Love with a Bang

1. Aida

I hate Halloween. I never truly enjoyed it. As a child, getting dressed up was always fun but people's constant need to paint my face and have fake blood all over me in an attempt to make me a "cute zombie" always confused me. The free sweets were always a perk. I made those sweets last until Christmas until the following Easter some years. It was my secret weapon. If I wanted something, I could bribe my siblings with my sweets, seeing as they had already eaten all theirs like savages on October 31st and usually ended in them promptly vomiting it back up. I can't imagine candy corn tastes as nice the second time around.

However, my siblings' candy corn coloured vomit is not the reason I despise Halloween. That is the result of some idiotic, adrenaline junkie teenagers that felt it necessary to play with fireworks. Fireworks are illegal for a reason. I learned that the hard way after being dragged out to a Halloween party in the neighbourhood. I was 16 at the time. Being a late bloomer, from a strict family, I was never invited nor allowed to go to "boy-girl" parties. But this time, the party was on the good side of town. No delinquents and certainly no underage drinking. This was the superintendent's side of town. Since I was his daughter's best friend, my parents broke their own rule, just once, and let me go out with Lea.

When we arrived, I felt so out of place. I wasn't sure if I should mingle, or just stay in the corner with my soda and wait to chat with Lea. When I realised that Lea was more interested in playing tonsil tennis with Jake from Math class, I decided I couldn't stay hidden in the corner all night and made my way through the crowd of very handsy people into the back garden. When I got outside and sat down on Lea's garden swing, I noticed that a lot of the guests were definitely drinking more than just soda. Don't ask me if it was the hip flask I saw Debbie from Home-Ec sneak out from under her skin tight body con dress (where did she even have that hidden), or watching Gerard, the new guy, getting up close and personal with the fence post, that clued me in on that bit of knowledge but knowing this was the kind of party my parents would never normally allow me to go to, provided a sense of foreboding.

"Hey look, it's Aida! Did Mommy and Daddy let you out to play?" I knew that voice anywhere. Terrance, or Ter, was the most popular guy in the school. His posse followed him like lap dogs. If he said jump, they say "How high?". None of them questioned the ethics of his request, they simply scramble for the shred of attention they get from him. "She doesn't look too bad either, does she Ter? Finally some tits grew. Nice ones too!", one of the nameless puppies shouted. I wasn't wearing anything particularly revealing, but I crossed my arms over my chest to hide what I could. "Shame about her ass though. Imagine trying to ride that flat little pancake". I watched helplessly as the rest of the pack laughed as if it was the best joke they'd ever heard. Until I spotted a pair of brown eyes across the room. Lachlan.

Lachlan, the boy with the window across from my room. We used to smile at each other. Sit beside each other in utter silence at lunch. We both worked for the school paper one year and we got along quite well. He was a quiet boy, but we had progressed to short conversations and sharing after school snacks. Until he became one of Ter's puppies. He was still silent, giving off lone wolf vibes, yet somehow being part of the nastiest pack of all. He was clearly enjoying the freedom of secret underage drinking, but he wasn't nearly as rowdy as everyone else.

"C'mere sugar tits, 'Gis a squeeze. I suppose I can make an exception this once. I'll have nothing to hold onto but we can make it work". How much had this guy had to drink? There was no way he actually believed I'd be interested in sleeping with him on a normal day, but after mocking my lack of feminine curves, he had to be on something. "Umm how about no? I don't really know you so I think I'll pass". I managed to respond, not quite sure of myself, but sure enough that he should get the hint. "Oh sugar, you don't need to know someone to have a bit of fun", he drawled as he came closer and grabbed my hip. That's when I saw red. I stepped right back, shaking a little to rid myself of his unwanted grip, looked him dead in the eye and said "Let go of me. You're talking about my lack off ass? Well honey, let me tell you, you're wearing grey sweatpants and I can't even see the tiniest of outlines. I'm not sure you have anything worthwhile to offer anyway." That last bit snuck out by surprise. Shocking myself by giving him a once over, I turned around and made my way back inside, with "ooooo burn dude" and "what a bitch" chorusing in my ears. I shouldn't have said it but something in me snapped. I came to this party, was ditched by my friend and mocked over something that's not my fault. Who does he think he is, talking about me as if I'm a toy for his enjoyment?

Once I made it back inside, I found Lea, explained what happened and told her I'd be waiting outside for a cab home. She was disgusted with him, and disappointed I was leaving, but also much too eager to get back to her tennis game with Jake. I said my goodbyes and made my way outside.

I sat outside on the curb while I ordered a cab. The sounds of partying and fireworks filled my ears and I looked around the last of the dwindling families, ushering their kids back home. The local bonfires finished about 30 minutes ago, and everyone knows that once the bonfire ends, the teenagers tend to get a bit rowdy. The app on my phone sent a notification that my cab was about 5 minutes out. I was just packing away my lip balm and digging out my earphones when I heard the nameless puppies' voice again. "Where are you going bitch? We have unfinished business", he slurred, clearly having enjoyed whatever was left in Debbie's hip flask. I noticed the fireworks in his hand, a shiver went up my spine. How did he even get them? When I looked around, a few of the other puppies had fireworks too, except they were setting them into the grass, arguing over who gets to organise the display. Who knew drunk idiots were so concerned over artistic licence? "You didn't think you could leave after mocking me in front of everyone, did you? And without an apology? We can't have that can we?". At that moment, I noticed the firework was pointed in my direction. I'd heard the stories. We've all heard the stories. There was a reason fireworks were illegal. They could be volatile and cause serious damage. Nameless puppy didn't seem to care. Waving the firework around as if it was a twig from a tree. "You'll pay for that, whore". He shouted, just before he lit the firework and ran. I was still sitting on the curb. I didn't have enough time to run. I knew it was coming towards me but I just couldn't get up quick enough. Just as it came toward me I managed to dive. I wasn't quick enough. Immense pain roared across my face. I felt as though I was burning from the inside out. I couldn't see. Everything was dark. The agony was unbearable. As I scraped at my face, trying to ease the pain I heard various comments, "Oh fuck, she was supposed to move", " SHIT RUN", and lastly just before it became too much and the darkness fully consumed me, I heard "Somebody call 911!"

Somewhere between the party, and waking up in hospital, I remember waking up briefly, hearing some muffled discussion. Rapid fire questions, excruciating pain and someone holding my hand. When I woke up again in the hospital, groggy and still unable to see anything, I heard the worst possible news, " I'm sorry, but there's no way we can save it..." I screamed mid-sentence, and before I went under again, I remembered my last thought, strange as it was, that I must apologise to whoever I interrupted. It was incredibly rude of me