Halfway There // Liam O'donovan

29

_FIRESTARTER_
•••
LIAM'S POV
•••

We were all hurried out of the house early in the morning because the fire alarm was echoing around the house.

"Is this a drill?" Tee asked, carrying the hamster.

"It wasn't at Burnywood." Rick said.

"But all our stuff's up there!"

"Come on!" Gina said and hurried us out into the driveway.

I grabbed Tyler's arm and turned him around. "This had better be a joke." I told him.

"I didn't do nothing!" Tyler snapped back. I put an arm around Evie's shoulders as Dennis came storming out.

"RIGHT!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs, "WHO SET OFF THE FIRE ALARM?!"

Elektra raised a hand, why am I not surprised? "Me." She said, "I just thought I should let you know that the attic's on fire." Everyone looked up and in fact smoke was coming out of the attic.

"Where's Harry?" Gina asked, looking around. I looked around and Harry was not with us.

"He has a den in the attic." Said Tyler.

Evie went running inside.

"EVIE!" Rick and I called after her. Everyone's heads swivelled round as Evie ran inside. Tracy ran up as well.
I groaned and rubbed my forehead.

Gus had gone up as well, as had Dennis.

To my relief, Evie came out 5 minutes later. Her face was covered in ash and she was coughing into her elbow. I went up to her and rubbed her back.

"Are you okay?" Rick asked her, she couldn't reply as she was still spluttering, "Are you okay, Evie?" He asked her again, repeating the question multiple times. Why did he suddenly care?

"Does she look alright?" I snapped at him. Evie stood up straight and wiped her mouth. She noticed Harry standing with Mike and Gina, she gave a sigh of relief.

"You alright, Harry?" She asked him, rubbing his shoulder. He nodded. Dennis came out and dropped Gus carelessly as if he was forgetting that Gus was an actual child.

"You shouldn't've grabbed him like that!" Tracy shouted at Dennis.

"Why? And you'd have just let him burn?" Dennis snapped back.

I placed my arm back around Evie's shoulders. "You alright?" I whispered to her. She nodded. "I'm glad." I kissed her forehead. Rick gave me a side glance.

"But all our stuff's up there!" Tee repeated and stepped forward.

"Get back!" Dennis told her and pushed her away, she fell into the mud.

"Ow!" Tee cried, we looked over to see what happened.

"What happened?" Johnny asked her.

"He pushed me!" Tee said.

"Are you alright?" Johnny asked her and helped his sister up.