Delayed Reaction || Leonardo DiCaprio

Chapter 10: 4th of July Fireworks

I felt a bit anxious as I picked out my outfit for the 4th of July fireworks. I just wanted to look as cute as possible for Leo. I knew it wasn't a big deal, but I was struggling between a red or a navy blue tank top that were exactly the same, including the white stars all over them. I just kept continuously placing one in front of me before my mirror, agonizing over which one looked best. Even though Leo and I had gone hiking recently, it felt like it had been a long time since I last saw him. His dad had stayed in town a few extra days, so he had still been spending time with him. I eventually went with my red top, since I knew that color did stand out more. I tied my golden blonde hair up into a ponytail with a red, white, and blue scrunchie I had just bought. Once I heard the doorbell, I went straight to the front door, blushing when I answered it and Leo was right there.

"You ready to go," he beautifully smiled.

"Yeah, just let me get my shoes on," I reacted, hurrying over to my white sneakers. I was also in a pair of blue jean shorts that went to my knees.

"You look really great." He shot me a sweet smile as I shut the door behind me.

"Thanks. You do too." I took in his beige khaki shorts and navy blue t-shirt, finding it funny that we could have easily been wearing the same color. "Are Tobey and Penelope meeting us there?"

"Yeah, they're going to secure our spot. They're taking the lawn chairs and blankets and everything," he explained, me nodding as I got in on the passenger side.

"So, how was your visit with your dad," I asked after we had driven a short time.

"It was great. I'm really glad you went hiking with us that one day."

"Yeah, that was a lot of fun." I gazed out my window as I daydreamed about our kiss from that day, remembering the shiny rock Leo gave me. I had put it in my jewelry box for safe keeping, but I wished I could wear it like a necklace because I loved it so much.

After we found a parking spot we hurried over to the park, where everyone was setting up. I felt like I might melt when Leo held my hand the entire time. Twilight was approaching as we squinted our eyes to find our friends. Eventually we spotted Tobey and Penelope, who were on a red plaid blanket with a cooler.

"Hey! We brought some food in case you hadn't eaten yet, and some cold drinks too," Penelope added. "We didn't set up the lawn chairs yet. We thought we could sit on them when the show starts in half an hour."

"What kind of food did you bring," I curiously wondered as Leo and I sat across from them. Even though it had been hot during the day, the soft blanket felt comforting since it was getting cooler out with the sun going down.

"Well... I had made sandwiches, but Tobey also picked up a Pizza Hut veggie pizza," she confessed. "I know everyone's probably going to want the pizza now, which is fine."

"What kind of sandwiches did you make?" She was already digging around after pulling out the thin cardboard box. My stomach was practically growling from the smell of the fresh sauce and crust.

"I made peanut butter and strawberry jelly, ham salad with bologna, and turkey and cheese. I brought mustard and mayonnaise too for that last combination," she shared.

"Can I have a small piece of pizza and then a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? That sounds really good for dessert," I explained.

"Yeah, that is a really good idea. Jelly and peanut butter are fairly sweet together. I think I might do that too."

"I'll take a ham salad sandwich," Leo spoke, his mouth already full from a slice of pizza.

I held back a giggle at how cute he was, thinking it was sweet how we were all trying to make sure Penelope's hard work didn't go to waste. I was shocked when Tobey picked out two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, skipping out on the pizza.