CH 2: Bonfire

Her expression quickly changed from welcoming to disgust as she store down at me. I take her hand anyway and let her pull me on her vehicle.

"Jade what are you doing on Diamond Lake?" She questions.

"I could ask you the same!" I glare.

She started going on about how sorry she was for throwing me off like that. When I asked her why she splashed me earlier, she explained to me that she thought I was my grandma.

"Mrs. West is one of the people who threaten to kick me off the lake. I never would have guessed she was the same 'West' as you, though..." Tori explains, now realizing that I'm related to the hag.

"So wait... what your saying is, you hate my grandma too?" I clarify.

"Well, her and her friends. They're always leaving me rude notes saying I'm 'disturbing the nature' or something like that."

Tori? Taking revenge? This was a first. We never got around to explaining why we were here, but I assume Tori knew I have family here. I climbed back on my bike, and started it up once again.

"See you around I guess!" She waves before starting hers.

"Don't count on it." I call before speeding off.

Back at the Marina, I take the few bucks I have left to order myself a scoop of strawberry ice-cream.

"Waffle cone?" Barb asks, assuming I want my usual.

"You know it." I reply and hand her my tip. It was just a quarter, but I wasn't gonna carry it around with me.

"You take care now hun!"

I ate my 'lunch' on the walk home, and then had to do more chores before released to my room. When I was finally done mopping the kitchen floor, I decide against going up stairs and instead turn into the garage, where there was a full-blown arcade waiting for me to play.

I hook up my iPod to the stereo, then blast some metal while enjoying a game of 'New Zealand Story.' Four turns later, and already the hag starts complaining.

"Could you please turn it down some honey?" She shouts over the electric.

When I head to my room later on, I realize Cat messaged me before lunch. I also received a text from Tori sometime after she finished on the lake.

It read; 'bonfire 322, 10PM. Tell your grandma she's not invited.'

Bonfire? Who all would show up?! I suppose whoever's hosting probably lives at the house Tori's visiting. If there were other teens on this lake, I'm sure I would've know long ago.

And really, Ten o' clock at night? I could be playing games or watching TV at that hour! Grams would be asleep, I'd have the house to myself, why on earth would I go to some old-person bonfire?

The more I thought about it, the more curious I became. What if there really are other teens on Diamond that I don't know about? I could text her back and ask, or maybe I'll just show up for a couple minutes and see. ...yeah. If I go after a couple people get there, I can see what kind of crowd there will be and if it's no good, I can always say I'm feeling sick and leave.

Or not. No reason I can't tell Tori to her face that the party sucks. I suppose we'll see how it goes.

By the time ten o' clock rolls around, I realized the Marina's closed and can't lend me a jet ski. Granny keeps the keys to her other boats in a safe, so that only leaves me with the paddle boat. Peddling myself all the way there will take quite some time, I figure, so if I wanted to get there by ten fifteen, I'd have to leave now.

...god, it's a long way, though.

"Hello?" Tori picks up when I decide to call her. There's music blaring in the background.

I really didn't want her to know I was showing up at all, but getting her to give me a ride over will be much more easier.

"Hey." I respond. "That invite still open to me?"

"Yeah, if you're up for it. Just come to the house with the fire!" She shouts over the song.

"Actually, I was hoping you could come pick me up." I admit.

There's a pause.

"Jade, I'm in the middle of roasting marshmallows. Can't you just-"

"Look Vega if you really want me to come to your stupid party then come get me damn it!" I interrupt angrily. "I'll be outside on the dock at 117. If you're not here in five minutes I'm going to bed."

I hang up without giving her chance to respond. She knows where my grandma's house is if she felt it necessary to splash me this morning, five minutes is plenty enough time for her to get her ass down here.

I sat and listened to the music echo off the lake. They were playing songs like 'Summertime' by Bridget Mendler, and 'Pumped up Kicks'. That's what I heard through the phone, anyway. 'TGIF' bounced off the water now, and it made me wonder if the songs reflected the generation of the group that was going to be there. Maybe there was hope...

