Kyle eased the front door closed as she left the house early that morning. Aunt Shelly was still asleep, so Kyle thought it would be a good time to go for a walk around the town. The sun was already hovering just above the horizon, which lit the streets with a peachy summer glow. There was a chill in the breeze that was a refreshing change from the humidity that is usually associated with summer. Kyle walked briskly down the street lined with white family homes, with well-kept gardens and chalk drawings on the sidewalk. Kyle could remember sitting on the same sidewalk as a child, trying to colour a picture with a blue piece of chalk, while her mother and aunt bickered inside the house. By the end of the street, Kyle was easily able to find her way into town, and she surveyed the roads with heavy observation. The place was empty, and the stores hadn’t opened yet; there were small trees lining the walkways, and there were trees around the backs of the buildings. She started to read the signs on the stores: Veterinarian, restaurant, general store, NAPA auto parts, coffee shop, real estate, hair salon, drug store, etc. The buildings were tall and made out of burgundy and mahogany coloured bricks, and there were windows near the tops of the structures which looked like they led to top floor apartments. As Kyle wandered, she could hear voices drawing closer and closer to her. She found the source when she passed a little shop beside an alleyway.

“Are you going to go to the Fourth of July thing?” one voice asked.

“Dad wants me to work, but I don’t want to do either.”

“Yeah, I know. I used to have to work on all the holidays. That’s the shit part of being 17 and living at home.” Kyle looked into the alley and saw two men standing by a truck. One of them was noticeably older and was wiping his hands into a cloth. The younger one was the boy that came to Shelly’s to collect her money. Kyle put her hand on the corner of the building beside the alleyway, but wasn’t able to eavesdrop any longer. The younger guy turned and looked at her.

“Can we help you?” he said in a half-annoyed and half-sincere tone. Kyle shook her head, flustered.

“No, I’m good,” Kyle responded. The older one nudged the younger boy’s arm and went back into the building, leaving the two of them alone.

“Come here.” The boy held out a hand and beckoned her forward. Kyle scuffled ahead into the alleyway. “You’re the girl from Shelly’s.” He squinted his eyes at her as if he was making sure she was the same girl.

“Yep,” Kyle stated.

“I’m Jeremy.” He held out a hand to shake and Kyle took it, wincing at the roughness of his hands.

“I’m Kyle.”

“Ain’t that a guy’s name?” Jeremy noted, leaning back on the truck.

“My mom liked it for a girl.”

“Fair enough.” An awkward silence separated the conversation, and Kyle glanced around her at the alley until he spoke again. “How are you related to Shelly?”

“She’s my aunt.”

“That’s a close tie.”

“Not really. I haven’t seen her since I was young.” Jeremy nodded and smiled. His face was boyish and young, and his nose was dotted with freckles. He was already very tanned, and his arms were small but quite muscular, so Kyle assumed he was used for a lot of lifting. He didn’t look too tough right off the bat, and according to Shelly he was a good kid, so Kyle wasn’t finding him very interesting. She found him attractive, of course, just not interesting. Kyle was more into musicians and rebellious types, not cookie cutter cowboys who work with their papa.

“Are you girls going to the Fourth of July thing this year?”

“What is it?”

“Oh, it’s this big tradition here. We throw a big party at the lake, with a barbeque and live music and family fun and games. Then of course there are the fireworks.”

“Well, Jeremy, as much fun as it would be to go to a family fun fourth of July with less than half a family with me, I’m probably going to pass on it.”

“I don’t blame you, it’s kind of lame. All of the townfolk get together and tell each other about their summer plans for 5 hours. I’m working that day, though so I get out of it. I usually just go down to the river after with my friends. You can still hear the music and see the fireworks, but you don’t have to worry about people telling you how grown-up you look after a year.” Kyle smiled and chuckled. The older guy came back out of the store with a couple of coat racks, and he put them in the back of the truck.

“Let’s go Jere,” he commanded.

“I have to do some deliveries,” he explained, obviously. Kyle nodded and turned to leave. “Hey, Kyle, if you get out of the July 4th festivities, you should come down the river and hang out with us. You know, if you’re not having a hoot of a time at the lake.” He climbed into the truck and put on a cowboy hat. “Take care,” he winked, and drove off. The older man shot a look at Kyle and went back into the store. Kyle left the alley, feeling a sense of acceptance, but also wondered how she would be able to get out of the celebration. And how would she know where the river was?