C H A P T E R   T W O
beers and bonfires

stuffed:
to be pushed underwater by a wave.

The rest of the day at work went by relatively peacefully after that guy left. Once he got up to leave, he left a piece of paper behind on the table. One the paper was his name, which was Dawson, and his phone number in surprisingly legible printing.

While cleaning the tables I tucked it in my apron so that I would remember to dispose of it later on. It had been quite busy at work due to the nice weather so I was on my feet all day serving customers.

I had made a decent amount of tips and was asked to stay later at the restaurant to help deal with the supper rush. By the time I was allowed to leave it was 7:32. I silently walked into the back room and changed back into my jean shorts and tank top. I threw an oversized crew neck over top of my shirt before sneaking out of the back door.

I slipped into my car pulling my phone out of my bag to check if I had any unread messages. My screen had lit up with messages from Miranda. One in particular had caught my attention.

Hey Ains. Picking you up at 9:00 for the party tonight. Be ready! -M

I placed my keys into the ignition before speeding back down the road I took to work. The traffic had died down by now and I arrived home sooner than expected.

As I pulled up in front of my house, I placed the car in park before grabbing my bag and running inside. My mothers car was still parked outside and the only light on was the one in the front room. I opened the door and a loud squeak rung through the air.

My shoes were placed beside my mothers heels as I slipped them off. I flicked on the light in the kitchen as well as the hallway one to make it easier to see where I am going. The smell of lilacs lingered in the air from the air freshener which was placed in the front entrance.

I quietly tip-toed up the stairs trying to avoid waking my mother. As I walked by her room I could hear her quiet snores. My room was a little ways down the hall so I continued walking until I reached my door.

Opening the door to my room I flicked on the lights illuminating my crowded space. My walls were painted a teal blue and a variety of objects from the beach scattered here and there. I went searching through my white dresser for my tribal printed skirt which I found with ease.

Grabbing a black tank top from my closet I made my way towards my bathroom to do my hair and makeup. I studied my reflection in the mirror before deciding to straighten my long blonde hair. For my makeup I kept it simple but added a winged eyeliner and some darker eye shadow for a dramatic effect.

After twenty minutes of doing my makeup and my hair I was finally finished. I changed into my skirt and shirt before admiring my appearance in the mirror. My hair cascaded over my shoulders and ended about mid back and my skirt and tank top showed off my tanned skin and long legs.

A loud ping woke me from my trance as I went to fetch my phone. A message from Miranda popped up so I reached for my tan knit cardigan and purse before sneaking back down the stairs.

I stopped in the kitchen and grabbed a piece of paper writing down a letter to my mother about where I was and that I was probably staying the night over at Miranda's. I placed the letter down on the coffee table before making my way back toward the front door. Throwing on my flip flops I exited my house locking the door behind me.

Miranda's car was sitting in the driving and the faint sound of a bass drum could be heard coming from inside. As I was walking towards her car she noticed me and her face lit up as she waved hello to me.

Her black hair was loosely curled and a floral sundress was flowing around her body. She greeted me as I hopped into the car turning up the music as we reversed out of my driveway.

"You know, I heard that Brandon was going to make an appearance at this party." I said to her over top of the music.

"I know that why do you think we are going." She said with a laugh. Miranda has had a huge crush on Brandon, who happens to be the swim captain at our school for years. She had never made a move because she has always felt that the guy needs to be the one to make a move and never the girl. So here she is. A year later and she is still watching the guy she likes flirt with different girls from a distance.

I on the other hand don't bother with boys. Sure I flirt with a couple of them here and there but I try not to get to attached or even fall in love because I know I will have to break it off at the end of the year when I head off to college.

Most people would just stay home for college, especially here in Chancier Cove. It's not common for people to head out of state but I needed to escape this place, to leave all my memories behind and start fresh.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I saw we arrived at the party after twenty minutes of driving through the city. A thick barrel of smoke was rising into the midnight sky that was illuminated with stars and the moon. People were littering the beach as well as the boardwalk. Miranda had managed to find a parking spot along the beach after honking at some drunk teenagers to move out of the way.

