Glow Sticks

Chapter 2.

After lunch and a quick look around town, the four of them set off to the lodge just outside the town. The town didn’t have much to offer, except for a small gallery featuring local talent and a few curio shops and the cutest little chapel near the river side. It is one of those towns that have more bars and bottle stores then churches. However the lodge is fairly large with ten double rooms in the main building and six alone standing four sleeper bungalows in a crescent form around a large oval swimming pool with crystal clear water, that look inviting in the warm afternoon sun. Amelia couldn’t wait to dip her toes in the cool shiny blue water. There weren’t much else around the outside of the building, only a trampoline and a few swings just past the bungalows. Inside the main building there is a large dining area to the one side of the bottom floor and to the other a big bar area with a fire place in the middle and picnic benches scattered around. The one side of the wall was lined with the bar itself with round backless barstools for those that prefer to sit at the bar. The wall was covered with a large mirror and shelves packed with bottles filled with different colours of alcohol. Amelia and Lilly takes a seat at one of the benches in the bar as they wait for Max and Nate to meet them after getting their room key. Lilly sitting across from Amelia gives her best friend a curios look as she notice the frown between her eyes. “What’s up?” “What do you mean?” Amelia asks looking intensely at a spot on the table in front of her. Sighing exasperatingly Lilly rolls her eyes at Amelia. “One, you’re frowning.” She holds up one finger. “Two, your quiet.” Another finger gets raised. “Three, you’re avoiding eye contact.” The third finger raises and when Amelia finally looks at her best friend she wiggles her fingers at her, before letting her hand down. “I know you, talk to me.” When Amelia just looks at her friend, but still won’t talk, Lilly starts pulling all sorts of different funny faces. Amelia finally burst out in quiet laughter unable to hold it in any longer. “Okay, fine.” She says with a smile still on her face. “I decided to stop avoiding Nate, but what if it is too late?” Closing her eyes, she drops her face into her hands, shaking her head. Lilly can’t help, but giggle at the look of despair her friend gives her. “Maybe you guys should just talk about it. Maybe just hear his side and why he did it?” She suggests as she gives her friend an encouraging look. “I don’t know if I can, Lil’s.” Amelia’s face heats up again as she remembers the kiss and her body’s reaction to it. “What if he hates me now?” She adds after a moment of silence passes. “It will be so awkward.” “What’s awkward?” Max asks from behind Amelia, before Lilly could warn her about their presence. “Naked people.” Lilly says with a shrug as if it is a common topic. Scratching the back of his neck, he turns around directing his attention to Nate who was still a few steps behind him. “Let’s go get some drinks.” His face reddens as he imagines a naked someone with red hair, while Nate just nods absent minded. “See just talking about them makes people awkward.” She adds when loud enough for Max to hear as he and Nate starts walking away. Amelia could not help the snort that left her nose when Lilly smiles at the two men. “Sometimes I wonder why he did it though. I doubt that this was what he expected would happen.” Lilly voices her thoughts with a perplexed look on her face her eyes on Nate. “Ditto.” Amelia sighs looking back at Nate where he stops at the bar with his hands in his pockets, a pensive look on his face. “Maybe there is a way to get you two talking.” Lilly says with a sly smile while her eyes move to follow Nate. “Lilly…” Amelia draws her name out as she turns to give her friend a suspicious look. She can see the gears turning in Lilly’s pretty little head already and it makes her cautious. “Don’t worry. It will be fun.” Lilly says, jumping up from her seat. Before Amelia could stop her she was already halfway to the bar, red hair bouncing everywhere as she skips along. “Oh, glow stick! Here we go again.” Amelia says to herself as she drops her head on the table in front of her. It wasn’t long before all three of them returned with a beer for each of them in their hands and Nate carrying an ice bucket with another four beers in it. Sliding onto the bench in front of Amelia, Lilly gives her a sly smirk again before handing her a beer. “So, I have a new game. We each make a statement about each other’s best friends and then if it is true the best friend should drink. For example if I say Max is a crossdresser and if I am wrong Nate doesn’t drink, but if Nate say Amelia owns a pink shirt and it is true I drink.” Everyone nods as Lilly explains, listening intently. “But how will we know if something is the truth or not?” Max asks with a frown between his eyes. “We all know our best friends really well, right? So if you don’t know if it is true or not you should both down the beer left in your bottles.” Lilly says enthusiastically. “So are you ready?” She waits for everyone’s agreement before she speaks again. “Ok, I’ll start.” Thinking for a second she says: “Max secretly likes Taylor Swift.” Nate chuckles before taking a sip of the beer in front of him. Lilly giggles, while Max just grumbles about Taylor being hot. “Okay, now Max your turn.” “Lilly is a sneaky person.” Max says narrowing his eyes at her. “That is so unfair. We all know that’s true.” Amelia protest, but still drinks as Lilly sneakily smirks while indicating for Nate to continue with a bright red blush tinting her cheeks. “Amelia needs to take the stick out her butt.” Nate says with a perplexed