Someday My Happy Arms Will Hold You
Five
As the three girls approached a huge bonfire near the local lake, they heard a chorus of cheers and screams. "Becca!" yelled Joe, as he got up and ran over to her. "Hey guys," he said to Jessica and Ava, "there's plenty of room, go on and have a seat! There are plenty of blankets if you're cold, and a ton of food and drinks if you want them, just help yourselves." Jessica and Ava started toward the fire, while Joe and Becca started walking in the direction of the 12 or so cars parked about 100 feet from the fire.
"Eww, I wonder what they're gonna do," giggled Jessica.
"Hey you lovebirds!" Ava yelled at the couple, "if you're headed to my car, make sure you clean up after yourselves!"
"Yeah! And Joe! Try not to leave your boxers in the backseat again!" Jessica exclaimed before bursting into laughter.
"Ava! Jessica! Come and sit!" Ava looked up and saw Kevin motioning them over to where he was sitting. "You want something to drink? We have coke, orange soda, a few Buds, and I think some Mike's. What do you want?"
"Nothing for me, thanks. What about you Jess?" said Ava.
"I'll have a coke, thanks," she said.
Ava looked at the people sitting around the fire. She saw a lot of people she knew, including Braden, but there were, Kevin pointed at three people sitting across from them. "That's Aaron, Jacob, and Athena. They just moved here a week or two ago. Aaron plays a killer guitar. Hey! Aaron! Play something!"
The guy she assumed was Aaron stared strumming his guitar to the tune of 'California' by Phantom Planet. Kevin was right! Ava thought. He does have killer guitar skills!
When he was done, the group clapped and cheered wildly. "Hey!" Kevin said once the cheering had ended. "Who's up for a midnight swim?" Guys and girls alike started stripping down to their underclothes and started running toward the lake. Ava stayed put and stared at the dancing flames before her. "Ava! You coming?" Kevin asked.
"Nah, I'm just gonna stay here. The water's a little too cold for me," she said.
"I'll stay too," a voice a few feet away stated. "I mean, if that's okay with you, Ava."
"Yea, that's fine with-" Ava looked up and saw that the voice was coming from Braden. "Me," Ava squeaked out. She could feel her cheeks and ears start to turn red.
"Alright, see you guys later!" Kevin said before leaving them alone.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" Braden asked while pointing next to Ava. She shook her head no, and looked back at the flames. After taking a few deep breaths, she looked over a Braden, only to find him looking back at her. They both looked quickly back at the fire.
"So, how's your senior year so far?" asked Braden as they continued to stare into the fire.
"It's…Uh…Well," Come on, Ava she thought as she stumbled over which words to choose. "It-It's going pretty well, thanks. How's yours?" Holy cow, I can't believe that came out coherently.
"It's pretty good so far, thanks!" he replied enthusiastically.
"Good job at the game tonight." She said quietly after a few seconds of silence.
"Thanks, it was hard work."
"I bet." The two sat for a few minutes, just watching the fire and listening to the distant screams and shrieks of their friends nearby.
"Hey Ava?" Braden said.
"Yeah?" she replied.
"I was thinking. I mean, you and I have known each other since first grade, but we've never really talked. And now we're seniors, and we're going to be graduating soon, and I was thinking that maybe you might want to maybe have some coffee or something sometime?" he rambled.
"I-uh…I mean...Umm…sure!" Did Braden just ask me out on a date? Did I just say yes?
Braden let out a sigh. "Awesome! So, when do you want to go?"
"Uh…Um…Monday after school? Like, 4:00?"
"Sweet, that sounds awesome."
"Oh my God, you are so dead Kevin William Forest!" Jessica screamed as she walked, soaking wet, into the clearing where Ava and Braden sat. "Ava, do you mind if we go? Kevin threw me into the lake, and now all my clothes are soaked and I'm starting to get cold."
"Um, yeah, sure. We need to go collect the lovebirds and then we can head home. Bye, Braden. It was nice talking to you. I'll see you Monday."
"Bye, Ava! See you later Jessica!" he shouted after then as they started to walk to the car.
"Um, excuse me! What in the world was that all about?" Jessica asked.
"I think you and Becca need to spend the night. We all have a lot to talk about." Ava reached the car and knocked on the window, causing the two figures to jump awake.
Opening the door, Joe said, "Hey Ava, you guys going home already?"
"Wow Joe, I'm so proud of you! You managed to keep you boxers on this time! And yes, we're going home. Jess got thrown in the lake," said Ava.
