The leather has turned hot from the seat warmer, and my nerves have eased, allowing my fingers to unfurl and wrap around the steering wheel. Maybe it’s Rae’s approval or the fact I admitted my kiss with Paxton. Either way, I follow the directions and joke around with her as we make our way across town to the ocean where the bonfire is being held. In high school, we had bonfires on the beach at the beginning of the year when the weather was warmer, though it’s rarely warm near the water. The Pacific Ocean is icy regardless of the season, and wind is practically guaranteed. This is the first bonfire I’ve been to while at Brighton, an idea sparked by Lincoln and Ian in exchange for the parties that generally follow home games as a way to keep the mess limited and the time brief.
“We’re going to freeze,” Rae echoes my thoughts as I scan the dark horizon, searching for light from a fire or flashlight.
I turn on my phone’s flashlight, as does Rae, and we move to the front of my car. I can’t see the ocean, but I can hear it in the near distance, along with the voices of our peers. Both of our phones beep with a text from Rose saying she and Olivia are down near the water and to let her know when we arrive.
“This is it,” Rae says. “Put on your smile and prepare for the interrogation to begin.”
My canvas shoes sink in the dry sand that will inevitably follow me home and be found in my car for the next several weeks. We pass by a group gathered around a large fire pit that’s been dug in the sand, accusing each other of not knowing how to start a fire. The wind goes from a breeze to a whip, pulling my hair across my face and cutting through my clothes. “This is further proof that technology is making us dumber,” I say, huddling closer to Rae.
She giggles. “I don’t know. I like that your car talks to us and parks itself. It’s restored at least ten years of my life.”
“I’m a good driver.”
“But terrible at parking.”
I’d be offended if it weren’t true.
“Do you remember that time we were downtown and you were trying to parallel park, and you drove up on the curb and were so stuck we had to call Pax to help?”
“Let’s not mention that to him. He hasn’t brought it up since that day.”
Rae is giggling now, reliving the moment. “I will never forget his face when he got there and saw that you had both back tires on the curb.”
“It was a tight space, and traffic was terrible. No one was giving me any time to line up correctly.”
She’s hunched over as laughter peels out of her. It really wasn’t my finest moment.
“Hey!” Rose greets us with a wide smile that is visible as the clouds shift, exposing the nearly full moon. Olivia stands by her side. Rose is the most outgoing of our small group and flawlessly beautiful. She rubs her palms together. “Poppy, you’re in the hot seat tonight! We need details and facts. How did I not see you and Paxton? I’m usually so good about these things.” She turns to Olivia, seeking validation.
Olivia is classically beautiful, and like Rae and me, she’s quieter and likes her privacy. She works to hide a smile. “You’ve been a little preoccupied with Ian this year,” she tells Rose who beams. It took her and Ian several months, but the two are feeling the full impact of new love, and while inspiring and hopeful, it’s a little difficult to endure in my current status.
“How are things going with Pax?” Rose asks, her gaze shifting between Rae and me. “I mean, I know he’s been going through a bit of a tough time after the rumors and everything…”
Raegan nods, releasing a tired sigh as she looks at me. My nerves feel like they’re scaling Mt. Olympus.
“Pax is a good guy,” Olivia says. “He just hit a rough patch. I think you guys are going to be so great together. The two of you are so cute, Poppy, and I definitely saw this happening. He’s always been so observant and protective over you.”
My cheeks stain with heat that I’m hoping the night hides. She’s not entirely wrong, but his reactions toward me were solely attributed to my relationship with Rae, which I can’t easily admit without making our current relationship status appear like the farce that it is.
“I heard you and Lincoln disappeared for a romantic night away,” Rose says, turning to Rae. I’m so relieved to have the focus and conversation off me that I miss Rae’s reply. I know most of the details already. She had returned home last Sunday night with stars in her eyes, and a smile stretched prominently across her face that refused to disappear. Lincoln had planned everything from restaurants to having flowers there to her favorite foods and drinks stocked in the fridge. They spent time hiking and whale watching, and the rest of it locked inside doing things that made her cheeks flush.
“If you could mention to Paxton that I will buy him coffee if he gives me an interview, I would be indebted to you for life,” Rose says. It takes me several seconds to realize she’s talking to me. Rose writes the sports section for The Daily Dose, the university’s newspaper.
“Yeah, no problem,” I say. “I’m sure he’d be happy to talk with you.” I’m lying, of course, because I have no idea how he feels about doing interviews, but the few times I’ve seen him on the highlights that Rae watches, he’s always smiling.
“Thank you. Thank you. Tell him I promise to go easy on him.” Rose’s assurance has me looking at Rae again because while I’ve gone to plenty of football games with her and I understand the gist
