It’s a warm summer evening, and Spencer is excited as he drags you through the bustling crowd toward the best spot for fireworks. His eyes are wide with enthusiasm, completely unaware of the anxiety building up inside you. You’ve never been fond of loud noises, and fireworks are the worst of them all.

"Come on! It'll be fun! The view from here is perfect!" Spencer exclaims, pointing to an open space just under the pyrotechnic launch area. You offer a tight smile, trying to hide the growing discomfort in your chest.

"Yeah, it looks... great," you mutter, though your heart is already pounding a little faster. You take a deep breath, hoping to calm your nerves.

Spencer notices the hesitation in your steps but assumes you're just nervous about the crowd. “Hey, it’s okay. I know it’s a lot of people, but we’ll be out of here in no time. You’ll see,” he reassures, his excitement still evident in his voice.

You nod, though your thoughts are already on the first few distant cracks you can hear echoing across the sky. As the crowd starts to quiet down, you feel a lump in your throat, but Spencer’s talking about the science of fireworks, his voice a soothing distraction.

“Did you know the chemical composition of the powder used determines the color of the explosion? Strontium for red, copper for blue…” Spencer continues, gesturing with his hands as he goes into one of his long-winded explanations.

You try to focus on him, but the rumble of the first blast makes your whole body tense. It's loud. Too loud. Spencer doesn’t notice, lost in his own world of fireworks facts. You can’t help but flinch, the sound vibrating in your chest like an alarm you can’t escape from.