"Come on, come on! Just wait 10 more minutes. It's almost midnight!" Sandy says very loudly at Linda who's threatening to go back to her cabin to sleep.
"Sandy, I'm not that young anymore. You've already made me drink more wine that I usually drink in a year!"
All the tables laugh at the joke.
The party is going great. It all went really well once we've all started to eat and the Piper-went-to-prison theme was dropped. After the first two rounds of meat and wine, we moved all the tables, to be able to be closer. Someone lit the bonfire and put some music on.
The air is hot and the Christmas lights are still shining all over us. Best. Purchase. Ever.
"Damn! I've forgotten to buy the marshmallows for the children" I say as soon as I see Sammy and Louisa, the Goldberg children, walking towards the bonfire with their parents.
"Oh god, you're so evil. They should put you in jail" Says Al who now is sitting next to me. I push him on the shoulder with a smile.
"Fuck off" I joke.
He puts a hand over his heart, faking a heart pain and raises up from the bench.
Feeling a little guilty, I shout at his back. "Wait! Where are you going?"
"To the cabin" and then, with a smile and a wink over the shoulder, he adds "to take the guitar!"
He's good looking, and fun. With tattoos. And kind of a bad boy with a heart of gold underneath the hard surface. Exactly what I like. Men like these are easy. Way easier than their female counterparts. God how I wish I could be less gay.
"Don't make me wait!" I shout back at him. Who says I cannot flirt back? Martha is here and she doesn't mind when I do that. It is totally harmless.
I glance at Martha. My Martha, no tattoos and a heart of gold that shines without any barrier. Definitely not an Al. Or an Alex, for what it matters. She is immersed in a conversation with Jason and Katie and she seems really happy.
As I'm waiting for Al to come back, I look around. The sound of chatting feels the air. Everyone is looking happy and the tables show the disasters that only a very good dinner can cause. Cleaning up is going to be a nightmare. But one of those nightmares that I love to live through.
I decide that it is time for everyone to move and sit around the bonfire, so I go towards the reception to get the extra chairs. I don't ask for help because this is something that I can easily do on my own in a few rounds. My head is still a little too dizzy, but nothing serious, I can walk. I've been way drunker.
As I make the second round, I notice two people talking near the woods. I can see the light of a cigarette so it's either Molly or Sandy. I really hope it's not one of the youngest guests smoking something more "entertaining", because they know that, for that kind of fun, they have to wait for me.
Since I'm a curious person, once I've got 2 folded chairs on both my arms, I change the route to go back to the bonfire and I take the one that will bring me just next to the smoking couple.
And, as it turns out, it's Alex and Sandy. Not that I did that on purpose. Not that I've noticed that Alex wasn't sitting next to me when I left. It's definitely not that.
They seem to be in the middle of a heated conversation.
"You know that I don't like things like that…" it's Alex talking. She's facing in my direction while Sandy is giving me her back. I don't see a cigarette on Alex's hand and this thing, for some reason, fills me up with joy.
"Come on Martha, what are the options? Do you want to go back to the cabin? Don't you think that a behavior like that would cause more whispers and talks?"
"I'm not saying that… I know there are no other options, but can I express my opinion or is it forbidden by your law? I just did that." Alex is not happy.
"God how much I hate it when you go all whiny antisocial…" But Sandy is more pissed.
"Whiny antisocial? Oh god, really…" Alex raises her eyes to roll them but catches mine. Busted. I try to keep walking pointing immediately my head and my eyes to the ground.
During the dinner there hasn't been a real exchange between us, but we both did intervene in the same conversations and laughed at the same jokes. So I think we're fine. Even though I cannot help but being a little annoyed by the fact that Alex has just implied that she does want to go back to her cabin right now instead of what? Celebrating her fake birthday with everyone? I'm disappointed.
But I think I would be feeling like this for all the guests of the camp if they would show some kind of bad mood.
I think.
I'm almost sure.
