⚙︎ Falling Apart ⚙︎

⚙︎ Rise ⚙︎

"Get away from me!" I yelled at both Grace and Lily, their forms blurred in my teary vision. "Run! Get out! It's too dangerous and you're not allowed to die!" I got up from my place on the ground and tried shoving them inside, but they both stubbornly refused to move. 

"Gyps! For hell's sake, we are not leaving you!" Grace yelled, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me.

"Please! Before you burn!" I tried.

"Gypsy."

Lily's gaze bored right into me, her eyes pleading. "We won't leave you."

I took a few deep breaths. Why did everything feel so wrong?

"Can you stop the fires?" Lily asked.

I shook my head. "It's out of my control. I could try, but it won't be enough. I can't believe I did this. All because I wasn't feeling well. I'm such a drama queen –" my voice broke and I started sobbing again.

I saw Grace and Lily glance at each other. I heard Grace tell Lily to calm me down and she'll try to move the fire into some place that has water.

It was getting really hot. Most of our backyard had been burnt down. I felt horrible. I wanted to throw up.

Lily hugged me and I crumpled into her arms, sobbing, trying to stop the fire.

I almost didn't see everyone that had been staring, open-mouthed, at our backyard. The neighbours were screaming and calling fire departments, confused and terrified.

As I melted into my friend's warm, supportive hug, I found myself calming down. I tried to conjure water to put out the fire, managing further success as I regained my mind.

In a few minutes, the fire was out, and I was taking deep, shuddering breaths as my two loyal friends hugged me. I can't believe even after all the drama, they still loved me.

"Thanks guys," I took a breath. "I literally couldn't have stopped my fire from ruining the neighbourhood without you two." I barked a dry laugh at my joke.

"Don't mention it," Gracie waved the compliment off, concern and sympathy in her voice.

It took me a second to realise everyone around us was staring, mouths open, at where the fire had once been.

Lily snorted and waved her hand.

The effect was instantaneous. Immediately everyone's expressions of horror and petrified curiosity were replaced with confusion as they went back to their tasks.

The air was still lingering with smoke, steam from the water-and-fire mix combating it slightly.

"Oh, Grace and Lily! I'm glad you came. Could you help Gyps with her homework?" My mother's voice called from inside. Thank God she didn't come out to see us.

"Sure thing, Ms Bane!" Gracie called back, then she slumped backwards onto the deck, exhausted.

"Listen, Gyps," Lily started, launching into an explanation I knew she had been practising. "We left because we got texts from our parents. I had a dentist appointment I forgot all about. Case had a skateboarding lesson. Skye just left because her parents hate it when she's late."

"My parents told me if I hadn't walked Tilly-Mae by four, they'd take away my phone so I wouldn't be able to send you guys random memes I had found. Sorry," Gracie shrugged.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wait," I said aloud. "Then why was Lyn so vicious? I joked about Jason in chem saying he liked her."

"You what?" Gracie and Lily both yelped, sitting up abruptly.

I laughed nervously. "Come on guys, seriously. That's all I d – why do you two look so worried?"