Harem Protagonist’s Sidekick

The fireworks my mom had spoken of were never a big production. We had neither the budget nor a sizable enough backyard to launch actual fireworks. Had we even attempted it, we would have taken out a neighbor’s windows and burned the place down to the ground. No doubt we’d have to move, change our identities, and pray that nobody ever decided to ask why we were such idiots.

Mercifully, we were smarter than that.

Although the sun had already set, blanketing everything in darkness, I could still make out the three of them–mom had managed to convince Nora’s parents to allow her to sleep over–because of the sparklers they each had. I watched on from the stoop, a small smile tugging at my lips as they danced around the yard, laughing in glee. My sparkler had already fizzled out, leaving me with nothing more than a pile of ashes. Mom had offered me another one, but I turned her down, content to have a little break by myself.

My smile turned into a frown when Bonnie stumbled and almost crashed into the fence. It was the reason I had surrounded myself with buckets full of water. Both Bonnie and my mom always said it was overkill, but I figured we were better safe than sorry. The last thing we needed was the fence bursting into flames without any way of putting them out.

I flicked a bit of water from the bucket to my right onto the grass. It was cold but not freezing. For being the middle of winter, we had lucked out and gotten a day that felt like late fall. None of us even had to wear gloves, though I did don my scarf to protect myself from the slight breeze. Tucking my chin into it, I sunk further into the warmth the cloth provided.

My sister now had two sparklers, which was utterly ridiculous, but I suppose I was just happy they were all enjoying themselves. Especially my mom. It was a nice change from how this day normally progressed.

Bonnie bounding up to me snapped me out of my thoughts. “C’mon, don’t sit there like a bump on a log all night. Live a little.”

I chuckled at how much she sounded like a crappy life advice catalog. “I’m good, squirt. You go enjoy yourself.”

“You’re lame.”

Her harsh declaration uttered, she shook her sparklers, ensuring a trial of sparks fluttered after her. She dashed toward Nora full speed, the other girl just managing to dodge out of her path of destruction.

“Be careful of other people, Bonnie.”

“You’re super lame!” she shouted back.

Refusing to rise to the bait, I moved up to the top step and stretched my legs. Everything was starting to cramp from sitting for so long in one spot. Yet, I didn’t want to stand, more inclined to lay down. Figuring I had spent enough time outside, I made to go inside when Nora approached me.

“Why do you have so many buckets?”

I shrugged. “My family’s a fire hazard.”

It was clear she didn’t understand, but that was fine. Like I said, better safe than sorry.

She sat beside me, hunched over and with her hands on her knees. We watched Bonnie chase my mom around, their sparklers flaring out behind them and onto the lawn. It was a pretty display, but yet another reason for me to have buckets full of water on deck.

“I kind of see what you mean,” Nora said.

“Knew you’d come around. Team water for the win.”

Nora raised a single eyebrow. “I’ve also come around to the belief that you’re an idiot.”

“Takes one to know one.”

My middle school taunt had about the effect that I assumed it would. That was none at all. Nora had no response for it since there was nothing you could say to that without risking sounding just as juvenile. I could respect that. We continued to watch them frolic around until Nora lightly bumped me with her elbow.

“Don’t answer if I’m being too nosy, but was this the reason you were upset today?”

I almost wanted to laugh. Not because anything was funny, but rather because everything I was worried about seemed to pale in comparison to my dad passing away. That was an actual tragedy. My mom being forced to raise two kids on her own. That was also a struggle few managed to deal with as well as her. But mine? Rika rejecting me because she didn’t want a relationship right now.

That was petty drama.

“It wasn’t about my dad. Honestly, I didn’t even realize what today was. I was worrying about something that doesn’t matter in the long run. I’ll get over it.”

Nora hummed, fiddling with a stray piece of her hair. “It’s fine though, isn’t it? If it matters to you, then it’s not worth trying to push down your feelings because someone else out there has bigger problems. At least, that’s what I think.”

“Even for something as dumb as getting turned down by the girl I like?” I blurted out.

A bunch of emotions crossed her face before she settled on something more disinterested. “Even then.”

“It really is dumb. You can’t even keep a straight face.”

“Maybe a little.” Her small grin fell. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you.”

“I’ll live. At the very least, it felt good to put myself out there. It hurts now, but it would’ve been worse if I kept these feelings all bottled up instead.”

“Wow, you’re being surprisingly mature about all this.”

I laughed. “I googled a bunch of crap last night about dealing with rejection. It sounded impressive, right?”

Nora slugged me in the ribs. “Give me back my compliment. You’re not cool at all.”

“Ouch. Now you sound like my sister.”

“Bonnie’s right. You’re an asshole, it’s freezing out here, and I’m done with you.”

True to her word, she rose to her feet and I could hear her boots pound on the cement as she ascended the stairs. I decided I needed to say one more thing to her before she went into the house.

“Hey, Nora.” The girl stopped, resting the open door against her hip. “I’m glad you came over, and I’m glad you’re one of my best friends.”

“You have like three friends, so being one of the best isn’t much of a compliment.” Her voice dropped to a mere whisper, one that easily could have gotten carried away by the wind. I was lucky it didn’t. “I’m glad too though.”

With a quiet creak of the door, the girl was gone, leaving me alone on the porch. I considered whether she realized I was talking about Rika. Nora was smart, so I assumed she had pieced together such an easy puzzle. It wasn’t like I talked much to any girls besides the four of them, and I hadn’t confessed to her. The other two were out for obvious reasons, which left only Rika.

Bonnie yipped as my mom managed to pull her off her feet and swing her around. Their sparklers had extinguished, and they had chosen to forgo getting more. I could just make out their silhouettes from the light provided by the street lamp. The night grew colder, forcing me to shove my hands into my jacket pockets. That was ok with me. It was pleasant to have everyone in such high spirits. I was going to sound like a broken record, but I really did need to thank Nora again for cheering me and them up. But for now, I would simply enjoy this moment.