Festival

Part 3

ARTIE

I filled up the big water bottles and moved out of the queue. I was glad I had come to the festival a day early. Getting a good spot for the tent in the blue field.

I'd come with my 20 year old sister, Eden, but she had left once we had got to the festival of LIFE and put her tent up in the orange field instead. I'd seen her earlier today buying a scarf at a stall.

I headed back to my tent struggling with the weight of the two water bottles. I knew exactly where my tent was because there was a big sign above it saying 'Dizzie Rascal says GET FUCKED'. It fluttered slowly in the wind.

I threw my water bottles down as I reached 'camp'. The blue field was full of tents. Defiantly more crowded than it had been yesterday.

I'd made sure I had got a bit of grass in front of my tent so that I could sit down. I quickly checked in the tent if anything had been stolen. But everything seemed fine.

The walk down to main field was not long at all. All I had to do was walk through the orange field or the yellow field. The purple field is another campsite except for more people with tepees camp here. They also sell what they make; you could call it 'the hippy field'.

The white field is where all the shows happen like the comedy tents and the circus acts.

The turquoise field is half campsite and another half stalls.

The brown field is where there are more stalls and a bit of car parks.

I put on some music with my phone, GORILLAZ. The sun was up in the sky but it was fading fast. At 8:00pm I needed to go to my stall. I work at a bar in the red field. It's called 'Down the rabbit hole' and I guess that's why I also came to the festival early, to get set up. I know it's going to be busy later on. It's what people want at festivals, to get drunk and have a good time.

Being 18 I'm allowed to sell drinks. I work with my mate, Justin who is 24. I put my leather jacket on; it would go nicely with my black jeans. I clicked the off switch for my phone and the music went off instantly. I decided to start walking to the red field.

As I walked down the middle of the field I noticed people lying in their camping chairs, asleep, listening to music or just chatting. Others were walking around finishing getting their tents set up or going to fill up their water. Some were looking around the fields wandering aimlessly or heading to a specific place like me.

I looked up in to the sky at the sun and let it wash over me. I suddenly realised that I was starving. I joined the crowd entering into the red field. I kept my eye out to see if anyone was looking at all interesting. Nobody seemed to catch my eye.

Suddenly I saw her. I didn't know who she was but she looked familiar. Her ginger plaits jiggled slowly as someone pulled her back into the crowd and she disappeared. I kept my eye out for her again but she had disappeared. I wasn't promising anything yet but she did look interesting compared to most girls at the festival who just wear really short skirts.

The crowd suddenly split into lots of different directions as we reached the red field.

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I bit into the taco, reviving my stomach and sat down on a haystack which had been lain out with a few others so you could sit on them by the Festival of LIFE organisers.

A group of girls holding beers giggled to each other and came and sat down opposite me. I caught a few of them looking at me.

Before too long one of the girls flicked her brown hair and turned to me and saying "Do ya want some beer?" I finished my taco and stood up.

She fluttered her eyes at me but I turned to walk away before saying "Enjoy your beer".

I heard the other girls laughing at the brown haired girl. I wandered over to my stall. It was closed, I know Justin would be somewhere either still asleep (the lazy bastard) or hanging around his camp with his mates. Either way he'd probably be late for his shift even though he owns this stall.

Someone pushed past me before turning back around and asking if I wanted to buy a bag. I sighed, shook my head and wandered out of all the stalls to get to the massive empty bit of field in front of the big stage. People sat in groups dotted all over the place chatting quietly or having their first drink of the festival.

I found a place and lay down, looking up into the sky and because there was nothing else to do I found shapes in the clouds. A frog, a face and a wine glass.

My thoughts blurred as I thought back to before I came to the festival. In some ways, apart from the stall I work at, this is why I came to the festival. Mum and dad were getting divorced. They hadn't really told us yet but Eden had heard them shouting about it and it seemed dad was spending a lot less time at home than normal.

Mum was going out an awful lot, even at her age. I was surprised she didn't come to the festival of LIFE. She was going to come but at the last moment backed out and sold her ticket to some lucky person.

Some children ran past interrupting my thoughts. They were all dressed up in brightly coloured clothes and their faces painted.

I sat up and checked my phone. It had been 1 hour since I had last sat down. Time fly's by when you're having fun!

A text pinged up on the screen. I clicked on it and slowly read through it. It was from Eden saying that she was fine and that she hoped I'd have a good time tonight. I carefully put it back in my pocket before standing up.

I yawned and started to make my way towards the 'Down the rabbit hole'.

——————

TILLY

I looked into the mirror again and stuck my tongue out at my reflection.

Me and Lizzie were standing side by side in the wooden toilets. They are a little block they only have 3 cubicles and some mirrors but they are a lot better than the portables or the metal box ones.

I'd taken out my plaits so my ginger hair was more wavy than usual. I'd redone my mascara but put on no other makeup. My freckled arms still had my friendship bracelets on them. I didn't want to take them off in case they got lost.

I was wearing denim shorts my red converse trainers and a cream shirt with tassels. I didn't button it up so you could see my black vest underneath it. I'd left the painted moon on my cheek. My feather earrings fluttered in the wind.

"Come on then" said Lizzie linking arms with me and dragging me out of the loos. I squeezed her arm in excitement waiting for the party to start.

As we walked down the path to go through the orange field we joined a load of other people travelling through the campsite to get to the red or yellow field.

"You have to be careful when you are standing on the grass in front of the stages. You don't want to get squashed by all the people!"

I laughed but what Lizzie had said scared me just a little. We got to the red field; people where walking all around and most of the drink stalls were open. Lizzie pulled me gently along until we stood almost in the middle of the field.

"Do you see that stall over there?" she pointed.

I nodded, a big sign hung over the opening flashing red and then black.

"'Down the rabbit hole'" I muttered.

"We meet there if we get lost, okay?" said Lizzie cutting in.

"Okay" I agreed before turning to face Lizzie.

Lizzie laughed "Welcome to life at night" she shouted throwing her hands up in the air, up to the stars in the dark sky. Lizzie headed over to the Pimms stand. "Come on" she said beckoning to me. I shook my head in wonder and smiled before running over to her.

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