A Midsommar to remember

Prepare for Hälsingland

Walking into the bar I see my four friends. Christian is sitting at the head of the table with his head in his hands looking stressed while Mark is "lecturing" him about something.

Pelle sees me walking over "Hei Terra!" he says as he ushers me into the empty set beside him. With that the rest of the table sees me coming over and all say hi.

I'm rather new to this friend group with Pelle being the one who integrated me into the group after we met at the foregian exchange party. Me being from Norway we hit it off.

"Hey Terra," Mark says. "Do you think I'm right by saying that Christian should break things off with Dani."

Dani was this sweet girl with a cute button nose and green eyes. She was really nice but a little shy. I have been slowly getting closer with her over the past few months and have decided that she deserved better and that Christian was a dick.

Whenever her boyfriend was of no help she would come to me and I would make her some lavender tea as we talk things out.

Christian was a self obsessed coward. Always thinking of himself. He has been complaining about Dani almost every time our group hangs out. Saying how she never has sex with him and how she is always worring about her family.

"I think they should get together and talk about their relationship and I also think you should stop telling Christian what to think, it's his choice." I say to Mark harshly. I then turned to Christian. "You need to get it together, from what I can see she needs you as her strong hold right now and you're doing a crappy job of it. Honestly I don't know what she sees in you."

They both look at me in shock while Pelle and Josh just sit there trying not to laugh. With my accent my threatening voice is not the best.

Josh starts to question Chirstian about whether he is using her to avoid his thesis. And that's when I zone out.

I have the feeling of someone staring at me but I shake it off.

I take out my computer and start working on my thesis again. My major is in fine arts and folklore. I'm writing my thesis on how art tells stories and how it can influence us. Like the cave man drawings or the hieroglyphs in Egypt. My other Major is in teaching. I want to help grow young minds. In a way I already do that with my job. I work at an art studio as a teacher but that is only a small job I want to go full time.

"See you could be getting that girl pregnant right now." Mark says, making me zone back into the conversation. "And don't forget about all the Swedish women you can impregnate in June." Pelle added looking at me which was weird.

He was my first friend in America but he always had an energy that made me uncomfy. Whenever he first mentioned the Sweden trip I said no to going. I had been to Sweden many times and didn't really care much about going again. Norway is much better.

But when I said no he got all fussy about me going and pestered me for weeks until I gave in. I guess it won't be so bad meeting his family and seeing where he grew up.

Suddenly I hear a vibrating noise and look to the table. It was Christian's phone, Dani was calling him. I swear I get so mad about the way he talks to her.

He picks up the phone and walks a few feet from the table but that doesn't stop us from hearing a heart shattering scream from the other side.

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It has been a few days after the guys had gone to the party and told Dani they were all going on the Sweden trip. I couldn't go to the party because I was teaching but from what I heard. I don't think I would have wanted to.

We are all sitting around our small table in the living room, Mark and Josh both working on their thesis and Pelle drawing something in his book when Christian announces that Dani is coming up. As well as informing us that he invited her to come with us on the trip. Along with telling us that she will not be coming. He's an asshole.

When she walks in she greets everyone as I stand up from where I was on the couch and make my way over to her. "I am so glad that you're coming on the trip with us Dani!" I say as I give her a hug.

"Well I don't know if I'm going, I don't want to interfere with your plans." She says shyly. That's definitely an insecurity she got from Christian. He is always making her feel guilty for wanting to be included.

"Nonsense! You can't let me travel with these idiots alone!" "Hey!" Mark says offended, while the others just laugh. "You really should go, I think you would enjoy it." Pelle says.

"I mean yeah i guess I could go."

"Great!"

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Now it was just Pelle, Dani, and I in the living room. The others had gone off to work on their thesis together in another room.

I was laying on the couch sideways with my feet in Pelle's lap while he was drawing. Dani came over and sat in Chris's chair across the table from us.

"So how have you been?" Dani asks Pelle. "Pretty good, survived finals. And you?" he asks.

"I'm taking a break this year." That's when I look over. You could see in her eyes she looked uncomfortable. "Oh god yes, yes of course. Sorry."

I zone out again looking at my phone

"-on my birthday."

"What about your birthday?" I say sitting up. Pelle looks over to me and tells me that we will be arriving at his home on Dani's birthday. "Oh hey that's great. Happy early birthday."

"Thank you."

Dani starts asking questions about the festival we are going to and Pelle says it is like theater and can seem silly. He then beckons the both of us to come to him to look at the photos on his phone. Photos of women in white dresses wearing flower crowns on top of their heads. "Wow who's that?" Dani asks. "That's last year's queen.

For some reason whenever Pelle talks about his village i get this uneasy feeling in my stomach, something always feels off.

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We were all on the plane now, and I was stuck in middle seat squished between Mark and Pelle. I did have the window seat but Mark was being a baby and kept asking for it so I gave in. I tried sleeping on the plane but I couldn't I had that feeling fo eyes on my again.

"I'm so excited for you to see my village." Pelle whispers to me."If I'm being honest I'm most happy you are coming."

(A.N. this chapter was just to get through that boring stuff and get then characters through that first part of the story. Sorry if it felt rushed.)