Vacation Bonfire

Chapter 2

Lost in thought I find myself sitting in her driveway. It's a cute little thing but it's all hers. Tucked in some trees with the beautiful mountains making it look like a painting, just feels so her. There's a wind chime is twinkling is making her small home even more fantasy. Typical, shes waiting with the door open looking out of the screen. With all her excitement she jogs down the few porch steps to greet me. Seeing this I get out of my sedan to reciprocate her hug thats bound in 3, 2, 1.
"Taylor!"
"Haha. Hey. Long time no see."
She gives me a nice punch into the arm.
"Ya! Your fault! So what has been sooo important?"
She asked as she turns away from me to go grab my bag. I know she knows the answer and doesn't expect me to answer but, it's so pathetic that the answer is nothing. I've done nothing interesting or worth while in the past 3 years since I've seen her last. I have a degree that not only I don't use but not like it helped anyways. Been working some useless job that isn't a career and still have the same apartment that I've had since starting college.
"It's not a girl is it?" She asked as she bends down to grab my bag, her honey hair falls to her face but I don't miss smirk she gives me. She is so snide; she also knows the answer to this. Does she? Maybe this is a little jealousy?
"Heh, No.." I look down at my shoes in her dirt driveway. I don't know if I'm blushing or embarrassed that the answer is no. The sound of the car door shutting grabs my attention as she huffs my bag over her shoulder.
"You better have my bracelet if your bag is this heavy." I don't answer as I follow her. It's so weird how comfortable she is with me after so many years you would think it would be awkward. I know I feel awkward.. Damn am I really letting her carry my bag?!
"Here!" I rush up to her and swiftly take my bag off her shoulder and open the door right before she can.
She gives me a slight laugh and rolls her eyes but walks in the door as I gesture her in and follow behind and close the wooden door. It's nice and cool in her house but not too cold that you freeze at night.
In front of me is a small staircase and her living room to the left, and to the right a small hallway with a few doors. It smells like a sweet candle, like one of those ones that smell like water or something.
"Welcome to my humble abode!" She puts her arms up and does a little twirl, so cute.
"You want a tour.."
"I didn't drive all this way to stand in the door way did I?"
She laughs maybe a little too hard but it made me feel good. After that she walks me around and I follow.
"Upstairs is my room, so I'll show you that last. So over here is the living room.."
In the middle is a cute table with some coasters and a tea cup on one. She has a very comfortable looking couch, some side tables with pretty antique lamps on them, and a big armchair next to the window with a blanket laid on it. She could've been an interior designer easily, it looks like a show room in a furniture store. We walk through a wooden archway.
"This is my dining room, but it's more a craft, puzzle, board game table. Heh. I mean why eat here by myself when I can eat in-front of the TV in my living room."
"I hear you. You've always been crafty." I say that as I see some papers with symbols on them, looks like one of those murder mystery games and a pretty vase full of flowers. Her shelf in the dining room is full of exactly what she described, and I mean full.
"I don't think you need anymore games."
"Says you. One, you like to play too and two, I bet your bag is so heavy because its full of video game stuff."
"Like you don't like video games too.."
"But I don't need to bring it all on a weekend trip! It's suppose to be a weekend to visit."
"We can play games together, you know."
"I know but we're doing what I want, and then MAYBE playing games." She turns back around to lead the way again.
"Yes ma'am."
"Anyways, this is the kitchen and that door leads to the back porch. "
"It's cute."
She gives me a glare.
"I mean it!" I did mean that it was cute, not like its small or unimpressive.
"Okay Mister!" She says as she exasperates and waves her hands in the air. "You're cooking for us this weekend. I got a recipe picked out for you and the ingredients already."
"No problem, It's the least I could do. Thank you for letting me stay."
"Well you're finally here, I'm not gonna waste time or money by having you have to stay in a hotel 15 mins away." She smirks.
I feel bad, and frown after she turns back around to open the porch door. It was up to me to visit her house and it took all this time. I feel extra bad because if shes this excited now I wonder how she would've been when it was new. I could've come help her unpack even. What did I do instead? Probably just worked my stupid retail job, went home, watched TV then go to bed for 3 years. Most of favorite memories are with her, and anytime we got together she always had a new crazy, cool, adventurous story while I maybe had some crazy lady at work recently. Do we need people to live, like really live our lives? Maybe this comes with the suggestion of a soul mate, someone you feel at home with. Someone who brings the better you out, and someone who you just want to be near all the time. Is she really my soul mate? Can soulmates go one way sometimes? Ugh, stop thinking about this, pay attention. We were now both outside looking out at her amazing view of the mountains in silence. Shit, hopefully she has said anything that needed a response but I can see why she moved here. It's all so beautiful it makes your heart slow. Why am I so emotional.. I shallow.
"I can see why you moved here."
She smiles her eyes look a glow as she stares out. "Mhm. I just love the mountains. Plus, I remember driving through here before and loved the vibe. It reminded me of the movie IT."
"You're so weird-" I couldn't help but laugh.
"Whatttt!" She whines. "I like the spooky undertones, plus this cities history is super cool!"
"Uh huh like what?"
"Like the chemical plant produced almost if not all the nylon used in World War 2."
"Okay fair that is pretty cool but like you moved away from Michigan not too far from Detroit like the Car Captialll." I say as I grab her shoulders and shake her.
"Heh." She pulls her hair back behind her ears.
"Well you know me.." She looks back out to the mountains and sighs. I can't help but stare and I know she can feel my eyes but I still can't.
"Well I'll show the rest." She slaps her knees to get off the ground and her knees crack from getting up.