look on his face as he eyes Amelia. Bright dark blue eyes locked with hazel green ones, but only for a second. “Hey!” Amelia yells at Lilly as she gulps down almost half of her beer. “It’s true, I had to.” Lilly defends after swallowing. “Even I would drink to that!” Max exclaims lifting his beer to his lips. Making Nate snicker then salute with his beer held high before the two drinks simultaneously. Max has a broad smile on his face as he watches Lilly from the corner of his eye. He missed this so much. Just hanging around, having fun with quirky comebacks and sarcasm flying around with tons of laughter and definitely no awkwardness. “Oh, fine is this the way it’s going to go, you all ganging up on me?” Amelia asks vehemently, not exactly sure how this would get them talking, but plays along none the least. “Nate is a geek in a frat boy body.” She states with a vengeful glare in Nate’s direction, while Max takes a sip of his beer as Lilly pushes it to his lips. “Okay, my turn. Uhm…” Lilly hums tapping her finger on her chin. “Max…” She draws out his name stretching the ‘a’. “Has a soft spot for kittens.” She finishes, smiling brightly at Max. “Now how am I supposed to know that?” Nate frowns at Lilly. “It’s not like we guys go: ‘Hey bro, are you a cat or dog person?’” Pouting as he shakes his head at Lilly, causing everyone around the table to laugh. “Bottoms up!” Lilly squeals motioning to their beers in front of them. Max gives her a wink as he speaks half into his beer. “I do like kittens, by the way, but is more of a dog person.” He pulls his face as the last of the bitter liquid runs down his throat. He wrecks his brain as he tries hard to find something that his sister might not know about Lilly, but comes up short and blurts out the next best thing that comes to mind. “Lilly has a pink thong in her suit case.” The girls burst out in a fit of giggles at the randomness of Max’s statement as Nate gives Max a look that can only be translated into ‘WTF?’. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Lilly teases laughing as his eyes grow wide while Amelia takes a drink from her beer. “You’re up Nate.” “Amelia avoids me because the kiss meant something to her.” Nate gives her a side glance, his face a mask of utter seriousness. “Now what should I do?” Lilly whispers barely audible as she looks from Amelia to Nate confused. “Oh, well.” She says as she drinks from her beer. “No!” Amelia scoffs as her eyes shoots daggers at Lilly then at Nate. “Which one is it then? Yes, no or should you both drown your beers?” Nate smirks triumphantly. “Nate needs to get over himself.” Amelia huffs, drowning her beer. “And you have never had a real kiss.” Nate states, knowing he hit a nerve. “Are we still playing?” Lilly whispers as Max pushes a full beer her way, to which he just shrugs. “And you should start to keep your lips to yourself.” Amelia deadpans. “You loved my lips on yours.” Nate’s sneers as he turns to face her. “Sure looked like it.” Lilly grumbles into her beer not even bothering to put it down on the table anymore, earning her a full blown glare from Amelia. “Sorry.” She apologise while throwing her free hand in the air in mock surrender. “You are an idiot.” Amelia retorts, her face void of any emotion as she turns back to him. “I don’t think they are playing anymore.” Max whispers to Lilly. She only shrugs in reply as she distractedly looks between Nate and Amelia in intrigue. “You need lessons.” Nate mocks with a teasing glint in his eyes. “You’re an insufferable, egotistical, infuriating jerk, who thinks he is God’s gift to mankind!” Amelia grunts frustrated as she fails to control her facial expression. “I am available this week and I will do it for free.” Nate brushes of Amelia’s comment with a smirk. He knows he is getting to her and shows it, which frustrates Amelia even further. “You can keep your lessons for the bimbo’s you normally hangs with.” Amelia states flatly, rolling her eyes at Nate. ‘Why does she let him get to her? Lilly and Max are still drinking, while their eyes darts between Amelia and Nate. “Are little Amy jealous?” Nate mocks while he flashes her, a wide toothy grin. Hurt flashes in Amelia’s eyes for a second before she goes back to glaring at Nate. She knew talking to him about this would be a disaster, but she cannot help to wander if his words did hold some truth to it. “No, Nate, I just valued our friendship more then you did.” Amelia sneers as she rolls her eyes at a smug looking Nate, causing him to feel an inch of remorse creeping up on him. “Hey, Lils.” Max whispers from the side of his mouth, careful not intrude on the two people on the opposite side of the table’s conversation. “I think we need a refill.” He eyes the bottle still in Lilly’s hand. “Me too.” She agrees, lifting the empty bottle and tipping it over. “I so badly want to hear this, but I need a bathroom.” She blurts before shoving at Max’s shoulder to let her get out on his side, forgetting that the bench was open at either side. Max’s heeds to her shoving, holding out his hand to help her to her feet. “I’ll meet you at the bar, when you are done.” He says still eying their companions still slinging comments and insults at each other, before slowly letting her hand go, feeling the loss instantly. “Why do you ignore me then?” Nate asks quietly as if his words would break her. “You… You… You… Ugh… Glow sticks!” Amelia groans frustrated throwing her hands in the air, before narrowing her eyes at Nate and pointing her finger inches from his nose. “You... You Nathaniel Jacob Welsh want to know why I avoid and ignore you. Okay, fine I wish I can put my fist through that cocky smile of yours, knocking out every perfectly straight pearly white in its way.” Amelia’s