Nothing's Fine

• 6: Flames •

Charlie

The moment we were parked, Mason and I threw open the car doors and got out of the car. We walked a little closer towards the house and stood staring in horror. I barely registered seeing Lorraine, Linda and Jay standing in the road, as I watched the fire fighters as they held a huge hose blasting water at the wall of the kitchen. The flames gushed and I looked up at the second floor in alarm.

My room was the closest to the kitchen on the second floor, and there were two things in my room that I cared more about than anything in the world. Before I could think, I could feel my feet take off towards the house.

"Charlie! Stop!" Mason yelled as I approached the house. The closer I got, I could feel the heat, but something inside me wouldn't stop. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms grabbed me, and I panicked to get them off of me. I realized it was Mason who had a tight grip on me and was pulling me away from my house.

"Let me go!" I yelled.

"Charlie! Are you insane?" Mason asked, the panic evident in his voice. It was a question that I ignored, though it was very likely as 'yes.'

"My panda is inside! I have to get it!" I screamed.

"You can't go in there!" he yelled.

"I have to get my panda! Let me go you jerk!" I yelled back, prying at his hands. Despite my constant thrashing, his grip didn't loosen. I wanted to curse the universe for my petite stature, making it so easy for him to get away with this.

"Why?" he asked.

"That's none of your damn business. Now let me go!" I shouted. Then softly, I added a "please".

"Just talk to me instead Charlie," he said loosening his grip. I took that as an opportunity to slide out of his arms and I bolted towards the house, only to be stopped by a large wall of a fire fighter.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed kid?" he yelled as he caught me mid-stride. He threw me over his shoulder and walked towards Linda, Jay and Lorraine, who stood in the street with bewildered expressions on their faces.

The firefighter put me down and Jay took a grasp of both my shoulders.

"Charlie, what were you thinking?" he asked, worry etched into his face.

"My panda's in there," I sighed as my shoulders slumped in defeat. Jay pulled me into a hug, and I felt Linda pat my hair affectionately.

At that moment, it was suddenly quieter, and I heard a pair of heavy boots running over. Jay released me from the hug, and we turned to the fireman who was now standing in front of us.

"The fire seems to have been started by a hair curler. It was left on and near some papers. The heat probably started a fire and it caught," he explained. "The kitchen has most of the damage; the living room has a little bit of it as well. The second floor above the kitchen has some damage to the floor but is otherwise okay. Renovations will need to be done to fix at least the kitchen because it is in unliveable conditions."

I took that as the okay and once again, I ran towards the house. Though the firefighters yelled as I blew by, I ignored them and went right in the front door. The first thing I noticed was how black everything was. It was almost unrecognizable. Almost.

I darted up the charred stairs and didn't stop until I was in my room. It was relatively untouched. The walls were still a light blue, the bed was fine, the dresser and desk were fine. The floor looked a little damaged, but I stepped on it carefully as I made my way to my dresser.

I picked up my panda bear that was wearing a golden locket around its neck. Perfectly unharmed. I hugged it close and sighed. My father had given me the small stuffed animal was given to me when I was six, and the locket when I was nine. They were the only things I had left from him.

"Charlie!" I could hear Linda, Jay and Lorraine calling outside. It pulled me out of my thoughts, and I realized I was standing on not-so-metaphorical thin ice. I took a cautious step and then another. As headed towards the hall, I heard a crack and narrowly missed falling through a new hole I'd created. I let out a scream. "Charlie!" They yelled again.

"I'm okay!" I shouted back as I steadied myself. I ran back down the stairs and to the front door.

"Charlie!" Linda yelled as I exited the building. She pulled me into her arms.

"So, the floor in my room is going to need some repairs..." I stated. Linda looked at me incredulously and hugged me tight.

"Don't you ever do something like that again," she scolded.

"Okay," I mumbled. I pulled away from her hug and gave her a smile. "Give me a few minutes."

I walked over to Mason who was leaning on the hood of his car now, playing with a loose thread on his shirt. He looked up when he saw me, a look that resembled relief crossing his features briefly.

"Um, thanks for the drive home..." I started, tucking my hair behind my ear. "I guess you can go back to school now."

"School's almost over now, so I'm in no rush," Mason replied, his green eyes reading my features. I shifted uncomfortably under his intense gaze. "Why is it so special?"

"You'd like to know, wouldn't you?" I said sarcastically. The sincerity in his voice and on his face dulled the biting remark much more than I had wanted it to.

"Well, if you were willing to run into a burning building to save it, I thought it might be worth millions or something," Mason smirked a little. I narrowed my eyes at him and bit back the smile that was itching to make an appearance on my face.

"Or something," I replied. I swallowed hard and decided on a subject change. "Could I grab my backpack from your car?"

"Oh! Sure," Mason nodded. It was as if he knew exactly how I felt and didn't mind the change in topic. He got off the hood of his car and unlocked the door. I took my bag out of the passenger seat as he got in the driver's side.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" I said shyly. Mason gave me a small smile.

"I guess you will," Mason replied.

I closed the door and watched him do a three-point turn before driving off. I then walked over to Lorraine. Linda was off on the phone and Jay was talking to one of the firefighters, so she used the opportunity to bombard me with questions.

"Okay, who was that?" Lorraine asked excitedly. "He looked a little familiar, but he was so far away! Is he your boyfriend? Or your crush? Is he who we almost burned the house down trying to impress?"

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed. "He's just a guy in my class that saw me rushing in the hallway and gave me a ride."

"Oh c'mon! Tell me at least, is he a cutie?" Lorraine cooed.

"Lorraine, I swear –"

"Girls!" Linda interrupted. Lorraine grinned at me and I stuck my tongue out at her. "I just got off the phone with my friend Annalise, and she offered to let us stay at her place until we make way with the renovations here... so carefully, go inside and pack some stuff to take with you."

"Oh! Mom, I think I might just stay at Andrea's house," Lorraine said. Andrea was Lorraine's best friend. They'd been friends since like kindergarten. "She lives closer to UBC and we have the same classes, so it'll be easier, and I won't wake anyone up early."

"Okay, but I still better see you from time to time," Linda smiled. "Now, go inside and grab your things. And Charlie?"

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Please don't fall through the floor."

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Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I had a lot of fun with it and the dramatics of it HAHA! What do you think might happen next?