As Bright As Flames

Chapter 1

The fire was warm, hot even. Its flames soaring to the sky and lapping up everything it touched. My family sat around me and they silenced themselves, knowing I was having moment of artistic glory. I ran into our cabin at the big 4 resort we came to every year. We never come around the typical times, it's too packed then. Instead we wait till it's just getting cold, early June is best and camp when not many people are around. I ran into my room and desperately reached for favourite bag that held all my most precious art supplies. I pulled out my phone and took a quick picture, my heart swelling with happiness at my families understanding. Everyone in my family was artistic in some way, some sang and some danced, some built and some designed those buildings, some modelled and some designed those clothes, some painted and drew and scrapbooked but either way it was for everyone. My orange paint slid across the canvas my brush controlling each stroke in the way I found so addicting. Slowly the picture became real it was blurred and abstract, just the way I liked it. Almost as if you were standing there watching the movement and took a photo, every one moving and smiling happily unaware of the flashing camera. Soon enough it looked exactly the way I pictured it. My family were there, their movements around the fire blurred while they laughed and ate marshmallows. The fire was the best part, it lit up the canvas and it lapped up the attention and brought everyone happiness. I want to be just like the fire. My friend once told me something she had said you're just like the fire, your flames burning bright and towering above everyone. The flames lapping at people and drawing them in the way fire laps at wood. Your smile is the flames Ava and everyone else is the wood to fuel it" those words had stuck with me since we were ten. She was so smart. She would have fit right in with my family, she would have been the only one writes but she'd still fit in because it was artistic. My mother walked in hesitantly, the last time she disturbed me I yelled at her, it helped my painting show emotion though.

"Hey, baby girl. How's it going?"

Her brown eyes twinkled and I could tell she was nervous. I smiled at her to show it was ok to come all the way into the room. I proudly turned the canvas knowing it showed my emotions as bright as the fire. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. I knew it wasn't a bad thing, she only did that for my best paintings. That was the best moment of our trip. We only went for four days but it was enough. We eventually packed up and left. We had moved recently and knew when we got back it was time to be grown-ups. Money was tight but we had to come, it was tradition and there was no way we could miss it.

Finally we were back home, our annual camping trip now in the past and the future.

"What do you miss most?" Mums soft voice cuts through the silence as we look at our boxed up lives, we hadn't finished unpacking yet.

"About what?" Her eyes glance at me in a strange way that tells me she's talking about the camping trip. "I think it's the flames, the fire and the marshmallows. The fire just has this way to bring everyone together and bring everyone's spirits up even if they're being stubborn. That's what I miss the most." She smiles fondly, as if remembering years worth of memories.

Her head nods gently and she wipes her glassy eyes. We both walked seperate ways, me to blog my latest painting and inspiration behind it, her to the kitchen to cook. It was her passion and she was good at it. She pulls out the things for my favourite meal just as I walk away, chicken stroganoff I think dreamily. An hour later and I wake up to my mother shaking my shoulders. She smells like the kitchen and I jump up and run down the stairs, my sleepiness forgotten. During dinner we talked about everything, from my love of fire to our imaginary boyfriends. The rest of the night ends in a blur and before I know it my alarm is screeching at me.

"beep beep beep." I reached for the alarm clock and pushed down on it as hard as I could. I had school so I quickly showered and pulled on my school uniform. A pale blue button down top. There was a black skirt that sat just centimetres above my knee and sat high on my waist, there was also a black tie sitting loosely around my neck. The bus ride was long and noisy and no one noticed the new girl. There weren't many from my school but there were some. My school day was also long, so many classes and I just couldn't wait to get to lunch. The bell rang and everyone sat silently in their seats, waiting to be dismissed. This was the first private school I'd ever been to. There was a cafeteria, I've never experienced that before. Every table was taken and filled with a group that chatted quickly about their own topics. I stood in the doorway, my heart pounding. This was the moment, I had to make the right decision so I didn't embarrass myself. One table, near the door, noticed my discomfort and waved me over.

"Hi I'm Emily." She was a pretty blonde girl with dark brown eyes and a soft voice. I think she was in my year.

"I'm Declan." He was cute but not gorgeous, he had blue eyes and floppy brown hair and a cute nose, his voice was deep but cracked during his sentence.

"Nick." He had these big brown eyes the colour of melted chocolate and dark black eyelashes. He had a cute smirk that made butterflies become very violent inside my stomach. His voice was very deep and calm and it suited him, his golden hair flopped down to his eyes and he brushed it away.

"And your name is...?" Emily prompted. My cheeks turned the colour of beetroots, they had noticed me staring. Nick winked at me, he knew too.

"Oh, right, sorry. Um, my name, you want to know my name. That's easy I know my name, um, its, um. I'm, I'm" I'm a stuttering mess that's what "Ava!" as soon as I shout it I regret it. Nick laughs heartily while Emily tries to hide her giggle with a cough. Declan has wandered back down towards the canteen. "Sorry, my name is Ava" this time my voice sounded calm and convincing, just how I wanted it.

Soooo, thinking of continuing this, I have so many ideas for it so far. Not really expecting many to read it but I don't care, I write for fun!