Once the car was stopped we both got out and were greeted with the cool night air. While walking towards the large bonfire I had my cardigan wrapped tightly around my body trying to shield me from the cold.

People were running past us towards the beach screaming and laughing as they went by. Others were leaded up against the board walk railing with a beer in hand and a girl in the other.

"Cmon lets go." Miranda screams, taking off her flip flops before running down the beach.

I slowly peeled my shoes off of my feet leaning on the railing for support. I stood and watched Miranda's figure disappear into the crowd before I started following after her. It was quite cold outside but the closer you got towards the fire and people the warmer you got.

The large orange and red flame was mesmerizing. The way it danced and swayed with every gentle breeze. Or the mystical cloud of grey smoke that rose up towards the heavens. But my favourite part were the little ashes that would rain down from the sky, glimmering and glowing as they softly fell towards the cold, dark, earth.

"Here drink this." Miranda said appearing out of the crowd placing a red solo cup in my hand. "It's some vodka. Will make you get tipsy real quick." She said with a giggle before drinking the glass.

I looked at the quarter full glass, the clear liquid sloshing around as people's shoulders would bump against mine. I promised myself that I would make this summer one to remember as this was the kick start I needed.

I raised the glass up to face emptying the contents into my mouth before swallowing. The liquid burned its way down my throat as I felt the warm fussy feeling pumping through my veins.

I wasn't one to drink, but it seemed as though I was doing so more and more after the accident. I used it as a way to numb the pain, to forget everything and just feel free and enjoy myself from time to time instead of being a prisoner in my own mind.

Miranda grabbed my hand leading me through the mass of sweaty people dancing and singing with each other. She stopped in front of a large cooler resting in the sand. After digging around in the icy water for a while she finally found what she was looking for.

"Want a beer?" She asked looking at me, her face illuminated by the fire. I nodded as she reached back into the cooler grabbing a Bud Light for me. "Let's go dance." I followed her to where everyone was dancing in a cluster. 679 came on through the speakers and we lost it.

We were singing the words at the top of our lungs, hands in the air, hips moving to the beat of the song as we downed our beers. We were completely oblivious to the people around us, we just allowed the music and beat to take over as alcohol pumped through our veins.

After the song had finished Miranda was swept away by some guy and was currently getting close with him while dancing. I walked away yelling "I'll catch up with you later."

I was making my way back towards the alcohol cooler until a guy caught my eye. His dirty blonde was blowing in the breeze as he leaned against a tree, hands in pockets, looking out towards the ocean.

I reached for another beer giving me some extra confidence as I slowly walked towards where he was standing. Even in the darkness of the night, his jawbone was defined due to the slight glow coming from the fire.

I stopped beside him and took a sip of my beer pretending to look out at the ocean. I turned to look at him as I caught him looking me over. That's when I realized who I was standing beside.

"Oh wonderful. Just the person I was looking to see." He said moving a piece of hair out of his face. "Sorry I had to run earlier, I would have loved to stay and chat." A smirk was tugging at the corners of his mouth as he looked towards my stunned face.

"Sorry I thought you were someone else." I say brushing a stray piece of hair behind my ear as my cheeks were tinted red. "I'm just going to go back over there and look for my friend." I say quickly pointing in the direction of the crowd before turning on my heels. "The both of us are just going to pretend that that didn't happen."

I feel a hand grab my wrist, turning me around to face the asshole himself. "And where do you think you're going? The party is just beginning."

"Nice try Dawson." I grumble pulling my hand out of his grasp. "I'm drunk but not that drunk to stand here and tolerate your obnoxious behaviour." Giving a small wave over my shoulder I turn and walk back into the crowd throwing myself back into the party.

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Word Count: 1883