Page 9 of Burn

“Babe, you’re in no condition to drive. You look like you’re going to pass out. I will drive. You need to get up and grab whatever you need. My mom will be here in 15 minutes.”

I start to argue, but he kneels before me, both hands on my shoulders.

“Lane. I’m coming. Don’t argue. Pack.”

His expression is laced with concern; his tone is soft and gentle.

I nod slowly and rise to my feet, grabbing my toothbrush and a pair of jeans.

This isn’t enough.

Dave turns from the dresser to see me standing, dazed, with the two items in my hands. He crosses the room and wraps his arms around me, holding me tight.

“Is my friend dead?” I whisper.

He’s silent because he can’t answer that question. He’s silent because he doesn’t want to lie. He’s quiet because he’s also terrified, but he’ll never let me see it. He’ll give me space to fall apart while he holds me up. We stand here like this for a while until the sound of the front door downstairs opening pulls us apart. I wipe the tears off my cheeks, heading for the stairs. Dave’s mother stands in the entryway; her face does nothing to comfort me, concern all over it.

“What’s going on?”

Her voice is too sharp, too urgent.

The kids will wake up.

I open my mouth to respond that I don’t fucking know what happened when Dave passes me. He gently touches my back and replies to his mother.

“We don’t know anything yet, Mom. Kids have school at 8:45 A.M. Lunches are packed and in the fridge. We’ll call with an update.”

I take a deep breath before taking a step down the stairs.

Less than ten minutes later, we’re in the car. Dave drives, and I search the internet for news of the fire. My fingers are ice cold against my phone screen, but I can’t stop scrolling. I’m shaking. It doesn’t take long — the local press is all over it. Mystomach twists as I press play on the video feed, and I find the urge to throw up when her building is shown. I pause the video and try to count the number of balconies.

One, two, three, four, five.

Fuck.

I go back a few seconds and try again, but I think the video cuts off a floor or two. Depending on how many balconies aren’t visible, I count up to seven or eight.

She’s on nine, right?

I lock my phone and stare blankly out the window.

Bracing for the devastation that waits for me in the city.

Trouble

Lex

14 Years Old

Something whizzes past my face, startling me out of a daydream. I blink and look around. Everyone’s head is down, but a few people snicker quietly. As I scan the room, I lock eyes with a boy sitting a few stools down. His hair is mussed, his eyes are dark, and he glares at me with such hatred that it makes my stomach flip and my cheeks flush. I return my eyes to the paper before me, unable to stomach the intensity.

The science lab has a lingering scent of propane and formaldehyde. The smell hangs thick in the air, regardless of when we last burned something or dissected baby animals. The words on my test jumble together. I swear I knew this when I studied last night.

What is the function of the mitochondria in a cell?

True or False: DNA is found in the nucleus of prokaryotic cells.

What is an example of a biotic factor in an ecosystem?