her. I felt like I was in the presence of someone important, like a groupie.

"Shotgun." Tarim called, as we got near to Evelyn's car. Lucas gave him a thump, but then patted the area on his arm better and apologised. I doubted Tarim had felt it, but I guess Lucas was just being a good friend. I wasn't one to judge.

I got in the back with Lucas, and I sat behind Tarim. I felt like I couldn't look at Evelyn, like Lucas would spot and that he wouldn't like it. He gave the impression of being a bit like an older brother to her sometimes. He cared for her when she was too drunk to function and glared off any guys who looked her way. He'd warned me off. I didn't get the vibe that he liked her, but I couldn't be sure so a part of me was wary of him. I knew I liked Evelyn too, but I was certain it was just a silly crush that I would get over.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, so I pulled it out as Evelyn pulled out of her parking space. It was Steven: "Hey just finished clearing dad's stuff from the house. If you want to go through it let me know. I'll get it down from the loft." Steven had been planning to empty the house for ages, he still lived in it and the plan was that so would I when I finished in college. Currently he and two of his friends lived there, there was no payment left on the house so it was just free housing for them. Steven said having all of dad's stuff about just made it a sad place. He said it made him think and he didn't like to think. I didn't like thinking either, but I didn't try to stop it, I put up with it.