The Checklist

WILL

The thick smell of smoke waved over everyone close enough to the bonfire as the leaves that had just been thrown on went up in flames, crackling like nothing else. The heat blazed against my skin, about ready to melt it but I won that fight, stepping away and turning my back to the fire, letting it now burn my backside.

It was like any other night where we all came together to burn whatever trash we had, making it bigger every time. We had bonfires once a month, we invited everyone and they invited whoever else and we got something big going. It was the best night everyone had for a month, talking about it for the next week straight until the week before the next bonfire. Too excited to be back and get the night going all over again.

The party, the drama, the dancing and drinking. The ladies, I thought, watching in the distance and through the crowd as a friend greeted a stranger with a big hug, laughing about something I was interested in finding out.

“She’s new,” I stated to my best mate next to me, taking in the stranger. Brunette hair, wavy and long to her elbows, her body thin and fit as she wore denim shorts… Short shorts and a white tank top, her toned skin dark against it.

“Oh yeah, Jas’s friend. She moved to town just last week, she’s at school,” Peter replied, watching his girlfriend pull her friend over as I watched them laugh. Her head fell back adorably as she raised a hand to cover her mouth lightly before she shook her head, giving Jasmine a serious look, pointing at her before they just cracked up all over again.

“Estelle.”

“Pardon?” I looked at Peter as he smirked back, turning to the roaring flames, the light illuminating one side of his face as he looked at me still.

“Her name’s Estelle. I think she prefers Elle though,” he winked and looked at the fire, his whole face lighting up now.

Estelle, I thought, looking back to the girls as I felt something tickle at the back of my throat when Jasmine was introducing her to some guys, my eyes following theirs to her ass before I couldn’t hide my smile. I chuckled, turning around so I didn’t have to keep being a perve, heard Peter chuckle too in agreement.

“I know, right?”

“Fuck,” I groaned a little, staring down as the flames danced before us, mostly yellow and orange but it was blue and even green in the centre, hot and burning through everything fast.

“Jarod was talking about putting her on the list.”

“Bloody Jarod,” I snorted before I glanced to him when he turned his back to the fire again. He gave me a look, his black hair almost falling over his eyes, not so green in the dark now. I returned the look, glaring back playfully before he gestured and I looked over my shoulder to see Jarod talking the up the new girl.

“He’s got no shot,” I snorted, shaking my head.

“Bet you got no shot too,” he muttered and I gave him a hard look before I jumped him. He laughed when I got him into a headlock, heard Jasmine yell out first before he was free and getting me down.

“Boys, the fire’s right there!” One of the other girls yelled at us but we were just fooling around. I felt how close I was though, my skin bubbling and burning next to the hot coals and flames as he held me down, trying to push my hand into the fire but I was a lot stronger than him.

I managed to pull it up again, pushing his hand back with it and even though it was hard and slow, I still got it when he gave up, growling when I rolled us and got over him, shoving him into the ground before Jasmine grabbed my hair.

I grunted, getting up to grab her wrist hard and push it away.

“That was mean,” I pouted at her, rubbing my head but she just pushed passed to Peter but he was up without her help. I made a noise when he took me down again, landing hard in the dirt before I just started laughing with him, turning onto my back and groaning when I’d landed on a stick or something.

“Get her on a hold, will you?” I told him when Jasmine was yelling her head off at us, reminding us about how there was a raging fire and that we could have gotten hurt.

“Fine, we’ll go over here,” Peter chuckled, waving her off until he covered his face when she kicked dirt at him. I cackled, pushing myself up to my feet as he spat the dirt out of his mouth and shook it off his clothes and shoulders.

I watched as she realised what she’d done in front of everyone watching but half of them were laughing at Peter, including me.

“Sorry not sorry,” she told him and then passed, disappearing into the crowd before I cracked up again, leaning my hands down onto my knees as he gave me an amused look.

“I think I’m gonna marry her,” he grinned, holding his hand to me.

“Death do you part,” I laughed, taking it and pulling him up to his feet. He pushed me away then but I fell back into people, making me turn to apologise but I only smirked when it was the new girl and Jarod.

“Hey, Newbie. Will,” I introduced, holding her my hand before I realised it was black from the dirt. She gave me a funny look as I wiped it on my jeans and held it back to her but she left me hanging, now looking at me in amusement.

“You’ve got a bit,” she stated and circled her finger around her face a few times and I chuckled, used my sleeve to wipe my face. “Not really any better but good try.”

“Will’s the captain,” Jarod told her, tapping my shoulder and I only smiled. He didn’t like me at all and was planning on taking the captain seat but only if he could.

“And he’s a bit jealous of me,” I whispered to her but he just scoffed a laugh and rolled his eyes.

“Jealous of dirty boy?” She questioned, giving Jarod a small smirk as I looked over her, my eyes falling down to how well the tank top stuck to her body. Thin waist, full chest.

“He’s dirty alright,” Jarod muttered and I raised my eyes back to her face when she looked back at me but I just smiled and enjoyed it when she smiled back.

“Can I take you out?” I asked and heard Jarod go off but I ignored him while she just looked at me, stunned that I’d even asked.

“Um, no thanks.”

“Why?” I frowned, opening my arms. “Surely give me a chance?” I asked but her look told me ‘no’. “Why?” I asked again while she moved to walk away with Jarod.

“Because I don’t want to,” she answered, frowning lightly as if she didn't know the actual answer herself, and walked away. I scrunched up my nose at that, watching them go and find Peter and Jasmine, refilling drinks.

She doesn’t want to? What kind of answer is that? I wondered, thinking about it but that wasn’t really a no either…

I smirked at my thoughts, walking away to go to them but as I walked away from the fire, I felt hotter. My head spun a little, my feet doing their own thing before I leaned against Jasmine when I reached them but thank goodness Elle and Jarod were gone.

“Oh my god, William!” She growled at me as Peter chuckled, helping me off her as I got myself a new drink, giving a smirk at my best friend.

“Think she hates me enough yet?” I asked and he slapped his hand over my mouth as Jasmine gave me a death glare. I wriggled my eyebrows at her in response, taking Peter’s hips to pull him against me and grind up against him.

“Go fuck yourself, William,” she told me as Peter laughed and shoved me off.

“So petty,” I shook my head, laughing with him before I squealed when she threw a stick at me. It hit my arm before it fell to the ground but I took off because now she looked like she was ready to kill me, chasing after me.

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