Through Fire

Chapter 4 - A Grim Lesson

With the golden-orange light from the setting sun streaming in through the giant windows, Roman lies with his face in a pillow as I squeeze copious amounts of the green gel of magical healing onto his angry red back. High-pitched sounds of muffled relief float comically from Sunny as I spread the cold goo over his painfully burnt shoulders, and blow on it to give him added liberation. His hair shifts as he turns his head to breathe from where he lies on the couch, and he sighs a trail of jumbled words.

"Now you just can't move," I chuckle, kissing him lightly on the nose, which is also sunburnt. He mumbles some more, and I only understand the words "sleep," and "heaven." While incapacitated with comfort, I take this opportunity to move his thick hair from off his forehead and giggle uncontrollably at the ridiculous tan line. His dark brows lower as he grumbles and turns his head the other way. Out of the next jumbled phrase, I pick out the word "hellfire."

I leave him to wallow, and climb the steps up out of the den and onto the strip to get my sandals before heading outside of the upper cabin. Most of the family was off to have an evening picnic on the reservoir not far from here, so the camp is quiet where there's usually a racket of noise from all the dogs and little kids.

I sigh as I look up at the sky, a rich gradient of light blue and gold, with rosy-pink clouds above the tops of the trees. It's just gorgeous. I pat my pockets for my camera, turning towards the cabin when I realize I left it in there.

"Allie," a familiar voice drifts up the sloping lawn from the road. Sitting on a rumbling dirt bike, Wim is pulling off his helmet to smile up at me as he nudges the kickstand down. I wave at him and beam as he shakes the helmet shape out of his thick, curly hair. I make my way down the yard to lean against the cream-colored fence between Wim and me.

"Where is everyone today? There's usually a big brood here." He leans back in his seat as he props the helmet up on the front of the bike. His pectorals create a shelf and a cliff that his curved abs slope up to meet underneath his black A-shirt.

"The family is up at the reservoir for the evening," I tell him, picking at a flake of paint. I glance up to see Wim smiling at me from under those enticing curls, cutting the engine on his bike.

I've been seeing more and more of him outside of tournament nights. Ever since he lent a hand with taking Roman to the hospital after his match accident, he's been slowly integrated into our little group of friends that consists of Mazie, Bennen, Sage, Rome, and me. As adorably... friendly as he is, Roman naturally doesn't get along with him very well. But he tolerates him, since Sage and Ben seem to have made fast friends with Wim. He goes riding with Mazie and Ben a lot out on quads and dirt bikes all the time up at the dunes.

To my surprise- and I guess everyone but me knew this until a little while ago- Wim's family is pretty wealthy. His parents own a timeshare here, and come over from Scotland every summer to visit family in the States. I'm sure I looked like an idiot when Wim had us all over to his camp one night. I gawked shamelessly at the huge, beautiful chalet when I laid eyes on it for the first time. I never would have guessed, he's always pretty laid-back.

"Where are the boys?" Wim asks, propping one tattered-jean knee up on the footrest. I jab my thumb back at the upper cabin behind me.

"Rome's down for the count with one hell of a sunburn, Sage is away for half the week to work on a school project with a partner." Wim nods and crosses his arms as he tilts his head back.

"And, what about you?"

Pausing, I press my lips together as I look off to the side. I blink rapidly, void of an answer. Wim chuckles softly.

"We could make another trip to town, if you would like. I am also out looking for something to do."

I freakin' love riding Wim's dirt bike. It was legally a street bike, too. After a lot of teasing that spread from Wim to Mazie about how badly my auburn roots were growing in from my wild pink hair, I had taken a ride with Wim to town a couple of weeks ago, and I bought a box of hair dye. Everyone was so disappointed when I dyed over my trademark pink, especially Janie, my favorite little cousin of Roman's. I knew it really needed to happen, the light pink was horribly faded, and the dark roots were quite the trashy contrast as they kept growing in more and more. I missed it a tiny bit right after I dyed it. I guess it grew on me once I didn't see it anymore in the mirror. Now it was a rich brown, with slight red highlights in the sun. At least my natural hair color will blend a bit when my roots start growing in in a few weeks.