Falling for Finn

Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

"Would this look good on me?" I ask Sierra and Abby, holding up a plain black dress from PacSun to my body.

Abby, Sierra and I woke up super early and decided to drive all the way to medford, Oregon. They told me I needed a break from the city for a few days.

"Yes! Get it!" Sierra told me, she was browsing through the jewelry.

I hang the dress over my arm and I keep hunting for more things to buy. We have literally no malls near us in crescent city, so today, I'm stocking up.

We go to register, and pay for our things. I bought a pair of high waisted shorts, a maxi skit and a few other little things.

"We should probably go, it's a 2 and a half hour drive." Abby informs us, looking at her iPhone screen.

We agree and walk out the doors, that were near by to PacSun. We get into Sierras green Jeep and head on home.

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"Okay, Ashley, I'm gonna drop you off" Sierra tells me, turning our blasted Macklemore music down.

We turn the corner and all of our eyes widen, and we all start screaming. My house is completely in flames.

"SOMEONE CALL 911!!!!" I scream, we are all panicking. My heart is racing, my brother?! My mom?! Where are they?! I'm praying they are not in the house.

"Hello?! 911?! Yes, my friends house is in flames!!" Sierra screams into the phone, they are in just as much shock as I am in

I wanted to get out of the car, but I knew I couldn't. It's too dangerous.

And suddenly, tears start falling down my face. I look away, so Abby and Sierra wouldn't see me. They are my best friends, but I didn't want them seeing me like this. I didn't even want to speak.

"Um the firemen are gonna be here in a sec." Sierra looks at us. We are surprisingly calm now. And then we hear the sirens blaring. I started getting emotional again.

While the firefighters were going straight to my house, one of them came up to the drivers side window.

"Are you the girls that called us?" He asked, he is young, and fairly attractive. Which makes boy lover, Abby go crazy.

"Yea" Sierra answers, trembling.

"And who's house is this?"

"Mine." I admit, wiping tears off my face.

He nods, saying "if you guys can evacuate to somewhere safer, and come back to see what has happened, that would be alright"

"Okay." Sierra softly spoke, staring the car.

We back out, and Sierra offers that we go to her house and we all agree. None of us really spoke during the car ride, we were too petrified to speak. My house, was in flames, and I had no idea where my mom and brother were.

When we got to Sierras palace-looking house, we immediately went up to her room and we all say down. Saying nothing. We all just kind of sat there.

And finally Abby spoke up.

"Ashley, I am so so sorry." She apologized.

"It's fine, it happens." I try to mask the fact that I was officially dying inside.

Abby looks down, I could tell she didn't agree with me. I mean the fact that I have no idea if my mom or brother are safe, makes the entire situation one thousand times worse. If I knew they were safe, with no scratches or scars, I would feel a lot better. But knowing they could be hurt, or worse, is impossible to take in.

"I hope everyone is okay. Even Finn." Sierra looks up at me. We have now all tried to start conversation, but with the image of a house I had grown up in, and even had value to Abby and Sierra (they have been my friends since preschool, and they came over almost everyday), was just destroyed within our eyes, it is hard to take in. Plus with your boyfriend in the hospital. It hurts.

Abby, Sierra and I sat there quiet. For who knows how long. Thoughts rushing like wind in a hurricane. Like a tornado of thoughts. I couldn't even believe anything. And I hoped to wake up from this nightmare called reality.

"We should probably go check on everything." Abby said, pain in her eyes. They were just as hurt as I was.

"I think it's been enough time" Sierra checks the time on her phone. Six-thirty. It's been an hour already, and it feels like we've been sitting here for minutes.

Sierra, Abby and I walk down the marble stairs, and to the front door. We walked out, back to Sierras Jeep, and we drove down the road.

It's about 2 miles to my house, not very far, but completely different neighborhoods. Unlike Sierras house, mine was in the middle of a field, with lots of tall pine trees.

We pulled up across the street. So many firefighters were there, putting out the unmanageable fire. I couldn't help myself, I got out of the car and went up to one of the firemen.

"Was there anybody in the house?" I ask, I'm shaking. I'm scared to even hear the answer.

"Yes, a mom and a child. They didn't survive." He tells me.

I burst out in tears. I couldn't help myself. The fireman puts his hand on my shoulder. And looks at me in the eyes.

"Did you know them?" He asked me, he seems to care. And I'm not being sarcastic.

"The mom, she's my mom. The child, my little brother Carter." I can hardly get words out. I can't even describe my emotions. I have regret, sadness, fear, confusion.

"What about your father?" He asks me, we walk over near some more firemen.

"He went to Afghanistan, and never came back." I am trembling and I can't even say anything without stuttering. "I don't know what I'm going to do now."

The courteous fireman nodded. He was listening like no one had every listened. I felt as if he cared.

"But I'll probably stay at Abby's or Sierras for now." I suggest.

"I'm sorry this happened. I've got to get back to work, but I will pray for you. I never got your name."

"Ashley"

"Good luck Ashley, I hope for good things to come your way."

I turn around, and go back to the car. I get in, and I am sitting there. Sierra and Abby looked confused. I couldn't talk. Even if I tried, I couldn't.

"Ashley, what happened?" Abby questioned me.

"They didn't survive" are the only words I could make out at this point.

Sierra and Abby look at each other. And then they look at me. And hug me.

"Ashley, I am so sorry. What's going to happen?" Sierra spoke.

"Could I stay at one of your guys house?" I ask, I'm bawling at this point.

"Why don't we all come to my house?" Abby suggests, and both Abby and

Sierra start tearing up. My mom was a huge part of their life too. She was friends with both Abby and Sierras mom.

We drive to Abby's house, a cabin-like house on the outside, in the middle of the woods, but on the inside, it was really modern.

When we get there, Abby hollers to her dad that we are here. I immediately run up to her room, jump on her bed, and cry into her pillow. Abby and Sierra sit beside me. Abby is playing with my hair.

"How did life get this way so fast?" A rhetorical question I asked.

"I don't know." Sierra says, going into Abby's bathroom to grab some tissues. She comes back and gives them to me. I get up and wipe tears off my face.

"I didn't even get to say I loved her in person. The last thing I said to her, was 'see you when I get home' and that's not enough." This makes me feel worse. "I miss her already."

They just nod. There's no helping me at this point. I'm broken.