The Only Way I Know
The Bonfire
As I changed for the bonfire that evening, I couldn’t help but remember the last time I’d been somewhere with Julian’s friends. It wasn’t exactly the best memory, having a very confused Tom try to make a move while you were going out with Julian. With a final check that I had a sufficient layer of warmth wrapped around me, I descended down the stairs and went out in the night.
Just as I closed the door behind me I ran into something solid. Jumping back in fright, I quickly realised it was Julian.
“Did I scare you?” He gave a teasing grin, his breath coming out with a cloud of fog.
I punched him on the arm. “Just half to death,” I replied, regaining my composure.
“Ow!” he replied indignantly, rubbing his arm. His eyes softened and his eyebrows creased to give him a very puppy-dog look. “You didn’t expect me to walk there all by yourself in the cold and the dark, did you?”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m a big girl now, really.” I gave him a kiss on the cheek before taking his gloved hand in mine and leading him down the short set of concrete stairs.
“How was your day?” Julian asked, his eyes glancing up to the clear, starry skies. It was nice, walking alone on the street in the dark.
“It was okay,” I lied. My day hadn’t been very good; I had been in a tetchy mood all day with Tom for no real reason other than the sense of foreboding I felt about the bonfire night. It didn’t make it any better that Julian suggested having a break from our afternoon hangouts just for one day. “How about yours?”
“Alright,” he admitted, scrunching his face up in a look of disgust. “I swear, with each day, I hate most people there more and more.”
“You could never show it,” I laughed, grinning at the thought of Julian being so hateful toward someone. “You’re too nice.”
He gave a look of mock indignation. “I am not. I’m real hardcore.”
“No, you’re mistaking that for intelligence, for some reason.”
“Why, thank you for the compliment.” His face easily changed into a relaxed grin. “I do consider myself to be quite the smart one.”
The rest of the short journey was relatively quiet; we both wandered in our thoughts in the cold darkness, hand in hand. By the time we arrived at the park the other three were already there, and had just begun to light the fire.
“Hey, look who it is!” The ever familiar voice of Eddie’s rung out across the park. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of my old friends.
“Hey Jamie!” Amber called, pulling me into a hug once me and Julian and reached where they had dragged two narrow logs by the ever growing fire. Roshi came forward to greet me as well, looking almost radiant. I felt a rush of affection for all of them; it had been so long since I felt like I had such good friends. I felt guilty for not keeping in touch with them – they really were nice people.
Within a matter of minutes the fire was burning strongly and we had all settled down, sitting with our backs against the logs. I leant my head against Julian, my eyes locking with the glow of the fire.
“So Jamie, how’ve you been since rehab?” Eddie asked, casually throwing a stick onto the fire. “I see Julian plucked up the courage to ask you out.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve been great, thanks Eddie, how about you?”
He gave a grin. “Oh, you know me. Straight A student, I’m just plain brilliant.”
“Straight A student my arse, you fucking copy off me every time,” Amber laughed. “The only A you’ll get is in bullshitting.”
We all laughed. “Ah, so I don’t care about school. I’m sorry I’m so terrible,” Eddie said sadly, pretending to look hurt.
“Pfft, you’re also terrible at acting.” Amber turned back to face me. “How’s that guy you were talking about at rehab… er… Tom or something?”
“He’s fine,” I said shortly, not wanting to expand on the subject. I felt Julian stiffen next to me momentarily. “He’s just a friend.”
“You’ve got Julian now,” Roshi grinned. “You’ve got one of the most caring people I’ve ever met.”
“Ah, shut up Roshi,” Julian replied, giving a short laugh.
“No, she’s right,” I said quietly, just so Julian could hear me while I leant my head on his shoulder again. “I am the luckiest girl alive.”
Just as I closed the door behind me I ran into something solid. Jumping back in fright, I quickly realised it was Julian.
“Did I scare you?” He gave a teasing grin, his breath coming out with a cloud of fog.
I punched him on the arm. “Just half to death,” I replied, regaining my composure.
“Ow!” he replied indignantly, rubbing his arm. His eyes softened and his eyebrows creased to give him a very puppy-dog look. “You didn’t expect me to walk there all by yourself in the cold and the dark, did you?”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m a big girl now, really.” I gave him a kiss on the cheek before taking his gloved hand in mine and leading him down the short set of concrete stairs.
“How was your day?” Julian asked, his eyes glancing up to the clear, starry skies. It was nice, walking alone on the street in the dark.
“It was okay,” I lied. My day hadn’t been very good; I had been in a tetchy mood all day with Tom for no real reason other than the sense of foreboding I felt about the bonfire night. It didn’t make it any better that Julian suggested having a break from our afternoon hangouts just for one day. “How about yours?”
“Alright,” he admitted, scrunching his face up in a look of disgust. “I swear, with each day, I hate most people there more and more.”
“You could never show it,” I laughed, grinning at the thought of Julian being so hateful toward someone. “You’re too nice.”
He gave a look of mock indignation. “I am not. I’m real hardcore.”
“No, you’re mistaking that for intelligence, for some reason.”
“Why, thank you for the compliment.” His face easily changed into a relaxed grin. “I do consider myself to be quite the smart one.”
The rest of the short journey was relatively quiet; we both wandered in our thoughts in the cold darkness, hand in hand. By the time we arrived at the park the other three were already there, and had just begun to light the fire.
“Hey, look who it is!” The ever familiar voice of Eddie’s rung out across the park. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of my old friends.
“Hey Jamie!” Amber called, pulling me into a hug once me and Julian and reached where they had dragged two narrow logs by the ever growing fire. Roshi came forward to greet me as well, looking almost radiant. I felt a rush of affection for all of them; it had been so long since I felt like I had such good friends. I felt guilty for not keeping in touch with them – they really were nice people.
Within a matter of minutes the fire was burning strongly and we had all settled down, sitting with our backs against the logs. I leant my head against Julian, my eyes locking with the glow of the fire.
“So Jamie, how’ve you been since rehab?” Eddie asked, casually throwing a stick onto the fire. “I see Julian plucked up the courage to ask you out.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve been great, thanks Eddie, how about you?”
He gave a grin. “Oh, you know me. Straight A student, I’m just plain brilliant.”
“Straight A student my arse, you fucking copy off me every time,” Amber laughed. “The only A you’ll get is in bullshitting.”
We all laughed. “Ah, so I don’t care about school. I’m sorry I’m so terrible,” Eddie said sadly, pretending to look hurt.
“Pfft, you’re also terrible at acting.” Amber turned back to face me. “How’s that guy you were talking about at rehab… er… Tom or something?”
“He’s fine,” I said shortly, not wanting to expand on the subject. I felt Julian stiffen next to me momentarily. “He’s just a friend.”
“You’ve got Julian now,” Roshi grinned. “You’ve got one of the most caring people I’ve ever met.”
“Ah, shut up Roshi,” Julian replied, giving a short laugh.
“No, she’s right,” I said quietly, just so Julian could hear me while I leant my head on his shoulder again. “I am the luckiest girl alive.”