Fire

             I was helping Clara clean up the apartment a few days later. She had been given a few days off from work and said the apartment needed to be cleaned. There was something off about her these past few days. Ever since she came home drunk, on the anniversary of her sister’s death, she’s being acting odd. It’s like she was nervous and scared all the time. “Alright, so we’ve dusted and polished all the furniture, vacuumed the carpet, mopped the floors, and scrubbed all the bathrooms. What is there left to do?” Clara said, although I had a feeling it was more to herself than me but I answered anyway.

            “Nothing, there is nothing left to do. This place is spotless.” I say with a sigh as I plopped down on the couch. Back at home I was used to working like this all day, but over the last few weeks I’ve found doing nothing is a lot more fun.

            “No, there has to be something else we can do.” She said as she started to chew on her nails.

            “Clara, seriously there is nothing. Why don’t we relax? We can go to the beach, or just watch a movie.” I suggested.

            “You know actually, I need to run to the grocery store, we’re running low on some things” she said walking towards her purse that was sitting on the counter.

            “Well, Oliver is going to be home for lunch soon, why don’t we go after he goes back to work.” I suggest, figuring she would want to see him. As nervous as I was when we were all in the same place, I had a feeling Clara needed Oliver to calm her down.

            “No, I really need to go and get the stuff now. The store becomes so crowded in the afternoons.” She said grabbing her things together, making her way toward the door. “Tell Oliver I said hello and that I love him.” Was all she said before exiting the apartment leaving me to my thoughts.

--------------------------------------------------

            It wasn’t long after Clara had left that Oliver came home for lunch. “Hey, where’s Clara?” he asked setting his bag down beside the door.

            “She went to the store to pick up some thin-” my sentence was cut off but Oliver’s lips on mine. His hands were placed on my either side of my hip as I wrapped my arms around his neck pressing my body against his. His tongue ran across my bottom lip asking for entrance, I parted my mouth so he could gain access. Ours tongues fought for dominance, his of course, was winning.

            When I pulled away my breathing heavy, I remembered what Clara had said to me before she left. A wave of guilt washed over me, Gosh how can I be such a horrible person? Oliver is engaged, I can’t keep doing this, but gosh I want to. I’ve learned over the past few days, that the worse fight to have is with yourself, because you can’t walk away.

“Clara said to tell you hello, and that she loves you.” I told Oliver looking down. He let out a big sigh.

“Okay.” He walked off to their bedroom, leaving me alone with that one word. That word that could mean absolutely anything.

I sat at the table by myself wondering when he would come out of their bedroom. I didn’t want to go bother him, I mean I feel terrible about kissing him, I can only imagine how bad he feels. He says he loves Clara and if that’s true then this has to be tearing him apart. It was a least an hour before he finally reappeared. “Oliver-” I started to say but was cut off.

“I’m going back to work, I’ll see you later.” He grabbed his things and was out the door before I could say anything back. I sighed as I sat down on the couch, I knew this was a bad idea, everyone is an emotional wreck. Clara was going to find out soon, there is no way she won’t be able to tell something’s wrong.

----------------------------------------

Clara came back later in the afternoon with a ton of grocery bags, I helped her put everything in their place until I pulled out a bottle of vodka. As far as I knew they didn’t keep alcohol in the house so this was new to me. “Uh…Clara, where do you want me to put this?” she turned around and her eyes widen when she saw what I was referring to. She quickly took it out of my hands and placed it in the freezer.

“Don’t worry about that.”

“Clara…are you okay? I mean you’ve been acting really different lately. You’re pale as a ghost, you barely eat, and every time Oliver’s in the room or is going to be in the room you find an excuse to leave. What’s wrong with you two?” I asked truly concerned about her.

“I….look, I did something really stupid and I have to tell Oliver, I just don’t know how to tell him. I love him with all my heart I really do and I think I might have just screwed up our relationship.” I wrapped my arm around her shoulder giving her a small hug. Though I was curious as to what she had done I didn’t want to make her anymore upset.

