Truth or Dare

7. Bonfire

At small camp site, secluded and sea side.

We sit on the beach a blazing fire burning in the pit and music playing through a speaker. Bailey turns to me and hands me a beer with a  smile.

"oh my god this is my JAMM!" I say as Everything Has Changed (by Taylor Swift/ Ed Sheeran) begins to play.

I absent mindedly climb to my feet and begin to dance, I spin around, my hands in the air. the music gets louder and turn to see Rudy turning it up, he flashes me a quick grin before striding over, holding out a hand and then spinning me around as I take it.

"whoo!" Chase calls, as Rudy dances with me, his hands in mine.

 Soon enough Madalyn and Chase get up and begin to dance along also, and before I know it we are all on our feet, spinning around one another. I put my arms around Rudy's shoulders, clasping my hands behind his head and swaying side to side, his hands on my waist. As the song begins to slow down I pull him closer and rest my head on his shoulder as we sway to the music. Taking in this moment as the music comes to a stop. The song ends and we pull apart, a rosy blush crowds my cheeks as I lock eyes with Bailey who's staring at me, wiggling her eyebrows. 

"shut up!" i whisper bumping my shoulder into her as I walk past her back to my seat.

"I'm just saying." she raises her hands defensively. 

"you soooo like him!" Madalyn adds sitting down next to me.

"no I don't! He's my bestfriend Mads, that's all." I assure her. 

I'm sure of my intentions and feelings towards Rudy and they are very much platonic. I'm sure they are...

~~~☆~~~

I sit with my feet swaying in the water, listening to the laughter of my friends sat around the fire echo across the water. Footsteps pad on the wooden boards behind me and I watch as Rudy sits down next to me.

"Hey." I smile.

"You okay? You sorta just wondered off?" He asks with a nervous frown.

"Mhm, just wanted some space." I reply looking away and back out to the small ripples that in the water when I kick my legs.

"Oh, okay." He whispers.

"Look i- about the other day, out on the boat." He says suddenly.

I freeze.

"I though we said-" I start

"No but thats the thing Danny, I can't stop thinking about that kiss, I don't know what you did but your driving me crazy." He blurts.

He's drunk and I know for a fact he has no idea what he is saying right now.

"Oh." Is all I can seem to say.

"Oh?" He echos.

"Just I- didn't think, well I thought...nevermind." I shake my head.

"No it's okay, you can tell  me." He assures me.

I take a deep breath.

"It's alright Rudes, let's just get back." I smile, getting to my feet and extending a hand to the boy.

He smiles greatfully and takes it, pulling himself to his feet. We walk back in silence, the feeling of guilt settling anything but calmly in my stomach. I walk over over sit beside Madalyn who is roasting a marshmallow over the blazing open fire.

"Your back!" She laughs, putting and arm around me.

"Mhm." I murmur, staring into the flames.

"What's wrong? What did Rudy say?" She sends him a sharp look before looking back at me, her face now filled with confusion.

"Oh nothing, honestly I'm fine." I smile, shaking Rudys words from my head.

"I think I'm gonna head to bed." I add getting up again and walking in the direction of the tents that we had set up in previous hours.

"Oh okay, sleep well, love you." She calls.

"I think I'm gonna go too." I hear Bailey say.

Soon enough we are walking side by side to the tent we decide to share seen as it makes more sense as we are both going to bed now.

I get changed out of my clothes into some joggers and a sweatshirt and then leave the tent to go brush my teeth before bed.

I stand over the sink in the small campsite bathroom watching a tiny spider crawl up the plughole. I stick the end of my toothbrush out and help the creature to the side of the bowl so I can brush my teeth without washing it away. I settle on the name Incy like the spider, Incy Wincy, from the nursery rhym.

Once I've brushed my teeth I find my way back to my tent and before long I'm passed out, fast asleep. I dream of nothingness, pure nothingness, just empty shallow darkness...

~~~☆~~~

The next day comes around all too slowly but sure enough arrives when the birds start to chirp in the trees around 4am. I wake in a slight haze, the previous night a blur, Bailey is still asleep but I sneak out of the tent and down to the dock I had been sat on the previous night. I watch as the sun rises slowly over the ridge and it settles up in the sky the birds now in full song.

After a few hours I hear the rustle of sleeping bags and wiz of tent zips as my friends begin to sturr.  I've managed to rescue the fire and am cooking bacon and sausage, on a pan that I've placed on two logs I've set either side of the fire.

"Well good morning to you too early bird." Chase yawns as he pulls a hoodie over his head and sits down on one of the deck chairs set out.

"Moring" I smile.

"Want some bacon?" I offer.

Chase smiles and nods, yawning again and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

I plate up some food and hand it to him. Soon enough everyone is awake and sat around the fire eating and discussing what was to come of the next few days.