When I arrive at the bonfire, Katie is placing all the chairs that I've already brought around it.
"Hey Piper! Do you need a hand?"
"Yeah, thanks! If you come with me, one more round and we're done!"
I go with Katie to the cabin to take the remaining chairs, but when I look at the spot where Alex and Sandy were a few minutes ago, I don't see anyone anymore.
When we go back to the party, they aren't even around the bonfire.
Is it possible that they really went back to the cabin without even say goodnight? Or maybe they did it while I was in the cabin. Can I please stop obstructing my brain with this unnecessary and ridiculous thoughts? Just please.
I've brought some blankets with me, and I give them to the children even though the bonfire is still big enough to warm everyone. They seem particularly electric tonight. They're looking around like maniacs, whispering something to Al. This cannot be good, but in a good way.
I find a place on a chair and Martha finds me and sits next to me, putting one hand on my knee.
Everyone is either sitting on a chair or standing close to the fire. Everyone except…
"Here she is! Here she is!" Louisa shouts and almost jumps in Al's arms. With a smile he picks up the guitar.
"Ready?"
"Yeah!" Both children scream.
"Ok. 1, 2, 3…"
As the first chords of the guitar fill the air, suddenly everything is finally clear. The whispers, the fact that the children are still up even if it's late… this is going to be epic. The singing starts.
"Happy birthday to you…happy birthday to you…"
All the camp joins in the singing, everyone except me. I've almost broken my neck turning around to see Alex's expression, and god, the smile she has on is so fake that I'm laughing so much that tears start to fall from my face. She has always, always, always hated public displays of forced and formal joy. And, maybe, the only thing she hated most was being at the center of the attention. And dear god, she's definitely on the center of everything right now. And for her fake birthday nonetheless! I really try to compose myself. While everyone is still singing, I seal my lips as tightly as possible, trying not to smile too much, tears are still threatening to fall and I clap, together with the rest of the camp. She's walking towards the bonfire for the end of the song. Sandy is staying behind her. She has a smile on her face, but it doesn't reach her eyes.
As Alex walks next to me, our eyes lock. She sees my expression and rolls her eyes in a way that I do still remember too well. Typical Alex Vause. It all lasts less than a second, but when she turns again her head, there's a smile on her face that I think is more genuine that the one she had before. Am I deluding myself?
"Thank you, thank you guys! You shouldn't have! And you've sung really well! Where did you learn to?"
She proceeds to kneel and to hug the children, something I've never seen her done before. She's really changed a lot in these past five years, and I've got the impression that I've only just began to see her new colors. I look at her while she starts to be hugged form everyone.
"Woah! 40 years old! You're still so young!" says Rosa while she caresses Alex's cheek. Now Alex's expression is no more painfully joyful, but honestly happy. And I'm happy for her and for her fake birthday.
I lose sight of her when she gets engulfed by the rest of the camp. I feel Martha patting my leg. I turn around.
"Come on, let's go!" she says.
Oh. Right. I'm supposed to join the festivities too.
We walk towards the bonfire and we wait for our turn. The paranoia is killing me. How do I act? Will they see?
Martha is the first one to go and hug Alex.
I don't like that in so many levels that I don't even begin to dissect the emotions.
My turn comes too early. I want to copy Martha's movements and do everything like the others, but Alex has other ideas and, when I get close to give her one of those fake kiss on the cheek where you don't even touch the face of the other person, she puts her lips on my ear and whispers.
"I've seen you laughing…bitch!"
Her tone, her voice, her humor. It's all still in there. I laugh so loud that I probably hurt her ear, but I can't help it.
"Happy birthday…" I stop myself before saying her name and I decide not to say her fake name too.
"Shut up…" she replies with a smile and she's on to the next hug.
With a stupid smile still on my face I go back and sit on my chair again, with Martha on my side.
"It was lovely…" Martha says to me once everyone is either back to their cabin or sat in a chair around the fire.
"What was lovely?" I ask while my eyes are fixed on the bonfire.
