16 Golden
Running down the stairs, I stop in the hallway where Rosie and Jimmy are sprawled out on the hardwood floor, enjoying a cross breeze through the house. I rub each of their bellies and they waggle their tails in response.
‘Who’s my favourite doggies? Who’s my favourite doggies!’
Walking into the kitchen, I grab an apple from the fruit bowl and throw it into the air. I miss catching it but manage to save it from hitting the floor with a quick juggle.
‘Ah-ha!’ I say to Mum and George, who are sat on the kitchen counter, eating bowls of cereal each. ‘Morning!’
‘Why’re you in such a good mood?’ George quips as milk drips from his paused spoon.
‘Because, my dear sweet little Georgie, you’re being shipped off to Nan and Grandad’s! Hopefully forever. And I get six weeks of peace, serenity and free access to the computer whenever I like.’
‘You’re not going forever,’ Mum whispers to George. ‘Cameron, stop teasing your brother.’
‘Oh, come on, he winds me up plenty. Can’t I just have this one day?’
‘No. Now get your shoes on. Otherwise, you can walk to your friend’s house.’
Okay, now is the time.
‘I’ve been meaning to say, actually. Finn, he isn’t just a friend…We’re actually, like, together. He’s my boyfriend.’
A dollop of milky cornflakes slops from George’s spoon as his mouth hangs open, closely followed by Mum leaping off her bar stool to engulf my head.
‘Oh, honey! I’m so happy for you!’ she shouts, pecking my face all over.
‘Mum!’ I push her off.
‘What’s going on?’ Dad asks, entering the kitchen with wet hair and a towel around his neck.
‘Cameron has a boyfriend!’ Mum yells, taking Dad’s shoulder in her hand and using her other to present me like a star prize on a game show.
‘Finally made up with Gabriel then?’
My eyes widen and Mum quickly smacks him across the back of the head.
‘What?!’ he yelps.
‘No, no. It’s that young man Finn. You know, the one that came over the other day. The tall one.’ Mum pretends like I can’t hear her loudly mouthing it to him.
‘Oh! Good for you son.’
‘Thank you?’ I hesitate back.
Mum looks at her watch. ‘Right, come on, we better go.’ She springs into action, scratching her keys off the worktop.
‘Cameron, say goodbye to your brother.’
‘Goodbye to your brother,’ I say sarcastically.
‘Cameron!’ Mum shouts, as she walks into the hall.
‘Alright, alright!’
I circle the kitchen island and we both lean into a forced patted hug.
‘Make sure you stay out of trouble,’ I say, rustling his hair.
‘Make sure you wear a condom,’ he replies with crazy eyes.
My jaw falls open at his quick response and I cough a laugh.
‘George!’ Dad shouts across the kitchen.
He shovels cereal into his mouth and holds his hands in surrender.
‘Bye Dad,’ I say.
‘Have fun! …But not too much fun!’
***
‘Have you got any camping chairs?’ Geri asks Finn.
‘Mum? Have we got any chairs we could take?’ Finn calls upstairs.
‘Check in the garage!’ she replies.
‘Back in a sec.’
His hands hold my hips as he moves past me. He leans into my neck and gives it a tickling gnaw of his teeth. I giggle in a high pitch.
‘Stop!’ I cry at his playful affection.
He winks and leaves out the front door to the garage. Robyn is using the living room mirror to tie her hair up in a bandana, while Geri tries to Tetris various bottles, snacks and glow sticks into a cooler bag.
I check my phone and see a text from Becky.
‘Jack and Becky have just got there,’ I notify the girls.
‘Geri, have you got the tickets?’ Robyn asks her through the reflection.
Geri and I connect, pulling eyebrows at how daft a question that is.
‘What?’ Robyn says, turning around.
‘This is Geri we’re talking about,’ I say.
‘Um…who forgot the tickets for my birthday last year?’ Robyn quips.
‘Fair point,’ I say, looking at Geri.
‘I’ve got them! Jesus. It was one time!’
The front door opens and Finn emerges with two folded deck chairs under one arm and six bottles of cider under the other. He looks up the stairs to check Ruth is out of sight. He props the chairs against the banister, then creeps into the living room and hands Geri the bottles.
‘Cider? What are we? Sixteen?’
‘Until last month, you were. Now, hide them at the bottom,’ Finn says.
