The Jaws of Life

10

Every night since we got here the guys have been making us sit around and have a fire. We usually start them at 8:30 or 9, just before we lose all of the sun completely, so that they can see what they're doing. Sometimes they'll make one of us hold a flashlight for them if they end up starting the fire too late, but they've since learned that Alia and I have a hard time holding a flashlight where they want us to while we try to talk, so we've been fired from helping them.

Today's fire is brought to us by Jaime who spent the day collecting the "perfect" pieces of firewood just for this occasion. To his credit, the fire is glowing in a way that it's never glowed before so I think he may be onto something. I don't tell him this, though, I don't want it to go to his head. Fame is one thing, but being a successful fire starter? Apparently, that's a whole other field on its own.

"Any women in your future, Jaime?" Alia asks him. She shoves her marshmallow into the fire which causes it to promptly catch fire, the entire thing being covered in flames. She pulls it out and watches it burn for a couple seconds before blowing it out, revealing a completely black marshmallow. 

"Not unless one finds me." Jaime says to his sister. 

"I heard you and Karlie found love the other night." Tony adds. He looks at the fire all innocently as if he hasn't just dropped such a sentence on all of us.

Alia's head whips from Jaime and I so close that it's a shock she doesn't break her neck right off her body. "What?!"

"No, no, no." I say quickly, my cheeks burning up. "Some guy was talking to me and Jaime helped me out by saying we were together, that's all." I explain to her.

"God, you scared me." she says to no one in particular. "I thought you guys like, hooked up or something."

"I think your imagination is too much for you sometimes." Jaime says to Alia with a laugh.

Hearing that stings me a little inside. I know Jaime doesn't see me that way, but having him tell everyone that is a bit humiliating. Its not that I wanted him to tell everyone he would love to date me or anything, but at least remain neutral on the topic in front of everyone.

"My imagination is just fine, thank you." Alia retorts. She snatches her marshmallow off her stick and pops it into her mouth as she loads up another one. Again, she shoves it directly into the flames and it catches fire quickly, burning into a crisp in front of our eyes. "Seriously, though, Jaime. You've been single long enough and mom keeps asking me when you'll find a girl and give her grandkids."

"Don't worry, I've been getting her weekly texts about it." Jaime says dryly. 

"So?"

He shrugs at her. It's clear this isn't a topic he wants to discuss in front of his sister, or at all really from the looks of it. Alia being Alia, sits there unmoving as she waits for his answer. Her marshmallow threatens to fall off but she doesn't pay any attention to it.

"I don't know." he says eventually. "It's hard to find a natural connection I guess."

"So make one!" she replies. 

"How did we even get onto the topic of my dating life anyways?" Jaime asks suddenly. "Can't we delve into someone else's?"

"No." Alia says. "Don't you like anyone?"

Jaime glances at me, throwing me an obvious 'help me' look before his eyes go to Alia. "I'm not doing this."

"I'll just find you someone then." she retorts. She hovers his marshmallow over the fire again to warm it up. It catches fire again and someone turns even blacker than before, it that's even possible. "I have a lot of friends that would love to be with you."

My face flushes at the idea that she's talking about me, even though I know she's not. I hope no one else catches my suddenly pink cheeks, but Alia is focused on antagonizing her brother, and he's more focused on being focused on anything but her, so I think I should be fine. Tony is focused on just making sure Alia has all the marshmallows her heart desires, and I don't think he'd really call me out anyways.

"Pick on someone else's dating life." Jaime says then abruptly turns to me. "Kar, you're up."

I give a short laugh. "Sorry, there's nothing to talk about here."

"Not a single thing?" he asks.

I shake my head at him as I purse my lips. "Nada."

He gives me a pleading look. "Come on, help me out here."

"I'm scared of the Monopoly Man." I say as I stare into the fire.

As expected, all three heads whip towards me in record time. Their expressions range from confused, amused and even just general what-the-fuck kind of looks. Jaime has an unshakeable amused look on his face. No one asks me to clarify, but I do anyways because I know thats a bold statement to make.

"Not scared, per say, just, like, creeped out?" I explain. "I don't know, I just don't trust the look of him."

"What the hell does this have to do with anything?" Alia asks.

"Oh, it doesn't. Jaime needed help out of the topic of his love life and the Monopoly Man was the first thought that came to my head so I figured I'd share." I say. "Is everyone telling me that they're fine with that man? No bad vibes for anyone else?"

"He does have a weird vibe, like he's definitely drugged women before." Tony says. I'm not sure if he's saying this because he truly believes it or just for fun, but I'm here for it.

"Thank you, Tony." I say. "At least one person here is on my side."

"Ridiculous." Alia says as she shakes her head. "Does anyone want a marshmallow?"

"Yeah, but not one of yours." I say. "Its burnt to a crisp."

"This is how they should be!"

That starts a twenty minute discussion about marshmallows and what the perfect toasting time is for them, what colour they should be, and so much more. About ten minutes into the talk I make eye contact with Jaime and he silently mouths 'thank you' to me. I just smile at him and enjoy the moment for what it is.