Submission (#2096) Approved

The harbor was always so busy during this season, it was something Jett had come to expect and rely on, as the business of the harbor almost always meant a bit more entertainment for himself. Oftentimes days in the harbor he currently dwelled bled into one another, becoming dreary and boring, and he stole away moments of excitement by playing with passing ships or venturing into the town to socialize. However, he always felt more comfortable out of the town, and so his feet would inevitably bring him back to the crisp and cold water. That was his home, after all. It was simply where he belonged and he had come to accept that.
However, this time of year was different. It was impossible to live near the harbor and not feel the mounting excitement as it got closer and closer to the time the explosions of light and color would fill the sky. It was something Jett wouldn’t miss for the world.
On the days leading up to the day all of the excitement would finally come to fruition, Jett could barely think about anything else. He kept looking up towards the sky as if he expected it to suddenly erupt into color and sound early. He didn’t understand how anyone in the town or the boats that had come with more and more frequency could bear the wait.
So, when it was finally time for him to view the fireworks, he didn’t dawdle in the slightest. He had gotten relatively close to the town but far enough away that he didn’t feel he’d be disturbed, still hiding in the relative safety of the water. Close to the shore of the harbor, on one of the many rocky outcrops, his forearms were placed on the cold smooth surface of a suitable one. Using his arms to hold himself up and out of the water slightly, his visor turned expectantly towards the sky. Having no real sense of time from where he was, he wasn’t quite sure when the show in the sky would begin. He was simply aware that today was the day and he would wait as long as he needed to ensure he didn’t miss it.
In his excitement, he had underestimated the amount of time until the firework show began, and his boredom had started to get the best of him. Visor resting despondently on his forearms, the once bubbling excitement had reduced to impatience.
Why were they taking so long? How could they stand the excitement?
Maybe he had miscalculated the day. Maybe they had rescheduled it. A pit formed in his stomach at the thought of perhaps missing or not being able to see the show he looked forward to year-round. His momentous occasion that dispelled any loneliness or boredom from his lifestyle. A rueful glance was turned toward the town, as he began to allow himself to sink back down into the water. Maybe it was time to give up.
Before his shoulders were fully submerged in the water, a loud boom filled the air, dispelling the silence and his boredom all at once. Visor once again turned upward with awe, as he scrambled back up the rock properly, he observed the first explosion of color in the sky as it began to fall. All of the emotions that usually came -- excitement, awe, happiness, curiosity -- flooded him in the satisfying way he knew they would. They only increased in intensity as the firework show continued.
Glancing around him, he watched the color from the sky reflect on the tides around him, turning the water into a colorful mess as beautiful as the sky. Turning his harbor into something to be awed, fighting back the usual muddy blandness of it. A happy giggle sounded off from Jett, as he kicked off the rock to properly join the colors in the water, playing with them as if they were legitimate items rather than mere reflections.
Oh, how the fireworks made everything brighter.