Sacrificial Loyalty

Chapter 8- Stone Cold Obsession

"Melvin!" Ava yelled as she ran over to him, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight squeeze.

"Hey Ava." Melvin returned the hug with just as much affection, squeezing her lightly before letting go.

"You okay Lachlan?" Jessica asked sweetly as she eyed him up.

Lachlan tore his eyes from Ava and Melvin embracing each other and smiled at Jessica charmingly. "Yeah I'm good. Don't worry about me."

"Hey dude." Said Melvin as he sat next to Lachlan on the bench.

"Heyyy kidda! Glad you could make it!" Lachlan flung his arm over Melvin's shoulders and pulled him towards him, holding him in a protective grip.

Lachlan's garden was simple, consisting of a brown wooden shed with a padlock on the door, two brown wooden benches that fit four people between them, which was perfect for Melvin and Lachlan and Ava and Jessica, and an unlit bonfire in the middle of the garden waiting to be sparked up once the night hit 9pm.

"Who's up for hot chocolate before we get this bonfire lit in about ten minutes?!" Lachlan exclaimed.

There was a small chorus of 'Yes please' from the three guests, and so Lachlan, smiling away to himself, headed into his kitchen swiftly, switching the kettle on in order to get ready to treat his guests. He also grabbed a bag of large marshmallows and placed them down on the counter next to the kettle.

Lachlan's eyes settled on the trio outside, all sitting comfortably on the two benches chatting away between themselves contently. He thought about the bonfire; the way the fire could devour anything that was placed upon the burning wood, the ashes that fluttered high into the air, remnants of what once was. How the flames ripped and teared through anything sacrificed to it, like Satan's servant itself, sending its scorched gifts down into the pits of hell.

Lachlan wondered what else he could put on a bonfire that wasn't made of wood.

Click.

The kettle's rough whistling had finished, signifying that it had finished its boiling course, bringing Lachlan out of his thoughtful state.

Preparing the mugs and the ingredients for the hot chocolate, he got to work, his mind still partly focused on bonfire sacrifices.

"He looks like he has a really cool house." Jessica said as she held her arm around Ava, holding her comfortingly. A thing they both developed a habit of doing over the years they had known each other.

"Yeah it looks really cool doesn't it." Melvin answered, turning around to take a glance at the house, with cream-coloured walls and white-coloured window sashes to correspond with the cream colours. A grey, clay tile roof adorned the building. Both the front and back door to the house were painted black. Next to the house near the back door there was a small pathway which ran along the side of the house, the way Melvin came when he arrived.

Seeing Lachlan standing by the window watching them, Melvin quickly turned back around to the unlit fire, nervous that Lachlan may be wondering if Melvin was watching him or not.

It only took one more minute until Lachlan was back outside, handing out the mugs filled with steaming hot chocolate and handing out a few large marshmallows to each person, taking some for himself and throwing them into his hot chocolate.

"Do you not like roasting them?" Melvin questioned.

"Oh I do." Lachlan said as he pulled out a lighter from his pocket. "Just thought I'd try some in my hot chocolate for a change!"

Flicking the lighter with elegance, he stepped towards the bonfire and bent down, igniting the awaiting wood.

He stepped back, and watched as the flames overtook the pile, crackling into the air charmingly.

"I absolutely love bonfires. I think me and my parents will be having one this November on bonfire night. Will you be having one Lachlan?" Jessica aimed the question at her crush, who smiled at her as he took his seat next to Melvin on the bench.

"I think I will be. I really like bonfires too." He smiled again, charming Jessica.

"It's a shame I can't come and watch it with you." Jessica winked.

"Yeah. It's a real shame." Lachlan nodded, smirking as he wrapped his arm around Melvin's shoulders, getting comfortable as he watched the dancing bonfire.

The four of them sat quiet for a while, indulging in the warm fire as they drank their hot chocolate and toasted their marshmallows.

It was soon time to go, and Melvin took the action of hugging Lachlan, who returned the hug warmly.

"Thank you so much for tonight." Melvin thanked Lachlan, who rubbed Melvin's hair affectionately before stepping away from the hug.

"You're welcome. I'd love to do it again at some point. You've been a real treasure to me this year, and I'd do anything for you."

At this compliment, Melvin's cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment, and he stared at the grass shyly.

"Come on then Melv!" Ava shouted.

Lachlan nodded to Melvin, agreeing with Ava, and waved as Melvin, Ava and Jessica walked around the side of the house to head home.

Before Jessica disappeared from sight, she turned briefly to Lachlan and blew him a kiss, who smiling, caught the kiss in his hand.

As Jessica left his view, he made sure to throw the kiss into the burning embers, forever perishing the one-sided affection.