“It’ll all work out Clara, I promise.”

“You don’t know that! I can’t lose Oliver, I just can’t! He has helped me so much over the last few years I don’t think I could live with myself if I lost him. Especially over something so stupid.”

“Maybe he’ll understand.” I said trying to hide the guilt that was clearly all over my face.

“I hope so, I really do Fire.” We sat in silence for a while neither once of us moving or even saying a word. There was something peaceful yet eerie about the silence, it was nice to be quiet for a bit, but the quietness let my thoughts roam about my mind and those thoughts are the very ones I’m trying to forget. “I’m sorry to dump that all on you, you didn’t deserve all that drama in your life. I’m also sorry because I know I’m going to have to tell Oliver tonight. We’re probably going to fight and I just think you should be prepared for that, I’m going to try and keep it in the bedroom though, for your sake.” She said with a half-smile. I gave her one back and nodded.

“That’s very thoughtful of you.” That’s all I could think to say, this secret was going to kill me.

We spent the rest of the afternoon prepping and cooking Oliver’s favorite dinner, it was Clara’s idea, she thought it might help or at least put him better mood. The apartment was filled with all sort of aromas. Clara was making spaghetti, with fresh garlic bread, and some salad with a secret dressing recipe.

Oliver walked through the door just as we finished setting the table. “Is that Clara’s spaghetti I smell?” he said a large smile on his face.

“Yes it is.” Clara said giving him a kiss, “How was work?” she asked has he put down his stuff.

“Good, same old, same old.” A grin was still placed on his face.

“That’s good, why don’t we eat before this gets cold.” Clara suggest and we nod taking a seat before saying grace and eating.

“This taste amazing Clara.” I said.

“It always does” Oliver said.

“Well, thank you very much.” Clara said blushing a bit.

We made small talk, as we finished eating, the closer to being done we got, the more my stomach twisted into knots. I wasn’t sure what Clara had done but I was terrified of how everything just might blow up.

“After we get the kitchen clean, Oliver, I need to talk to you.” Clara said getting up from the table grabbing a few plates and taking them to the sink.

“Is everything okay?” his voice laced with concern, Clara picked up the pot with sauce in it.

“We just need to ta-” Clara cut off midsentence when she slipped and fell, dropping the pot on the floor, splattering sauce all over herself and the kitchen. Both Oliver and I jumped up from our seats and made our way to her.

“Clara! Oh my goodness, are you okay?” Oliver said crouching down to look at Clara.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just a walking tomato.” She said trying to laugh at herself, though she seemed really embarrassed. “I’m going to get cleaned up, wash the tomato sauce out of my hair. But we need to talk afterward.” She said as Oliver stood up, holding out his hands. Clara grabbed them and Oliver helped up her up onto her feet.

“Alright, I’ll clean up the kitchen.” Clara nodded and walked off toward the bathroom.

Oliver and I started cleaning up the kitchen, it didn’t take too long with both of us working. “There, done.” I said throwing a dirty paper towel in the trashcan. Oliver’s hands wrapped around me and pulled me closer, his lips pressed against mine. When he kissed me, it was like a shock of electricity, like I never wanted to pull away. I never wanted our kissing to end, you know that saying that kissing someone you love becomes more addictive than drugs? I’ll tell you first hand, that is very true.

My mind was fighting me, constantly reminding me that this was wrong, that we shouldn’t be doing this especially when Clara was less than fifty feet away. I had to give in to the insanity that was my brain and push him away. “Oliver, Oliver stop.” I said.

“What?” he asked his voice was husky.

“We…we can’t. Clara is literally in the other room.” He sighed and pulled away from me.

“Fire…” I didn’t want to know what he was going to say, so I started talking.

“No, Oliver, you have to tell Clara, she…she loves you more than anything in this world. You can’t keep lying to her that will only make matters worse. We especially can’t keep making out in her apartment! With her in it! Do you have any idea how wrong that is?!” I said in a calm voice but it didn’t matter how low I said it, Clara had just heard me.

