The Last Page

Chapter 5- A Rising King

“So tell me, what made you go into the house? Were you not aware that it was burning down?”

I stared at the reporter, Rebecca Lawson, as she interviewed me for “risking my life.” She hunted me down like a hungry wolf just to get a stupid response I gave to everyone. I agreed to sit down and be interviewed over what had happened three nights before, at first I thought everything would be ok. I soon started thinking about all the negative things I would get from this interview, my main reason was that this probably also going to be broadcasted nationally and I feared people back at Cali would recognize me.

“I was fully aware of what was going on, I was actually terrified. But no one would go in and help this girl.” I responded.

It was obvious that this lady was thinking about how crazy I must have been to do this. It was noticeable by the way her eyes bulged out of their sockets and the way she gasped after every sentence I finished.

“What lead you to take this risk, it's obviously wasn’t something you’d be willing to do right off the bat.”

“The fact that people were running away. I mean, it’s not like our parents didn’t know about the party, I guess they just didn’t want to be blamed for starting the fire.” I remembered how most of the guys ran down the street, shoving girls out of the way while they cried and screamed. “I also wanted to do what was right. It was no big deal, the fire was small at the time I entered.”

The following night everyone gathered at my aunt’s house to see the interview. Everyone from my family to Emerald’s family was there. Sam set up a projector outside by the garden to have the interview project against the house’s white wall. Emerald’s mother approached me, “I can’t thank you enough,” she’d say every time she’d see me, always with little tears forming in her eyes. People were anxious and began to count down the minutes until I’d be on ‘t.v.’.

I sat down with Joy and some of her friends who’d decided to go over. “Aren’t you excited!?” she asked.

“Not at all, I’m nervous and I’m sweating like a pig” I replied.

“Do pigs sweat?” Jon, who I didn’t realize was there, asked.

“I dunno.” I replied.

Then everyone started hushing each other as the report started.

Sixteen year old Anthony Brennan is new in town. He hasn’t had as much as a month to get to meet his new peers at his new school, but everyone already knows who he is. This past weekend, Anthony risked his life for the one of Emerald Hazels, who he saved from a burning house. Anthony believes it was the thing to have been done when no one else was willing to do it.

They cut to a clip of a the house burning that night, I hadn’t seen them arrive. They then somehow zoomed into me when I was sitting on the back of the ambulance. Then they cut to me at the interview.

“I felt crazy at first, going into that burning house. But, I kept seeing people running away.”

Anthony ran into the house just in time to help Emerald out safely. They had to jump out through a window right before the whole house erupted in flames.

They then cut to Emerald, who was in a wheelchair because of her broken foot.

“I thought I was done for! Part of the ceiling fan had fallen onto my leg and I was only able to move it off of my leg. I tried standing, but the pain was unbearable and i just laid there, staring at the cracked ceiling.”

They cut to a scene of the kitchen after the fire, and the proceeded to showing me again.

“This girl ran out screaming ‘theres someone inside, there's someone inside’ and I looked around, and no one looked back. I then decided, something had to be done, and I started running, but my cousin held me back.”

The interview went on and on about how it all occurred. Then they finally cut to the reporter.

It is now known that a group of boys, who have yet to be identified, were in the upstairs room trying to light cigarettes and unfortunately of dropped them on the carpeted floor without putting them out.

Although it cost him a bruised eye and a long cut down his arm, Anthony will now live on with the fame of ‘the new guy who saved a girl from a burning house.’

In a way I was relieved that they thought that the bruised eye was because of the fire, and not because I ruined a relationship. I was still getting chills down my spine, and then everyone slowly started to clap.

There were claps and woohoos, and then there were hugs.

Hugs from my family, and then from complete strangers.

Emerald made her way over on her wheelchair accompanied by her parents. She smiled a bit, but she somehow began to frown. “Thank you,” she began to say, “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you.”

I knelt by her side, “Just don’t ever call me a hero.”

“But you are-”

“I’m not, I just did what was right.”

“Can I at least give you a hug?”

I reached in to hug her, “Thank you,” she said again.

“You’re welcome.” I replied.

 ...

The following day things suddenly changed.

It all began when I walked outside for my morning walk with Joy and my grandmother’s dog, Princess. The next door neighbor stopped us as we walked past her house, “Hey! Aren’t you that kid from the news last night?” she asked.

I stopped to answer, “Um, yes I am.”

Joy, who wasn't paying attention continued walking and talking to herself. She walked back when she realized I was no longer walking with her.

“Wow, you were really brave kid.” the woman said.

“No I was-” Joy elbowed my side before I could finish my sentence.

“Stop being so humble!” she whispered.

“Thank you ma’am.” I replied and continued walking.

Unfortunately that wasn't the last time someone stopped me and decided to congratulate me on being brave. Along the way other people who were outside their houses or walking down the sidewalk stopped me.

“You’re like a celebrity now!” Joy said as we made our way back home.

“That’s what I feared.”

“How can you be afraid of being a celebrity?!”

“It’s a long story, and it wouldn’t have been the first time.”

“What do you mean it wouldn’t have been the first time? Do you always jump into burning buildings and save people?”

I laughed, I explained to Joy how it was a long story and I’d tell her later, hoping she’d eventually forget and not ask. But I then started thinking about this whole ‘fame’ thing. I wondered how it’d affect me, especially during school that was starting the following week. As much as I wanted to start all over, things just didn’t seem to be working out. I just wanted to be the new kid, the one nobody knew about.

Later that day I received a message from Emerald asking if I’d want to go to the movies with her and Joy. I accepted and Joy didn't seem to happy about it.