nightstand

chapter 6

 ⠀⠀Kalani loved the bonfires they held down in the woods. She liked the smell of smoke and eating too many s'mores. She liked the ghost stories they told and the midnight games of Capture the Flag. And it totally didn't hurt that firelight made her hair appear to glow.⠀⠀

⠀⠀This time it was Kalani who had to wait for her best friend. Nia had been running late due to a fake nail spontaneously breaking. The pair had arrived late to pick up Ava and now the three were making their way through the woods, towards the gang's usual spot.⠀⠀

⠀⠀"And you really asked about Chloe?" Ava asked for what felt like the millionth time that day. Kalani rolled her eyes and stepped over a log that had rolled into the middle of the path.⠀⠀

⠀⠀"Yes!" She snapped. Ava held her hands up in mock surrender.⠀⠀

⠀⠀"I was just checking." She said. It was getting darker in the woods now, the sunlight being gradually blocked out by the thicker trees and they continued to walk. Nia absentmindedly took out her phone, turning on the torch just in case.⠀⠀

⠀⠀"You think he took the hint?" Nia asked, pausing to shine her torch around, checking they were on the right path. Satisfied, they carried on.⠀⠀

⠀⠀"I couldn't have made it any more obvious!" Kalani moaned. "What more does he want? A love letter? A billboard declaring my feelings for him?" Nia laughed at her statement. They had reached the outskirts of the little clearing where all their campfires took place.⠀⠀

⠀⠀"Out of interest," Ava said, looking slightly worried. "You haven't done either of those things have you?"⠀⠀

⠀⠀"No Ava," Kalani sighed heavily. "I haven't." Looking relieved Ava left Nia and Kalani in order to greet Maddie and Kendall. "At least not yet." Kalani added darkly as she watched Josh heading over to Ava and the others to say hello. Nia hugged her friend.⠀⠀

⠀⠀"Remember, it's his loss if you don't get together." Nia said, giving her friend another quick squeeze, but this time round the shoulders instead of a full-blown hug.⠀⠀

⠀⠀"Trust me," Kalani said, displaying some of the confidence she had been lacking moments before. "I know." She cocked a hip, tossed her hair and headed over towards her best friend and, in her eyes, her future boyfriend.⠀⠀

⠀⠀Josh was talking to Ava. She was laughing at a joke he presumably had just told as Kalani reached them. "Hi." She said with a smile. Josh grinned back, saying hello and stopping Kalani's heart as he winked at her.⠀⠀

⠀⠀"Let's go get some food." Josh said and Kalani immediately moved forwards to come with him but stopped when she saw him take Ava by the elbow and steer her towards Brandon who was handing out hotdogs. Ava looked back at Kalani over her shoulder mouthing something that looked suspiciously like "What the hell?!" Kalani just shook her head in bafflement. What was going on?⠀⠀

⠀⠀Feeling defeated she made her way over to Nia again. Nia raised an eyebrow. "What happened back there?" She asked, pulling out a mac lipstick and reapplying another coat.⠀⠀

⠀⠀Kalani shrugged. "I think... I think he likes Ava." Nia looked at her sharply.⠀⠀

⠀⠀"I swear to god if she's gone after your man-"⠀⠀

⠀⠀"No, no!" Kalani interrupted Nia hurriedly. "Nothing like that! I think he just likes her now and she has no clue why."⠀⠀

⠀⠀They sat in silence for a little while, Nia handing Kalani marshmallows to roast. They sat shoulder to shoulder, pretending to watch the flickering flames when really their eyes were trained on Ava and Josh. Josh was clearly flirting, Kalani recognised his tone form the way he often spoke to her. Plus, he was sitting way closer to her than he needed to. Ava looked utterly perplexed but was clearly too confused about how to shoot him down, after all, Josh wasn't taken and hadn't done anything... Yet.⠀⠀

⠀⠀Kalani had just opened her mouth to ask Nia if she wanted to get a drink when she froze. On the other side of the fire Josh had reached a hand out to brush a strand of hair that was lying on Ava's cheek. A second later he was kissing her.⠀⠀