There was certain qualities that each girl had that they couldn't quite pinpoint but they were really good to each other. They were like puzzle pieces that fit together amongst the 1000 piece puzzle. It was comforting to have that.
"We're going out tonight." Ruby declared after she mopped the floors.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, we're going out, you, me, some of my friends, there's a bonfire on the beach, we're going when we get off."
Emma was nervous but she was also excited. She had never been to a bonfire. She's seen the groups of friends who have been out there before, some are whooping and hollering like a bunch of Lost Boys but she actually looked forward to this. These kids, in a few days... these people⦠would be her classmates.
Emma and Ruby finish with the closing and then they went to get ready to head to the beach. After a quick shower, Emma wears a pair of shorts, black tank top and a blue and grey flannel shirt kept open, complete with her everyday grey Converse. Her hair, she braided into one French braid down that ended at her shoulder blades. Ruby came out of her room in a similar outfit but her hair cascaded down her back.
"Cute?" Ruby asks, turning at all angles for Emma to see.
Emma agreed, Ruby was probably the most beautiful girl she's ever seen. "Cute."
"Awesome, are you ready?" Ruby asks and Emma nods.
"Hey Granny, we're going to the beach, I'll have my phone on me." Ruby says.
"Okay, be careful, okay?" Granny calls out.
"Always, Granny." Emma says to the woman. The two leave the house walks the short way to the beach. When they got there, about ten kids were already sitting around. Many had formed their own party in sections across the beach, the fire was still dancing on their faces.
Ruby stuck her hand in the cooler and grabbed two drinks, beer, because it wouldn't be a bonfire without one. Emma takes the drink and they stand around. Ruby scopes the place out, trying to find some of her friends and eventually finds one.
"Aurora!" Ruby calls out. A girl turns to the pair of them and waves her hand before talking towards the girls.
"Rubes! I didn't expect you to be here!" Aurora says, giving the girl a hug. "Who's this?"
"This is my friend Emma, she'll be joining the senior class in a couple of weeks."
The girl smiles, "Well props to you or already hanging out with the cool kids. I'm Aurora, obviously, welcome to our little band of misfits."
"Misfits?" Emma asks with e chuckle. These looked like everyday kids, nothing out of the ordinary.
"Yeah, like over there is Jacob, he's a linebacker on the football team, but he likes hanging out with Jorge, president of the theater club. There's me, I'm a cheerleader but I'm also in the glee club. We're the ones that don't fit in the status quo."
"How does Ms. Ruby come into the mix?" Emma says with a smile, taking another drink from her can.
"Oh, Ruby here has been my friend since we were ten, she comes with the territory, plus she and Dorothy had a thing last year. She's one of the few half way outed girls in the school."
"That was a long time ago." Ruby says plainly and takes another drink.
"How long ago?" Emma asks.
"March, that's still a long time ago." Ruby says.
"It's been four months. That's not long." Aurora teases.
"For a two-month relationship, it's practically a lifetime." Ruby defies.
"Whatever, anyways, Dorothy is supposed to be here tonight."
'Oh my God, I didn't think she'd be here."
Emma was shocked, she thought that Ruby was straight. For the past few weeks, she had been flirting with the boys who would come into the diner, none of the girls.
"So you like girls do ya?" Emma said, "Well, point her out." Still with a grin on her face.
Ruby gave her a smirk. "The one with the sweatshirt tied around her waist. Dorothy. Here, let's sit down."
"Ruby, you don't have to be ashamed of being gay or whatever." Emma stated after seeing Ruby get a little more defensive.
What do you mean, this is a small, churchy town, there is no way I can be gay with the acceptance someone would have if they were straight; even as someone who's bi would get some hate."
"You don't see gender, you see souls, there's nothing wrong with that."
"Granny would have problems with that." Ruby said.
Aurora interjects, "Hey, guys, we're playing Kings Cup. Come on, it'll be fun."
Everyone gets gets together to form a little circle away from the fire, the group is about five people, all total strangers and Emma probably wouldn't be able to remember their names if the tried, almost everyone is in the shadows.
