4th of July

“Excitement is in the air can you feel it”? Asked Joann to Kim. “What”? Kim swatted a fly away from her hot dog, unaware it was dripping mustard on her white denim shorts. Both girls were waiting under the shade of a tree for Kim’s Dad to pick them up at the Fulton Golf Club. “The electricity”! Joann sighed and tried to spark Kim again by rubbing the balloon she had against the blanket, she sat on. “Cut that out Joann, I swear...” Kim’s voice faded away, her eye caught Troy Baxter. His short blond hair gleamed in the afternoon sun. For the first time that summer Kim’s mind stopped mauling over why he wouldn’t ask her out, Kim decided this was it. She was going to ask him out. “Here hold this” Kim handed Joann her hotdog. “You didn’t even eat it”! Joann yelled watching Kim’s long brown hair fly out as she ran down the hill to Troy’s golf cart. Kim caught her breath, wiped the sweat off her forehead and smiled as Troy looked up from his score chart. “Hey, Troy”. She smiled showing her dimples. Troy grinned his tan muscles showed under his tight orange polo. “What are you doing here Kim? He grinned back, and marked down the final score. “Here with my par- uh Joann....she wanted to see the fireworks, you know one last time before we start high school”. Kim stood up straight pushing out her chest. Troy nodded. “Well, tonight is going to be quite a show, I heard they are going to have a huge finally, fifteen minutes at least. Where are you guys going to be watching them”? Kim smiled and brushed back her long hair, sweat was beginning to drip down her back. She had to get out of this heat. “Well that’s what I came down here for, could we watch them with you”? Troy raised his eye brows and stretched his arms behind his head, his crew cut glistened with sweat. “No prob, come over at six. The door will be open”. He stood up upon hearing his name. Coming behind him was Michael Dell. “Troy, my boy we better hurry up and get along, can’t be late for the last round. Oh hey Ms. Beck, how’s your Dad”? Kim smiled up at Michael, he was pushing sixty-six and golfed every Wednesday with the B.U.M.S. : Bueford. University. Music. Society. Mr. Dell was the retired band director and he with the other retired directors golfed together, swapping stories and sharing bets on who would march in the Macy’s Day Parade that year. His white hair flopped in the wind. Toupee, Kim thought silenty to herself. “He’s fine Mr. Dell, well I don’t want to keep you from your game, good luck”! She spun quickly, feeling the slight breeze beneath her skirt. She grinned on the way back, knowing Troy had to take the view in. Troy watched Kim leave. His heart beat quickly. Mr. Dell nudged Troy, “Got a good look, lover-boy? Troy blushed, laughing nervously. “Let’s get you out of this heat Mr. Dell”. He pressed the gas on the golfcart, they took off weaving through the crowds onto the green.

“Kim, I ate your hot dog” Joann said. Kim flopped down on the aztec pattern blanket. “Ok...I don’t want to go see the fire works with my family tonight. We’re not doing that, ok?” She could feel the grin coming back. Joann looked up, suprised. She put her book down, Of Mice and Men, it was on their summer reading list. Joann protested. “What? we always spend it with your parents”? Kim rolled her eyes “Well, I just got through talking to Troy, he invited us over to his place, come ON, that is NEVER going to happen again”! Joann frowned. “We were going to catch fireflies...when did he invite you”? Kim frowned annoyed by her best friends reluctance. “Just now... fireflies...really? We’re both going to be fifteen soon..” She turned her face away from Joann. She needed to take in the rush from seeing Troy. She closed her eyes and thought of his lips against hers. So soft...so red..his lips on her neck.. “I just don’t understand how your parents are going to let us go”. Kim snapped back to reality. Her eyes flew open, her heart quickened with panic. She spoke without thinking. “We could say your sick, I went back home with you to spend the night”. Joann pulled her short black hair into a ponytail. Her angel face grew hot with sweat, her cheeks showing the early stages of sunburn. “Kim, my parents are out of town”. She looked up to the tree above them. “Kim Beck, Troy did not invite you to that party...” Joann cocked her head to the side eyeing Kim. Kim smiled slowly she inched closer to Joann, putting her head on Joann’s shoulder, Kim sighed. “If only I had a friend to go with tonight....he said we could come after I asked....” Joann pushed Kim away. “You’re sweating all over me, yea I guess it would be cool telling Martha and Derek we went to a high school party, before we were in high school. Kim nodded hoping to light the party fire in Joann. “I bet Fred Wallbe will be there”. Joann frowned, “No he moved last summer....military school.” “Why’s that”? Kim asked reclining on her back looking up at the branches. Joann lied down next to her. “Stealing...from his Dad. Liquor store had fifteen empty cases at the end of his closing shift.. his Dad found them in the back of Fred’s car. “Wow, would’t have thought that” Kim said. They both lay there. Quiet. Looking up through the branches to the white sun above. The light illuminated down, speckling their faces with white sparkling heat. “Please go with me”. Kim reached out and held Joann’s hand. Joann looked down, watching an ant crawl on her white tennis sock. She picked it up and set it back near his mound. “If we get caught, I’m not going down with you”. “You tell your parents your going to a bonfire with Jim Marshall and his church group. OK? IF we get caught, I’m splitting out there so quick you won’t be able to catch my shadow. Tell your parents I stayed at Jim’s bonfire and it was YOU who left to go to Troy’s party, OK? ” Joann’s eyes watched Kim’s face. Kim took in the details of their plan, she nodded after thinking about any possible loopholes, her parents could see through. It was a tight plan. Kim answered. “OK”.