"The dinner, the evening…you…"
I turn my head at her words. A wave of guilt hits me. But I smile.
"You are lovely" I say. She smiles back at me. I feel so cheesy and mean. Horrible combination.
Somewhere behind Martha I can see Sandy walking towards Alex and kissing her on the lips.
A wave of something else hits me.
Martha seems to notice something on my face, because she turns around to look behind her.
"You don't like her, don't you?"
Panic. Who's she talking about?
"What do you mean?"
"Sandy. You don't like her…" Oh god, yes. This I can handle.
"Oh…well…it's not like I don't like her…it's just…" The look Martha gives me can only mean one thing: cut the crap.
I laugh at her and I try to be more…honest.
"Well, yeah! I can't stand her! But it is something that I don't know where it comes from, you know?" To be honest, I do have some ideas, but I'd cut my tongue rather than telling her that.
"But she's fun! Sometimes a little too intense, but we've been on the same car for more than 5 hours and, you know…she's not that bad. You know how I am. If she wasn't ok, 5 hours together would have killed me. She reminds me of you sometimes…the same sense of humor…the same passion for social issues…"
This comparison irritates me, I want her to stop because I know that she is right.
"My past as a runaway model…" I add with sarcasm.
Martha bursts into a wonderful laugh. I love to make her laugh.
"See? She would have made probably the same joke! Come on honey…why don't you give her another chance?" I know this Martha. This is her happily tipsy version that I usually find very amusing.
"Why are you insisting so much?" I ask her.
It's not that I'm jealous or something, it's just that, you know…Alex.
"No need to be jealous darling. I only have eyes for you…you're too pretty" She's mocking me…caressing my cheeks and talking to me like I'm a baby. I look at her with an overly fake pout.
"Come on Piper! You know that we don't know a lot of gay couples in NY! I want some new friends! And since we seem to agree that Martha is fun, why can't you just try a little bit to see what's underneath Sandy? I know you'll like it! Do it for me please?" She's exaggerating every move. To mock me. It would be hilarious if it weren't for the fact that it's not hilarious at all. But I laugh nonetheless.
"I know what you're doing honey. I know it…you're just playing the friends-in-NY card only because you need Sandy's girlfriend to help you with the exhibition…I know how your devious mind works…you don't fool me baby" I keep joking with her. We both laugh.
Did I really just called Alex Sandy's girlfriend? Oh god.
"What are you two laughing about?" Du Du Du Dum. Sandy's voice behind Martha breaks the spell.
"We were just talking about you and about how much we like you!" almost shouts Martha, taking my hand and kissing it. I follow her lead because, what else can I do? "Come on. Take a chair you both and seat here with us" With a smile, I say goodbye to a stress free end of the night.
A/N: So… a short chapter. But only because the scene ends here (I'm already half through the next). Thank you all for sticking with me, I know that the slow burn can be frustrating. Actually, this is not even a slow burn, it is me who's slow as hell. But I need to stick to the plot, I swear to you that, when I started it, I thought it was going to be over in six months, I didn't plan to write the bible! So, sorry and feel free to do whatever you want!
On another note, I'm so glad for everyone who stayed awake to read Fireflies :). I do that too with stories I really like and, really, I'm honoured. Reading your reviews was hilarious. I hope your real lives weren't too affected by the lack of sleep (How did the exam go Brln? How was work, guests?). I've received some PM about the topic ff vs books. My stance is "who cares?". We're changing every second and so are the things we like or need. You can find what you need and inspire you today in a ff, tomorrow in a book and the day after in a writing on the wall. We are all so beautifully different, different also from the person we were yesterday. So, for me there's no vs. And this also applies to the other thing you've asked me. When you have two different cakes made by two different cooks, it doesn't matter if someone cooked it first of if some of the ingredients are the same. At the end, if the taste is different, you can either like one and not the other, like both or none. Ok, now I stop before this A/N becomes longer that the chapter. You were on fire these days in the reviews…loved it! Love