July

Cherry Pie

We got back to Kate's and had a BBQ with the neighbors. Back in the city, the fourth consisted of working and rushing and hitting all of our friends parties which consisted of getting drunk and never actually seeing any fireworks. It was tiring really and I much preferred this 4th.

As I was talking with Kate and enjoying some hard lemonade, I saw a flash of blood red hair from the corner of my eye. She was wearing a white sun dress and no makeup that I could see and damn was she beautiful. My heart began beating, fast. She laughed and talked with the neighbors, she knew every one it seemed.

This was normal. Cold feet, that's all. I'm just trying to distract myself, testing myself. I love Isla. I love her, I don't even know Rory. I saw Isla looking at me looking at Rory. She began walking towards me and my heart thumped on, faster and faster.

"Excuse us," She said to her sister, who nodded and went on talking to an elderly neighbor. Isla pulled me into the house.

"Listen, I understand. Shes pretty. Shes an artist. Shes different from the girls in the city, shes something new. But-"

"You worry too much sweetheart." I wrapped my arms around her waist and smiled. "I wasn't looking at her, I was eyeing up that pie she brought."

Isla gave a little smirk that put the thumping under my chest to rest. "I guess I can believe that." She leaned up and kissed me. We went back outside to the party where I made a bog deal of getting a slice of cherry pie. It was delicious, but I wasn't about to tell Isla that.

I saw Rory again. Her and Kate were sitting on two plastic lawn chairs with drinks in hand. It was infatuation, nothing more. Isla was right. She was different and I was interested. Nothing more.

The music soon got louder and people young and old began dancing. Nobody caring about just how ridiculous they looked. When It began getting dark, white fairy lights strung up in the trees turned on, making the already celebratory atmosphere magical. People danced and danced and danced. God was it rough around the edges but they laughed at themselves, swinging around, switching partners. It was comical, but it was happy. Back in the city, everyone would have been on the sidelines, drink in hand, rolling their eyes at this care free production. Rory seemed to be the star of the dance. She smiled and laughed and sung along to the Americana that was playing. She danced like the breeze, the white skirt of her dress whipped around and flowed like a breath. She threw her head back laughing, making me smile and laugh in return. Soon enough, I found myself being pulled into the dance by an old lady with a sweet toothless smile that I had never met. I struggled to keep up, but everyone was more than ready to help me through it. I looked over at the sidelines where Isla was suppressing a laugh.

"Come dance!" I yelled. She shook her head. The lights in the trees lit up her face and for a second my mind was blank of Rory.