Make Believe

Thirty.

*Ross's POV*

It was funny, just seeing them from where I stood. The campfire lit up their faces in an orange glow, with little sparks flying around them like little fairies. They spoke in quiet voices, smiling.

I had never seen them so happy without them being drunk. Their laughs were so genuine. She was who I loved, but that didn't make me want to go over and break them up. It made me want to leave her. If the only way she could stop drinking and being a party girl was if she was with Mark, then that would be the perfect outcome for me.

Lia's eyes looked up, the golden glow of the fire reflecting in them. Her smile faltered. I felt my heart twisting, snapping, sinking. Taking a deep breath, I nodded. Slowly, I put my thumbs up. Gulping some air, I mouthed to her. "Good luck."

She grinned and turned back to Mark. Going against everything inside me, I turned my back too. I walked towards the forest, deciding to go for a walk. As I passed the van, I smiled to myself. Lola and Finn were in there, probably using their 'water balloons' by the way they had been getting on that day.

As I disappeared into the trees I sighed. It made me feel lonely, seeing everyone else in love. Light came through the gaps in the trees and shone into my face, its' warm, amber comfort like nature's hug. It felt like the sunset was trying to cheer me up.

Ahead of me lay a tree stump with a circle of toadstools surrounding it. I picked up a stick and sat on the stump, tracing the stick's edges with my skinny finger. Absent mindedly, I tried to remember what Lola always told me.

'If a relationship doesn't work out, it just means that you're one step closer to your soulmate.' That's what she always said.

I wondered to myself what my soulmate would look like. Using the stick, I drew a picture in the mud. A badly drawn girl with long, wavy hair appeared on the ground.

Picking up a dead orange leaf, I crumpled it into a thousand pieces, using it to make her hair a beautiful red colour. Using the leftover orange specks, I added freckles to her nose. Green leaves formed her clothes, two stones became shoes.

Staring at her, I smiled. "For you, I'll wait." I nodded. "I'll wait."

Happy with my walk, I stood up and walked back to the camp. The light shone on my back, almost helping me along. As I reached the familiar sight of the van again, I saw Finn leaning against a tree. He waved.

"Hi, Finn." I said warmly.

"Hello." My brother said, wiping some sweat off of his red forehead. "You look happy for someone who was being sick this morning."

"Yeah." I shrugged.

"Lola told me that you were very quiet when she told you about Lia." He frowned. "That worries me."

"I'm okay." I said, really believing it. "I need to grow up, and this will help."

"Who are you, and what have you done with my little brother?" Finn laughed and hugged me. "Damn, you're nearly as tall as me."

I chuckled. "You're my best brother."

"Your only brother." He winked. "But I'll take the compliment. Come on, let's go and sit by the fire. There are a few marshmallows left."