Geri does as she’s told and reorganises the bag.
‘Ready?’ Geri asks, zipping it up.
‘Mum, we’re heading down to the festival!’ Finn calls upstairs.
Ruth traipses down the stairs holding her hair off her neck. She stops short of the bottom and leans under the ceiling to see us in the hallway.
‘Okay you four, have a good time! I’ll be there from about seven. Let me know if you need me to bring anything with me.’
‘Thanks Mum,’ Finn says as the girls and I line up behind him to leave.
‘Oh, Finn!’ She hops down the last few steps and leans into him.
‘There’re some bottles of cider in the garage if you maybe want to take those?’ she whispers with a wink.
Geri, Robyn and I look at each other like we’ve been busted.
‘Yeah…Thanks Mum,’ Finn replies smiling.
Ruth grins and wiggles her fingers at us.
‘Have fun!’ she says in her sweetest voice.
We lead out of the house into the sticky summer air, bursting into laughter as soon as the front door closes.
Geri and Robyn carry the cooler between them and lead us through the village. Finn carries the deck chairs in one arm, while he carries my hand in the other. I’ve got a rolled-up blanket under my armpit and a carrier bag of picnic goodies dangling from the crook of my fingers.
‘Has there always been a music festival?’ Finn asks.
‘No, it only started two or three years ago,’ Geri says back to him. ‘It’s good fun though…when it doesn’t rain.’
‘Last year was a total washout. Tents were rolling all over the field, peoples shoes were getting stuck in the mud…We called it quits by nine o’clock,’ I explain.
Arriving at the playing fields, the village matriarchs are running a small cash desk under a gazebo. We line up and pay our seven-pound entry fee.
‘I’ve got it,’ Finn says as I reach into my pocket to get my wallet.
‘No, it’s fine!’ I say, still digging.
He leans into me and looks through his eyebrows.
‘Let me pay for my boyfriend,’ he whispers in his deepest and most commanding voice. The accents of his words flick off his teeth.
I blush and my bottom lip retreats.
‘Okay,’ I manage.
The festival isn’t exactly Glastonbury. It’s pretty much one stage under a large white tent, with everyone in the village grouping themselves on picnic blankets, under pop-up gazebos and a few food trucks. Every year, they get some sort of fun fair ride…
‘No way! It’s Twister!’ Geri excitedly points to the flashing lights and spinning spider contraption.
Finn stops in his tracks.
‘You’re going to drag me on that later aren’t you?’
‘Yup!’ I shout.
I change my walk into a skip and drag him along by our held hands. However, there’s West, and my gleeful skipping quickly sinks into a shy walk.
Finn looks over to where I’ve spotted him and tightens his hand around mine.
West looks our way, stops and starts coming toward us.
Finn tugs on my arm and pulls me into a whisper. ‘I’ll handle this,’ he says, dropping my hand and about to head into a duel.
‘No.’ I stop him with my hand on his chest. ‘I’ve got this.’
I turn back to see Geri share a questioning look.
‘I’ll be fine,’ I say to her.
I actually have no idea if I’ll be fine, but I’ve got to do this. Even if he drop-kicks me into next week, I know Geri will castrate him shortly after.
I pace away from Finn and Geri as the approaching frame of West becomes slightly more terrifying. He looks away to hide his awkwardness before changing his course to pass me. Almost like this was all a strategy to intimidate me, but I just called his bluff. He locks eyes with me before averting and striding in the opposite direction.
‘West.’
He stops and turns.
‘What do you want? Haven’t you got a boyfriend now? You can’t stay obsessed with me forever.’
The snark of his tone just adds fuel to my inner fury. The confidence to meet his toes and look up into his smug chin carries me unconsciously.
‘Why yes. I do have a boyfriend now. And he is more of a man than you will ever be. Because, unlike you, he knows who he is.’
West’s chest inflates like he’s readying for a battle. I’m quick to cut him off as his mouth opens to speak.
‘When you’re done hiding, Gabe, I’d like my friend back.’
His eyebrows sink and crease his forehead in confusion. I smile and pat his shoulder as I walk away back to Finn and Geri.
‘Is he charging up behind me?’ I ask Geri as my confidence sinks into fear.
Finn quickly retakes my hand and looks over at him.
‘No, he’s just stood there,’ Finn says.