"I'll start." A boy says. "If you don't know the rules, figure it out as we play. I'll start." The boy draws a card, four, The game goes on with girls drinking when someone draws a 4 card, everyone whoops when a King is drawn, meaning they have to pour some of their drink into the cup in the center, the last person to draw a King will have to drink the concoction. and everyone seemed to be getting drunker as the night went on. There was no definite winner of the game except the person who drew the last Kind seemed like the obvious loser. A Jack card was drawn which meant they had to play "Never Have I Ever."
"Never have I ever smoked weed." A lot of fingers went down, meaning they had done that before.
"Never have I ever been fired from a job." A few fingers went down.
"Never have I ever been skinny dipping." Three people were the only ones who didn't put a finger down. The game went around until finally the final question.
"Never have I ever kissed a girl." Aurora says smiling. A cheap shot for most of the people playing. All the boys, Dorothy, Ruby, Emma all put their fingers down. Emma had to drink because that made all of her fingers go down.
"Like on a dare?" Aurora asked Emma, seeing her take a drink.
"Um." Emma blushes, "No, I'm actually bisexual." She could feel eyes on her. "You couldn't tell? I was told for years that I had 'that look' of someone who's been with girls."
"When did you know you were a bi?" Ruby asked.
"Um, probably when I was fourteen. Anyways, my turn. Eight is straight, so, you drink." She says, pointing to the boy who was directly across from her. He drinks and the game moves on.
Emma enjoyed looking at the smoke from the fire go into the stars, she was mesmerized by the effect.
"Earth to Emma." Someone says and she startles out of her trance.
"I'm sorry, what?"
It was Aurora. "I've called your name like three times, it's your turn; what do you want to be when you grow up?"
"Oh, um, I'm sorry. I don't know, a cop probably."
Some of the guys look startled by the response, as well as Ruby. "Why?" one of the boys asks.
"I mean, I was abused as a kid, I would want to try and prevent that from happening." The group becomes quiet.
"How?" Ruby asks.
"It was a long time ago, and not really for this setting. Later okay?" Emma says under her breath and Ruby nods sympathetically. "What do you want to be when you grow up, Ruby?" she says loud enough for the rest of the group to hear.
"I want to be a lawyer," Ruby says confidently, "Except I'll probably stay at the diner, taking over it eventually."
"Well, everyone needs a hot diner owner in their lives." Dorothy says. "It'll be satisfying to tell you to make me a sandwich."
The group takes the slow burn to Ruby in a mixed way. Aurora, Emma and Ruby are shocked while the guys all make the 'oh burn' signals.
"Emma, tell us how you came to be in our little town." Dorothy says.
Emma sits up, "I was on my way to Boston but my car broke down here."
"Oh, are you going to visit family?"
"No."
"Pray tell what was in Boston."
"Well, a job, I guess, I have some friends I can stay with for a bit."
"Why not still live with your parents?"
"You can't really live with your parents if you never found them. I was found on the door of a fire station. I don't know who my parents are."
"Are you going to find out in Boston?"
"Wasn't planning on it. If they left me, I don't really want much to do with them."
"So you were a foster kid, did you have a relationship with any of your foster brothers?" Emma doesn't respond. "I bet a lot of the boys in those group homes loved living with you. You are beautiful girl."
"Thanks." Emma says, feeling awkward from the question she asked.
Ruby had noticed how beautiful Emma was, her body was nice to look at, but it was her eyes that were amazing to gaze into. They were like two blue oceans she just wanted to dive in and never surface. Her hands were calloused in some places but when they accidently touched hers, they were soft and warm, like a hug but in her hands. It was nights like this that made her realize how she couldn't believe that she was friends with someone like her.
One of the boys initiated a game of Truth or Dare and more questions flew to everyone, when was your 'first kiss' or 'first time' were some of the questions asked. Everyone enjoying all the information they are receiving.'
"Ruby, truth or dare?" Aurora asked.
"Oh, let's go with dare this time." Ruby says almost bored at the game.
Aurora smiled, "Okay, I dare you to sit on Emma's lap." Emma, Ruby and Dorothy were all shocked at the request. Still, rules were rules. Ruby complies, her heart is racing, beating out of her chest. She could smell the warm smell of cinnamon, from Emma's perfume or the Fireball she drank earlier, she didn't know, but it was intoxicating. "My turn. Emma, I dare you to kiss me." She says back. The two lean in to each other, just centimeters apart from one another.
