Little Fires(Evan Buckley)

Bitch I Lied

I walk up the stairs toward my friends. "Evening bitches." I see Buck take a pepper from the pot Hens cooking in. "Really? If you want some just ask." She states. "I'm good I already ate." I lean on the counter.

"You still owe me 20 bucks, Buck. Don't think imma forget." "For what?" He asks. "For the damn cookie bouquet that we delivered to Chimney." "The one with the get well card that I manhandled you to sign." I state.

"He's doing it again." We look at Bobby. "What? Eating dinner?" Hen asks. "Staring into that book. Come on you must have a line on the gossip around here." He tells me.

"What is it? Why- why is he so obsessed with it?" "Only thing I can tell you is stay the fuck away from it." I warn. "Trust me." I say getting up and setting the table.

"I made that mistake three months into working here." "I did it first week in."

"So you're saying no one here knows what he writes in it. Well watch this." He says going over to him."alright Buck when he pops you in that pretty little mouth of yours just make sure it's on the side that's already got a mark" "I'll give you that 20 now if he flops." I say sitting next to her. "Deal. Want some?" "Thanks." She gives me some of her food.

He struts over to him. He's talking to him. Bobby gets up and walks away from him. He grabs him by the shoulders.

"Oop-"

He slams him against the wall. He lets him go and he walks off. I hand Hen the 20.

The alarm goes off. We respond to a plane crash.

We stand on the beach gazing at the plane. "You guys ever seen something like this before?" The planes in fire but it's on the fire. "First time for everything." I say as we run over to the raft.

"Tiny did you ever get those swimming lessons?" Cap asks. "Just like a mermaid."

We get closer and hear shouting. "The waters on fire." "Jet fuel." I correct. "I count twelve to fifteen victims on the wing at least 30 in the water. How long before that thing sinks?" Hen asks. "Based on the timing of the swells. I don't think that thing can take more than four or five sets before going down," he states.

We get on the plane. "Where the hell are we gonna evacuate all these people?" Buck asks. "We have to get these people out of here and on a beach. This thing is going down in four minutes.

Hen pulls the safety raft cord on the plane. "SWIM TO THE RAFT! SWIM TO THE RAFT! THE PLANE IS SINKING!" 

We lift a piece of the plane from a man. "I can't get my seat belt off. It's digging into me," he states. "Stay with me, sir. Stay with me okay?" "I'm gonna pull it off. On three. One..." I rip it off of him.

He starts screaming. Bobby and Buck lift him up. "We're gonna get you off the plane."

We get to the back of the plane and see a mother and her son. "Are you trapped?" "he's right come on." he lifts the seat and her legs are pinned.

"WAIT STOP!" I shout. He stops. "Her legs are pinned. "Please save him." "Tiny get the kid." "no no!" he shouts. "I'm not leaving without you!" "Okay, baby listen. The firefighters are here. Okay? I need you to get on their boat so they can do their job. Of everyone is worried about you and your pretty face. How are they gonna do what they need to do to save me? Have I ever lied to you?" he shakes his head. "Then you have to believe me. I will be with you again so soon. Mommy loves you so much. Do this for me." "Okay." he nods.

"Okay, you're gonna hold onto me." he wraps his arms around my neck. "I got you lil man." "you go with her." I take him off the plane.

"It'll be alright. We're gonna get on the boat." I hang him to some survivors. They hand Buck the bag. The plane starts to shake causing me to slip. "Whoa!" Buck catches me. He smiled at me "I hope you know where it knee is. Stop smiling at me like that." I stand up straight. "Get to the back!" I tell him. "What about you?" "remember when bobby asked me if I took them swimmin' lessons?"

"Ya."

"Bitch I lied."

I jump on the raft and salute. "DONT FUCK UP!"

I stand next to the truck. I keep looking for any sign of Buck or Bobby.

"Crisis averted." I turn around and sigh in relief when I see Buck. "Is it just my imagination or do you look happy to see me?" "You sure you didn't inhale some water earlier?" I ask.

"Yes I'm sure." I hum. "Nice job not fucking up." "Was that a compliment? Did the Destiny Morgan just give me a compliment?" He asks. "Don't get too full of yourself. It was one- two times." I roll my eyes. He chuckles and his phone rings.

He looks at the Id and picks up. "Abby." My eyes widen and I gasp. "Dispatch Gurl." I whisper shout. He puts his finger to his lips.

"Yeah. It's grim."

"Yeah I'm-im okay." "Awe." He shoves me. I snicker.

"You knew someone on this flight?"

"Damn.

"Yeah a lot of folks didn't."

"Let me uh see what I can find out."

I hit his harm. "So..." "she's needs to find a survivor Dale Marks." He states. "Can you-" "I was gonna clock out early and confront my teenage roommate about my missing clothes but sure what the hell." I shrug.

We walk over to a station. "Hey you go ask her about him and I'll go grave digging." "That's kind of morbid." "No..." I say sarcastically.

I walk over to the tent and look for name tags. "Daaale." I sing.

"Dale Marsh."

I crouch down and look out a tag. "That's depressing. Great now I gotta tell Buck." "he's dead?" he asks. I look up at him. I stand up. "Yeah sorry Buck." " It's fine." he pulls his phone out.

"I'll leave you to it, big guy." I walk out the tent and start to look for Bobby.

"Captain Nash?" I ask around.

I bite my lip. "BOBBY!" I shout. I find Hen and Buck. "Guys I can't find Bobby."

We knock on his door. "He ever gon MIA like this before?" "No. Honestly. I don't- I don't know much about his story before he took over the house just that he uh he's in recovery." Hen states.

I bang on the door again until Buck grabs my wrist. "You hear it?" He asks. I hear a phone ringing. "You hear that?" "I'm gonna kick it down." He states. "Boy!" I put my hand to his chest stopping him.

"Hen key." "Bobby and I gave each other spare keys just in case one of us couldn't make it home one day." She unlocks it and we go inside.

"Bobby?"

I look in his bedroom. "Guys!" I see him on the bed. I see an empty bottle. "Bobby?" Hen calls.

"Bob? Bob? Hey." He shakes. "Pick him up and throw him in the shower." I state.

I turn the shower on and stand in between Buck and Hen with my arms crossed.

He wakes up. He opens his eyes and looks at us.

"How long has it been?" Buck asks. "545 days. 45 and a half if we're being picky," he states. I sit in the coffee table in front of him.

He sighs. "Days. 18 months. That crash was hard-core." Hen brings hun some tea. "Thanks."

"We all have our breaking point." "she's right," I state.

"Who were you cooking dinner for?" she asks. "These four plates set," she states. "I don't know. I was drunk. I am gonna be fine. It was a one-time thing I promise okay? Im good." "You tryna fool us or yourself?" I ask.

"You know why redwoods can grow so high? They move and bend with the wind. If you stay rigid eventually you'll break." She states. "You callin me uptight? She's calling me uptight isn't she?" He asks us. "Maybe ask for help once in while?" "Trust me all that weight is not good for you." I state.

He nods slowly "help." He starts crying. They sits by him hugging him. I place a hand on his knee and he takes my hand.

"I'm sorry you guys I'm sorry." "Don't be." He states.