Toast

Chapter Twenty Six // Grieving

- Elizabeth's POV -

Without thinking of going to get help or to turn on the fire alarm I sprinted towards the fire and up the stairs to get to Priya. She was curled up by the fire exit while crying loudly, if she didn't move in the next few minutes the fire would rise around her.

"Priya! We have to leave now!" I shouted when I reached her, I bent down on my knees and tried to lift her up but she refused to move. She was covering her face with her hands while crying loudly, I could feel the heat of the fire below us.

"We're going to burn if we stay here!"

"GOOD!" Priya yelled back at me, how am I suppose to get her away from this? The state she was in was much more severe than last week in her bedroom.

"Sydney was here, I need to wait for her" Priya cried, I frowned and held out my hand to her. The fire was beginning to rise rapidly and the fire alarms began to ring, I could hear everybody screaming and the teachers shouting.

"I'm going to look after you, I promise. You need to stay alive for her" I told her quickly. A bead of sweat ran down my forehead but I didn't know if it was because I was nervous or because the fire was getting closer.

Priya sat up and grabbed onto my hand, she agreed to get away from the fire with me. We held onto each other tightly as we climbed down the stairs and hurried away from the rising fire, I looked back and saw it finally catching onto the balcony where we were sitting less than a minute ago.

Priya's hand was shaking violently in mine, she was terrified. She was clearly still in love with Sydney but I guess that was expected, I now felt guilty for kissing her.

We hurried into the empty corridors, I looked around quickly because I had no idea where anybody had went.

"They're probably outside the front of the school.." Priya commented while staring at me, I sighed loudly at my stupidity before dragging her through the corridors with me.

"We have to pretend we were in the toilets the whole time, okay? We never saw the fire" I told Priya seriously, she nodded. Priya had stopped crying but her body was still shaking in fear, grief was affecting her more than it should. But I wouldn't know what grief like that felt like, I've never had a person so close to me pass away.

Me and Priya finally got to the entrance of the school, thousands of girls were lined up outside in their classes and so were all the teachers. The boys school was also evacuated, they were lined up next to us.

I held Priya's hand tightly while hurrying over to our class, Amber sighed with relief and hugged me tightly once we approached everybody.

"I was so worried about you! Where the hell did you go?" She shouted, the rest of the class looked over at me and Priya.

"I went to the toilet, Priya was in there too. Then we made our way back to class and you were all gone! Right Priya?" I explained before turning to Priya, her eyes were tearing up again as she nodded in agreement.

"Basically there's a huge fire in the playground, nobody knows how it happened but-"

"PRIYA!" Carrie-Anne screamed while sprinting toward our little group, she noticed how worked up Priya was. Carrie-Anne thanked me for taking care of Priya, she held out her hand to Priya but she wouldn't move. Priya had her arm linked with mine, I glanced at her and she frowned at me.

"What's wrong Priya?" Carrie-Anne asked her weirdly, it was unlike her to cling to anybody.. Especially me.

"I just want to stay here with Elizabeth" She muttered before lowering her head, I smiled to myself before turning to Carrie-Anne. I should probably tell her why Priya was crying. Everybody else around us moved away so only me, Priya and Carrie-Anne were standing together.

"Priya said she could see Sydney, she was really upset over her.." I whispered to Carrie-Anne with a frown on my face, Carrie-Anne raised her eyebrows before beginning to cry too. How am I suppose to comfort two people?!

Priya realised that Carrie-Anne was crying too, she let go of me and pulled her close. They cried in each others arms and had a little moment for their friend who was no longer here, I stepped back and let them be in each others company.

I looked around at everybody who was freaking out over the fire, I was shaken up over it too but I was trying my best to hold it in because Priya was upset. I spotted Ashley standing with the boys school, she was obviously flirting with every single one there. I rolled my eyes and focused my attention back on Priya and Carrie-Anne who were still holding each other close.

- Carrie-Anne's POV -

Priya pulled away from me and wiped my tears with her thumbs, I fake smiled at her and she did the same. I never show any emotion in front of Priya because she already has so much sadness in her head, I don't want to add to it. I bottle everything I feel up as I have to take care of my best friend.

"I really need to tell you something" Priya whispered to me with a frown on her face, I nodded. She took my hand and walked further away from the crowds of girls who were waiting for the fire to be put out, we sat down under a tree and I waited nervously for Priya to start confessing.

"Me and Sydney were dating, I'm in love with her" Priya blurted out as her eyes filled with tears once again, I was speechless. I froze still and stared at her in confusion, is she serious?

My head crowded with thoughts and explanations as to what this could mean, they were together behind my back? Why was I never informed? Priya attacks Jade for liking girls but she also loves a girl, why does she do that? Priya never had crushes in school, our friends would talk about boys for hours but she would never contribute.

"Why are you keeping this a secret? It's normal and okay. Did you think I would hate you for liking Sydney?" I asked her five minutes later, I had no idea how I felt about this. Priya shook her head and sighed.

"My dad is abusive because I'm a lesbian.. I'm sorry I never told you, I was scared that people would hurt me just like he does" Priya whispered, I gasped slightly before putting my arm around her.

"You are safe here, I promise. I'm so proud of you Priya, I think you're the strongest person I know" I told her with a smile on my face, she looked at me and laughed.

"Please don't tell anybody yet, especially Ashley" Priya begged, I rolled my eyes.

"It's not my job to come out for you, I'm just here to support you always. You know that" I reassured her, we cuddled again and watched the craziness which was our school up in flames.

Suddenly the fire fighters ran out of the building and told us that the fire had been put out, everybody began to clap. Me and Priya stared at each other before laughing at the teachers who were clapping and congratulating the fire fighters for doing their job.

"The fire was started by a cigarette, which means it must have been a student" The fire fighter shouted so everybody could hear what he was saying. All the girls began to look around at each other as if they were choosing who could have done it.

"Shit.. How the hell did they find that?!" Priya whispered in fear to me, I stared at her in shock before rolling my eyes in anger.