The Campfire Night

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A HOOT OF cheers only sent the flames of the campfire higher up into the skies. A roar of laughter tore through the heavens, followed by whoops of delight that rivaled the deafening thunder of storms.

Since it was the last night of our short camping trip, the teachers had set up a blazing bonfire to celebrate. It raged, burning brightly, brilliantly, dazzling like a shower of embers. From where I sat, I could still feel the heat of the flames licking at my skin. Summer had never been warmer than at this moment. Accompanied by the fire, the heat from my surroundings might just be enough to roast me alive.

The bench I rested on was just a short distance away from the table that held snacks and drinks. A crowd had gathered there long ago, all indulging in the delicious treats brought forth by the contributing classmates. They were all self-made and delectable. Of course, some other students in our cohort had tried to sneak in sabotaged food but they were all caught by the teachers before anyone actually ate them.

I had in my hands a cup of fruit punch, its fruity, sweet scent wafting into my nose before I even took a sip of it. The cold liquid had started to go warm from my own body heat but sitting alone, with my friends off to who-knows-where, I didn't even feel a single inch like losing myself in the party fever.

"What's with the long face?" A familiar voice called from above and I instinctively raised my head. My gaze collided with Xavier's, meeting his now-green eyes that held a teasing smile in them.

He wore a slouchy white t-shirt, simple, yet neat and tidy without a single crease in the fabric. It was tucked into a pair of jeans that were folded a little at the hems. His overall appearance was so casual and simple that for a second I had forgotten where we were. 

We had the afternoon of the last camp day all to ourselves. Sometime after noon, Harr and Xavier had disappeared and no one could find them anywhere. Now, seeing Xavier with his brown hair bleached and dyed into a soft, powdery, baby blue did I finally understand what they had been up to for the last few hours.

"I'm bored," I flatly replied. "Harr and Jules disappeared somewhere with a teacher and they've been gone ever since. It's not exactly a party when you're without your friends and with an injured leg weighing you down."

"True," Xavier agreed. He slowly lowered himself down onto the bench, seated right beside me. He was so close that our knees touched, my skin searing from the contact. However, I was so sure that I was the only one that felt that bit of heat. "But I'm here now, aren't I?"

"You?" My lips quirked up in a smile. "I don't know about that, Xavier. Are you my friend?"

Xavier's reply was nearly immediate. "Do you want me to be?"

My tongue darted out, lightly skimming my bottom lip for a second before nibbling gently on it. We weren't friends, we were business partners. I wanted to help Jules find her Mr. Right while Xavier hoped to be that Mr. Right. That was how deep our relationship went. Yet, my heart throbbed at his question.

Nevertheless, I didn't get a chance to reply. Xavier had already spoken, crushing my train of thoughts before they even dared to dream of a conclusion. He stretched his hands over his head, yawned for a bit, then rested them back on his thighs again, fists clenched.

"Whatever your reply is going to be, for all it's worth, I think you're a pretty good friend, Aiko."

My cheeks flushed bright hot, practically steaming at this point and I wasn't sure if it was just from the fire or the summer heat. Xavier's words made my heartbeat erratic and I tried my very best to keep that concealed.

"I thought you said that I was insensitive?" I quirked a brow, leaning in close to Xavier with a grin.

That's it, Aiko. Lead the topic away. Stop focusing on your wild thoughts. Collect them back and tuck them away forever.

"Well, I didn't say it." Xavier scratched his head sheepishly, his line of sight suddenly landing on any and everything but on me. It might just be the red of the fire that was reflected on Xavier's porcelain skin but the apples of his cheeks, too, had gone scarlet. "I guess I did imply it, however."

Unable to help myself, I belted out a sharp round of laughter. Xavier looked completely at his wit's end, startled and unable to form coherent replies to desperately save himself.

Although, what he said was undoubtedly true and I was aware of it. I hadn't ever thought much about what people might think in those fleeting moments. I joked, I pranked, and I teased my close friends mercilessly. My only redeeming factor was that their deepest insecurities were taboo. That was something I would never joke about.

For Xavier, I never thought that the forbidden topic to joke about would be Jules.

From beside me, he cleared his throat loudly. Steering the conversation away from our previous topic, Xavier pointed at the cup I held in my hand.

"What've you got there?"

"Fruit punch," I answered. Then, I frowned. "Very warm fruit punch. Well, I guess it's still a drink no matter what."

Shrugging, I raised the cup to my lips. It had barely even made contact before it was swiped away, the cup neatly landing into Xavier's hands. His nose was wrinkled, staring at the contents in the cup scrutinizingly.

"If you wanted a drink, the table is literally just right there." I gestured to the snack table, surprised that my not-very-appetizing drink would get stolen away so unceremoniously.

