Fireworks

Firework

We sat together on a picnic blanket in the park. It was night and the stars were glistening in the sky. They were so beautiful. I felt his hand in mine as he pointed out constellations to me. He was so geeky. I loved that about him. How he seemed to know anything. He could tell you almost anything about anything. A walking encyclopedia. My walking encyclopedia. I stared at the stars and the constellation he was currently telling me about. It was weird how we had constellations named when in actuality those stars were billions of light years apart. And anywhere else they looked different. It's strange how we brand things as humans. I wonder if any other life form out there has constellations. What if the sun is part of one? I noticed he had stopped talking. I looked over. He was staring at me. His brown eyes were soft and loving. He smiled. I felt giddy. I loved when he smiled at me. He pulled me close into a soft kiss and I melted into him.

He smelled like clean cut grass. The scent of his families farm. I closed my eyes and imagined a field of grass and wheat. The sun shining. Blue sky's and little soft clouds. Birds singing and everything perfect. That's how he made me feel when I was with him. Perfect. Even when my family.... no. I won't go there. That's a dark place. A black hole. A void. Inescapable darkness. He was my only light in this dark world. Well him and God. He pulled me out of the darkness. I don't know how but he did.

From the day we met in the halls of school when Marco Shell shoved me to the ground and he came rushing over. The new kid who didn't take nothing from nobody. I remember his soft yet firm grip as he pulled me to my feet and his deep, manly voice as he asked if I was OK. As we walked to the class we shared. And sat down in desks next to each other. We became fast friends and a year later we were here. Sitting on a blanket in a park on the fourth of July. Waiting for the party on the other side of the wood to start the fireworks. The whole town was there and we had snuck away to get some peace.

We stared into each others eyes until we heard the first boom. I looked up and saw the last few sparks of the first firework dissipate. I scooted closer to him until our bodies were touching and put my head on his shoulder. He leaned his head on mine and we lay there, hand in hand, as the next one went off. Then the next. Then the next. All painting beautiful 3D portraits near the stars. The boom arriving right after the explosion. Katy Perry's Firework playing in the background. Kenneth Jacobson was doing them again this year. He had fireworks down to a science. The timing, the colors. Every one matched the beat of the song. The colors portraying the emotion of each lyric. The the song ended and God bless the USA started. Same thing with that.

I looked at him lying there. So peaceful. So happy. I saw the reflection of the fireworks in his eyes as he watched them with wonder. How had this beautiful, tough, geeky boy completely changed my life? Love. Acceptance. Hope. Joy. Happiness. I barely knew what they ment before I met him. And yet now I do. He's changed me so much. But now that High School is over, how are we gonna survive? He's off to collage in Massachusetts. I'm staying here in the small town of Pike's hill, Texas; taking online courses and running the family business while they're off flaunting their money on some cruise ship somewhere. Guess that's what happens when you get disowned by your family just as your mom marries the rich contractor and takes off. Luckily I was able to keep the house and the business. They sped out so fast, they forgot to sell it. I hope the boat sinks. To bad it's summer. No icebergs.

"Hey. Stop it." He said suddenly.

"Stop what?" I asked turning to look at him.

"Thinking about them. They're gone and never coming back." He said staring with those kind eyes.

"I'm sorry." I said burying my face into his neck.

"Never be sorry about them. They were horrible people but they're gone. It's just us now. You and me. Got it?" He asked.

I nodded. He kissed my head wrapped his arms around me.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." I whispered back.

Then we looked back at the sky. I could hear The Star Spangled Banner playing. That ment the finale was coming. Once the singer sung the word brave the sky erupted in fireworks of all shapes and sizes that formed a picture of the Flag flapping in the wind. It was beautiful. I heard the cheers and claps of the people at the party. I kissed him one more time and then stood up. I reached my hand out for him and he took it. We packed up the blanket and trash and whatever else we had brought and shoved them into our two backpacks then, hand in hand, we walked back to the party smiling the whole way. I was really gonna miss him. I just had to remember that we had Skype and holidays. But long term relationships never work out. Except in extremely rare cases. I just had to hope that ours was one of those cases. All I had to do was hope. Hope that one day, we would be together again and that neither of us would never leave. Forever and always. Always and forever. A picture perfect memory that would never fade or lose its color. Like a firework that would never fade.