My lovely Daisy

Chapter 13

"Okay, guys!" Ella clapped to make us pay attention. "I can handle what's left of the afternoon. You can go out. Make your way to the beach, grab a drink, eat, I don't care. Call it teambuilding."

"You sure? There are still two hours left until we close," Evie asked, concerned.

"Yeah, yeah. Go, I'll manage."

I, Ethan, and Evie were very surprised to hear Ella say that. She never let all of us leave early unless something was on fire or someone died. Neither ever happened so yeah, we never left early. We almost didn't know what to do. We never had such an outing. After we grabbed our coats, Ethan asked if it would be okay to call Cam and invite him as well. Since he was doing that, I figured I'd also invite Dylan. He didn't have many friends in town and Evie agreed that it would be an amazing opportunity to have Cam and Dylan socialize.

Since it was about an hour until the meeting time, I and Evie dragged Ethan to my house so we could get changed. He whined the entire way and the whole time we got changed. He'd pace around the living room, knock on the wooden railway and shout for us to hustle.

"Damn bestie, you rock that swimsuit! Fits you like a glove."

"You sure? I feel like it makes me look kind of odd," I asked, checking myself out in the mirror, adjusting the swimsuit.

"You kidding me? You look perfect," Evie encouraged, hugging me over the shoulders from behind.

I caressed her hand and continued adjusting my clothes as she packed up her bag.

"Oh right, I almost forgot. Remember to bring a jacket, it gets chilly at night."

"Mm-hmm, you have a point," I agreed, walking towards my closet.

I looked around trying to find a jacket to match my outfit but ended up picking the one Ethan lent me when we walked in the rain that day. The one that he said I could keep because, and I quote "smelled like wet dog" after I wore it.

We sat around the bonfire, talking, laughing, and listening to music.

When I was a little kid, maybe like three or four, I loved bonfire night every bit as much as Christmas, perhaps more. It was a wild night in all the best ways. It was fun and freedom, excitement and adventure. My Dad would spend the year throwing sticks and wood onto a pile in the back garden. By the 5th of November it was a huge mountain in the eyes of us children. He'd set it ablaze with a homemade lighter on top. It lit up the night, warming hands and faces. Upon it, we would throw potatoes wrapped in tin foil to eat later with baked beans. I never went camping or had a campfire, but I reckon that bonfire topped them all. Then there were the fireworks, our very own display! We weren't rich by any stretch of the imagination, but I guess you find the money for things you really care about. Dad loved bonfire night. He was the biggest kid of us all. Even though Mom called him irresponsible, he sure knew how to make a kid have fun. I never for a second thought he was unable to care for me and Ella but mom was convinced that he couldn't even fend for himself, let alone his children.

I was sitting on a log next to Evie, on the other side of the bonfire were Dylan and Cam, and on another separate log was Ethan, sitting all alone. I got up to get a drink and watch the moon rise. Yes, grab a drink. Me. I know I said I'll never drink, but a few very emotional days await me, so a drink will be much needed. Huh, I guess I kind of understand Ethan now.

Three days from now, it will be the five-year "anniversary" of the day that I moved here and since my mom thing. It's always a weird time for me around this day, I can't really say why. I guess it just brings me back to when I felt meaningless and like I didn't matter to anyone in the world. I turn these days into kind of a "mourning" time, so I don't fancy being around people. But hey, I still get at least a few days until I lock myself in my room. Enough for a drink.