alters

20

A FIRE cracks in the far distance; a minuscule dot of glorious red intertwining with faded yellow. A small bonfire rests in the middle of the sandy beach, surrounded by people I donʼt know. Loud, dismal music blares from a radio beside them, a misery filled tune. Seth smiles down at me, urging me along quicker with the soft encouragement of his arm.

Once the space between us is lessened, the boy releases me and calls for the cluster of teenagers. A girl instantly looks up, the shine of yellow flame dancing upon her pasty face. Her short, angled hair frames her slender structure.

They wave him over, none of them standing to greet us. I awkwardly trail behind him. Seth collapses down next to a hippy boy with waved hair reaching his shoulders. His colorful striped pants are dulled by the storm clouds, shadowing the light. He holds an acoustic guitar in his arms, chuckling when he sees me.

ʻʻNew meat?ʼʼ He rudely questions, motioning his head at me. I narrow my eyes, but fail to comment on this particular choice of words.

ʻʻOh, this is Alice. She comes to my shows at the bar.ʼʼ He explains, taking my hand and yanking me down to sit. I oblige, folding my legs and pressing them against my chest, with my arms wrapped tightly about them.

ʻʻOoh, a fan?ʼʼ A girl with blue and silver dreadlocks muses, lifting a thumbs up at me.

ʻʻN-no...not really.ʼʼ I murmur, peering ardently into the fire, sensing a slight brush of warmth breathing on me.

ʻʻOuch.ʼʼ They laugh at Seth, and I realize how my statement must have appeared.

I wave my hands in front of me, furiously shaking my head. ʻʻOh, no no, Iーʼʼ

Seth chuckles against his wrist, playfully rolling his eyes at me. ʻʻItʼs alright,ʼʼ He assures me with his honest, dark stare.

A boy glances up at me through the fire, his dark brown hair disheveled and careless. Brown eyes hold my gaze, his head tilting slightly. I flicker my eyes down, evading his look, but his eyes still remain on mine.

Seth notices and says, ʻʻZayn, whatʼs up with you?ʼʼ

Zayn locks his hard iron glare at me, silent. After a brief fleeting pause, he parts his lips and words unravel like a silk ribbon. ʻʻI know her.ʼʼ He claims quietly, his tone matching that of the melancholy radio song.

I raise my eyebrow, confused. ʻʻYou do?ʼʼ My voice holds traces of doubts, especially since I have never laid eyes on this handsome boy.

ʻʻReally?ʼʼ Seth laughs, but thereʼs something behind it. A choked, uneasy feeling.

ʻʻCasino.ʼʼ Zayn bluntly comments, and I go numb.

I lift my head up from my knees slowly, as his vision burns entirely through my skull. Silence is exchanged between us, but the silence is screaming loud. ʻʻC-casino?ʼʼ I stammer.

He nods. ʻʻI go there with my brother. Youʼre that Jack guyʼs girlfriend.ʼʼ

ʻʻGirlfriend...ʼʼ Seth murmurs and pulls his knees to his chest. I notice how he pivots his head away from me, as a hum of rejections flutters throughout the group. The purple haired girl laughs and falls back into the sand.

ʻʻOh, or are you guys done, now?ʼʼ Zayn inquires, leaning in with slight concern. Slight, barely any at all, actually.

I quickly jerk my hands out in front of me, awkwardly shaking them this way and that. ʻʻI...w-we, uh, Iʼm,ʼʼ I stumble over my words, biting my tongue, afraid to say something Iʼll regret.

ʻʻOh, I wasnʼt supposed to mention it?ʼʼ The dark haired boy raises an eyebrow as he suggests this particular theory, which I instinctively shoot down as rapidly as it sprung to existence.