"Billy, that doesn't make any sense. You're scaring me." Rose's eyes were wide, and her lip trembled. She is so emotional, Billy thought. Normally he would have picked on her, but now he felt a little like crying himself.
"It was her. The girl from my dream. She told me she wanted to give me everything I had dreamed of. I thought I would die for that chance, but now that I almost did..."
"Billy!" Rose shouted, loudly enough that Billy wondered if her parents would wake up, "Stop this. You can't have burned. You are here. I can feel you." With that she reached out and grabbed him in a big hug, and buried her face in his shoulders. He could hear the soft sound of her sobs as she clung to him.
The feeling of her arms around him, so solid and real, dragged him from his dark thoughts. He moved his arms up to grab Rose, stroking her hair. It was soft and cool. Without thinking, he buried his face in it, breathing in her comforting scent.
Then, realizing what he had done, he broke away. Rose looked miserable, face red and blotchy from her outburst. She reached up and hurriedly brushed away her tears, looking embarrassed.
"I'm s-sorry Billy. But just don't say stuff like that anymore okay? You've gotten yourself into trouble so many times before, and it always worked out right?"
"Yes." He admitted.
"And it will work out this time too Billy! You are so clever. You'll figure it out. I just know it."
"Yeah." He finished. The sight of Rose looking so confident, with her face still disfigured from crying and her silly care bear pajamas, was so comical that he laughed. His laugh made Rose smile, then chuckle, and soon they were both laughing.
"What is going on in here?" Rose's father suddenly burst into the room.
"Mr. Baker. I- I was just leaving."
"You are right you were leaving. And you won't be coming back. Do you know what time it is young man? This, you, here, in my daughter's bedroom!" Rose's father's face was getting redder and redder.
"Nothing happened okay!" Billy was suddenly angry, "And you don't get to tell me if I can come back or not!"
"I can and I will boy!" He was in a full rage now, and he towered over Billy, "If you don't get out of my house right now I will throw you out."
Billy felt heat rising up inside of him. The flames that had consumed him were returning. Everything around him suddenly seemed to glow with a bright light. Rose's
"It was her. The girl from my dream. She told me she wanted to give me everything I had dreamed of. I thought I would die for that chance, but now that I almost did..."
"Billy!" Rose shouted, loudly enough that Billy wondered if her parents would wake up, "Stop this. You can't have burned. You are here. I can feel you." With that she reached out and grabbed him in a big hug, and buried her face in his shoulders. He could hear the soft sound of her sobs as she clung to him.
The feeling of her arms around him, so solid and real, dragged him from his dark thoughts. He moved his arms up to grab Rose, stroking her hair. It was soft and cool. Without thinking, he buried his face in it, breathing in her comforting scent.
Then, realizing what he had done, he broke away. Rose looked miserable, face red and blotchy from her outburst. She reached up and hurriedly brushed away her tears, looking embarrassed.
"I'm s-sorry Billy. But just don't say stuff like that anymore okay? You've gotten yourself into trouble so many times before, and it always worked out right?"
"Yes." He admitted.
"And it will work out this time too Billy! You are so clever. You'll figure it out. I just know it."
"Yeah." He finished. The sight of Rose looking so confident, with her face still disfigured from crying and her silly care bear pajamas, was so comical that he laughed. His laugh made Rose smile, then chuckle, and soon they were both laughing.
"What is going on in here?" Rose's father suddenly burst into the room.
"Mr. Baker. I- I was just leaving."
"You are right you were leaving. And you won't be coming back. Do you know what time it is young man? This, you, here, in my daughter's bedroom!" Rose's father's face was getting redder and redder.
"Nothing happened okay!" Billy was suddenly angry, "And you don't get to tell me if I can come back or not!"
"I can and I will boy!" He was in a full rage now, and he towered over Billy, "If you don't get out of my house right now I will throw you out."
Billy felt heat rising up inside of him. The flames that had consumed him were returning. Everything around him suddenly seemed to glow with a bright light. Rose's
