Pyrotechnics for Beginners
Written for the prompt "fireworks".
Title: Pyrotechnics for Beginners
Series: Community
Length: 480 words
Genre: Friendship
Characters: Troy, Britta
Summary: Britta might have fun if she'd stop thinking so much.
“Independence Day.” She was shaking her head with disdain for the whole thing. Man, only Britta could hate on a picnic. There were hot dogs and beers and a bounce house, although you had to be careful with the order. Troy learned that the hard way. “What a crock. We threw off the shackles of British imperialism only to go around imposing our will on the world. Mmm, freedom tastes like irony!”
“Yeah, and irony tastes like… metal.”
“And we’re not even free! Am I the only one who sees it?”
“Probably.” Britta saw things differently than normal people. It ruined a lot of parties.
But she was on a roll. “Technology, corporations… we’re more enslaved than ever!”
“Is that the story you want to stick to, white girl, because I’ll make July into Black History Month Two: Electric Boogaloo.” Then he paused and feigned confusion. “I forget, is it ‘history’ or ‘herstory’?”
She frowned. “It’s ‘persontory’. Don’t be genderist, Troy.”
“Okay, now you’re just messing with me.” He took another swig of beer and prepared to leave her alone if she was in one of those moods. “So, anyway, enjoy the fireworks.”
“Fireworks. Yeah. Don’t get me started on how the Chinese-”
“No one starts you, Britta. You’re a self-starter. And then you just keep going. Like a Roomba.” And like a Roomba, she scared him a little.
“Well, excuse me, but I can’t turn off my brain.”
“You should. It’s awesome!” He made a vague gesture to the surrounding party. “When I go home later, all I’m going to remember is hanging out with you and watching the fireworks and wishing I hadn’t eaten that seventh hot dog.”
“You know how hot dogs are made, right?”
“And all you’re going to remember is being pissed off when you could have been having fun and going ‘Ooh, pretty!’ like everyone else.” As if on cue, a red and blue starburst lit up the sky, and the crowd oohed.
“But-”
“Stop thinking and just look.”
She rolled her eyes at him and lifted her chin in a way that said she was only doing so to shut him up. She even crossed her arms like she was daring the sky to impress her. Another streak of light shot into the night, and the explosion resulted in little whistling trails of white falling to the ground like diamonds. She couldn’t possibly have a problem with diamonds. All girls liked diamonds. Commercials said so.
There was another starburst of reds, whites, and blues, which barely faded into the darkness before more, bigger, brighter bursts replaced them. And then, with the colors of light and shadow playing across her face, her expression changed. Relaxed. The hardness and cynicism were gone, making her look… softer. “Ooh,” she said, and her scowl became an almost-smile. “Pretty.”
“Yeah,” he answered as the sparks showered down. “Pretty.”
Originally posted 7/20/11
Title: Pyrotechnics for Beginners
Series: Community
Length: 480 words
Genre: Friendship
Characters: Troy, Britta
Summary: Britta might have fun if she'd stop thinking so much.
“Independence Day.” She was shaking her head with disdain for the whole thing. Man, only Britta could hate on a picnic. There were hot dogs and beers and a bounce house, although you had to be careful with the order. Troy learned that the hard way. “What a crock. We threw off the shackles of British imperialism only to go around imposing our will on the world. Mmm, freedom tastes like irony!”
“Yeah, and irony tastes like… metal.”
“And we’re not even free! Am I the only one who sees it?”
“Probably.” Britta saw things differently than normal people. It ruined a lot of parties.
But she was on a roll. “Technology, corporations… we’re more enslaved than ever!”
“Is that the story you want to stick to, white girl, because I’ll make July into Black History Month Two: Electric Boogaloo.” Then he paused and feigned confusion. “I forget, is it ‘history’ or ‘herstory’?”
She frowned. “It’s ‘persontory’. Don’t be genderist, Troy.”
“Okay, now you’re just messing with me.” He took another swig of beer and prepared to leave her alone if she was in one of those moods. “So, anyway, enjoy the fireworks.”
“Fireworks. Yeah. Don’t get me started on how the Chinese-”
“No one starts you, Britta. You’re a self-starter. And then you just keep going. Like a Roomba.” And like a Roomba, she scared him a little.
“Well, excuse me, but I can’t turn off my brain.”
“You should. It’s awesome!” He made a vague gesture to the surrounding party. “When I go home later, all I’m going to remember is hanging out with you and watching the fireworks and wishing I hadn’t eaten that seventh hot dog.”
“You know how hot dogs are made, right?”
“And all you’re going to remember is being pissed off when you could have been having fun and going ‘Ooh, pretty!’ like everyone else.” As if on cue, a red and blue starburst lit up the sky, and the crowd oohed.
“But-”
“Stop thinking and just look.”
She rolled her eyes at him and lifted her chin in a way that said she was only doing so to shut him up. She even crossed her arms like she was daring the sky to impress her. Another streak of light shot into the night, and the explosion resulted in little whistling trails of white falling to the ground like diamonds. She couldn’t possibly have a problem with diamonds. All girls liked diamonds. Commercials said so.
There was another starburst of reds, whites, and blues, which barely faded into the darkness before more, bigger, brighter bursts replaced them. And then, with the colors of light and shadow playing across her face, her expression changed. Relaxed. The hardness and cynicism were gone, making her look… softer. “Ooh,” she said, and her scowl became an almost-smile. “Pretty.”
“Yeah,” he answered as the sparks showered down. “Pretty.”
Originally posted 7/20/11