Rough Heart | ethan dolan

[one - eric & gregory?]

Blaring music, drunk teens, and a countless amount of red solo cups surround me. My head is pounding relentlessly and I begin to wonder why I even come to these bonfire parties in the first place. I constantly tell myself not to come, but I inevitably always make an appearance.

I guess the main reason I always show up is because I know I would regret it if I didn't. My senior year of high school starts next week, and I don't want to let a minute of this summer or my last year of high school go to waste.

I sigh before leaning against a nearby tree and getting lost into my own thoughts once again.

I seem to do this a lot; come to these parties only to zone out and become bored halfway through. Not that I don't enjoy having a good time or anything, I just don't see the point in it all.

At Clearview high school, it's the same thing every weekend. Amy Rodriguez, who's dad just so happens to be the richest man in town, holds a bonfire party in the gigantic field behind her luxurious mansion almost every Saturday night. The weekly bonfire party became a thing towards the end of our junior year. Don't get me wrong, it definitely was fun the first few weekends, but, after an entire summer of the same exact party with the same exact people at the same exact place, it's almost become suffocating to me.

Yet, here I am, leant against one of the many trees in the huge field behind Amy's mansion.
I mentally scold myself.

In an attempt to blend in with the crowd around me, I hold a red solo cup in my hand with some type of alcoholic beverage trapped inside.

Funny thing is, I don't drink.

It's somewhat ironic, really. There are almost one hundred drunk teens here, all of which are underage.
It's become a normal thing around here to drink under the legal age of twenty-one, but not for me. I don't think I'll ever drink. Oddly, I would rather be the designated driver and watch my friends have a good time, then make sure they all get home safe.

"Hey, come on over by the fire. It's getting a bit chilly out," Amy interrupts my thoughts.

Surprisingly, she doesn't sound drunk.

"Alright." I shrug.

Amy and I have known each other since elementary school and have never had a problem with one another, but I wouldn't consider her as my best friend or anything. We talk every so often. She's nice for the most part, but there are certain times when she allows the money her family has talk and act for her.

Pushing myself off the tree, I walk toward the large bonfire. Expensive, metal chairs made for the outdoors surround the fire and are almost all occupied by my fellow classmates. Some chairs have two people in them making out with one another.

How lovely.

I become relieved when I spot Lilly on the other side of the fire.

Unlike Amy, Lilly and I have been best friends for as long as I can remember. She's really the only person I can stand at Clearview High.

Lilly notices me walking in her direction and runs up to me before I reach her.

"Where the hell have you been!" She yells into my ear. I take a moment to recover.

"Just thinking. I was right over there," I point to the tree.

Ignoring my reply, she giggles like a maniac and taps my arm over and over again.

"I have s-something to t-tell you!" She screams, again.

"Geez, how drunk are you?" I ask, half laughing.