We settled in the middle of a large park where the fireworks display would be. Groups of people, both large and small, were everywhere. When we stopped walking, Mason threw an arm around me. I could tell it meant a lot to him that I’d agreed to come out with him.

He smiled at me. “Happy Fourth of July,” he said. I just grinned back at him. It didn’t really feel like a holiday to me.

He stroked the back of my hand as we stared at the sky, waiting for the magic to begin. Both young and old alike were gathered and waiting in anticipation of the magic the fireworks would bring. If only magic were real…

I leaned closer to Mason as more people gathered all around us. It was almost show time and the sky was dark except for the streetlights lining the edge of the park.

“Hey, look over there,” Mason said.

He’d spotted a small hill off in the distance with hardly any people there. The crackling sound of the fireworks was closer than I’d expected. We hurried over just in time to see the fireworks. Mason sat on the ground and I followed, sitting next to him. The lights bounced off my skin and the boom of the display filled my ears.

“Hey, don’t I know you?” someone asked from behind us. We turned around at the same time to see the sweet, red-haired waitress we’d met at the diner, along with a couple of her friends. Her face transformed into a pleasant smile as they got closer. I waved, trying to be friendly. Mason sat up, looking the three of them over. The guy in the group extended his hand to Mason.

The guy was covered in tattoos from his neck to his wrist. His lip was pierced and he sported a mohawk.

“This is Trent and Star.” She introduced the two of them.

Star smiled and gave a wave. Her hair was long and black, her skin honey brown. She had chocolate brown eyes and wore long dreadlocks that draped down her back, held in place with a simple red band.

“Hi,” I said.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Mason asked, offering them a spot next to us.

“I’m Renee,” Renee said jokingly. She took a seat next to Mason, along with Trent and Star. “I love the Fourth. It’s great to be out for all the festivities.”

Mason and I listened as she went on and on about the day, how much it meant to her, and why it was just so amazing. Knowing she meant no harm, I held back the urge to roll my eyes.

“I try to convince Kendall to think of it the same way, but she isn’t one for the holidays,” Mason told them.

Star giggled and Trent pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He packed them with his palm as he listened to the conversation.

“I see you got away from your aunt for the night. That’s got to be freeing,” Renee said, nudging me in the side. There was a secret smile that only I understood.

“Yeah, my aunt doesn’t care for the holidays either,” I told her.

We laid in the grass smoking cigarettes and talking like kids our age do--about music, sports, or celebrity crushes. I’d never hung out with people my age other than Mason. I didn’t know I had an opinion on things like pop culture. I felt accepted and normal. Gloom and doom had taken a backseat at the moment to the lighthearted talk, back-and-forth banter, and feeling of kinship. I was lost in my thoughts when Mason pulled me from the ground to inform me everyone wanted to go back to Renee’s apartment downtown.

We walked the street at a snail’s pace stuck behind a massive crowd of people eager to get home. Mason kept a hand securely around my waist.

We listened to Renee go on and on about life. She was a girl with a lot on her mind—maybe too much. She thought way too much about the simplest things. Things that were black-and-white to me were multi-dimensional and nearly every color of the rainbow to her.

I tugged on Mason’s sleeve.

“What’s up?” he asked. We had stopped outside Renee’s apartment. I was having second thoughts about going inside.

“I have to admit, I really don’t know if I want to hang out with everyone,” I said quietly. I shrugged and looked down at my shoes. Maybe it was nothing more than me feeling out of place—I never felt like I fit in anywhere.

“Kendall, come on.” Mason lifted my chin, his eyes searching mine, concerned with my apprehension. He was always so confident. “Let’s have some fun. How often do we get to do that?” He kissed my cheek.

I crossed my arms and agreed to go along with him. I didn’t want to be the party pooper. I followed everyone inside.

The apartment was large and too extravagant for a waitress’s salary.

Renee tossed her purse on the island countertop in the kitchen. She grabbed several cans of beer from the refrigerator, setting them down one by one on the counter with a loud bang.

She drew the blinds, revealing a huge window overlooking the streets of the little Virginia town. She opened the beer in her hand and in one swift movement kicked off her black heels.

I stared out the window at the nightlife. I loved how the lights glistened like tiny diamonds against the black sky.

“Here, this one is for you,” Renee said, handing me a beer. She forced it into my hand before I could object and skipped off to the kitchen.

Mason shot me a sympathetic look. He was already caught up in drinking with Trent, Renee’s sidekick.

Star plucked away at the strings of an old guitar covered in stickers—peeling away with age—of old seventies rock bands.

“Come on, Kendall, my beautiful flower. Come sit with us,” Renee coaxed from the large red sectional.

I took a seat and concentrated to settle my nerves. Mason sat down beside me and rested his hand in my lap for comfort. He knew this was hard for me.

Renee took another sip of her beer. She studied the room, looking lost in a strange reverie. “What time do you think he’ll be back?” she asked Trent.

Trent jumped up as the door opened. Star continued to pluck at the chords of her guitar, never fully playing a song. Renee jumped to her feet, happy to see the guy who just arrived and came into the living room.

Mason and I immediately checked him out. He fidgeted with the pocket of his brown dickeys, shuffling across the floor in his skater shoes. His head was shaved and he was covered in tattoos.

“Guys, this is Shifty,” Renee said, wrapping an arm around him. He gave a small nod in our direction and his blues eyes lingered on me. He was clearly stoned—obviously into partying. Shifty didn’t sit well with me. I’d met enough of Aunt Wanda’s friends to know someone was bad news when I saw them. I’d gotten pretty good at reading people. These were the kind of people who would pretend to be your friends, but would stab you in the back when something better came along. This was especially true where addictions were concerned.

And his name—Shifty—was probably a nickname earned for bad character.

Once Shifty got there, the night seemed to come alive. Everyone gathered around Renee’s coffee table where all eyes were glued on Shifty.

He pulled a bag from his shorts and tossed it on the table. Renee squealed with delight, clapping her hands together.

“Either of you ever do K?” Shifty asked, directing the question at Mason. Mason dropped his elbows on the coffee table and leaned forward to get a better look at the drugs.

“My cousin, back in Jersey, calls it Ket,” Mason said with a crooked grin.

He cut a fine line on the table with a credit card, shooting me a look as if I had something equally charming to add to the conversation. I pursed my lips.

“I’ve had my fair share of run-ins,” Mason told him.

I wasn’t sure if he was trying to fit in or brag. I also knew he didn’t lie very often nor was he an angel.

Trent and Star waited patiently. I hadn’t pegged Star as a drug user. She gathered her hair in her hands and piled it on top of her head in a messy bun. She was ready, eager anticipation written all over her face.