"It's not that," Xavier waved the idea away. He brought the cup up before gulping the contents down, smirking a little in amusement before speaking again. "Yup. Someone put alcohol in this thing."

The red disposable cup was left empty, all of the spiked fruit punch down Xavier's gullet even though he had a premonition that it contained alcohol. Somehow, that fact didn't startle me one bit.

I shook my head, wagging a finger in front of his face in an attempt to nag. "And you still drank it, knowing fully well that you shouldn't. How disappointing."

"Oh cut it out." Though his words were not the friendliest, there was a sparkle of mischief that darted around his eyes. He raised a hand, grasping onto mine that had been waving about in the air. His large hands enveloped my smaller ones with ease, forcing it to still in an instant. "What's the fun in life if you live by all the rules?"

The amber red of the flames sent a glow cast against Xavier's face. In the silver of the moonlight and the fiery garnet of the fire, Xavier was split into a mix of shadows and light. The variating colors danced on his fair skin, turning him into an ethereal work of art.

When he exhaled, I felt his warm breath fan over my skin. That was when I had realized we had gotten extremely close, so much so that every detail of his face was brought into my view. Our noses were inches apart from each other and if I had moved even a step closer, it might've even touched.

The crackling of the logs for the fire and cheers of the students seemed like worlds away. Time stopped for me and all I could think of was Xavier. My mind was suddenly flooded by his achingly beautiful appearance, his melodious voice, and his intoxicating scent. From some time back, my face had already gone crimson as blood rushed to the apples of my cheeks.

I was only forcefully dragged out of my reverie when I heard the sharp crunch of a twig snapping. That was enough to pull me away, to force me to remember where I was currently at and who I was currently facing. Xavier Park was someone I could not get too close to, not if I wanted the results I had hoped for.

"Jules!" Xavier exclaimed in surprise and I turned my head over to face where he was looking.

His hands had finally let go of mine, allowing them to fall back down to my sides. As the words left his lips, I found myself staring at Jules with a look of bewilderment, her eyes wide and round with surprise. She lightly shook her head, her lips parted just a fraction of an inch before she turned around and darted off into a separate direction.

"Sorry, I must've headed for the wrong direction," she quickly said before scuttering off, disappearing behind a sea of bodies.

A bitter twang cut through my heart. Jules, without a doubt, must've gotten some wrong impression of us because of that. If this misunderstanding wasn't cleared, Xavier's relationship with her will never turn for the better.

Although my mind was still spinning from all the events of the last few minutes, I raised a heavy hand, shoving Xavier forward by his shoulder. He stumbled a few steps in front, trying to catch himself before he could hit the floor. When he finally steadied his footing, he turned back at me with a questioning glare, most likely wondering why I had pushed him.

"Go." I waved him away. "Knowing Jules, she must have misunderstood something to run off like that. Go before this can't be fixed."

As if he had finally realized, Xavier's eyes widened. He nodded once, jaw clenched and lips pursed in determination before darting off in the direction of where Jules had disappeared to. My gaze pursued his shadow until he was finally out of sight, skillfully weaved behind students that had gathered around the bonfire to dance.

Once Xavier Park was gone, everything returned to the prior silence.

The world around me receded into a gentle hum, the loud music and boisterous cheers no longer loud enough to affect me. I was back in my own world, alone and peacefully quiet, allowed to spend my ticking seconds without exhausting myself interacting with others.

However, mere minutes that didn't even add up to an hour had passed before my companion returned. Xavier trudged back significantly slower than when he had run off, his hand pressed against his reddened cheek and the other swinging by his side. In my surprise, I had scrambled to my feet, hastily making my way over.

"What happened?" The question spilled past my lips before I could stop it. My hands moved on their own accord, peeling Xavier's palm away from his face just enough to expose a bright searing handprint on his skin.

I winced at the sight, chewing on my bottom lip.

"I don't really want to talk about it," he murmured under his breath and that was the end of the conversation.

From the drinks table, I had gathered a bag of ice for Xavier to use on his cheek. He nursed it against his skin, body hunched over with his elbows resting on his knees. I, on the other hand, leaned back against the backrest of the bench, split between watching Xavier's pitiful figure and the joyful atmosphere in front of us that we couldn't quite reach ourselves.

Before us, the fire danced in the night. It soared to the skies, threatening to kiss the heavens as sparks flew from the giant flame. The summer heat ravaged our bodies, forcing us to break out in perspiration but none of that seemed enough to move us from our quietude.

Even with the light of the bonfire, the stars above our heads still glimmered. They held witness to what transpired that night beneath their watchful eyes. However, stars could not speak. And so, the secretive words that were exchanged between Xavier and Jules were kept a mystery forever, leaving the topic buried but still maintaining a sorrowful imprint in our hearts.

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