Kim wiped her sweaty palms on her mint green dress. She smelled her pits. They were on the edge of B.O. “God, I put two layers of deodorant on and I still feel sweaty”. She aired out her denim jacket. “Let me look” Joann asked. Kim held up her arms. “No pit stains” “Good” Kim returned the favor to Joann. They were in Kim’s room near the golf club. Her newly painted bedroom smelled of lialacs and primer. The lilacs sat in a vase on her bedside drawer. “Gift from my mom, she couldn’t be here for my birthday.” Kim had explained when asked by Joann. “Is she still in Paris”? Kim nodded curling her hair, with the curling iron she had taken from her parents bathroom. “I bet its great being a photographer, is she covering Fashion Week right now”? Kim flipped the subject. “Hold this”? Joann held a stand of Kim’s sleek, thin brown hair. Kim concentrated on curling the left side of her part, then her right. “Ok, your turn” Kim gave the curling iron to Joann. She curled her bangs, using hairspray, she let go of the wand and inspected her work. “As good as it gets” She muttered. Turning off the curling iron. “Don’t be like that” Kim sighed, taking a drink of water from her bag. They had packed a bag with pajamas and clothes for the next day. Kim lay on her bed dialing Jim’s number, she had found it on facebook. “Hello” Jim answered. “Jim, it’s Kim...Beck. Um listen Joann and I wanted to know if you could leave the church doors open in front, for us...we want to spend the night with your church group...why? Well...we’re not spending it here, my Dad’s golf buddies are partying it up we won’t get any sleep”. It was 5:30. The LED clock on her bedside dresser stared back at Kim, with red silent eyes. Kim felt time was moving like quicksand. It had been a long day...and it wasn’t cooling off. She heard the woop of kids in the background. “What do I get”? Jim asked. “Well what do you want”? She grinded her teeth. Joann put her head close to the iPhone. She could hear Jim’s nasally voice. “Poor kid hasn’t gone through puberty yet” she said. Kim jumped up throwing a pillow at Joann. She covered a laugh. “Ok..Jim..yea....yea...bye”. She hung up, laughing. “You’ll never guess what he wants” “You to be his first kiss”? Joann asked taking a sip of the water. “No, my brother’s collection of Star War action figures”. “Good thing he moved out”. Joann rolled off the bed, following Kim into her brothers bedroom. Chase Beck had moved out two years ago, to attend college, three hours from his family. His bedroom was kept up by the maid who came twice a week. “Here they are” Kim removed three, slim, white boxes from his tidy closet. Inside were Yoda, R2-D2, and a storm trooper. “We better get going, no use in being late”. Kim packed them in the night bag and headed down stairs with Joann.

The Florida heat felt like a wet blanket draped against the girls as they made their way. Little kids ran past them on the sidewalk with sparklers, buzzing and popping. Dusk was beginning to settle over the golf club community, the sun set sending a purple sky over the girls as they walked the three blocks to Troy’s house. It was near the lake. “I wonder if we should have brought our bathing suits”. Joann pondered, kicking a rock. ” I packed them, they are at the bottom” Kim said kicking the same rock forward another foot. “You think we’ll swim”? Joann asked. “Why not”? “Troy’s dad has a boat, I heard he takes it out sometimes...Troy. She smiled saying his name again. Joann looked unimpressed. “Troy is a whole year older than you, he’s sixteen Kim. Kim waved her hand to this news. She knew this. Joann sounded like a old ad run too many times, boring. “Listen when we get there, we should hang out at the food stand, listen to the music and talk until he comes”. Joann nodded. “Hang out” she said flatly. “That’s basically what we’ve been doing all summer” she said quietly out of Kim’s hearing. Kim and Joann had hung out at the Fulton Gulf Club watching Troy from afar or near, always with Kim bouncing over pretending it was coincidence they had met again. It was getting old to Joann. She put up with Kim’s never ending plan to be his girl friend, only because Kim was her friend. Friends don’t leave each other. That is what they had said.