fist balls as she bits down hard on her teeth. “You kissed me remember, out of nowhere, no warning and no apology. You ruined our friendship the moment you decided to lock your lips with mine.” “I didn’t kiss you out of spite or to embarrass you and if you did not storm away and avoided me the second I let you go, you would have known it.” Nate defends himself. “So explain it to me now. Let me understand why you would risk our friendship?” Amelia throws her hands in the air as she looks at Nate in disbelief. She sighs loudly as she let her face falls into her hands. “I wanted this girl Naomi to leave me alone and I thought that maybe if I kissed someone else, it would give her the message. I did not want to kiss someone I did not know and maybe have the same problem that I had with the other girl and I could not kiss Lilly, because I don’t want Max to kill me, so I kissed you knowing that I would maybe lose my manhood, but I thought at least you would let me explain. Then you ran like hell and avoided any further contact.” Nate rumbles on trying to explain why he did what he did, he feels bad for what he did to their friendship. “I am sorry.” Nate apologises after a few seconds of silence. “I am sorry too.” Amelia sighs feeling ashamed for losing her temper earlier. Nate’s explanation actually did make sense even though this might not resurrect their friendship into what it was before, but it is a start and she did have a part in their friendship failing even though she doesn’t want to admit it. “I should not have avoided you.” “Friends?” Nate asks holding his hand out to Amelia. “Friend’s.” Amelia agrees shaking his hand, but letting it go almost instantly as if it burned her. “So…” She starts after a few silent moments. “You picked up on Max’s crush, huh?” “Come on Amy, you have to be blind to miss it.” Nate states with an eye roll, turning to watch his friend and the only girl Max’s eyes sparkle for. Nate and Amelia are still watching them in silence as a slightly older and overweight man with light blond hair interrupts the conversation between Lilly and Max. “Say pretty lady, what’s your name?” “Nanya.” Lilly answers with a sweet smile. “Nanya business.” Turning back to Max she continues her conversation with him, but the guy seems to not get the hint. “Hey, I’m talking to you, missy.” He slurs a bit indicating to just how much he had to drink already. “And she doesn’t want to talk to you.” Max growls as he walks around Lilly and takes a stand between her and the guy. His arms crossed over his chest as he wills the guy into submission. “Butt out, man.” The guy says to Max irritated. “I will not butt out when my girl just told you to mind your own business.” Max’s voice is strained as he clutches his arms with his hands not to let his fist fly astray into this guy’s face. “Now will you please leave her alone so we can discuss the rest of our wedding plans?” “Really? Wedding plans, huh?” The guy asks with a look of disbelief on his face. “She isn’t even wearing a ring man.” “Because it is at the jewellers being set with the wedding band.” Lilly pipes in with a roll of her eyes and a duh tone to her voice. “You are welcome to come to the wedding if you don’t believe us.” Max’s eyes burns fiercely into the guy’s skull. “Tomorrow. Twelve pm. The little chapel in town.” His tone is stern as he dismisses the guy one final time turning his back to him and taking Lilly’s hand in his. The guy finally seems to get the message as he turns away from them without a word in search of his next poor unsuspecting victim. An admiring smile stretches over Lilly’s face as she looks at Max, he did not have to stand up for her, but he did it without hesitation. “So, what are you doing tomorrow?” Max asks with a quizzical look on his face. “Getting married, apparently.” Lilly says jokingly with a shake of her head. “That’s my girl.” Max says with a victorious smile stretching over his face pulling her in for a hug. This might just be the chance he was looking for to make her his. “Thanks for standing up for me, Max.” She says quietly her eyes still sparkling with admiration as she looks up at him. Trying to pull away from him, but Max will not budge. “No need to thank me. I did get a wife out of it after all.” Max says winking down at Lilly. “Yeah, tomorrow at twelve pm apparently.” Lilly says, with a tinge of doubt laced in her voice. She gives Max one last look as she pulls away from him finally, but regrets it instantly as the cold air wraps around her. “Lilly, are you okay?” He asks seriously as he took in her paled face. “Uhm, yeah.” She says swallowing hard as a pain shoots through her heart. If only Max really felt about her the way she feels about him instead of joking about it. “Lilly, you do know I am serious right?” Max questions, giving her a worried look. “Wh… What?” Lilly starts to stutter, suddenly feeling light headed. “If you want me to do this properly then I will.” Max says taking her hands in his and lowering himself to one knee, but before his knee hits the floor, Lilly pulls him up by his hands as tears stream down her face. “Get up, you goof and just kiss me.” She says breathlessly as she pulls him in her arms, making a smile stretch across his face, before his lips melts into hers. “Finally!” Amelia yelps as she jumps from her bench, pumping her fist in the air, almost knocking Nate right in the eye, but neither of them notices as Nate whoops in equal excitement. “So Lilly Anne Hough, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?” Max asks with a bright smile as he takes Lilly’s face in his hands. “Tomorrow at twelve.” Lilly nods her smile mirroring his. Max lowers his lips to hers again in a searing kiss, burning their souls into unity.