Punk Rox!

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up!” CC yelled, causing the driver to immediately slam on the breaks in the middle of the road.

“What?” He asked, odd accent ever present.

“Fireworks!” CC cheered as a red explosion flowered into the cobalt sky.

“I should kick your ass for that one!” The driver, however, was not amused.

“Sorry...” The drummer mumbled, but grinned after and ran for the door.

“CC!” Jon shouted after him, but the hyperactive rocker was already out the door and running to the center of the field, where there was a small gathering of people that were launching the fireworks into the sky.

“Hey!” Ethan’s head popped into view from the doorway.

“Fireworks!” I heard Skeet cheer when a white and red display of sparks flew into the air.

“We’re gonna go check ‘em out!” Ethan grinned excitedly.

“Yeah, maybe they’ll be some hot babes there!” Heath smirked mischievously as he pushed Ethan down so we could see him.

“I hear that!” Ash concurred, dropped the random magazine he’d picked up from the last gas station and followed the rest of my band to where CC had gone.

“You guys comin’? ‘Cause someone’s gotta watch them...” Quincy leaned against the doorframe.

“Yeah, why the hell not?” Jake got up while Jinxx shrugged and followed, dragging a grumbling Jon with them.

“Hey-” Syverson turned back to the driver.

“Go,” He waved it off, “I got the bus.”

“Come on Andy, Jesse.” Jon gestured for us to go with them.

I looked up innocently at Andy, who rolled his eyes and grabbed my hand, leading me out.

The field wasn’t very tall and the night was dark, but there was a missed sense of freedom in it. I hadn’t run almost blindly through a field at night since I was eleven. It basically turned into a race with Andy and me as we weaved around our friends, trying to catch up with CC and Skeeter.

Jake and Jinxx were the next to join, then Ethan picked up his pace and sped after us when we passed him.

We were greeted to the group by an explosion of green and white respectively. CC and Skeet jumped in the air and waved us down.

“Hey!”

I was giggling breathlessly. Andy finally came up beside me, leaning over to catch his breath.

“Try smoking less, and then maybe you’ll be able to keep up with me!” I laughed.

“No one can keep up with you,” He huffed, I shook my head.

“Skeet can.” I wrinkled my nose.

“Well, you and Skeeter are cut from the same cloth.” Andy straightened up.

I scoffed as if I was offended. I didn’t get to continue the bullshit argument that was forming because Ashley and Heath interrupted us.

“Alright kiddies,” Heath shushed, “If you find a seriously smokin’ slut, you know who to call.”

I was tempted to shoot back a sassy response, but I refrained as Andy had it covered.

“Ghost Busters?”

“Funny...” Heath frowned, bemused.

Jon came up chuckling, but just passed us without a second glance.

“And it begins...” Ash said gravely.

“What?” Andy and I asked back, confused.

“The gay sassiness.” Heath followed up the answer.

It was silent between us for a moment, but I could only contain my amusement for so long. I burst out laughing at Andy’s stupefied expression.

“Hey!” Ethan shouted as a few more fireworks went off overhead. “These guys are great!”

I then decided to take notice of exactly who these people were. Most of them looked...like stoners.

Awesome!

“Hello, hippy-ladies,” Heath’s eyes locked onto a girl with long blonde hair wearing a white headband, white blouse and a blue skirt.

“Jeez,” I rolled my eyes, but smirked at the knowledge that the bass players were in paradise since hippies tended to not care whether it was what drug they were taking, or who they were fucking. Or how many times.

Red exploded in the sky.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m gonna go get laid,” Quincy winked, while I laughed at Jake and Jinxx’s dumbstruck expressions.

“Great, another Ashley.” Jake sighed.

“Worse than Ashley,” Jinxx corrected.

“He’s got the right idea!” Heath agreed, swerving away from us to go tail the girl from earlier.

“I have to agree.” Ash nodded, offered a knowing smirk, and moved passed us to hunt down his own prey.

“Course you do...” Jake muttered under his breath.

“Hey! Jake! Jinxx! Guys!” CC and Skeeter were still the cheering committee.

“Go watch the idiots,” I begged, hoping they would get the hint.

“Yeah, someone’s gotta while all of you get some tail.” Jinxx sighed, beginning to walk towards the drummers. He grabbed Jake’s arm when he froze on the spot, probably at the thought of Andy and I getting into “things” and dragged him along.

I blushed, too.

Andy seemed unfazed.

“Well?” He turned to me.

“Eh?” I snapped up, falling back to earth.

“You okay?” He tilted sideways to look at me at my level.

“Yeah,” I offered quietly, admiring how his eyes caught the snowy light of a firework as it flowered the night. It lightened the curious innocence in the sea of blue. I found myself staring.

“You sure?” Andy asked skeptically, noticing.

“What? Yeah! Yeah...” I blinked, shaking myself from my daze.

He smiled, leaning down to gently press his lips against mine. I fell against him almost instantly, sighing softly.

“Yeah!” We shot apart at the sudden penetration of sound. A woman was staring back at us several feet away.

“Don’t let anyone tell you who you are, babies!” She cheered.

“I like these people!” I smirked, on the verge of laughing.

“Yeah, I’m sure certain man-whores do, too.” Andy returned it, leaning back down to kiss me again as red sparks filled the sky.