A Voice Forgotten

Fireworks

Chapter 7: Fireworks

"Fireworks?" She muttered under her breath scanning through the poster that was pinned on the school's wall.

"Belmont's Firework Festival," Daniel's hands were placed his in pockets, standing tall next to the short Natalie. "It's tonight at 9:30pm. I wonder why it's a week early?"

Natalie saw the advertising poster on the wall. The poster's brilliant colors caught her eyes as it displayed many fireworks on the festival's poster. As far as she could recall in her memory, no one has ever taken her to see the fireworks. "Hey Daniel," She looked up facing him. "Is the firework festival worth watching?"

He raised a brow opening his mouth in astonishment. Everyone from their small town of Belmont had always participated in its firework festival. Or at least half of the town goes to see it! "Huh? You've never been to the festival before?"

"No, that's why I'm asking you."

"Good morning Daniel! Good morning Natalie!" A high perky voice entered the duo's conversation greeting them happily walking with Jake and Cody.

"Audrey, is the firework festival worth watching?"

"Of course they always are! But why are you asking me?"

"Because she's never been!" The way Daniel said it made it sound like it was a joke or as if he was teasing her. That's how Natalie saw it, but it wasn't something to get worked up about. The sudden topic of Natalie never attending Belmont's Firework Festival all of a sudden became an invitation to watch the fireworks together tonight. Daniel and Natalie agreed to meet the others at the there. Natalie wondered what the festival was like. She was actually pretty excited.

"Am I supposed to wear something...special to the festival?" She asked Daniel as they walked past the school's gate heading home.

Daniel did remember his little sister Olivia wearing dressy clothes, but Robin just wore her casual clothing. Some of the women who attended also wore their casual clothing. "Some girls do, but most of them wear whatever they want."

"I see," Natalie thought it over again and again on whether or not to wear formal attire like the other woman. But no matter what her thoughts were it always led to wearing her casual clothing.

After Daniel and her parted ways she headed home to get changed. She had a tingly feeling in the pits of her stomach when reaching into her drawer full of clothes. Staring blankly at her skirt she realized that she was going to the firework festival tonight with her friends...with Daniel. With Daniel...? Suddenly her face had burnt up with embarrassment, so she shook off her thought. "Why am I acting like this? It's only a firework festival!"

She threw her skirt on her bed, grunting at the ideas in her head. When she sat down on her untouched bed, her eyes gawked at her skirt. She was finally going somewhere without her brother Derrick placing a tight leash on her. Only because he didn't know. It was better that way. Thinking about going to watch fireworks with Daniel brought a smile to her face. It also brought a tingly feeling to her stomach, and it was the good kind of tingly. She had been getting this feeling in her stomach for the past couple of days and she had no idea why.

Natalie got up from her bed, walking over to grab her outfit. Then suddenly, before she knew it, her legs gave out causing her to fall to the floor. She began to panic. Her legs were doing just fine a second ago. Now she couldn't move! When she tried moving her legs a sharp pain struck her head, making her panic even more. The pain in her head was unbearable. Even if she tried putting pressure on her head using her two hands, it didn't do anything what so ever. She faintly screamed out hoping to make some of the pain go away. But nothing happened. Closing her eyes tightly she saw an image in her mind, "D...Daniel-," and it was that image that she saw before blacking out.