Synonyms For Better

Chapter 7 - Bonfire Bonanza (And The Shenanigans That Came With It)

THE NEXT THING I knew, I was waking up with my face plastered against a shiny page of my textbook. I must have fallen asleep thinking about everything; who would have thought just thinking about social activities like bonfires could be tiring?

And just as I was making sure I hadn't, like, completely drooled over everything, I heard a tapping at my slightly closed door. 

I ran a hand over my face hastily seconds before Jolene popped her head in, probably to check if I was even alive. 

"Sorry, come in, Jolene," I said, frowning guiltily. "I'd fallen asleep. Sorry."

"Girl, what are you apologizing for?" she asked as she stepped in. She took a single glance at my work spread on my desk before looking up and raising her hands to the heavens. "Never mind. All that studying must be even a bit tiring, huh? Nucleic acid structure, inorganic ions, cell recognition, and what does that say? Shoot, I can't even read that," she snorted, pretending to look disappointed in herself, crossing her arms like a child as she sat on my bed with a huff. She then shot me a wink, and I grinned. 

"It says electrophoresis," I laughed. "You might have learned about it in twelfth grade biology, if you took it? But anyway, it's like this process of—"

"Woah, woah, woah. Okay, I promise you can explain all the details to me after...but I came to ask...if you really wouldn't join us in the bonfire thing, hmm? Come with us, Cora, it'll be fun! Will you rethink it? What do you say?"

She was so sweet about it, and I couldn't refuse. I gave her a small smile. "Yeah, sure, I'll come with you guys to—"

"Atta girl!" Jolene cheered, getting off the bed to give me a quick hug. "I knew it, that you wouldn't let us down. Cora, we'll have a blast there, 'kay?"

I hugged her back and nodded, a pleased chuckle making its way up before a thought struck me. I coughed awkwardly. "I, um, I overheard my aunt talking with you guys. I'm sorry about that. I swear I don't need another trusted adult to arrange my schedule...usually." I laughed nervously, wondering what Jolene was thinking. 

But she just shook her head as she walked to my door. "Trust me, Cora, we didn't mind a single bit. Of course not, girl; you're one of us now. And about Cheryl, I'm sure she just wanted you to go do something outside in this new town, you know. My hunch is that the electrophoresis stuff was making her head spin too." She crossed her eyes at me playfully.

I laughed then, my heart filling and overflowing at Jolene's words, especially the 'you're one of us now '. 

"You've promised me that you'll lend your ears to listen to all the details about it," I said then, fake seriously, and Jolene's loud laugh filled the room. 

"Can't wait for it," she grinned, and then paused by the door. "And, by the way, Cora..."

"Yeah?"

"I would have tried to convince you to come with us even if Cheryl didn't want us to. Just letting you know."

"Really?"

"Yup, you're stuck with us," she grinned, then fluttered her fingers at me in goodbye before she left for her room. 

I sat there, curled up at my desk, for a while afterwards. I couldn't remember the last time I made a friend. Heck, I could barely even remember the last time I'd went out with my friends. It must have been in high school, sometime, when I'd went with my art club to an art gallery.

I sighed to myself quietly as I tapped my pencil against my notebook, thinking, maybe this whole making new friends, socializing, actually doing stuff thing wouldn't be too hard after all. A bonfire didn't sound all that bad, to be honest.