Page 1 of Her Older Fireman

Chapter 1

Maddie

“Are you ready for a kissing movie?” Colette sings as she flops onto the threadbare couch. It’s old—like everything else in the trailer—but it’s comfy. Perfect for a night in with my best friend.

I walk carefully into the living room and bend over to set a tray with a huge plate of nachos and two sodas on the coffee table, then sink down next to her.

“Absolutely,” I say. I reach out and grab a cheesy, messy chip and take a bite, practically moaning at the taste. “Oh, God, this is so good.”

Colette cracks open a soda and takes a long sip. “We need to do this more often,” she says.

I lick some cheese off my finger. “I’d love to, but you know how my mom can be sometimes.”

She rolls her eyes. “God, yes. When does she get home, anyway?”

I grab the remote control and start to flick through the streaming movie options. “Late tonight. She went to some outlet mall with a friend and they’re making a whole day of it.”

She scoops some guacamole onto a chip and crunches noisily on it, humming with satisfaction. “How’s Jodie doing anyway?”

I hear the note of derision in Colette’s voice and laugh. My mom is, well, difficult, and Colette has never liked her. The feeling is mutual, and Colette almost never comes over when Mom is around. When Mom told me that she would be gone all day, I jumped at the chance to invite Colette over for some quality best friend time. It’s a rare full day off for me, and between school and my part-time job at the coffee shop, we don’t get to see each other nearly as much as we would prefer.

Absently, I grab another nacho and crunch on it while I scroll through my options until I find one that looks interesting.

“I heard this one is good,” I say through a mouthful of tortilla chips.

“Can’t understand you with your mouth full like that,” Colette says as she helps herself to another cheesy chip.

I gulp down my nacho—and freeze.

Colette sits straight up and looks at me. “What? What’s wrong?”

Coughing, I wave my hand at her. “I’m okay,” I gasp. “Chip is a little stuck.”

I fumble for my soda and take a swig, but the jagged chunk of tortilla chip still feels lodged in my throat.

“Just give it a few,” I say, my voice raspy. “It’ll go away.”

“If you’re sure.” She settles back into the cushions.

I start the movie, but I can’t focus with the chip stuck in my throat. I feel like I can’t get a full breath, and it doesn’t take long before panic sets in and my breathing turns noisy and labored.

“That’s it.” Colette grabs the remote from the coffee table and pauses the movie. “You look and sound like you can’t breathe. Do you need me to call 911?”

Tears stream down my face and I feel lightheaded as I nod and pull in a thin, raspy breath. It’s not enough. Colette yanks her phone out and dials.

“Yeah, she’s had water,” she says into the phone. “She’s still awake, but she’s panicking. Send someone now.”

I don’t know whether to laugh—because honestly, if I step back and pretend that I’m not the one choking, it is kind of funny—or start crying because I’m afraid that I might be choking to death on a tortilla chip.

“No, I haven’t done the Heimlich.” Colette frowns and I hear swift chatter on the other end of the line, but I can’t make it out. “Okay.”

She hangs up and looks at me. “Try not to panic. There’s a station just a few blocks away and they’re leaving now.”

I nod and swipe at my teary eyes. “I want to move out of my mom’s house before I die.”

Colette laughs, but I see the concern in her face. “Don’t be a drama queen. Just stay calm for a few minutes. Cavalry’s coming, okay?”

She reaches out and grabs my hand, and she holds it without breaking contact until we hear the sirens coming. She leans over and flicks the blinds up. I can’t see out the window, but the noise of more than one vehicle vibrates the thin walls of the single-wide trailer.

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