Indiana

1. Touch me and you'll burn.

Everyone stared at her as she strode past, unfazed. No one could figure her out. She was the kind of girl you'd find in a book: a complete mystery until the very last page, when you find out what breaks her. Her petite, unassuming appearance didn't quite fit with the confidence she radiated. Her gaze was fixed straight ahead... I wondered if there was danger beneath the pretty face. I had to find out. I was going to rewrite whatever book she'd fell off the pages of. No one else was stepping up to the job. She needed a friend, right?

I followed her down the hallway, seamlessly merging with the waves of people that swelled with whispers. She moved ahead as if she were Moses walking through the parted waters. It was an odd sight to watch as she effortlessly navigated her way around the corridors like she knew exactly where she was going. She couldn't know, obviously. She must've memorised the map, I guessed doubtfully. It was something only someone desperate to fit in would do. Why was she desperate atall? I pondered. It seemed she had it all.
I was beginning to understand the urge to whisper about this new girl. Her character was getting harder to understand by the second. I wasn't sure where she'd fit in the storyline. I brushed away that thought. I didn't know where she'd fit in my storyline, but I knew that she would fit. So I kept up my pace behind her- or tried to. I found myself moving faster and faster... I paid closer attention to her for a moment and noticed her shoulders had dropped a little and she didn't move with as much confidence as she had. Perhaps she'd put on an act? A brave face? I decided that gave me even more reason to introduce myself. I barged my way through the crowd, knocking elbows and ribs. I was determined and following the girl was all going fine until she took a turn down a dead end. She glanced back with an almost panicked look in her eye before she slipped into the furthest classroom. I began to question if she really knew where she was going. I was pretty sure she was lost. It was as if she'd been running from something, simply looking for somewhere to hide. I put a hand on the door handle and peered into the classroom through the small window. She really was running from something. There was no other explanation. She'd hidden herself, just like I'd thought she would. I asked myself, What if she is  dangerous? Pretty wouldn't matter if she was out to cause harm. Neither thought did anything to quell my urge to help her, to know her. So I opened the door and took a step inside the unlit science room. It shouldn't have been left unlocked. Looking around, an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach for the first time that day... Smash!
That's where she was. I inched towards the shattered flasks of chemicals on the floor, knocked from one of the low shelves. She wasn't clumsy- she was nervous. What had changed so quickly? Whooph! I jumped back with a yelp as an untamed fire roared from the broken mess. It took me a second to snap out of the shock.
I ran around the other side of the desk I knew the girl was hidden behind and reached out to grab her. I caught myself from tripping on thin air and smoke, when I realised she wasn't there. I looked up. Her eyes glowed on the other side of the fire as it rose higher, nearing the ceiling. The fire alarms rang out across the school and I heard chaos happening down the corridor as people rushed from the building. That was the least of my worries...
"Hey, look, we need to get out of here."   The girl shook her head.
"Stay away from me," she pleaded, her voice somehow carrying over the bell and the roaring fire. I was bewildered. I coughed through the smoke that stung my eyes.
"You need to get out!"
I ran around the table again only to stand dumbfounded as her eyes met mine through the fire, once more. There was no point in asking 'how?' at that very moment. It was more important just to get her out. My vision blurred as tears welled in my eyes, brought on by the accumulating smoke and perhaps whatever chemicals had been set alight. The fire was spreading. Did she want to go up in flames? Not a helpful question, I realised.
Exasperated, I called again to her. "If it's getting told off you're worried about, I'll take the blame. Just get out." She shook her head again. In a split second her eyes hardened; she straightened up and it felt like her confidence was back. I watched through the smoke in confusion. I'd had enough of this game. She needed to get out, and if I had to stick my arm through the fire, so be it.
I reached forwards my fingertips scorching.
"Touch me and you'll burn." She hissed.
"Yes! I know!" I chuntered sarcastically, slightly infuriated. Did she take me for an idiot? Then I realised. I was trying to pull her through a fire. She'd burn. I was an idiot, afterall. I wracked my brains for other ideas and came up empty. By then the school would be almost entirely evacuated aside from us.
"Go! Stay away from me!" She growled fiercely. My breathing was too erratic to sigh with complete exasperation and exhaustion, but the thought was there...
"Leave me!" She persisted. I had to. The ceiling was starting to cave in, made of some highly-flammable material, I assumed, as the fire moved across the ceiling too. I would send in fire personnel after her but the fire had already divided us, in a few short minutes. It had spread too far. I couldn't breath properly. Not. Enough. Oxygen.

I whispered hoarsely "I'll get help," and stumbled from the room while I still could. I got halfway down the corridor when I heard more glass shattering. Much more glass... The adrenaline kicked in and I ran.

♤

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! This is only draft-work for now. Please leave comments and let me know what you think. ALSO Click on the image above (at the top) to see the full cover I intended for the book. ♡ ORM.

1090 words.