Ripped and Stitched

1: Growing Pains

For most high school students, the last day of school before summer break was filled with excitement. You could practically feel the anticipation in the air for the final bell to ring and free everyone. Even if it was just for a few months and you had to come back in the fall. So what? Everyone was excited for summer.

Particularly, the students of Oakview High School who were looking forward to the annual bonfire tonight. It was a tradition going back decades for the students to host the bonfire in the woods behind the local park. What started as a fun way to burn a year's worth of school papers had essentially turned into a reason to drink beer and party.

Ignorance was bliss, was the school's policy on the bonfire. They were hesitant to admit they were aware of the bonfire each year. Especially since a few members of the faculty had at one point participated in the affair when they were in high school. 

This all changed however on one fateful night. A night where perhaps if even one thing had gone differently, then maybe the bonfire would still be allowed to happen each year.

But on this afternoon, no one had thought anything could possibly go wrong. So everyone was bouncing with excitement for the night's festivities. Well, most people were. Others were rather preoccupied.

Max Hall for instance, was angrily texting his girlfriend, Alison Hart, who had ditched school yet again. They were fighting, or whatever you called the kind of arguments that Alison and Max got themselves into. Today, Alison was giving Max the silent treatment since Max had not shown up last night at Alison's house when she had asked him to. Now, Max was trying to make it up to her, but that was a hard thing to do when your girlfriend refused to show up to school and ignored all your messages. 

Max was not the only one on his phone though. On his left, Max's best friend Brady Carson was sitting at a desk using his girlfriend's phone under the table. He was using it to watch an old football game to save himself from the boredom of their teacher who insisted on teaching until the last minute of the last day of school. Brady would have used his own phone, but he had broken it last night after he jumped into a pool with it in his pocket. He had been dared by a basketball teammate and Brady was not one to back down from a challenge.

His girlfriend, Julia Evans, sitting on Brady's other side, had not minded one bit giving Brady her phone because she was far too busy running her solo for her dance competition next weekend in her head. Julia imagined herself on stage, in her blue costume that her mom had paid a ridiculous amount for, dancing across the stage. Leap after leap, turn after turn.

All three were snapped away from their thoughts when the bell rang. At once all the students packed up their things and the three friends headed out of the school towards the parking lot.

"Did you manage to talk to Ali?" Julia asked Max as she slipped her hand into Brady's hand as they walked.

Max shook his head and rolled his eyes. It was clear how sick he was of Alison's antics.

"She's probably at the skatepark," Brady pointed out. "Didn't you notice who else wasn't here today?"

Max clenched his jaw. "Kate didn't come today?"

Brady shook his head confirming that she wasn't at school.

Max grumbled a series of complaints as he got on his motorcycle. 

"Whose house are we meeting at before the bonfire?" Julia asked.

"Well, assuming Ali's still pissed at Max, you two better do your own thing," Brady warned his girlfriend.

Julia made a face and looked over at Max. "Can you guys not go two days without fighting?"

Max ignored her and turned to Brady. "I'll meet you at your place after I check the skatepark. I'd text you when I'm on my way but I guess you won't get it."