“W-what do you mean making out?” she asked, he hair was in a sloppy bun on the top of her head and she wore pajama shorts and an oversized sweatshirt. We both turned to look at a Clara in complete shock. This isn’t how it was supposed to go, this isn’t how she was supposed to find out, this isn’t how anything was supposed to happen. “Please, please don’t tell me you and her have been doing things.” Clara said her voice cracking, she sounded broken and I’m the reason. I’m the one that messed around with her fiancé, I’m the low life girl that took him from her.

“Clara, please, let me explain-“

“No! You cheated on me! With a sixteen year old, a sixteen year old Oliver! How could you?” Clara said as tears fell down her cheek.

“Me? How about you! What did you do that night at the bar Clara?” Oliver accused back, I stood completely still, and I wouldn’t dare make a sound or a move.

I had grown up in a home with only one parent most of my life, however it wasn’t because my parents divorced, or because my dad bailed. It was because my father was killed when I younger.

 My father had died when I was only five years old, drunk driving accident, dad had been working late all week and to make it up to us he had stopped by our favorite bakery just as it was closing to pick up some cupcakes for, Mom, Natasha, Willow and myself. He was going through an intersection when a drunk ran a red light and crashed right into him. He was killed on impact.

I had never experienced fighting before. Never had I been in a situation where to people who had loved each other in some way where yelling, accusing, and being just hateful people.

“How do you know about that bar?! Did your little whore tell you?” Clara yelled pointing her finger at me. I shrunk into myself even more.

“Don’t call her that! And no she didn’t tell me anything, you did.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You came home wasted, you could barely walk on your own two feet, and how you managed to get up the stairs is beyond me. But while I was trying to get you to bed you were going on about the bar. I asked you what happened and you said ‘you know what happened, but shh don’t tell Oliver, he’d be mad.’”

“I…I…didn’t mean to do it! I was upset and drunk! You on the other hand are doing it knowing full well what you’re doing! Mine was a mistake, I did it once. You kept doing it.” Clara said.

“What exactly did you do, Clara?” Oliver asked his voice was cold and distant now.

“I made out with this guy at the bar.” She said looking down.

“So we both made a mistake.” Oliver said.

“I made a mistake, you are still making the mistake.” She said looking Oliver dead straight in the eyes. Her voice was soft and low, she looked so fragile, so weak.

“What if I stopped? Do you think we could both forget about it? I love you Clara, I really do, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I just hate that it took you kissing someone else for me to figure that out.” Oliver said in a soft caring voice. Clara smiled at him and hugged him tightly.

“I would love if we both just forgot about it.”

My chest slightly hurt, my heart was pounding in my chest faster and faster and I just knew it was going to explode soon. I was so stupid to think I could actually be with Oliver, they always go back to the first girl. They never stay with the sixteen year old girl that they pulled in. They make the young girl feel as if everything is her fault and in end it’s the guy that gets the happily ever after, never the foolish girl.

“Great.” Oliver said not even acknowledging that I was still in the room.

“But she has to leave. My mistake isn’t constantly here reminding you I cheated, I don’t want yours here.” Clara said making Oliver finally turn his attention to me. I would say I was shocked at her request, however I wasn’t. If I was her, I’d kick me out too. What stunned me was what happened next.

            “Okay, I’ll help her pack her things.” Oliver told her. I was truly surprised, by this, he didn’t stand up for me. He didn’t care that it was late at night and I had nowhere to stay. He just wanted Clara to be happy. He couldn’t care less about what happens to me. Clara nodded and made her way to the bed room. I stood there frozen as I stared up at him. He didn’t even make eye contact with me, he kept staring down at the floor. The tears I tried so hard kept in started to fall down my face. I turned towards the living room area and walked over to my bag, I start to pack my bag when Oliver comes up behind me. “I’m sorry Fire, but this…this is my marriage. I can’t just give up on her. I realized how much I truly love her when she told me she cheated.

