Red Letters is set in a bar in the USA, so of course the short world related story for the Fourth of July would include fireworks of all kinds. And our favorite characters who shouldn’t play with fire in the first place. And though it might not be a loud backyard barbecue type story, it’s a short story true to the world and what it might look like if certain people had five minutes off the spotlight. Might be spoilers for some day if I say much more… so on with the fireworks!

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Fourth of July in Soulful.

All day long, Tweety and the responsible adults had been collecting the fireworks that the more oddball types brought in. Especially the types like Deej, who shouldn’t be around anything with fire or else the burning hair smell lingers too long. 

Throughout the day, there were hoops and hollers from patrons around the pool, tossing those little tiny crackers on the ground with the small pops that still excited. Some waved sparklers, and all were watched by extra security just in case, because it was all fun and games until the fire department had to stop by. 

So this year they prevented that. With the rest of the neighborhood businesses, they planned a little fireworks show over the unbuilt land that had been claimed for a mall that never got built because Gus never gave in or sold the bar to the developers. In a weird way, Tweety loved that that project that almost ruined his life was now the place that they were setting off fireworks, almost in his honor in her mind. 

Everyone was in great spirits, the bar projection screen played Woods’ band as they were one of the sunset acts, keeping people entertained while waiting in the city. An hour later, most of the bar emptied into the fields. Sly stayed back to run the bar, and plenty of people were happy enough to sit around the pool watching.

Tweety had a blanket, and parked herself around the back half of the people setting up. She let Nira run the whole fireworks show, speech and all. For once, she was jut a girl sitting in the grass watching the sky that would soon light up in colors with memories quietly next to her to celebrate alongside her. 

“Mind if I join you? Sly said you could use a basket.” 

Tweety looked up to find Greg there, and shrugged a shoulder, moving over a bit. “Sly sent you with a basket huh? Did he tell you exactly where I sit too?”

Greg settled down with the basket between them at their feet. “No, that was Rodger. Deej is having a heck of a time keeping that big old kitty from trying to come out here.” Greg didn’t look at her right away, setting out the plate of cupcakes and snacks Sly packed first. “Apparently they are on some do not cross the parking lot list?” Greg shook his head. “All I know is that a grown man explaining to a giant cat about fire wouldn’t have been normal at one point in life, but now it’s fitting somehow.”

Tweety laughed, nodding her head “yeah, Soulful is a strange place if you live outside it, but inside it is just normal family at this point. Some are a little dangerous, sure, but they’re crazy in the right ways.”  

She grabbed a cupcake and hugged her knees as the first almost testing firework sounded off. Greg laid back on his elbows, stretching out comfortably. 

“Gus used to take me out here to watch the city’s fireworks from a distance. It feels right somehow to celebrate in his favorite place with people he was always talking about.” Greg didn’t have to talk about Tweety, they both knew how close his grandpa and her had been before. “Thank you for inviting me into your world, it’s really worth it.” 

She was looking at the sky and didn’t watch him watching her and the sky together. So Tweety was a bit clueless as she said “I don’t know anything about this firework show, for once I didn’t control it, other than the conversations around it. This is Nira, Bebe, and Collar’s celebration. So I don’t know what we will see in the sky, but I hope it’s appropriate enough for families.”

The fireworks started now, the noises picking up and deafening words beyond the group oohs and aahs as the colors lit up the sky, making images appear and disappear like magical neon signs in the night.

Slowly Tweety relaxed, laying on the blanket too, like it was natural for her. When the finale started with all the loud constant noise, Tweety sat up again, covering her ears with her eyes on the sky still. It didn’t take long for a warm flannel shirt to find it’s way to her shoulders, offering a small comfort to the beautiful sights with vibrations through her body. One of her hands grabbed his and held it until the sounds stopped. Yet another quiet moment between them that didn’t need words or to be talked about later.

In the quiet after the end of the show, when people were taking a moment to adjust or clap, a “Rodger no!”carried across the distance with the sound of a splash like a cannon ball.

Just like that, Tweety’s celebration snapped back into reality. She was on her feet quickly, looking towards the club. “Can you take care of this? I gotta go see what that was about.” 

To anyone else, this night didn’t sound like a win, but to Greg, it was so many he didn’t know where to start listing the ground he gained or the trust he earned. But he did notice she ran off with his flannel on, slipping her arms through it as she hustled back into being the Tweety everyone else knew.