Fireworks

56

My heart speeds up and my breath catches. I knew I'd see him here today, of course I was aware of that. But I clearly wasn't as prepared as I thought. It'd only been a week and a half, but it felt like I was seeing him for the first time in years.

He's wearing a pair of work pants, the kind he normally wears at a job site, and I infer that he's probably just gotten off of work.  It's around the time he normally gets off, anyways.  He looks perfect, per usual, and it's hard to think that we aren't even together anymore.  It had only been a month, but I'd grown to need him so much in that time. 

He suddenly snaps his eyes over to where I am, and meets my gaze with a strong, unrelenting stare.  I can't read the expression on his face, and I force myself to tear my eyes away.

Monse is replaced by Johan, and Edwardo helps Isa start to disassemble the tangle of sharp-ended wires at the end.

I don't let myself watch whatever Arlo decides to do with himself, but turn back to my job and keep hauling the fence along when I hear the "Pull!" from the end of the line.

After fifteen minutes of struggling with the fencing and minimal scratches, I remove my hands, shaking them out. We're just about a yard more or so of pulling before we're good to bind the fencing and toss it in the trailer. Gosh, that wire is unforgiving, and-

"Pull!"

Before I can get my hands back on a safe place, the fence is dragged forward, and a particularly long barb protruding from the middle of the fence catches on my thigh. It pierces the skin, and before I can register what happens, the fence continues to get pulled backward and drags through my flesh, the cut deep.

I smother my cry of pain in a hand, swallowing it down, and hobble away from the fence.

No one seems to pay me any mind as the last couple of feet are successfully rolled inwards, and cheers resound from the whole group. A couple of people laugh, pointing out their battle scars - small nicks on their palms and cuts on their knuckles. Monse displays a hole in her shorts.

I stand apart from the group, trying not to dissolve into a panic.

It hurts pretty bad, but not like... death-type of bad. Blood is dripping all the way down my leg. The incision starts a few inches above my knee and stretches to my upper thigh. I don't want to get blood on anything, and I really don't want to cause a scene since Harriet could get in trouble for this. I've been getting paid under the table, it's not like she'll have any insurance for this. If I can make it home, I can get the gauze I'm pretty sure Dad stocked up on under the sink and-

"You good, Hadlee?" Isa calls from the group, a broad smile on her face.

I turn to look at the group, keeping my bloodied leg strategically hidden behind the other. Arlo is studying me carefully, which sends a thrill through my body. I wonder if he's super mad at me. I wonder if he'll say anything to me tonight. I can see him sweeping his gaze over me calculatingly as he has so many times before, accessing my state of well-being. His eyes catch on my stiff leg, and his brow furrows, but he can't see any blood from where he's standing.

The rest of the group turns to look.

"Oh, yeah, I'm good," I reassure in what I hope is a calming manner.

Isa nods and says, "Come check out this gnarly scratch on my pinky. It's almost in the shape of a dick, but less-"

"What the fuck is that?" Arlo cuts Isa off. He's been watching me while Isa started talking, staring at my leg. The blood began to soak into my socks and drip around the back of my thigh. The pain is there, but my adrenaline is too high to feel anything while Arlo is looking at me like that. He keeps his eyes on my leg as he storms forward.