Aaron. [Aaron Paul]

One.

I can't remember much when a stranger wakes me up. The night before is a big blur in my head, but when I look around the room, I can vaguely remember loud music and lots of people.
Red and blue plastic cups cover the floor. Empty pizza boxes and ash trays full of smoked cigarettes clutter the couches and tables.
A party. Last night was a party. I just don't remember the actual partying part.
My vision is cloudy and I try to blink it away but I can't.

"Get up! Come on!" a blonde boy is shaking me back and forth, and my ears start working again.

A loud siren sound fills the room and after a moment, I am being sprayed with water

"What's going on?!" I am pulled to my feet by the kid as I look around.

Smoke seeps through the door into the apartment, and I realize why my vision is so clouded.

"Fire. A cigarette caught the curtain. Now move your feet!" the stranger pulls my arm and coughs loudly through the thickening smoke.

The sprinkler water from the ceiling soaks me from head to toe as me and the boy stumble blindly across the room.
I can spot a couple other figures yelling and crawling through the black fog, but I don't have time to see if they get to safety because this strange guy is yanking me alongside of him. 

"Slow down!" I yell over the sirens and chaos.

"Speed up!" the boy snaps back. "We're almost to the window!"

Squinting, I can see a faint glow coming from outside the glass up ahead.

"So what's your plan?!" I yell once we get to our destination.

The blue-eyed teen lets go of my wrist and brings his elbow back. Smashing the window with one blow, he pulls his shirt over his face and looks outside towards the ground.

"Jump! I'll go after you!" he says through his t-shirt, pushing me in front of him.

"You idiot!" I yell back, pulling my shirt over my face as well. "We're on the third floor!"

The boy laughs as if I'm not serious. "Trust me! There's a mat!"

I widen my watering eyes, but have no more time to object. The charred floor under our feet begins to creek, which is enough to get me to sit on the window-sill with my feet dangling out.

"Go!" The boy screams.

"Don't rush—" I can't even finish my sentence before the guy nudges me forward and I am plunging toward a large red target on a large inflatable mat.

                                                             *      *      *

"I'm fine. Really. I'm good." I say to the woman who is checking me for injury. I wave her away and set down the towel I used to dry off with, then get up from the back of the ambulance.
There are two fire trucks and three ambulances in the apartment parking lot, and paramedics are tending to people who might've gotten injured during the fire.

The fire had been put out an hour ago, and I had called my mom to tell her I was okay. Firemen still pepper the building looking for people who could have gotten stuck and probably also searching for a possible source of the fire (un-wanting to ask us about it.)

"I see you survived the fall." a calm voice speaks to me from behind. 

I spin around to find myself face-to-face with the same kid that dragged me to the window.
Outside, in the daylight, I can better see his features. His hair is a bit tussled and is a dirty-blonde color. Blue eyes look into mine and he wears a carefree grin. His cheeks are smudged with black char, and his clothes are still damp.