Baby you're a firework [4th of July Gathering]

[jeongbro]

From Candlewood, Henry could hear the party going on northeast of town, the thud of distance bass and the pop of fireworks and the shrill of cars put to the test. And how shit was that?

He texted Blue, first. A soft, subtle inquiry, a joke of an invitation, but a broad one. One for all of them. He remembered Ronan's arm in that cast, and him saying it was from Kavinsky, and Henry had no duty to them, but it would be good to keep all of them away from the mess that was going on at that party outside of town. None of them had to come, of course. They were all their own people, adults--and a ghost who was as good as one, in Henry's eyes--and they were each allowed their own decisions.

So Henry texted Any plans for the 4th Wendybird? And then he followed it up, even before she could answer, I think my place could use some Virginian charms.

He had no decorations. Fourth of July over the past two years had become a thing tainted by Joseph Kavinsky. But he could, easily, go down a couple blocks and buy more two-liter bottles of Pipsy and lemon-lime soda than he could possibly need, and some liquor and mixers, and chips and dip. If he didn't use it all up, he'd bring it to Panoptes. And that seemed like a good enough way to ignore that Joseph Kavinsky was trying to blow himself up, to him.


[Running as a gathering]

Comments

[iwasmore]

Noah didn't mind missing the Fourth of July party down at the old fairgrounds. He could have made it earlier in the day, but after the carnival, solstice, and Pride, he was okay skipping one. Only yesterday they'd had a little party for Adam, and sometimes those kind, with just a few people, were even more fun. Also, thanks to Pride, Noah even had something American-ish to wear that someone had been selling.

He wasn't sure if he was supposed to bring anything, so he'd brought some cookies and some board games if anyone got in the mood for them. And also some pot. Just in case.

[thedreamthief]

For one hot second, Ronan actually considers going to Kavinsky's shitshow of a party. There are signs all over town, though fewer of them than there had been at the start thanks to Ronan.

Despite what he knows of the last party, despite what he's been told by Adam and Noah and Gansey alike -- or maybe even because of what he's been told -- Ronan nearly goes. Not to drink, of course. Not to party. No, he'd go for another reason altogether.

It's Blue who mentions Cheng's as an alternative. It doesn't feel like much of a second choice, but Noah's excited for it. And Adam is amenable.

So here he is, slumped against a wall, attempting to numb the self-destructive itch under his skin with his third beer of the night. It feels like a fucking kiddie party compared to what he knows is going down with Kavinsky right now, juvenile and innocent. But there's no one at that party he really needs to see. Almost everyone he gives a shit about is right here, in this room.

And Cheng.

[incognoscibilis]

Even without the annual Kavinsky shitshow, Adam's memories of the Fourth of July were not particularly favorable. It was a lot of his drunk dad and their drunk friends setting off fireworks and burning themselves. Or some drunk teenagers and their drunk friends tying a roman candle to a dog's tail or throwing them as close as they dared to people's windows. The thought of having someplace distant and almost sterilely civilized had its appeal.

And he knew that Ronan wouldn't go if he didn't.

So Adam went and parked himself with a Cola away from the window, rearranging the chips around the edge of his plate.

[formicine]

Blue is sure that there must be some nostalgia in her, at some point before the fourth of July became synonymous with Joseph Kavinsky in her mind -- and he had only had the last two years to make that mark, but between the effect at her own school and the horrific mess that was last July, it was a pretty indelible one.

She can't summon it. Her family isn't really the barbecues type. She's not especially patriotic, and too many boys in Henrietta take it as an excuse to get drunk, ride around on ATVs and try to set themselves on fire. Or other people: once when she was small she'd gotten a firework thrown at her. She'd accepted the colossally stupid risk of picking it up and throwing it back while the older boys laughed.

So when Henry texts her, she texts back, I'll rally the troops with a little firework emoji.

Well, they didn't all look rallied, but they were here, which is the best she can do as a stand-in general. She refills her cup and plunks herself down next to Henry on the sofa declaratively, and doesn't think too hard about Gansey not being here. "I didn't say thanks for all of this," she waves at the party favors, "earlier."