A Certain Romance (Reimagined)

Bonfires and Bitches

This was stupid. I didn't want to be here. Yet here I was roasting marshmallows at Elizabeth's bonfire with Michael and Luke at the request of Luke who wanted to feel like a normal senior. I wrapped my cardigan closer to my body, hoping to stay warm since it was oddly chilly tonight since we were by the lake and I was too afraid to get close to the fire because who knew if I'd end up getting pushed into it. Any one of these bitches would gladly be guilty of murdering me because their parents would quickly bail them out of jail. 

I watched my other classmates share laughter and jokes as I felt bored, uncomfortable, and cold. I knew I didn't belong to be among them like this. I watched the cheerleaders interact, they all seemed so perfect down to the way they tossed their heads back in laughter towards something that wasn't funny at all. Cassie Wolfe was the junior that messed around with one of the science teachers. The acts were very illegal, but that didn't stop Cassie from doing it. In fact, girls like Elizabeth and Veronica Selman (the co-captain of the cheer squad) wanted to be exactly like Cassie for some reason. Cassie was idolized for doing the wrong things, that was how these people worked. It forced us to think if we were really sane or not.

Calum was off to the side with his football friends, drinking beer that they snuck in. The airheads smashed empty beer cans on their heads to make each other laugh, but it was no wonder all of them were more susceptible to concussions during the season, causing second string players to replace them for a few games. The self-proclaimed model and influencer, Markos Makos, studied the football players in disgust. He would never do such a thing because he was so repulsed at the thought of his image looking sloppy and he didn't want to lose his Instagram followers. Lydia Hurley stood with Markos talking to him although he wasn't paying attention. Lydia was another cheerleader, maybe one of the only normal ones. She had to be normal since her dad was the principal. Any slip up and her dad would expel her without hesitation. She loved anime and junk food and reminding Elizabeth that she was replaceable as a cheer captain, since many of the cheerleaders despised each other secretly.

Michael snapped me out of my daze, bringing my attention to him and Luke who had been talking about a video game I had never heard of and never planned to play. Most of our friendship involved tuning each other out to keep some sanity alive in our souls. "I have a proposal. Before you reject, hear me out."

"Your proposals are always terrible." Luke side-eyed Michael.

Michael always wanted to do something extreme like put Nair in someone's shampoo or send someone's parents screenshots of their own child's nude photographs. Illegal things were what Michael wanted to do. Luke and I always got guilt tripped into doing them.

"Nothing's as terrible as your haircut, Luke." Michael said.

I slapped Michael in the back of the head for making a rude comment. "It looks fine, don't listen to him." I assured Luke, who stared at the fire before him. Tears would appear any second now and I was ready to escort Luke away from the bonfire so we could leave this shitty get together. 

"Out of the three of us Luke is the last one that needs to be hyped up!" Michael defended.

Luke knew he was beautiful. He liked to refer to himself as "a gift from every god that anyone has ever believed in." I'd never tell him he was wrong because he'd cry and wonder how else he could improve his physical appearance. Another person that believed Luke was beautiful was my mom. She had her fingers tightly crossed in hopes that Luke and I would end up confessing our love to each other and end up married with a couple of kids that she would beg us to raise Catholic. But no, Luke wasn't my type and I surely was not his type either. My money was on Luke and Michael falling in love before Luke and me. Their bickering and friendly hatred towards each other only meant one thing...right?