[Short story] Firework
A little story I wrote tonight.
Firework
We were watching the dark night sky, the smooth velvet with the millions of distant twinkles farther than my mind could understand. It was almost cloudless. But the moon and the stars wouldn’t be the queens of the night today.
That crispy winter day would forever be etched into my mind.
“Carrie, come! We’ll see much better from up there!” My friend Sheyla poked me in the arm and pointed the bridge arching over the wide river.
“Everybody else probably has the same idea”, I remarked.
“Let’s just walk a bit further, there’s still plenty of time before the fireworks.”
“Alright then”, I agreed and Sheyla clapped eagerly. Her dark hazel curls bounced up and down as she hopped in between the people, pulling me after her. I let her guide us through the mass and up to the bridge.
As I had guessed, a lot of people had gathered here for a better view.
“C’mon”, she urged me and we continued past the most crowded sections.
Artificially white light surrounded our spot. Sheyla adjusted her beanie which the wind threatened to capture. She was one of those people who looked good whatever they wore. I examined her even though I actually knew her features by heart. She was thin and while she wasn’t very tall, she wasn’t a shorty either, like me. She had the most beautiful hair I knew, her lips were funny-shaped, her front teeth a little too big and her eyes behind the glasses had blue shade of morning lake. But more than her looks, I think there was something in her attitude, her view of herself and the world, that made her beautiful. I was average, not really pretty, not really ugly, not thin, not fat, my hair and eyes were okay, my skin not. I tried not to care about it. I wished such thoughts wouldn’t bother me but sometimes they did. They bothered everyone once in a while, didn’t they?
I sighed inadvertently.
“What is it?” Sheyla hurried to ask. We hadn’t been friends for very long but it felt like we’ve known each other much longer than that. She was a thoughtful person. She was also funny, not like my best friend Michelle who was hilarious, but funny enough, smart and somewhat temperamental.
I suddenly blushed. What I’d say? I’ve been just admiring her, comparing us (which I shouldn’t be doing anyway) and getting my mood down in the night of celebration.
“Nothing”, I mumbled. I didn’t want to lie to her but I didn’t want to tell my thoughts either. Like she would’ve known I didn’t want to speak about it, she just said: “Okay. It’s not long anymore, you can come to my place for a cup of hot chocolate or something afterwards, if you like.”
“That’d be nice”, I smiled.
The clock ticked towards the midnight. Cold breeze made our cheeks red. The crowd counted the last seconds of this year, shouting as loud as they could.
5…4…3…2…1!
As the air was filled with wishes for the New Year, the bright, colourful, sparkly flowers burst in the sky. Red, yellow, green, blue sparks shot way up high and rained down, short-lived but so pretty, like butterflies fluttering in the air before dying. More and more fireworks danced against the velvet darkness, covering the stars’ faint light, rivalling them and the moon. Tonight the firework was the queen of the sky.
Sheyla put her gloved hand upon mine that rested on the railing. I turned my face to her, to see her lopsided smile.
“Happy New Year Carrie.”
“Happy New Year”, I replied and put my other hand on hers that was resting on mine.
She moved closer, so close our hips touched. I shifted my gaze to the sky because I didn’t know where else to look at.
“Carrie…” Her voice was unsure. I slowly turned my eyes back to her. She bit her lower lip, eyeing me over her glasses.
“Yes?”
“I… I like you. A lot”, she started, looked for the words, and continued: “No, I think I’ve fallen in love with you.”
I goggled at her. Was she serious? A lightning from the clear sky had struck me.
She tugged her hand and was going to take her distance.
“I understand if -“
“No!” I didn’t let her pull her hand away but grabbed it tighter between my mitten-covered hands.
“I mean, I was surprised”, I said. Fireworks were still popping, not long anymore though, I guessed.
“I didn’t think… you’d feel the same as I”, I blurted out. I hadn’t dared to think she could like me that way. I had pondered if she liked girls, she kind of was the type. But me? Nah. She had been good at hiding it then.
“Really?” A warm smile had taken over her face.
“Yeah.” I was all of a sudden feeling shy. She laughed delighted. She put her hand under my chin and tilted my head up. She pressed her slightly dry lips on mine. They were cooled by the winter night but warmed as they danced together with my lips. She tasted like clear winter weather and vanilla flavoured coffee she had had earlier.
We held each other when the last fireworks lightened the sky. Her hair tickled my face and I knew she was smiling just like me.
No, the fireworks weren’t the queens of the night. We were.