The Experiment

Chapter Three - Part Two

Corbin

"AHH!" I screamed, "GET BACK!"

She turned around, saw the flames, and ran to the other side of the kitchen. You can do this Corbin! Be the man!

I panicked. What to do, what to do! I saw that there sink was a retractable one, able to bend toward the fire. That's it!

I grabbed the faucet and sprayed the fire furiously until it was all put out.

"Oh my goodness! I forgot my mom was cooking dinner when she suddenly disappeared." Lauryn said, nervously. "I'm so sorry you had to do that."

"I promise it's okay Lauryn!" I said, rubbing my hand that had been a little toasted. "Besides, at least the whole house isn't a pile of rubble."

"Well, I guess that's true..." She said, disappointedly.

"Lauryn, I promise, it's fine," I said, more demandingly, "Besides, how would you have known that there would be a fire? I promise it's really no big deal."

"Oh, my stars!" She yelled, "Your hand! It's burned!"

"I... I'm fine..." I mumbled, feeling a burning sensation flowing through my hand, like waves of the ocean.

"No, your not!" She yelled, as she ran and got me a cup of ice water to stick it in, "Oh my stars, that's huge!"

She grabbed my hand and shoved it into the cup of ice. The burning sensation that I had felt a minute ago, suddenly was replaced with something different. Something... unusual to say the least. Almost like butterflies, and warmth... Like a huge burden had been taken off my shoulders...

Something I had not felt in a while... my cheeks flushed a cherry red, as I realized, I was feeling...

Happy.

The way I grew up, until now, happiness was not one of my typical emotions. I could remember the last time I felt happy, some years ago...

"You ready C-Man?" My dad yelled as I bent down, ready to catch whatever he dreamed of throwing my way.

"Yep!" I replied, feeling useless. We had been outside practicing for a full hour, me unable to catch one certain pitch, and I couldn't afford to let my dad down. Not now, not ever.

Hastily, I planted my feet in the wispy grass, and squinted, as he threw his arm back to throw the pitch that would be the death of me.

The ball lifted from his hand and started coming to my direction. I squinted, and shoved my glove out in front of me, confidently. As the ball seemed to come in slow motion, I opened my eyes and opened the glove as wide as I could.

Crash.

The ball crashed into my glove, and I squeezed my hand around it, like a lemon. I would not let this ball fall.

And indeed, it did not fall.

I broke out into a smile, and my dad ran towards me. "Corbin! You did it! I'm so proud of you!"

I felt a sense of relief, I had not let my dad down.

Little did I know, he would let me down more than I could possibly imagine. But none of that mattered now. I had Lauryn, and I felt safer than I had felt in a very long time. Like I could speak freely.

"Lauryn?" I whispered as I smiled.

"Hmm?"

"I just wanted to say, thank you. For being a good friend and helping me." I said, as her concerned expression changed to a smile.

"Oh! Your... you're welcome!" She replied, happily.

Suddenly, the burn on my hand didn't sting anymore. And I felt free. Happy. Relieved.