A/N This story war originally posted in 2007 when I was a young teenager. The other day I was on here and reading through it and was struck with a thought. What if I rewrote it? Well this excited me and this chapter below is the result. If any of my fans would like a link to the old chapters send a comment with your e-mail and I will send the two original chapters to you. This story is vastly different from the original, but I hope you enjoy it.
Warnings: Language
The fire started out simply enough. Throw a lit cigarette out your window and let the dry grass do the rest. I'm standing outside with the rest of the neighbors watching the flames lick away at the house. This is fucked up. This is really…fucked. Sirens are roaring in the distance and it will only be moments before they get here. Everyone is standing and whispering to each other in their bath robes. I can see children watching from the windows. My parents press on my shoulder wanting me to come inside and away from the blaze, but I can't move. My fingers, my skin, my head all itch for a cigarette.
"Kairi" my mother sighs.
My eyes linger on the flames for a moment more before I turn and follow her into the house.
Everyone is talking about it at school the next day. Did you hear about the fire? Did you see it? My cousin's girlfriend lives across from them...
I feel strange walking around knowing that I started it. I don't feel regret or that I am lying about what I know, I just feel nothing. Like what two plus two is, the knowledge is just there.
Class after class it's all anyone can talk about. My two best friends Riku and Sora are glad that I'm safe. They don't know, and I'm not going to tell them about it.
I'm sitting outside the school during lunch. In The Corner where all the brick meet and the kids dressed in black come to smoke clove cigarettes and talk about profound things.
"So did you watch?"
"Huh?" I blink away my thoughts.
"Did you watch it burn?"
Axel is standing over me, his eyes glittering. No one in our class likes him very much. Even the more hardcore kids try to keep their distance. Some people whisper about him, spreading rumors about how might have killed some guy somewhere, with something. Burned down his old school, beat up the principle. I've never had a problem with him, although this is the closest I've ever been.
"I did"
Axle sits down next to me on the grass and lights a cigarette. He didn't even look around for the authority. I am impressed despite myself.
"I like fire" he says, cigarette dangling from his lips.
"Hmm" I'm distracted, trying to pull out a cig for myself. I pat my pockets for a lighter when he leans over and places his glowing tip against the unlit one in my mouth. I breathe in and it sparks to life. I'm dizzy.
We sit in silence and smoke until the bell rings. We go our separate ways without a word.
The rest of the day goes on with a fuzzy tint. I don't pay attention in any of my classes, all I can think about it fire. How Axel's hair looks as if it's burning, how green his eyes are. I wonder when he got those tattoos underneath them. I think about his mouth on that cigarette, and when his thin lips spread into a smile.
After the last bell rings I meet up with Sora and Riku. We have been walking home from school together since the beginning.
"I don't want to go to school tomorrow!" Sora shouts at the clouds, shaking his fist in mock anger.
Riku smacks him over the head with his notebook.
"AUGH!"
I laugh and keep walking as they get into a play fight. The two boys roll down the grassy hill on the other side of the sidewalk.
I look up at the sky, and my mind wanders to Axel again. Suddenly they boys are beside me.
"So we heard from a very reliable source that you were chilling with Axel at lunch today" Sora says wriggling his eyebrows.
I try very hard not to blush.
"Op! She is turning pink!" Riku pokes me in the ribs.
"Yo it's nothing!"
They tease me about it until we get home. I'm always the last one walking because my house is the furthest. When I turn onto my street the first thing I notice is the bright yellow police tape crisscrossing the burned house. As I walk closer, I can see the black and charred wreckage clearly. The wind picks up some ashes and blows them around. I shiver.
I stand there for a while. My neck hairs stand on end and I spin around.
"Fuck! Axel!"
The redhead laughs and moves to stand next to me.
"I know what you are thinking" he claimed.
I raise an eyebrow. Did he follow me here?
"You're thinking…" he pauses to cock his head to the side "How beautiful it was, flames licking away at the house, slowly consuming. It was you who started it."
"It was an accident" I mutter.
Should I be surprised? Should I feel threatened? How could he know? Was it really an accident, or did I do it on purpose? I knew it was lit when I flicked it out the window. I wanted to see what would happen. I knew it was lit.
I knew it was lit.
"Nevertheless" He grins.
I'm thinking about his mouth again. I'm thinking about the fire. I don't regret what I did. Axel is tall next to me. I feel slightly uncomfortable around him, like I don't know what's going to happen next with him.
It's exciting.
I turn for my house and before I can shut the front door he sticks his foot in. Axel leans his body towards me. The hairs on my neck stand on end again.
"Listen Kairi, I'm going on a little trip tonight. Want to join me?"
"A trip?" sarcasm spills into my words.
He stares at me. And I stare right back. Slowly he lifts his lighter out of his pocket and flicks it to life. Flame flickers in his eyes and then I understand.
We trade cell numbers, and I close the front door with a click.
VRNNN!
The sound of my cell phone vibrating wakes me up.
2:45am
I squint at my screen.
From: Axel
Meet me at the café. Wear black. Bring nothing.
I was dreaming of the ocean before. I was sitting on the sand watching as a storm brewed in the distance. My hands ran across the water turning it to fire instantly…
I shake my head. All I can think about is fire and Axel.
Behind the café are a few dumpsters and no light. It's cold out and the October air rips right through my thin hoodie. I shiver.
"Boo" something blows into my ear. I open my mouth to scream but a warm dry hand covers it quickly.
"Shh! Are you trying to get us caught?" It's Axel and he is very, very close.
I breathe in his smell. Cigarettes and some spice. I'm thinking of his mouth against my skin.
He lets go of me suddenly and my fantasy abruptly stops.
"Walk with me" he whispers.
I follow beside him, struggling to keep up with his lanky strides. I can barely see him, and I try not to step on the backs of his shoes.
"Do you know the old warehouse on Pine Street?"
"Yeah"
"Inferno"
Inferno? What is that? I wrack my brain of all the SAT vocabulary lists I've memorized. Fire…fire…flames…hell…
Oh.
"The structure should fall within ten minutes. I've already set up the…"
I snap back from my thoughts and I've missed half of what he has explained. I become irritated at myself. This is no time to be flitting off to fantasy land. I need to impress him. I need to show him…
OOF!
My face makes contact with his back because he has stopped walking.
"Sorry" I sigh out.
Axel wraps his hand around my wrist and pulls me forward, over the hill. Right below us is the warehouse.