Deidra and I waited for her family to go to bed. Once all the lights were out and the house quiet, she snuck me in. Tiptoeing, we headed into their basement to their theater room. She’d set up several candles in an attempt for romance.
The door closed with a nearly silentsnick.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked her as we kissed, eager but sloppy and inexperienced. We barely broke the kiss to talk. Our hands wandered, and when we spoke, it was against the other’s lips and between kisses.
“Yes, I want it to be you, Keagan,” she whispered.
We fumbled and fought with clothes. There was no finesse.
“Oof!” I fell back onto the couch and bumped the coffee table as I tried to get my shoes off. The cups and popcorn bowl rattled while the flames on the candles danced precariously.
Thankfully, the room was soundproof, because of the surround sound, so what better place to get a little action? Her parents wouldn’t hear if she screamed or if I shouted. It was perfect. Or so we thought.
Twice I dropped the condom packet.
When we finally got down to actual business, we were awkward, but neither of us knew any different. We were kids playing grown-ups.
The problem arose when I really got into the moment.
My mind blew because I was a fifteen-year-old boy getting his first piece of ass. With that came an explosion, and I’m not talking about my dick.
“Keagan!” She slapped me on the shoulder and screamed as I came down from my high.
That’s when the smell hit me.
Smoke.
My head snapped up, seeing fire licking up the wall. We frantically dressed and raced up the stairs.
“Mom! Dad!” she shrieked as we realized fire spread quickly through the house. She coughed, her eyes watering, but I handled it better than her.
The smoke detectors finally started to go off. It seemed to have taken a really long time.
“Deidra! Go out the back door. I’ll go get them up. Hurry!” I could tell she didn’t want to, but I pushed her. She stood in the yard looking up at the house, crying.
Once I was sure she would stay put, I raced up the stairs. I heard her little brothers crying in their room.
“Shit!” I cursed as I tried to figure out the best course of action. Smoke was beginning to fill the house.
Why aren’t her parents up?The thought bounced around in my head.
I opened the door to her brothers’ room. They were sitting on their beds crying. While I tried my damnedest to remember all the shit they taught us during fire drills, I was drawing a blank until I finally moved. I grabbed a blanket and scooped up David, who was only four.
“Donny, grab one of David’s blankies and hold it over your face. I’m going to get you outside,” I told him, trying to remain calm despite fear burning me as badly as the flames consuming the house. Donny was seven, and I prayed he would listen.
Face white with fear, he thankfully did as I said.
“Hold my hand, Donny. David, cover your head, and we’re going to play hide and seek. Okay?” His big eyes were wide, but he nodded and did as I said.
Holding on to the little boy’s hand for dear life, I carefully made my way down the stairs. Twice I slipped on the carpet but managed to catch myself.
Finally, I burst out the back door and dropped them with Deidra. “I’ll be back,” I promised her.
Pushing my fear down, I reentered the house and ran back up the stairs. When I reached her parents’ room, I grabbed the door, but the knob wouldn’t turn.
Banging on the wood didn’t get a response.
“Fuck!” I shouted, then looked around for something to pry the door open. Then I remembered seeing a baseball bat in the boys’ room. I raced across the hall and scanned the room until I found it in the corner.