The moon hung low. The music could be heard from a whole block away. Loud rap, in the distance fireworks boomed. Kim could smell the smoke from them. A weak cigarette smell wafted towards them. She stopped walking. “Joann, I can’t”. Joann turned around. She put the bulky brown bag down. “No, we are here now....at least get in the door before you quit, do you know how long I have listened to you whine and moan about not being with - at this point she lowered her voice for Kim. “Being with Troy”? “Too long! I don’t care if I have to carry you there, you ARE GOING”. She grabbed Kim’s hand and tugged her. Kim flew forward, keeping her balance only by chance. Her pale white flats had a black scuff mark on the toe of her left foot from Joann’s force. They marched up to the door. Joann rang the bell. “Wait, we can go in....he said just walk in”. Kim said, her voice shook slightly. Joann let out a small huff. “Ok” she let go of Kim’s hand. Cars lined the sidewalks, teens filtered out on the lawn, smoking cigarettes and talking about their summer jobs. Troy opened the door and grinned, “Come on in the party’s just begun”.

He wore a white shirt with a bow tie. “My dad always says dress to impress” Troy said to Joann who was staring with bemusement at his tie. She nodded. “You look good” Joann elbowed Kim. “Yea, got any food”? Joann felt her body tense up. What a lame line!

Kim let out a giggle. Joann felt her close behind, a ball of nervous energy. She looked back at Kim, who shook her head, she shrugged, holding her elbows. “Let me get you some chips, don’t go anywhere”. Troy flashed them a smile and took off for the kitchen. Joann spun around to Kim. “What was that”? Kim felt like crying. She took a deep breath. “Calm down, Kim. This isn’t the SATs. It’s Troy! You know him, talk to him. Tell him about your moms trip to Paris. France is so romantic you know.” She looked at Kim, her hair had dropped out of her white bow and hung lopsided. Joann fixed it. Making sure not to snag her hair while doing so. “Here he comes”. Kim nodded looking around the room. More people were coming in, a large group began chanting the school mascot name, Choppy, Choppy, Choppy! Choppy the shark. They stood around a boy about Troy’s age drinking out of a plastic shark fin. Kim gathered up her courage and smiled at

Troy. “So Kim, I heard your Dad golfed a great game today”. Troy handed them two red bowls full of wavy potato chips. “Yea, golf is a great date -game”. Kim replied, her face burning with embarrassment . “Kim, plays alot of golf, since her Dad is the director of the golf course. Don’t you like golf Troy?” Joann smiled sweetly hoping desperately he would pick up the hint she had put down. Troy nodded, “Uh, you have a bug in your hair...here let me..” Kim reacted quickly, pushing her hand in front of her “That’s OK″ her voice rose high now. Troy’s drink spilled out of his hand onto the floor. “I am SO sorry″! Kim squat down, grabbing paper towels nearby and sopped up the mess. “Ugh, it got all over my shoes” A girl in a halter top, yelled down to Kim. She stumbled into the bathroom. “Troy I...” Kim got up, her hands stained from kool-aid to see him out on the patio talking to David Fib. David was a freshman in college, he was on the golf league at FSU, Troy had been meaning to ask him when the tryouts were that year. Joann returned with soap. “That’s dish soap, Jo”! Kim snapped. “I couldn’t find any other soap, KIM!” Joann knelt down scrubbing the carpet. They both were down on their knees as people stepped over them, muttering “S’cuse me, girls”. One guy jabbed “When you get done, my house is 1292, on the left”. Joann looked up, and threw her sponge towards him. It missed and hit a girls drink, knocking it out of her hand. Another mess to clean up. Joann ducked out of the girl’s view. “We gotta get out of here, Kim” she said. They crawled on their hands and knees out of the house, onto the front porch. Kim grabbed the night bag, Joann had placed in the closet and shut the door. Even more people had arrived. “Fire marshall should be here soon” Joann quipped. She took the bag from Kim. Who was looking once again in Troy’s direction. Joann turned her away “Please honey, a fly has a longer attention span than that guy, lets go catch some fireflies”. Kim turned to Joann. “Yea, his brains probably smaller than all those fireflies put together”. They walked towards Colony Church, following the flickering lights.

@Longstrangetrip, aka Nancy Beckman - via prose.com