"Alright, see you guys later. Bye Becca!" he said, leaning in to give her a kiss.
Ava and Jessica joined Becca in the car and took off towards Ava's house.
"Eww, I wonder what they're gonna do," giggled Jessica.
"Hey you lovebirds!" Ava yelled at the couple, "if you're headed to my car, make sure you clean up after yourselves!"
"Yeah! And Joe! Try not to leave your boxers in the backseat again!" Jessica exclaimed before bursting into laughter.
"Ava! Jessica! Come and sit!" Ava looked up and saw Kevin motioning them over to where he was sitting. "You want something to drink? We have coke, orange soda, a few Buds, and I think some Mike's. What do you want?"
"Nothing for me, thanks. What about you Jess?" said Ava.
"I'll have a coke, thanks," she said.
Ava looked at the people sitting around the fire. She saw a lot of people she knew, including Braden, but there were, Kevin pointed at three people sitting across from them. "That's Aaron, Jacob, and Athena. They just moved here a week or two ago. Aaron plays a killer guitar. Hey! Aaron! Play something!"
The guy she assumed was Aaron stared strumming his guitar to the tune of 'California' by Phantom Planet. Kevin was right! Ava thought. He does have killer guitar skills!
When he was done, the group clapped and cheered wildly. "Hey!" Kevin said once the cheering had ended. "Who's up for a midnight swim?" Guys and girls alike started stripping down to their underclothes and started running toward the lake. Ava stayed put and stared at the dancing flames before her. "Ava! You coming?" Kevin asked.
"Nah, I'm just gonna stay here. The water's a little too cold for me," she said.
"I'll stay too," a voice a few feet away stated. "I mean, if that's okay with you, Ava."
"Yea, that's fine with-" Ava looked up and saw that the voice was coming from Braden. "Me," Ava squeaked out. She could feel her cheeks and ears start to turn red.
"Alright, see you guys later!" Kevin said before leaving them alone.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" Braden asked while pointing next to Ava. She shook her head no, and looked back at the flames. After taking a few deep breaths, she looked over a Braden, only to find him looking back at her. They both looked quickly back at the fire.
"So, how's your senior year so far?" asked Braden as they continued to stare into the fire.
"It's…Uh…Well," Come on, Ava she thought as she stumbled over which words to choose. "It-It's going pretty well, thanks. How's yours?" Holy cow, I can't believe that came out coherently.
"It's pretty good so far, thanks!" he replied enthusiastically.
"Good job at the game tonight." She said quietly after a few seconds of silence.
"Thanks, it was hard work."
"I bet." The two sat for a few minutes, just watching the fire and listening to the distant screams and shrieks of their friends nearby.
"Hey Ava?" Braden said.
"Yeah?" she replied.
"I was thinking. I mean, you and I have known each other since first grade, but we've never really talked. And now we're seniors, and we're going to be graduating soon, and I was thinking that maybe you might want to maybe have some coffee or something sometime?" he rambled.
"I-uh…I mean...Umm…sure!" Did Braden just ask me out on a date? Did I just say yes?
Braden let out a sigh. "Awesome! So, when do you want to go?"
"Uh…Um…Monday after school? Like, 4:00?"
"Sweet, that sounds awesome."
"Oh my God, you are so dead Kevin William Forest!" Jessica screamed as she walked, soaking wet, into the clearing where Ava and Braden sat. "Ava, do you mind if we go? Kevin threw me into the lake, and now all my clothes are soaked and I'm starting to get cold."
"Um, yeah, sure. We need to go collect the lovebirds and then we can head home. Bye, Braden. It was nice talking to you. I'll see you Monday."
"Bye, Ava! See you later Jessica!" he shouted after then as they started to walk to the car.
"Um, excuse me! What in the world was that all about?" Jessica asked.
"I think you and Becca need to spend the night. We all have a lot to talk about." Ava reached the car and knocked on the window, causing the two figures to jump awake.
Opening the door, Joe said, "Hey Ava, you guys going home already?"
"Wow Joe, I'm so proud of you! You managed to keep you boxers on this time! And yes, we're going home. Jess got thrown in the lake," said Ava.
"Alright, see you guys later. Bye Becca!" he said, leaning in to give her a kiss.
Ava and Jessica joined Becca in the car and took off towards Ava's house.
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I hope you enjoy this chapter.Let me know what you thought of it!