Telegraph Ave

Chapter 34: The Fourth

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It's been four days since we entered the gorgeous month of July, and on this evening, the sky is a canvas to an immense display of fireworks. Eruptions could be felt and heard from the outskirts of Oakland, like a warzone that took place on the mainland. But as the sun seized it's final peak, the bursting colors became more apparent.

I've never seen so many light the sky all in one evening, gunpowder intoxicating the air. Back in Arizona, it's illegal to have any fireworks that are to be launched in the sky. You could be sneaky and send some flying on the country side. However, if the police are petty and they spot your location—it'll be a sad ending for your fourth. Even if some people back at home were able to get away with it, the sight of them weren't as immense. I thought it sucked growing up in place where rockets were illegal, but every law has it's reasons.

Though I still think it sucks...

However, I stand against Claudia's house and soak up the evening. Everybody's gathered at her house again. Even Arron, August, Damion, Miranda, and Arrianna decided to show up. Claudia's home is like that one spot you could rent out for the weekend, instead she and her family resides here. Today they were hosting a neighborhood cookout. Everyboy and there parents came, mostly with fireworks. Arron and his brother Damion brought the most, and they've been making the most noise since they came here—along with Jordan and Markus.

POP! POP!

I'm staggered from my conscious, interrupted by a popper thrown against the concrete. It was Jordan, and he proceeded to throw them at his mother's feet, while she placed kabobs along the grill.

"Boy, didn't I tell you not to pop those things around me." Mrs. Rowe jumped to the loud noise.

"Why not? It's the Fourth." Jordan laughs, and popped another by her feet.

"Alright now. You pop another one, you ain't getting no plate." She threatens him with the hot tongs in her hand.

After being confronted, Claudia came up from behind him and hopped on his back. The backyard was set up the same as last time she hosted a party. Bronze lights hung in the trees, illuminating the entire backyard as the sky became darker. The wind was slumberous and the temperature was innocent for the evening. Old backyard music played from their JBL speakers, and the smell of sizzling BBQ fumed the atmosphere.

"Mark past the torch." Arron shouts to Markus.

Markus passed the torch to Arron, and he snuck a rocket behind Miranda and Arianna. Those two had just got comfortable on they're blankets, along the freshly trimmed grass.  Yet, being an ass such as Arron, he set flame to the rocket's string and it lit up. Once it began to hiss, it took the girls no time to catch on that it was a firework. They all rose up and sprinted for cover, including Markus and Arron. The rocket flew in the air with a whistling pitch.

BOOM!

Everybody jumped in dismay from the burst of the rocket, and this one was by far the loudest.

Just before the evening came, the boys were being a bunch of idiots and lighting fireworks in the daytime. They explained that it would be too much left over before nightfall, but I knew they were just doing it to make unnecessary noise. However, we do have a shit ton of fireworks in our arsenal, and they've been lighting up the sky since dawn.

"Markus! Arron! What the hell!!!" Miranda shouts in irritation. "That was way to close to where we are."

Arron screamed in laughter. "It's the fourth baby, get y'all asses up and light some." He expressed, as he then lit another one and ran.