            “Don’t say you’re sorry! This was never supposed to happen, you were never supposed to mean this much to me! I was never supposed to fall this hard! But you know what? I did and that’s the truth and that’s the only thing that keeps me holding on because it hurts like hell to think I’m not going to be with you!” I yelled as more tears cascaded down my cheeks.

            “Fire, I didn’t mean to put you through this! I really didn’t, I thought I loved you more than I loved Clara, but I was wrong. I will never love anyone as much as I love Clara and I am truly sorry that I drug you into this. I really am.” Oliver said, however there was nothing he could say that would make any of this okay. I went back to my packing trying so hard not to completely fall apart. Oliver grabbed a pair of my shorts and folding them before I took them out of his hands roughly.

            “Don’t.” I snapped.

            “Please, at least let me help you pack.”

            “I’ve got it.” I packed the last of my things before walking to the door. I opened it and looked back at Oliver. He looked sad, like he was truly regretful of what happed. A few more tears run down my face. “Tell Clara I’m sorry for what I did and that I am truly grateful for all she has done for me. Goodbye Oliver.” I said before walking out the door.

            When I reached the first floor I leaned up against a wall, I kept expecting to hear Oliver running down the stair, yelling my name. You know, like they do in the movies, but that wasn’t the case. Oliver did come, he was never going to come after me. I sighed as I started to think about where I was going to go.

            I suddenly remembered the man from the first night I was here in the city. I set my bag down and rummaged through it until I found the bent up card. “Hendricks Plants – helping troubled youth dig new roots” read on the card. I flipped it over “Parker Hendricks and Xavier Martins 347 New King Ave, L.A. California” was on the back. Though I had said I would only do it if I ever saw that Alison girl again, I made my decision then and there, I was going to go to Hendricks Plants. I pulled up a map on my phone and typed in the address, it was about fifteen miles away. Shit, I was going to have to get a cab and I didn’t have a lot of money left either.

            I walked a few blocks before I was able to hail a cab and got in the back seat. “347 New King Avenue, please.” I told the driver who nodded and took off.

            He pulled up to this well-kept tall brick building “That’ll be 23.45” the drive said I pulled out twenty five dollars and gave it to him. He gave me the change and I got out of the cab. I walked up the small amount of steps to the all glass front door. I rang the doorbell and waited, the light was on in the hallway so someone had to be here. I saw a figure behind the blurry glass the door slowly opened. It revealed the man I met the night at the diner, he was mid to late twenties, short brown hair and some scruff covered his face.

            “Can I help you?” the man asked.

            “Um, yeah…about a month ago you gave me this card,” I handed him the card, “You said I could have a job and place to stay.” I explained looking down at my feet not wanting to meet his gaze.

            “Right, I’m Parker Hendricks, would like to come inside?” Parker asked. I nodded my head and walking inside. This was something entirely different than what I was used to. A marvelous chandelier hung from the celling in the middle of the spiral wooden staircase. This house was amazing. “So, tell me…”

            “Fire.”

            “So tell me Fire, why all the sudden interest?” Parker asked.

            “I got kicked out of the place I was staying at before.” I said looking down hoping he wouldn’t ask why I got kicked out.

            “Why?” he asked, damn it. I didn’t look at him nor did I respond. He chuckled a bit. “That’s alright, you don’t have to tell me. How about I show you to your new room?”

            “That would be great.”

            “Let me take your bag.” He said taking it from my shoulder before he led me up the staircase to the second floor. There was a long hallway with many doors he took me to the first one on the right. When I walked in I was amazed at how grand the room was.

“Wow.” I whispered to myself, it was so big it was like two rooms in one. Half of the room was lifted up about a foot with two steps leading up to it. On the rise part of the room was a dresser, vanity, queen size bed and then a sitting area with two couches and large plasma screen television. The part that wasn’t raise up was slightly smaller and only had a dresser, vanity and bed. There were three doors on the left side of the room.

