Shifted #Wattys2016

IX

Maxine

The bonfire site was in a clearing in the woods—much more natural than the other clearing I had been in.

There were a few picnic tables and a make-shift shelter where there was food and drinks in coolers. There was dancing by the fire that was double the size of one person. It was so huge. It was great. Behind the bonfire was a muddy pond where a dog went swimming to fetch a ball.

Floating through the air there was the slight smell of pot—good stuff, too. A few empty beer cans littered the tables.

Felix shook his head, disappointed at the booze.

"Hey, Emmett," Felix said, walking over to the man at the grill. "This is—"

"Max!" Emmett said.

"You know each other?" Felix asked, looking between Emmett and me.

Emmett nodded. "Yeah. She came into the store a few days ago. I didn't know she had met you."

"Is it a bad thing she met me?" Felix asked, acting offended.

"Whatever," Emmett put a few hot dogs on a plate.

A woman came walking over. She had long black hair in a braid that reached all the way down to her lower back. She was wearing a flowy cut off and white shorts. Her eyes were as green as a beer bottle. "Felix!" She wrapped her arms around Felix. "I didn't think you were going to show."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Felix smiled at me. "Bloom, this Max. She's new in town."

Bloom wrapped her arms around me. She smelled like lilacs. "Nice to meet you, Max."

Bloom looked at Emmett, a happy glazed-over look in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. She whispered something in his ear and he smiled. "Shh," he said softly. "Later."

Bloom rolled her eyes slightly and grabbed the plate of hot dogs and sat them down on one of the picnic tables.

"So," Emmett said. "Have you seen Caven?"

Felix shook his head. "Not yet. Come on, Max, we've got others to meet."

I waved goodbye to Emmett and followed Felix.

Felix introduced me to many others. I couldn't remember any, but I knew which ones were sober and which ones were not. After most the meet-and-greets were over, Felix and I stood by the fire, watching the flames flicker and dance.

We stood there until the sun really started to set, the orange orb disappearing behind the trees, leaving the sky a painted pink and purple.

Everything was so peaceful. Somewhere in the clearing, someone was gently strumming a guitar, playing no particular song at all.

The peace was interrupted when from the trees came a boy—no older than sixteen—running barefoot and shirtless, a huge smile on his face.

He ran right into Felix, knocking him to the ground. "I did it, Felix! I shifted!"

"Get off!" Felix pushed the kid off of him and stood up, wiping dirt off his back and elbows. Felix locked eyes with me, the firelight electrifying his gray eyes.

"Emmett!" The kid called. "I did it!"

Emmett came running towards the fire, Bloom close behind. "Did what?"

"I shifted!"

Felix grabbed the kid's shirt collar. "Shut up, Caven." He pulled the kid close. "Not everyone here is family." Felix side glanced at me.

The kid—Caven—looked at me. "Oh shit."

Emmett pulled Felix's hand off of Caven's shirt. He pulled at Caven's short black hair, pulling him out of the light of the fire and towards the trees.

"What was all that about?" I asked.

"Wanna take a walk?" Felix asked, taking my coldhand. His were warm. He pulled me away from the fire and into the trees.