‘Did you tell him to do one?’ Geri asks.
‘Something like that,’ I reply.
He glances our way before he wipes the end of his nose and walks off. In his demeanour change from my words, I almost feel guilty. But then, I know I shouldn’t.
‘Who’s that?’ Geri says, pointing to her side.
‘Emily!’ I scream.
I drop Finn’s hand and run over to meet her halfway. We leap into a hug and I squeeze her as hard as I can with one free arm.
‘I’m so glad you came!’
‘Of course! Cam, this is my girlfriend, Hope.’
Hope has long, curly brown hair and massive blue eyes hidden behind coloured glasses. Her eyes are made even bigger by mascara, her hair is pinned back with multiple hairpins and she’s wearing a large white men’s shirt that’s partially tucked into jean shorts.
‘Hi Hope!’ I open my arm to her.
She accepts the invitation and comes in for a hug. ‘Emily’s told me all about you!’ Hope says.
‘All the good stuff, I hope…Hope?’ I raise an eyebrow at myself.
They both look past me as Finn, Geri and Robyn walk up to join us. I introduce everyone and Robyn is instantly captivated by Hope’s eyes.
‘Your eye-liner is flawless!’ Robyn says.
‘Thank you,’ Hope replies hesitantly.
Robyn passes the cooler handle into Finn’s hand and walks over to Hope to take her arm in hers.
‘No, I mean it. How do you get it so perfect?’
Emily joins Robyn and Hope, walking towards our spot on the field being saved by Jack and Becky.
‘She seems nice,’ Finn says, smiling.
‘A real delight,’ Geri adds.
‘Um…is that a hint of jealously I hear in your voice Miss Andrews?’
‘Maybe,’ Geri replies.
‘You know there’s no replacing my number one.’
She smiles and gently smacks my arm.
We follow the rest of the group to meet Jack and Becky. They’ve laid out a few blankets behind Becky’s parents. Finn and Geri plonk the cooler down and we all set up a semi-circle of blankets, fold-out chairs, picnic food and drinks. As the afternoon draws on and the sun gets lower, I take a moment to sit back and watch the group from all walks of life laughing over stupid stories, occasionally getting up to dance and throwing sausage rolls across our little patch of heaven. I rest my head against Finn’s chest and watch Geri warm to Emily, just as I did.
The sun turns golden orange as it sinks behind the silhouette of the tent. The group is lost in fits of giggles over Becky smacking her bottle on Jack’s, causing his beer to spray up into his face and Becky profusely apologising the next second.
Finn taps my arm, asking me to sit up. He stands and holds his hand out to my face. I take it, and he helps me to my feet.
‘Come on,’ he says, squeezing my hand.
Geri notices and winks at me as Finn leads me out of the group. I cup my hand to my forehead to block the low sunlight streaming across the field. Finn walks us to the bushes that surround the field and through a footpath amongst some trees.
‘Where are you taking me?’ I ask, moving a branch out of my face.
‘You’ll see,’ he replies.
He leads me down a dirt path, the golden sun reflecting off the trees and bushes to turn everything into a painting of dark blue and bright orange. As the path narrows, he stops. He spins me around into a dance hold and scoops me in by my lower back. I rest my hand on his shoulder as he brings me into a kiss.
‘I love you so much,’ he says.
‘I love you more.’
‘Not possible.’
He kisses me again and leads me forward with his hand. My head spins at knowing this man is my everything. And I’m his.
A field of golden wheat opens up below a small grassed bank.
‘Woah,’ I say.
‘Nice right?’
Finn steps in next to me and drops to the ground. He pats his hands free of freshly cut grass and places one arm back to give me space to lower myself in next to him. I thump to the ground and rock into his side. The occasional faint crashing of drums from the festival dances through in warm gusts, but for the most part, it’s quiet. The wheat rustles in the breeze and my hair tickles my brow. He rests his head against mine and throws his arm around me. He drags me to the ground.
‘What’re you doing?!’ I yelp, laughing.
He smiles at my reaction, then bundles himself over me to roll onto my other side, deeply kissing me on the way over. I run my hand over his stomach and pull myself to rest my ear against his chest. I watch the crop ripple in each swirl of the breeze.
Finn’s heartbeat keeps me company as I ponder just how lucky I am to have found him.