With the night dark around us, the headlights cutting through it, and the summer air filtering in through our open windows, I started to plan what oils I’d mix to remember this night.

Mentally, I flipped through my collection. Amber, definitely. Musk. Maybe one of my cleaner fragrances, something reminiscent of a lake or—

“Lissy?” Evan said.

“What?”

He pulled his cell phone away from his ear and said, “What do you feel like drinking?”

One of Evan’s friends was old enough to buy alcohol and was taking requests before meeting us at the lake with the haul.

“Whatever you’re having.”

“Fifth of Morgan,” he said through the phone. Then, “I don’t care. Coke, I guess.” He ended the call and slid the phone into the center console.

A streetlight winked to red, and Evan shifted. The car’s engine went down an octave, but still rumbled as we waited for a green light.

“I’m glad you came out with us tonight,” he said.

“Me, too,” I answered, shoving my hands in my lap.

“We should do this more often.”

“Yeah,” Chloe said, and sat forward, sticking her head through the seats. “You need to get out more. You need to find a man, too.” She turned her head just enough to wink at me without Evan seeing.

“I volunteer,” Sean said. “I’m free tonight.”

Evan laughed and shook his head. “She’s too good for you, you idiot.”

The light flicked to green, and Evan hit the gas. The thrill of the takeoff, and his words, turned my stomach over on itself.

The west shore of Walsh Lake was dotted with openings where several fire pits had been installed. Across the lake, large, expensive houses were outlined in the moonlight, a few windows glowing amber in the dark.

Once we found an open spot, Evan parked, and we all clambered out. Crickets chirped from the underbrush and tree frogs croaked in between. The moon was full and cast its light on the black water in ripples of silver.

Evan started the bonfire with hardly any trouble before grabbing a few camping chairs from the trunk of his car. He offered me one and I sat. He opened a chair next to me and settled in as the fire gained ground.

“Tom should be here soon,” he told everyone, and they answered with cheers. Tom was the supplier of alcohol.

A car stereo had been cranked up, and the windows rolled down, so that rock music wound its way to us at the shore. The steady beats seemed to vibrate through my chest.

Chloe and another girl, named Madison, danced around the fire while a few guys gathered wood to keep the fire going. Evan leaned toward me.

“Having fun yet?”

I smiled and nodded. “It’s nice getting out every once in a while.”

He grew serious. “How come you don’t come out with us more?”

What I wanted to say was, You guys don’t always invite me, or, Some nights I can’t stand the thought of being in public.

Instead I said, “I don’t know.”

“Well, you should,” he answered. “You should come out with us every night from now on.”

I laughed. “That would mean you couldn’t go to Arrow. And that wouldn’t be fair.”

He waved his hand in the air. “Arrow is lame anyway. They’ve started playing mostly techno music, and while I like techno music as much as the next guy, I need a little more rock, you know?”

I said yes, as if I did, but really I didn’t.

Headlights flickered through the trees as a vehicle wound its way up the narrow trail to our spot. Tom turned his truck around at the end of the road and backed up. When he climbed out, he said, “Booze is here!” and everyone cheered again.

“I’ll go mix you a drink,” Evan said, and hurried off.

Tom opened the truck’s tailgate, and a drinks station was quickly assembled. Chloe grabbed a beer and crashed into Evan’s abandoned chair.

She waggled her eyebrows. “How’s it going?”

“It’s going fine.”

“Don’t be coy. You want to jump his bones, don’t you?”

“Chloe!” I shouted.

“It’s fine if you do! Every girl here does.” She tipped her head at Madison, who was very very close to Evan’s side as she waited for the bottle of Coke. “Madison has had a crush on him for years. And Hanna”—she pointed at a petite girl across the fire from us, who was chatting with another guy but checking on Evan every few seconds—“hooked up with Evan last month and hasn’t stopped talking about it since. She will somehow find a way to insert it into every conversation. It drives us all mad.”

I looked from Hanna to Evan and wondered what had happened. I also wondered what that sour taste on the back of my tongue was and realized it was the taste of jealousy.

“So listen, kid,” Chloe said. “I know you try to pretend like (a) you don’t like Evan or (b) you’re somehow a Spam sandwich or the worst, (c), you’re invisible! But I think Evan likes you and I think you should have some fun and I think you should stop thinking about it so much and just do it.”

I wasn’t sure if she meant do it, as in it, or as in kiss, hold hands, whatever. I didn’t ask for clarification, because Evan reappeared at my side and shooed Chloe away.

She grinned at me as she wandered off.

“Here,” Evan said, and handed me a red plastic cup.

I gave it a cursory smell. It was a deep, rich smell, like amber and spices. I’d never had rum before. In fact, I’d only ever had a few glasses of wine. I wasn’t supposed to drink with all the medication I was on, but one wouldn’t hurt. Would it?