“I’m glad you like it. The middle door goes to your private bathroom and the other two doors are closets. You can pick which ever bed you want.” Parker said, I placed my bag on the bed that was lifted on the platform.

“There is food in kitchen down stairs, I’ll show that to you before you go to bed, you can have anything in there. You can watch anything you want on the television, if it cost anything just go ahead and get it. We want you to be in your room by eleven each night, but you don’t have to go to sleep just be in your room. Sound good?” He asked.

“Yeah.” I replied as I sat on the incredibly soft bed and looked up at him.

“Good, um tomorrow you can go with me to the store and we’ll get you some food you like to eat.” He said and I nodded.

“Look, Fire, I don’t know what you’ve done in the past or what you did to get kicked out from where you were staying but, if you ever need anyone I’m here for you. I’m not going to judge you, but I will try my best to help you in any way that I can.” He explained. That made me smile, he cared about me.

“That’s really nice of you.” I commented.

“Well, you know my job is to help troubled teens.” He smiles back at me.

“So just to go over general rules. What we, Xavier and I, say is a rule. If we tell you to do something, for instance to clean your room, I expect you to get it done.”

“Okay.”

“Since we don’t want you out of your room after eleven, you’ll notice there is a mini fridge, it has drinks and some food in there, of course you can fill it with whatever you want. As long as it is age legal.”

“Alright.” I said nodding my head

“Not that I’m arguing or anything, I’m perfectly fine with it, but why do have to be in my room by eleven?”

“Because we need rules.”

“Why?”

“It’s just a way to keep you safe. Having rules is best, without rules the world will turn to chaos and we don’t need chaos.” He explained. I nodded my head. “I’m going to let you get your stuff together. Come downstairs before you go to bed. Just call out, one of us will hear you.” He got up and left shutting my door on his way out. I went into the bathroom and cleaned myself up and changed into soft and comfy pajamas. I then made my way downstairs walking around the house aimlessly trying to find the kitchen. When I reached a dead end hallway I sighed and realized I wasn’t going to be able to find the kitchen on my own. “Parker? Parker are you here?” I called out waiting for an answer.

“Lost already?” I heard a voice say, a voice I didn’t recognize. I turned around and coming out of a room was a guy in his mid-twenties, he had blonde hair and green eyes as well has some scruff on his jaw line.

“Um…Hi.” I say not too sure what I am supposed to say.

“I’m Xavier. I’m guessing you’re Fire. Nice to meet you.” He said holding out his hand. I took it and shook it.

“Yes, I’m fine. Um…Parker told me to come down the stairs before I went to bed and I was looking for the kitchen.” I explained.

“Alright, well follow me.” I followed him as we walked through the house and finally ended up in the kitchen. Parker was sitting at the breakfast bar looking at papers. “Look who I found lost in the hallway.”

“Fire, I hope you weren’t lost for too long.” He said while putting the papers down and looking up at me.

“No, just a minute or two.”

“Good.” He said as I walked over to the refrigerator and opened it grabbing a bottle of water and an apple form the counter. “It’s getting late, do you know where everything is?” Parker asked.

“Yes.”

“Alright, well I think since it’s your first night you should probably be going to bed now. Now, if for some reason something happens and you need one us use your intercom. It’s beside you’re door. It works just like this one,” he walked over to the wall to where the intercom in the kitchen was. “Press this button and talk, release it when you are done to hear us talk back. Understand?”

“Yes thank you.” I said

“Alright, goodnight Fire. Sleep well.” He said. I nodded and left the room going up the stairs into my new room. I looked the door and sighed as leaned up against it sliding down. I hope this worked out. I really hope for my sake this doesn’t end badly. I thought to myself.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Well, that took forever for my to write but i finally got it done! i really hope you all like it.

Comment!

Share!

Vote!