A twelve-year-old boy named Stephen and his friend Kiki meet at the park one day to set off fireworks that Kiki bought by himself. Stephen is jealous because his own mother worries too much to let him do something like that, and he’s never seen that much money in his life anyways. The two have fun setting off fireworks and even throw a stink bomb at a girl who publicly snubbed Stephen to embarrass her. He’s grateful to Kiki for daring to act on the thoughts he has, but before they can do more he has to leave. He goes home to his grandmother and mother, who both press him about why he was late getting back. Neither of them likes that he hangs out with Kiki, whose company they think will lead him to his death, particularly with his supposed drug-dealer brother. After they all argue, they go to their respective rooms and he listens to his mother crying in hers. He goes to his grandmother’s and rubs her feet while they listen to records and talk about Kiki. She wants to know why he would choose a friend over family, while Stephen privately thinks that Kiki offers him an escape from their quiet way of life that they cannot provide. He never wants to be like the sad, tired old men who sit on their stoops in the evening, and he looks out the window hoping to catch Kiki setting off the rest of his fireworks in the park.