Page 44 of Fire Fight

The jut of her chin invites a confrontation, but I ease back on my emotion.

It won’t help.

“Sure did. He grew a few inches, bulked out a tonne, and I only saw him from the back.” Her mulish expression tells me how unconvincing she finds me. “And he was coming out of the water. I’m not used to seeing him with wet hair.”

Gretchen shakes her head again. “I asked you to invite him to the party.”

“I did! He’s coming.”

“Only because he approached me this morning after hearing you boast about it to his dad.” She shifts back a step. “Sorry, but I’ve been burned with friendships before. I don’t like liars. Especially not liars who think it’s funny to cause trouble at home. You know his mother died?”

I nod, staring at the floor like I’ve done something as shameful as she believes I have. By the time it recedes, Gretchen has walked away, and I sigh, opening my locker.

My body flinches before I register what I’m seeing.

A flash of panic whites out my mind, sweat beading on my forehead.

Here, catch.

The world fills with my thundering heartbeat; my nostrils burn with the choking thickness of smoke.

A girl nearby laughs and reality slams into me, knocking me back a step.

I gag, compulsively clearing my throat, lungs wheezing.

A passing student stares because my arms are raised in a defensive posture. I lower them, struggling to get my rioting emotions under control.

The attack only lasts a second, but I know from experience the low mood that follows will be harder to shake. The dull sense of dread worms deeper as I swap the books from my bag for the ones in my locker, breathing in ragged gasps.

My first week at school was easy, but Drake has completely derailed my second.

In a burst of anger, I grab the Zippo and lighter fuel he left on the top shelf of my locker, storming along the corridor, my stride lengthening as I slam through the double doors, entering the quad.

We don’t share classes, but I know Drake’s homeroom and head for the rubbish bin directly outside. Using both hands, I squeeze the can of fuel into the bin, splashing it across the fruit peel, paper bags, and discarded food wrappers.

When my shaking hands can’t clench any tighter, I toss the can on the top, pulling the lighter from my pocket.

I glance up.

Drake stares at me through the window.

A mocking smile dances on his lips… but his eyes.

His eyes.

They blaze as they fix to mine. Burning into me. Razing all the way to my soul.

I flick the wheel, hear the scratch, the spark, the soft puff as the gas catches into flame.

My mind’s already alight with what comes next. The flames, the heat, the untamed nature of fire.

What the fuck are you doing?

With a gasp, I step back, trembling before the abyss.

I’m not the one with the rich daddy. I’m the one without a safety net.

The truth punches my chest, cracking ribs, collapsing my lungs until I deflate, arm dropping to my side. One call from the principal and Arnold will throw us out of his magnificent house.

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