Lauren
Bonfire
Photo: lizandryan.com
By the time Lauren and Kat had arrived, the fire towered
over the house. On the drive up the dirt road that pretended to be a driveway,
it looked as if the home had been set ablaze. Fifty-three people littered the
backyard with nothing guiding them but a roaring bonfire that marked the
midpoint between Mark’s house and the utter darkness filled with a thick forest
of soldier pines and bramble bushes. The house occupied another group of ten; a
loud game of beer pong in the kitchen seemed to take precedence over the
cleanliness of the abode. The kitchen was buried beneath plates and cups lined
with crusted food and stagnant liquids. Red plastic cups dotted here and there,
rank with the smell of warm keg beer. Kat parked her Toyota Tacoma in the front
yard and started toward the house. Lauren followed quickly behind. Two men
holding several red cups greeted them at the door.
“Welcome, ladies,” the taller man said as his eyes scanned
the women. Lauren wore a navy J. Crew scalloped dress with matching flats and
handbag. Kat had opted to wear denim jeans and a vintage denim jacket over a
tie-dyed T-shirt. A pair of black Chuck Taylors donned her feet.
“Five bucks a cup,” spoke the shorter man as he jingled a
cup that held money. “The kegs are in the backyard. We got Miller Lite, Bud
Lite, and maybe a keg of Yuengling.” Lauren gave the guy ten dollars and
received two cups in return. She handed one to Kat and they walked through the
house. The home was not large by any stretch. In fact, it was barely larger
than a double wide trailer; a tiny capsule holding the smells of cigarettes,
alcohol, marijuana, and sex. The property, however, was quite abundant. Thirty-two
acres separated them from the nearest neighbor.
“What a place for a party,” Kat said as they walked past the
game of beer pong. Two teams of two were playing a spirited game while both
groups had three screaming cheerleaders, all holding their own red cups of
poison. All seemed to be obnoxiously drunk.
“Damn, check ‘em out,” yelled out a player facing the
kitchen’s archway. “If we win, I have dibs on purple.”
“Cool with me,” his partner replied. “Big Blondie is
probably a freak when she’s drunk. If not, I can teach her and she seems down
for learning.” As Kat walked by, she flashed her breasts. Lauren only rolled
her eyes. They walked through the living room which was populated by a couch,
television, and a stereo system. Music was playing, but much was inaudible due
to the game on the opposite side of the wall.
“I’m just glad it’s the weekend,” Lauren said with a smile.
She had spent all week coding a new program for her job in order to meet her
project deadline. Lauren had surprised her friend when she agreed to go out for
another attempt to properly meet
Clark. Why the hell not, she thought.
I’m in the same position as last week when
Clark grabbed my ass at that disgusting club. Being at a house party seemed
to be more natural than a club. As Lauren and Kat walked outside, the heat and
brightness of the bonfire made their eyes squint.
Lauren noticed Clark after a few seconds, but she noticed
his friend almost immediately. Wearing a black T-shirt and blue denim jeans,
the young man slowly dribbled a soccer ball between a pair of white Adidas
shoes. His dark skin glistened in the radiance of the bonfire. What beautiful brown eyes, Lauren
thought, beautiful, sad eyes. Seeing
him filled her with a bittersweet twinge. It’s
hard enough telling my parents that I don’t need a boyfriend. I can’t imagine
finally bringing one home with his complexion. It would truly be the death of
my father, and exile for me. Katherine jerked Lauren’s arm and took her
from her thoughts.
“Clark’s coming over here,” Kat said with a giddy voice. “And
he’s bringing his sexy chocolate friend with him. I want him to kick me around
like that ball, Lauren.”
“Kat, shut the hell up. You’re supposed to be my support.”
For some reason, Lauren was secretly upset by her friend’s comment. Why am I being weird?
“What’s up, ladies?” Clark asked as he gave Katherine a hug.
He was wearing a black and blue dress shirt that was a size too small and khakis.
He gave Lauren a tender handshake. “I am so sorry for my actions last week,
Lauren. I don’t even remember it.”
“It’s totally okay,” Lauren said as she tried to focus on
him. “Kat tells me you’re a really nice guy.” Her words seemed to sound hollow
when she heard them aloud. She truly did not care for Clark. All of her
attention was on his friend.
“So, who’s your fine ass buddy?” Kat asked Clark. Her eyes were
devouring what they saw.
“I’m
so sorry,” the dark skinned man spoke, as he went to shake Katherine’s hand. “My
name is Troy.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Kat,” Katherine ventured
as she pulled him in for a wet kiss on his cheek. Troy laughed it off.
“Lauren,” Lauren said as they shook hands. Her smile was too big to hide. “It’s
very nice to meet you, Troy.”
- Terry
well dude your story becomes truer everyday.
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