The black jet blended in with the dark lake in night sky. If it weren't for the motor, I'd never had known she was coming.

"About time." I say impatiently, hopping on the water bike.

"You know if you think the party's so stupid no one's forcing you to come." She points out, but before I can respond, she speeds off toward the fire pit glowing in the distance.

Unfortunately, the party was just a bunch of old people. Tori's ancient uncle was hosting, as it was his house. To think I'd actually gotten my hopes up that this would be an actual party... but it's just a stupid geezer gathering.

"Here we are!" Tori smiles.

"Can you take me home now?" I ask, knowing the answer was no, but only asking to piss her off more.

"Jade we just got here. How do you know you're not gonna have fun?" She challenges, then skips to the fire pit.

"Cause everyone here is a dinosaur!" I call angrily, and then walk towards her.

We have a seat by the crisp fire, which felt warm on my hands and face. The rest of me was covered, but my bare flesh was starting to feel the cold nip off the water's breeze.

"Have a marshmallow, youngin!" A man offers, handing me the puffy round treat.

"I don't accept food from strangers." I state bluntly, then go back to toasting my fingertips.

"Jade, this is my uncle Phillip!" Tori introduces.

"Pleasure to meet one of Tori's friends!" The old man smiles. "Err... what's your name again kiddo?"

"Jade W-" I start, but Tori cuts me off.

"Wheeler! Yes, this is my friend, Jade Wheeler!" She finished.

Her uncle handed me the gooey snack, and shook my hand with his open hand. Once he walked away, I shoot Tori a look.

"What was that all about?" I ask her, still glaring at her while I stab a stick through my marshmallow.

"Well, my uncle sorta hates your grandma too... Cause, you know, they-"

"They don't want you on the lake, I got that." I finish.

She takes a bite of her burnt marshmallow. "Right." She chomps. Once she swallows, she continues to her point. "Well, if he knew you were her grand-daughter, he probably wouldn't let you stay or anything."

"So you chose Wheeler?" I accuse. "You couldn't think of anything better?"

"Chill!" She laughs. "It's just temporarily. You know, just when you're here and wanna hang out and stuff."

As if.

When my treat catches on fire, I rotate it a couple times and let it brown before blowing it out. The skin is the best part, after all. Anyway, I hope Tori isn't serious about me wanting to 'hang out and stuff'. Just because we both have relatives on the same lake doesn't mean we have to see each other all the time. I see enough of her at school to last me through the whole summer. Believe me.

I lost track of time, but I'm pretty sure it's past midnight at this point. Many of the guests were starting to leave, while others trailed in. At most there were at least ten people here at a time and no more than fifteen, according to my assumption. The music was good, but there was really nothing much to do.

"Jade!" Tori's uncle calls, then dances over to me.

I was contently picking at little hermit crabs when he decided to come check on me. Who knows where Tori disappeared to, but I could really care less.

"Hello, youngin!" He laughs, clearly drunk off his ass. "How're you enjoying the party? Ya having fun?"

"Not really." I sigh in annoyance.

"Aw, shucks! That's cause you're not drinking!" He chuckles, then slowly wobbles from place to place.

"Dude, I'm 16." I inform him. "And I'm pretty sure it's illegal to offer alcohol to a minor."

"Really? Well I'm already in trouble then... drink up!"

He drops a half-drank can on the cement where I was sitting, then waltz away. The impact wasn't enough for any to splash up, but the noise caused my shell-fish to crawl away.

What did he mean by 'already in trouble'? Could it be that...?

No. Tori's a good girl. Tori follows all the rules. She'd never drink under-age. Then again, I'd never think she'd purposefully harass an elder, much less a few. Maybe there was a dark side to this goody-two-shoe I thought I knew. Only one way to find out, I guess.