Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 178117 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 712(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 178117 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 712(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
“Why?” I mutter. “Why are you here?”
“Look out your goddamn window,” he growls.
He nearly drags me up from the floor. I jerk free of his grip and adjust my gray sweatpants. “All right, all right, Jesus. I’m going.”
Right as I take a step, Alistair walks into my room. “Have you guys seen it?”
“Seen what?” I mutter as I glance at him over my shoulder, but when I turn around again and approach the window, my jaw literally drops so hard I can almost pick it up from the floor.
The main school building …
It’s completely engulfed in flames.
DYLAN
We bang on everyone’s doors, telling them to wake up before we head downstairs and run outside along with everyone else already awake. The fire is gigantic, swallowing the building like a gate of hell opened up underneath the ground, and the sight of it is …
Magnificent.
Never in my life have I seen a fire this big, and for me that’s a rarity.
“Wow,” I mutter as we all stare at the blazing fire.
“What do we do?” Alistair mutters behind me.
“The fire department must’ve already been alerted,” Felix says, pointing at the students near the building who gather small buckets and fill them with water from the fountain.
But each bucket they throw disappears like a droplet on a hot pan.
“C’mon,” Alistair says, and he grabs my hand and tags me along. “We gotta go check if there are survivors who need help.”
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Felix says, but he still follows us as we head toward the fire.
The heat singes my skin, even from a distance.
Jesus Christ. How did this happen?
“Quick, fill it with water!” A fellow student shoves a bucket into my hand, staring at me. “Well, don’t just stand there. Help!”
I shove the bucket into Alistair’s hand and push him along. “You do it.”
He reluctantly puts it into the fountain and hands it to the next in line, but he continues to stare me down like he wants me to know he’s suffering in silence.
“The fire department is on the way!” someone yells out.
“Has someone called the dean yet?” another person asks.
My eyes widen. “Please don’t. He’s gonna lose it.”
The girl next to me lowers her phone. “Too late.”
I groan and roll my eyes. “Oh God.”
“Hello, some help, please?” Alistair barks at me, throwing me glares.
Sighing, I make my way over to him. “Fine, fine, coming.”
“Felix!” Alistair yells, and he throws him a spare bucket.
“Fuck that.” Felix chucks it aside. “Let it burn.”
My face contorts, and I don’t know whether to yell at him or laugh as he waltzes off, settles down on a ledge surrounding the fountain, and lights a smoke.
Damn that fucker. I should’ve known.
“Pass it on,” Alistair says as he shoves a bucket full of water into my hands.
It’s heavy as fuck as I push it to the next guy in line. “There you go.”
“Next one!” Alistair says, shoving another one into my hands.
“Jesus, not so fast,” I reply.
“What do you think we’re doing? Having a pool party?” Alistair scoffs.
I splash some water at him for that comment.
“Save the fun for later!” a big burly guy growls at us while throwing more buckets onto the fire. “Bring more!”
I can hear the sirens in the distance, making me stop in my tracks.
“Listen,” I say, breathing rapidly as we exchange buckets.
“The fire department,” Alistair says between breaths. “Shouldn’t take long now. Just keep going a little bit longer.”
A car comes chasing through the gates, but I pay no attention to it as I’m far too busy shoving buckets back and forth.
“Hey, Dylan,” Felix says, making me turn my head.
The bucket in my hand drops to the ground.
“Your dad’s here,” Felix adds, taking a drag of his smoke.
My father stares at the blazing fire with his jaw dropped. “Mother of …” Before I know it, he has his hands all over my collar as he snarls, “Where is she?”
“What? Who?”
“The girl!” he chides. “Penelope.”
I’ve never seen him this incensed before. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen her.”
“She must’ve contacted you by now,” he says.
“No. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I frown, clutching his hands so he’ll let go. “How would you even know she’d contact me?”
“Oh please, you’ve been hanging out with her daily,” he scoffs, pushing me away. “You should’ve gotten rid of her when you had the chance.”
My nostrils flare. “What the fuck does Penelope have to do with any of this?”
“She’s the one who lit this fucking fire!” he rages.
My eyes widen, and I don’t know what to say for a moment.
That can’t be true. She wouldn’t fucking set the school ablaze. Would she?
Alistair puts down his bucket and comes to stand next to me.
“I don’t understand …” I mutter.
“What don’t you fucking understand?” he growls. “She’s responsible for destroying the school. I need to know where she is now.”