BITTERSWEET

CHAPTER 34 / FIREWORKS

FOURTH OF JULY

As the Fourth of July came right around the corner, to celebrate, the gang bought firecrackers and set up the barbecue. Garroth and Laurance were in charge of the barbecue, while everyone else either had a job or was lounging in the backyard.

They'd spent the morning their separate ways until they grouped together to decorate the villa and prepare dinner. 

Not only for them but also, for the Shadow Knights, Emmalyn, Kenmur and Charlotte, as well as, Garte, Zianna, Eric, Sylvanna, Alanna and Mamoru. 

The second Garte walked into the beach house he grimaced, "So, this was why this place is the hardest to get." He practically had to shield his eyes to take in all the festive colours for the holiday, that practically exploded the place. 

Zianna quickly snapped him out of his hallucinating thoughts and dragged him down for a drink, and lounging by the pool. 

Kasey, Remmi, Laurance, Lucinda, Dante, Nicole and Melissa were outside and had claimed a picnic table in the backyard, alcohol in hand. They drank as they watched the rest of the group who tended the barbecue or relaxed in the pool. 

"Y'know, that keg isn't half bad," Remmi said, raising up her wine glass into the air that was now empty. She wasn't drunk, yet, but tipsy. Luckily, the girl could hold her liquor quite well.

"And it took us a week to get it right," Laurance interrupted.

"The champagne is nicer though," Lucinda intervened.

"Champagne is better than beer, it's more... feminine," Melissa corrected, swishing the drink in a circular motion in her hands. 

"Is it just me or is Garroth unremarkably hot?" Lucinda questioned, receiving a nod from Remmi and Melissa. 

"His build is hot," Remmi commented.

"He's hot but not that hot. The girls were all over me in high school, not him." Laurance interjected, sitting down right next to Lucinda.

"Have you considered dropping the subject and moving on with your life?" Zane asked as he passed the group.

"Never," Laurance sassed as Zane disappeared back inside the house. 

"Garroth is now the quiet, dork kinda guy now. And somehow his alter-ego went right down the toilet," Cadenza added, pulling her damp hair into a ponytail, just coming out of the pool. 

"You guys coming for a swim?" Aphmau called out, surpassing a glance from the people gathered at the table. 

"No! We're swimming ourselves in liquor," Melissa replied, turning back to her group with an eye roll. 

As if on cue, The Shadow Knights, entered the facade.
Sasha and Gene went to join the liquor lovers, while Zenix went inside to drown himself in his phone. 

"What's all this?" Beca questioned, eying Nana who was sitting on the edge of the pool, by the deep end. 

"A party," Nana answered satirically. 

"If it were a party, then you'd be in the party and having fun in the pool. What changed?" She asked, sitting beside her. 

"My carefree alter-ego was Kawaii~Chan, and she went down the drain a year ago. I don't know what to do with myself. I can't be reckless, it's like I don't even know myself," Nana secluded, allowing her pinned hair to fall over her face. 

Beca rolled her eyes, "No, I meant Nana. The girl I grew up with. Not in middle school and high school, but around elementary school and college, plus all the time before that, you were Nana. Nana was fun, she was reckless, she had the craziest ideas and coming from me, was pretty badass, especially since she's in a thriving relationship with my twin brother," She gushed, racking up Nana's attention.

Beca proceeded and pulled her blonde waves into a ponytail, "Had enough sulking now? Come on, live a little! Jump in the pool, just do something you wanna do." Beca then leaned over to Nana's ear, "It's not like we have much time to do anything soon," She whispered, "We'll be whales!"

A laugh escaped Nana's lips and glanced at one of her best friends, a sister if you will. 

"You coming?" Beca asked, before easily standing up and jumping into the pool with an almighty hazed splash. The meif~wa rolled her eyes and followed right behind with a thrilling squeal. 

By the time dinner was ready to be served, those who'd been attacked by the chlorine pool water, had towels hung over their shoulders and ate classic burgers in regard to the celebration. 

Everyone seemed to be having a blast. 

The youngest at the party, Charlotte, was constantly adored over, but she'd soon fallen asleep on a couch in the sitting room; curled in a ball, with her blanket wrapped around her. 

The party inhabitants were later drawn in by a sharp whistle from Tatiana's lips. "If we could all get your attention please!" She called out, her newfound volume and attention, and was conversed to Laurance who was apparently voted out to give a speech. 

"Hey everyone! Um, thanks for coming. We'd like to thank you for joining us to celebrate independence day even when we're not home. A big thank you to Zane and Mr Ro'Meave for organising most of us to come." Multiple cheers and whistles filled the area, and they both nodded in response. "Okay, I have no idea why I was made to give this speech, of all people, Garroth could even have done it-"

"He would've stuttered and wrecked the speech!" Zane called out, as Laurance shrugged.

"I guess he would've. But here I am. Even though we had fireworks for New Year, who says we can't have them now? Kasey insisted we'd launch some tonight, so, enjoy the show. All yours Kasey," Laurance announced, enveloped by a cheering audience, and he pointed to Kasey who was sitting on the roof with the fireworks. 

The attention literally reminded the brunette of when he was in high school and leader of the Phoenix Drop High's soccer captain. 

Meanwhile, Kasey and Remmi had climbed up to the roof minutes before and were ready to set off the blasts. The two were dangerously perched on the brickwork, even though they weren't drunk, they were still wearing off the effects. At least they knew what they were doing. 

"Let her rip!" Kasey shouted, releasing the first of many fireworks as Remmi protectively covered her own ears from the firing explosion in the sky. Good thing Kasey had sound-defying headphones.

He released the next dozen and pulled Remmi towards him gesturing to cover her ears as she took her turn to release a dozen more. The girl could've sworn she could feel the blown embers brush past her hands as they fell and dissolved in the air. 

She pressed her hands against her meif~wa ears and kept on the constant pressure with Kasey helping her. Remmi again could've sworn she felt Kasey caress her cheek as he protected her ears and let more off. When she looked back, Kasey was gazing up at the blazing embers, avoiding brief eye contact. 

Garroth had snuck an arm around Kim's waist and brought her in front of him so he could rest his chin on her shoulder, as they glanced up at the fireworks. 

"Do you remember the first time we did this?" Garroth practically yelled so she could hear him over the explosions, grimacing as the noises rang past his sensitive ears. 

Kim grinned and kissed his cheek in response. Garroth took that as a yes.

Meanwhile, Nana basically had to pull her ears down to muffle out the hollering fireworks, Zane had done the same with his human ears, the pair almost laughed at the sight of one another as they blocked off the sound. Perfect time for a kiss behind the fireworks, even if they couldn't hear each other. 

Katelyn and Travis ditched the sounds, and winked at one another, leaping into the pool, causing an avalanche of responding water, soaking everyone who was near the water cavity. Mainly Laurance and Lucinda. 

"Katelyn! Travis!"

"What can I say, I ended it with a bang."