Chapter Fourteen

If you only once would let me
Only just one time
Then be happy with the consequence
With whatever's gonna happen tonight
Don't think we're not serious
When's it ever not
The love we make is give and it's take
I'm game to play along
Work - Jimmy Eat World

"Emma, wake up." I heard Sean's voice. I raised my head up quickly and connected with something hard.

"Oww!" Me and Sean both said at the same time. I lightly touched my forehead with my fingers. There wasn't a bump there, so it was all good.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I sat up and looked over at Sean who was knealing on the floor by the bed.

"Yeah." Sean said and finally removed his own hand from his forehead.

"What were you doing so close to my face?" I asked. I knew the part I was hoping for, but I didn't know why he had actually done it.

"I was just trying to wake you up." His responce was a little rushed, but it sounded real. It wasn't what I was looking for.

"Oh." I said, letting my disappointment show. At the moment I really didn't care if he knew how I felt.

Sean looked like he was about to say something else when he was stopped by a crash coming from the kitchen. I jumped and looked in the direction of the kitchen.

"I'll be right back." Sean said, getting up and running out of the room. I sighed and leaned back against the headboard.

It wasn't Sean who told me to get out of the house. It was the smoke detector. I jumped up, grabbed my bag, and ran out of the room to the hall.

The whole kitchen and the living room were in flames. I couldn't see Sean anywhere. I looked around me, trying to find him.

"Sean!" I screamed as loud as I could. It wasn't loud enough though, the smoke was so thick that I couldn't breathe.

"Em!" I heard my name being called from down the hall in Sean's parent's room.

I ran as quickly as I could to the room. Sean was there trying to drag his mom out of the room.

"What's wrong with your mom? And where is your dad?" I asked as I tried to get at least a few gasps of fresh air.

"She's passed out from her morning dose. My dad is out for the day. She figured she would cook. Then went to lie down. Help me." Sean explained. I rushed to help him.

We went as fast as we could to the back door. In the backyard we both collapsed, coughing. I was the first to get my breath. It was then that I realized I no longer had my bag.

"Oh...c." I said. I still didn't have much breath. I guess talking was just too hard.

"What?" Sean looked a little out of it. I really didn't blame him for it though. I'm sure I looked the same.

"I left...my bag. It had all my money in it. Bus passes and clothes too." I caught my breath and finished the sentence.

"Great." Was all that Sean said. It wasn't like there was much more that we could say.