Choosing Between My Boyfriend and that Other Guy

Chapter 4

I am pretty sure this whole place is going to burn down, I think to myself. 

After our talk Tara had called some people and we had driven to the gas station to pick up a keg. After a little while we arrived at this big abandoned shack.  It was already dark so I had used my phone to light the way into the broken down building.  When we got inside I could see the fire already burning and twenty or so people standing in the room.  Tara had introduced me to some people, gotten me a drink and I went to go sit against a wall.  Every so often when the fire would start to die people would tear a piece of the floorboard or stairs or something and throw it in the fire, hence the fear of being burned alive.  

Still sitting against the wall I get lost in my thoughts again.  I had really not been myself today.  I am not usually such a downer I guess it was just the whole thing with Matt that was messing me up.  Suddenly I look up to see Luke, one of the guys Tara had introduced me to throwing a big plank of wood into the fire.  He smiles at me through the flames and I smile back.  He turns back to talk to some of his friends and I am left unnoticed once again.  Why am I being such a self pitying b*tch? I usually judge girls like that. I think to myself and then and there I decide to let it all go. I stand up, turn around and grab a hammer, smashing it into the wall and throwing the remains into the fire.  Feeling satisfied I drop the hammer and grab a beer before staring and my handiwork.  

"That was awesome" I hear a deep voice say from behind me. I turn to see its Luke. 

"What can I say? I must be a natural" I reply smirking.

"Any other hidden talents?" he asks jokingly. 

"Guess you'll have to find out" I say before downing my drink once again. "Want a smoke?" I offer. 

"Yea sure" he replies, following me outside. 

After lighting up outside we just sit looking at the stars.  Out of nowhere Luke gets up and walks back inside. Ok then. I'm not ready to go back in so I don't follow him.  Left alone once again I realize that Matt had not once crossed my mind that entire time.  I smile a sad smile at the thought of Matt. I wasn't one to hold grudges for long but things didn't feel fixed yet. Still, I missed him.  I grab my phone and text Hannah. 

"Hey what's up?" I ask her. 

"Alex listen Matt is completely torn up about how things are between you two right now.  He started a fight today because someone looked at him longer than he like or something like that." 

"What? No 'Hey I miss you. Are you ok?'" I text back definitely annoyed, but also avoiding the subject. Thinking of Matt that way made me feel incredibly guilty.  He was always so upbeat and excited for the smallest things I didn't want that to change because of me. 

"Hun, you know I miss you and I wish hadn't gone away to that hell hole but this is bad and you know it you guys have to talk" she says and I know she is right.  Hannah is my best friend for a reason, she always watches out for me despite our major differences. 

"Yea ok I just I don't want to talk to him tonight" I reply giving in. 

"Your going to have to eventually" she responds a second later. 

"Yea I know but not tonight" I tell her again and when she texts back I don't check it. I have already made up my mind. I go back inside to join the bonfire/party. 

On the way in I see Tanner who I recognize as one of Tara's friends.  "Enjoying your party?" he asks me. I guess it kind of was my party since Tara threw it to cheer me up.  I have to remember to thank her for that.  

"Yea much better than expected from a town like this" I say making him laugh. 

"Yea for a crap town we can throw pretty bomb parties" he replies with a cocky grin.  

"I can see that now." I state nodding approvingly.

"Are you doing anything tomorrow?" he asks changing the subject. 

"Not really. Why?" 

"Well a group of us were planning to celebrate Tara quiting that awful job at the coffee shop, which I understand was thanks to you" he explains smiling.

"What are we doing?" I ask as my response. "or is it another town secret?"

"Well kind of yea. Not really a town secret, its more of a select group than that." he says joking again. 

"Should I be honored that I was invited?"

"Yea that's the idea. I'll see you at the coffee shop at twelve." he says before walking away to go talk to Luke. Then I walk over to the hammer to restock the fire.