The Downfall Of Us [ LGBT STORY]

Chapter Fifteen: Flame

After Poppy and Medina gathered their stuff that was scattered on the floor and closed the practice room, they walked along the corridor where they were abruptly stopped by a hyper, Sam, and Kim. Kim smiled at Medina, mischievously while, Sam smiled warmly at Medina like she was going to ask for a favour or give an offer. Medina was one of the oldest in the group and liked to act her age, but sometimes, she couldn't help joining in, with the younger three's mischief.

"Me, Sam and Poppy, are going to a party on Friday. You in or not," Kim said, with a gleam that practically shouted, say 'I'm in'.

"I'm in, but we're not inviting Ronnie or Emily," Medina said, shaking her head at the thought.

"Why not," Kim said, wanting to party with all her friends. The more, the merrier was Kim's motto. "Have you seen them dance," Sam said, wincing at the memory. "Oh yeah, that was... um... not natural," Kim said, remembered how the two danced when Medina invited all of them to one of her family's, opening ceremonies.

That was the first and last time, they were allowed to go to any of Medina's rich party, which was probably all of the future parties as Medina's family was rich

"We're also not inviting, Amy," Kim said. "Amy wouldn't come even if we invited her, but if we tell her she's probably going to snitch to Ronnie and Emily, seeing as she loves watching people's misery," Sam said, knowing Amy.

"Who said, I was going," Poppy said, not remembering having a conversation about going to a party beforehand. "Fine don't come," Sam said, turning her body to Medina and Kim.

"Fine, I'll come. Since you insisted so much" Poppy said, putting an arm around Sam. Sam ignored Poppy's hand around her shoulder and carried on talking to Medina and Kim. "We've got to have an excuse for why we'll be coming home late on Friday," Sam said, scrunching her face in thought.

"Me and Poppy have an audition on Friday, so we can lie about the time. You two can be our fake supporters" Medina said, to which Poppy clicked her tongue at. "Ronnie will want to come as well, then, " Poppy said, cursing Ronnie and her motherly support.

"Yes, but we can just say that we're only allowed to bring two people,"  Medina said cunningly. They all nodded after conspiring their escape plan. The four were sure their plan would work without a fail.

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Back in the group's house, Amy and Ronnie were making phone calls, requesting for more jobs. Emily went out, physically looking for jobs. Ronnie and Emily had ended up, telling Amy about their financial problems knowing they needed a bit more help. Amy was a calm, collected person who would take care of a situation without panicking or making regrettable decisions.

"You ever think how our lives have gotten to this" Amy muttered, placing her phone on the marble table. The suggestion of leaving their hometown was a sweet lie to motivate them into pursuing their lives, but it soon became a fulfilled dream, when they finally left.

"Right now I am, but it's better than there," Ronnie said, referring to Ohio. "I don't know about that, though" Amy whispered, lowly to herself. Ronnie was so busy with finding a job; she never heard Amy's statement and had gotten up when someone on the other line on the phone picked up.

"I wish I was better at telling people how I really feel," Amy said, sighed into the couch, stretching her leg onto the table in front of her.

People who didn't know her would say she was anti-social, a cold-hearted bitch, a psychopath in the making. Her girls would say, she just got a special hatred for humanity, nothing personal. The group wouldn't judge or get tired of her cold personality, sure she would hear their taunts, but she was they wouldn't hesitate to fight anyone who tried to criticise her.

If it wasn't for the group, she would have destroyed her pitiful self a long time ago.

The group somehow, made her feel better about who she was, but the group could probably never stop the desire to set everything alight at once. The sweet pleasure she had gotten from watching thing's be destroyed by a tangy orange pigment was something magical but yet disturbing.

People would find fires, dangerous and violent, they would say it takes on a merciless form and slowly engulf anything in its path. 

Call Amy, sadistic, but she thought fires were an extraordinary creation, and that's its only mistake was burning too passionately.

People would stare in horror if they somehow, heard the thoughts that wandered in her twisted mind. Moving to a new state and to a place where people were considered as normal. She wouldn't say it aloud, but she missed her hometown a lot.

Her town was full of fucked up souls that weren't simply afraid of their actions. The absurd was seen as normal and normal was seen as absurd. Amy was always told she was insane in the orphanage home. It was predicted she was going to be called despicable names, as stealing people's possession and setting them on fire in their beds wasn't a sane thing to do at the age of six.

Funnily enough, the person who always lectured her about her sanity was the same person who was believed in Satanism.

A funny town, it was, people would point out other people's problems, but see no sin in theirs.

Without a thought of her actions, she reached into her bag and pulled out a mini lighter. She continuously, played with the flicker, her eyes dark and wild, watching the flame spark up and disappear. Unbeknownst to her, Ronnie was the side of the room, watching her with a slight frown.

Amy stopped playing with the lighter when her eyes caught on Ronnie's figure, but she didn't bother to hide the lighter in her sweaty palms. "I hope that wasn't the reason why you were called into the principal's office as I can't be bothered with finding another school for you," Ronnie said, smiling while walking towards Amy.

Amy sighed before facing Ronnie. "What are you going to do, skin me alive, " Amy said as if she was challenging Ronnie.

Ronnie smacked Amy with a newspaper before muttering " I can't. You're an important person, in my life".

"You shouldn't let someone be too important in your life," Amy said, wanting Ronnie to scold her. If Ronnie didn't interrupt her little fire meditation, she could've set the house on fire.

"I'm going to go buy some groceries," Ronnie said, getting the keys to her car. "Aren't you going to take the lighter of me?" Amy said, troubled she was about to hear something she expected.

Ronnie's gaze flickered from the lighter to Amy and smiled as if nothing was wrong. "I trust you," Ronnie said, before shutting the door.

"That's what I'm afraid of" Amy whispered, continuing to play with the lighter.