Chapter 7

Hadaza

We were sitting on Brett's porch around the fire making smores. The moon was above us and the stars glistened. Brett kept telling us stories about how he caught a bear when he went on a hike with his brother. Of course non of us believed him, he was probably just trying to impress us or Flora. We all laughed because we knew non of it was real.

Brett always had to find a way to lighten the mood, he was the party starter. Without Brett nothing was fun. "And it almost ate my FOOT! But luckily I managed to GAB it in the stomach then I CUT off its leg!" He made hand gestures as he spoke.

"You cut off a bears leg on your own?" Angelo asked as he chuckled at Brett's crazy story.

"Its ridiculous if you ask me." An unamused Flora ate her smore.

"Oh you don't believe me do you?"

"Brett of course we don't." Angelo looked at him as if he went mad. But honestly I actually thought he was too. The three went back and fourth about the story.

"Daza, come on let's go." Thorn whispered as he nodded towards the garden. We both stood up and went to sit on the pool chairs. The night sky reflected perfectly off the chlorine water. It was cold but Thorns presence made it warm. I hugged Brett's warm blanket closer to me as soon as the wind would blow past me. I went deep in thought then I looked over at Thorn and he was admiring  the reflection. He shifted his gaze towards me and I saw the twinkle of the stars in his eyes.

"Have you ever felt like your looking for something but you don't know what?" I spoke.

"No not really. Do you?" He asked.

"Yeah, all the time." I looked up at the moon. It captured me with its glow like it always did.

"Well whatever it is your going to find it, sooner or later believe me."

"How do you know that?" I stared at him.

"Because everything happens for a reason. To lead you to something or teach you a life lesson." He told me as if he were speaking to my soul, he told me as if he knew what the future held. "Everything happens for a reason..." he held my cold hands "remember that Daza and live by it okay?" Thorn pleaded through his eyes. I nodded slowly and gave him a smile of reassurance. Everything he was said felt like it was being carved in my heart, and I could never let it go.

There was silence for a while but it still felt like we were talking, talking with our eyes and our hearts. The sounds of everyone else's laughing could be heard, the sounds of the crickets could be heard and the trees dancing from the ruthless wind.

"Why do they call you Thorn? Your more like a rose to me, accept with no thorns." I wondered. Thorn was too perfect for his own good, he was like a rose. Although a rose had imperfections like thorns, he seemed to lack any of it. Everything about him was perfect. From his face, to his mind, to his heart.

"Why do you say that?" He asked.

"Because...y-your just...too perfect."

Thorn smiled at me. "So are you." He stated causing butterflies to erupt within me.

"You see what I am talking about?"

"What?" He laughed.

"Your always complementing people and your always nice. You always have a smile on your face. Every time I speak you just stare at me like your reading the best book ever. Are you even real?" I poked him on his cheek trying to make sure that he was actually human.

Thorn laughed at me and soon gave me the most beautiful smile ever. He mumbled something, I didn't quite catch. "You know you are probably the best thing that has ever happened to me." He gazed into space.

"I am?"

"Yeah."

"But your always happy?"

"Its better to smile and actually convince myself that I think I am happy. I just felt like a lost boy with a missing piece of me and let's just say you gave me a reason to be actually happy." My heart raced my hands became sweaty and I was shaking vigorously.

"Now I'm happy to know that I'm the reason you are really happy." I smiled at him trying my best to contain my squeal.

"So am I."

After a short calming peaceful silence I asked "So can I call you Rose now?"

"What! No that's a girls name." He gave me a disgusted look.

I laughed "So I can't give you a nickname, but you call me Stutter?"

"That's different you actually stutter and I'm not a rose, therefore I shall not be called by it." He complained.

"Oh come on Rose it suits you, I mean your beautiful like a rose, inside and out. You smell good..." I finally realise what I was saying and gave myself a mental face palm.

Thorn chuckled at me "Your cute Daza..."