"Come on!" shouted Mori. "You're such a Slowpoke!"
Liam could barely hear her over the echoing rumble of exploding fireworks. They were nearly at the top of the stairs, and he turned around to make sure Chelsea and Marsha hadn't fallen too far behind. They were just two flights down, panting heavily as they trudged arm-in-arm up the narrow stairwell.
"This is crazy!" Liam bellowed to Taylor.
It felt like trying to talk over a lawn mower.
"Wait till you see it from the roof!" said Taylor, leaning very close to Liam's ear.
Chelsea and Marsha arrived on the landing, followed closely by Rebecca, Vasilio, and Liz. Mori hadn't waited—she was already halfway up the rusty metal ladder that led to the roof.
"Is it locked?" called Liz.
Mori was fumbling with the hatch that barred their way.
"I… don't… ouch!"
There was a loud clang, followed by a sharp metallic scrape. Mori grunted.
"Got it. Just give me one…"
The roof hatch creaked against its rusted hinges, but a massive bang that felt more like a bomb than a firework drowned out the noise. Mori disappeared through the opening, and Liam followed close behind her. They emerged onto the rooftops of New Court, illuminated by the light of a thousand fireworks exploding in every direction. What had been a rumble in the stairwell became a roar.
"Oh my gosh!" Liam shouted, but no one could hear him.
He had never seen anything like it. Every way he looked, Liam could see bursts of fiery color, shrieking bottle rockets, and singing comets of sparkling light. He followed Mori through the rows of solar-heated water tanks to the northern edge of the roof, where they could look out towards the center of the city. The view was spectacular. The entire city was lit up by flashes of red, green, yellow, and white. In the distance, Liam could see the sparks reflecting off the windows of the TV Tower near the White Mudsdale Statue, and even the faraway glimmer of Jade Lake Park flecked with red and gold light. Liam felt Chelsea materialize beside him, but he couldn't take his eyes off the skyline.
BANG!
A massive firework exploded just a few meters above them. Liam ducked, and he felt a streak of hot ash pass just inches over his head. There was wild laughter coming from the street below, and Liam caught sight of a group of Everspring students launching heavy, potato-shaped fireworks out of a plastic tube.
"Tim!" called Taylor. "Dude, you tryin' to kill us?"
Liam saw the shadowy outline of Tim Choi give an exaggerated shrug. Despite his near-death experience, he couldn't help but laugh as well. Dangerous fun was still fun, and his friends were more than ready with a counterattack. Vasilio, Taylor, Rebecca, and Liz aimed Roman candles down at the street below, and they soon had Tim Choi and his friends on the run. Liz's Pignite provided the ignition, while Taylor's Simipour patrolled up and down in the attitude of a fire safety warden. In practice, his version of fire safety involved drenching whoever looked most unsuspecting then fleeing the onslaught of Roman candle fire as fast as his monkeyish legs would carry him.
Mori kept her distance from the others. She had agreed to come with them mostly as an excuse to get out of the house—and away from her parents—but she was still mad at Vasilio. She never attempted more than polite conversation, even with Taylor. She leaned over the edge, staring wistfully out at the burning and flickering lights. Liam knew better than to break in on her reverie.
Chelsea and Marsha, both too timid for the ferocious kick of the Roman candles, were dancing with sparklers. Liam was watching them—admiring the graceful flexibility of his girlfriend's body—when he sensed an unexpected presence on the rooftop. Perhaps he had caught her silhouette out of the corner of his eye—a dark shadow darting between the water tanks. Perhaps not. But he could feel that she was there. Liam scanned the gaps between the water tanks—trying to make sure he was seeing an actual person, not a ghost or illusion. The light of a nearby firework showed him a glimpse of blonde hair. It was definitely Claire. And she had to be here for him.
Liam learned over and whispered into Chelsea's left ear.
"Chez, she's—."
"I know," said Chelsea's voice in his mind. "Go ahead, bro. I'll cover for you."
Liam chewed his tongue and shot a glance at Mori.
"It's really okay," said Chelsea, squeezing Liam by the hand. "She needs you. I can tell. I'll make sure Mori doesn't find out."
Liam gave a hesitant nod of assent. Chelsea was right, of course. She usually was. Liam pulled the hood of his jacket over his head and slipped into the darkness as a huge blast in the direction of Feather and Petal caught his friends' attention. He could see Claire—dressed in an old hoodie and sweatpants—crouching in the shadow cast by a solar panel. He ventured a surreptitious wave, and she beckoned him urgently to follow her.
He didn't realize that Vasilio had noticed his escape.