My Understandings [ON HOLD/EDITING]

My Understandings: Part 1

I turn the corner onto 4th street on my way to my best friend Alan's house. The warm Minnesota summer heat beaming on my skin. My long brown hair in a bun with a bandanna, keeping me from over heating. Alan has a bonfire once a year on the last day of school so we can all burn our schoolwork. This year is special though, it's the end of senior year which marks this day as the last "book burning". Music floods through my ears as my phone buzzes in my pocket.

"Hey Edith! You on your way to my house yet?". It's Alan. He's always so anxious . I answer as I turn onto Alan's street. "Look outside!" I send him. I see Alan's house ahead of me at the end of the cul de sac. In his bedroom window I notice a poof of ginger hair pop up and disappear. As I walk up his driveway I hear him burst through the front door like a child. My box of notebooks and various worksheets is dropped to the floor as I look up to say hello. I don't even have time to look at him before I feel hands on my waist and I'm suddenly lifted up into the air by one of Alan's hugs.

"Edith!" Alan's voice breaks through his laughter. I've known Alan since the sixth grade. With him living so close to me we were always together. He's a few months older than me so he likes to take the position as my big brother. I can't imagine what college life is going to be without him...

"Alan!" I shout back as I notice him slinging me over his shoulder. "Hey! What are you doing!?" I yell while trying to control my laughter. I see the ground below me change and realize Alan's carrying me into the house.

"Jeez did you lose 20 pounds or something? I feel like I'm carrying a pillow!" He teased as he turned the corner to his basement door. "Alan I need my stuff!" I point out. I try to punch his back in an effort to free myself bit it's no use. Alan might be skinny and short, but he's a lot stronger than he looks. I hear him quietly laughing to himself at my attempts to punch him. I was never very strong and Alan always laughed at me.

"Where are you taking me!?"

"I've got a suprise!" Alan starts down the steps to his basement. I cross my arms and finally give up on my freedom.

Soon enough I feel myself being lowered to the floor with Alan quickly covering my eyes. I let out a sigh. What is so important that he had to carry me.

"Alright you ready?" I nod. "1...2...3!" Alan takes away his hands and in front of me i see boxes upon boxes of worksheets, notebooks, and binders with Alan's chicken scratch writing. "Why do you have all this?" I had to know.

"I kept it all for today! I only burned half my work every year so I would have a shit ton for this year!" He shouts. He has the biggest grin I've ever seen. "So help me carry them upstairs!" He says handing me one. Box by box we carried each out the door and out to the fire pit in Alan's massive backyard. After the last box had been placed we hear someone walk through Alan's sliding door.

"Hey guys!" I hear Phil shout. He's holding hands with my other best friend, Kat. Each having a box of papers slung under their arms. Kat's long blonde hair is up in a high pony tail. She's wearing her favorite pink dress like always on the last day of school. Phil has on Bring Me The Horizon shorts and a black t-shirt. His brown hair had still not been cut considering the fact it was still down to his shoulders. I used to be close with Phil until he started dating Kat. But that's ok because he's happy now since he's always had problems staying happy.

Kat was one of my only female friends. We met in ninth grade and have been close ever since. We're opposites kind of, I wear band tees and skinnies and she wears pink and other things like that. Kat still has my taste in music though and she's very caring and compassionate and that's what I love about her.

They both walk over to the fire pit and set down their boxes by all the ones we have stacked up. Kat shoots a look at me then over to Alan. She's wanted us to date since 11th grade when we danced together once because both of our dates had ditched us.

I never really thought about Alan that way. Well I used to but I realized it was a bad idea.

Plus, I already had my eye on someone...

"Guys!" I hear a familiar voice shout. I turn around and feel my heart begin to explode. I see my two friends Aaron and Tino, surrounding a tall boy. His name is Austin.

I met Austin in 11th grade. He was a new kid who was from California and I could tell just by the way he looked. About 6'3'' he towered over me. Alan quickly made friends with him and he was soon introduced into our circle of friends. Austin was polite and caring but when he was in the mood he could be crazy.

The boys ran over to the firepit with their backpacks. My heart was going crazy as Austin got nearer to me. He was wearing another Slipknot shirt like he always does, with black skinnies. I try to keep my cool as he walks by.

Aaron looks at me and I know he knows what's going on. Aaron's the only one I've told about Austin. I never though I would actually like him so I keep it to myself. The boys all walk over to the firepit and dump out their work into a nearby wheel barrow.

"What's up guys!?" Tino shouts. Tino is the crazy one in the group. We're all usually quiet so he's the one who makes us act crazy and be ourselves. Without Tino we'd be a boring group of kids. Everyone says hello and begins to make small talk around the non-existing fire. I feel someone tap my back.

"Hey Edith, I found this out front, I thought you might want it back" Austin says with a laugh. I turn and see him extend his hand out with my iPod in it. "Thanks." I say with a nervous laugh. I quickly put it into my pocket.

"Alright let's start this up you guys!" Alans voice breaks through the small talk. Alan gets down by the firepit and starts rubbing two sticks together causing some confusion.

"Alan what the fuck are you doing?" laughs Kat.

"Trust me guys I was in boy scouts!" Alan smiles and continues to try. Austin runs up behind me with the gasoline and spreads it all over the sticks. After he throws in a match a large fire ignites the quickly darkening sky.

"YES! I told you I could do it guys!" Alan shouts. Laugher erupts from all of us not being able to hold it back. The bonfire rolls on. We tell stories about who we hate, college, past memories that just seemed so far away now. I realize how happy I am like this and my heart begins to break knowing we wil all probably have separate paths in the near future.

The clock strikes 11 PM. Time to burn everything. Alan's the first to go. Tossing book after book onto the flames.

"FUCK YEAH!" He screams! We all follow. Throwing books and notebooks everywhere. Tino screams and we all look over at him.

"I STOLE THIS TEXTBOOK FROM PHYSICS! FUCK YOU MR. ANDERSON! FUCK YOUUUUU!" He screams throwing the book into the fire. We all cheer in unison and I suddenly realize this is the best book burning yet.

The night continues on with laughing and yelling about how we were free now. We weren't the most popular kids in school. Most of us were bullied almost every single say. We each had our own stories, our own faults, but we all loved eachother. New and old friends, it didn't matter because they were all here tonight, with, me.

Alan sneaks out some beers and the night really gets kicked into full gear. I feel a wave of happiness flood over my body. I'm happy with today. I love these guys so much.

I'm happy.