Saving a Superhero

24: Ends+Beginnings

Brief A/N: Did I mention that Nova City was originally the suburban town of Bradson? No? Well I did now.

Also, this chapter is somewhat edited to make the ending even more satisfying to me as the author. Apologies in advance.

I was holding a can of soda in my left hand and a hamburger in my right, so you could say life was pretty good. Sure, no one had tried my latest creation--I called it Juliet's Surprise--but I knew it was going to be the most popular dish at the restaurant I would one day own. For now people could go on neglecting my genius.

It was a warm night in Nova City so the crowd was gathered in my family's backyard instead of the stuffy living room, though I suspected the party had spilled indoors as more and more people piled in before the fireworks started.

I had turned down Graham's offer to head to his hometown for the Fourth of July. We'd only been officially dating two weeks. Meeting his family seemed like too big of a step right now. Maybe in a few months after I'd found a job.

For the summer I was back home in Nova City, turning in applications for world renowned restaurants all over the country, hoping one of them would want a recently graduated student from culinary school. I'd even mailed an application to Crystal's dinner, even though I wouldn't be thrilled to be stuck back in Nova City for more than a few months after all the chaos that had ensued during my last visit.

Speaking of chaos, where were those four?

For the first time since we'd gone our separate ways after re-arresting the Scholar, the five of us were going to be under the same roof. We'd kept in better touch via email, text, phone call, and video chat, mainly due to Rory's insistence that we don't let our relationship slip like it did last time. I didn't mind it though, as long as she didn't suggest we train pigeons to carry our messages across the states.

When I heard that the Fourth was one of the rare occasions we'd all be in the same city, let alone state, I'd cordially invited them to my family's barbeque with the promise of plenty of food and the threat of never speaking to them again if they didn't come.

I checked my phone. Only an hour until the fireworks started and I'd sooner be stuck in a pit than miss my family's fireworks. We didn't skimp out on the Fourth. Aerial fireworks timed to every patriotic song we could find, enough food to feed the entire neighborhood, and an open door policy. If you showed up, you were family.

The grass poking my legs swayed in the light breeze and I swatted at my bare calf, just in case it was actually an unwanted bug. I almost screamed when I looked down to find a few delicate blades wrapped around my ankle like a manacle.

"Pesky crabgrass. It's scientific name is Digitaria sanguinalis, you know." The grass uncoiled from my ankle while I stood up to give Harper a hug.

"So, you've been studying up on your plants?" I asked as we pulled away.

"No, I had to tell her." Kennedy appeared from the crowd to stand next to her. We also hugged, though I was careful not to get my burger on her red, white, and blue dress. "It's nice to see you two again."

"Back at you." Harper pointed finger guns at me. Kennedy only shook her head in response.

I checked the crowd for Grace and Rory, wondering if they were hiding just beyond the edge of the crowd, but in the swarm of patriotically clad strangers it was impossible to find their faces. So I simply joined Harper and Kennedy at the picnic table in the far corner of my yard and offered them sodas from the cooler next to me.

We played catch up while waiting for the rest of our party to arrive. There were a few questions about Officer McSexy, as I had mistakenly called Graham in front of them once, and if I'd had any responses to my applications. In turn I asked about Kennedy's new job at some fancy design place--youngest designer of the decade!--and Harper's newest hair color--the blonde was now electric blue.