Heart on Fire (Chandler Riggs)

chapter 6 - mad

Never will I ever fall in love, I thought to myself. I've seen prime examples of how it only crashes and burns in the end. Sure I like Chandler, but he's just a flame. To him, I'm just a girl that was hired to be his fake girlfriend, and he'll probably forget about me after this Summer is over. I won't get attached.

If I had this mindset, why was I upset when I heard the roaring of the car engine and Chandler basically jumping back from me? I had a longing in my heart for that kiss, whether I like to admit it or not. Chandler lifted himself out of the pool, due to his amazing arm strength. He peaked over the side wall of his house, and his mouth went agape.

"Shit! It's my mom," he whisper-yelled to me, causing me to swim to the edge of the pool and Chandler rushed over, grabbing me and pulling me over the edge.

"What's the problem?" I asked, looking at him with a confused look plastered on my face. He started to run back inside his house with me trailing closely behind him.

"She's going to kill me if she sees the mess we made in the kitchen," he started, hearing the lock of his front door turn, signaling that his mom was putting the key in the hole. "Fuck! We're gonna have to improv." He said, as I nodded and giggled, following his lead as we stood against the frame leading to the kitchen, blocking any view his mom could get. Her pristine face soon came through the door, and she put her bag on a rack. As she walked in, she finally spotted me.

"Good evening, Chandler. Oh, hello, Hadley! How are you, darling?" she asked, eyeing me up and down.

"I'm good, thank you, Gina," I answered.

She smiled as she made her way to Chandler and I. "Excuse me," she said trying to slide past us to get to the kitchen.

"Mom, stop!" Chandler shouted, earning a demented glare from his mom.

"What is wrong with you, Chandler? Do you not want dinner?"

"Uh, no, Hadley and I, were going to, order pizza. Cause, you know, she's staying the night." He rambled on. I could tell he was just making stuff up now, and I guess I was spending the night at his house, and honestly, I was relieved.

His mom eyed him suspiciously, then sighed. "Well okay, then. But I still need to get my banan-"

"I'll get it!" I exclaimed, giving Chandler a small nod. I ran into the kitchen as Chandler covered my space so she still had no sight of the kitchen. I grabbed her ripe banana, skipping back to my spot in the frame beside Chandler. I handed it to her, smiling brightly.

"Thank you, dear," she said before finally slipping away upstairs to her bedroom.

"Finally," Chandler sighed, as we both laughed.

"What are we going to do about that, by the way?" I asked, signaling to the mess in the kitchen that looked worse every glance I took at it.

"Our maid comes really early in the morning, maybe, just maybe, she'll clean it up before my mom sees it. And if not, well, we're screwed." he answered, causing me to laugh uncontrollably. My laughter was interrupted by a buzz coming from my jean pocket. I pulled out my ringing cell phone, seeing the Caller ID showing it was my mother. Sighing, I swiped the screen, putting the phone up to my ear.

"Yes?" I answered, rudely.

"Where are you?" My mom's demanding tone came through the phone.

"Why do you care?" I snapped back. I was annoyed, I had clearly told her I was going to Chandler's house before I had left.

"Because I need to know where you are," she replied, softer than before. I actually thought she cared for once since the divorce, but her next sentence disproved me. "Your father came here, looking for you."

."Oh," was all I said and it was barely audible. "I told you, mom! I told you where I was going before I left." my voice rose again.

Her line stayed silent, static being the only response.

"You hear, but you don't listen, mom. You know, but you don't care. You look, but you see." I waited for her response, not getting one after seconds. I took a look at my phone screen, seeing that the call was discontinued. Her line stayed silent, not because she didn't say anything, but because she hung up on me. I shoved my phone back in my pocket, as hot tears brewed in my eyes. I wasn't sad, I was mad.

"Hadley, are you okay?" Chandler's sweet voice lured me to tell him what I was thinking. His face was blurred from the water lining my eyes. As his figure came closer, he engulfed me in a tight, warm hug.

"She doesn't care," I tell him. "She never did."

You know that feeling, when you know that you're about to cry and you're fighting back the tears as hard as you can? As your vision starts to get foggy and your eyes heat up and you just know? That was how I felt. But as I brought myself into Chandler's chest, it was all gone. I was sad, but I didn't know why. I ached, but never felt better. Chandler's arms were the only place I felt sheltered but also free. I let the hot tears free, as I sniffled. My eyes snapped open when I realized. I can't, I shouldn't, I won't. I can't do this, remember? It only crashes and burns.

lyric of the chapter:

"I reached for you but you were gone. I knew I had to go back home. You search the world for something else to made you feel like what we had. And in the end in Wonderland, we both went mad."