Page 28 of When It Burns

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After notifyingthe administrators about the incident this morning, I did a quick write-up of the event to keep for my records and try to focus on my classes. Once again, by second period the news has spread throughout the school, and I hear my phone buzz as I run through the attendance. After making sure that the class understands the activity, I open the drawer where I threw my phone and quickly check my messages.

Hannah: WTF. Caroline, are you okay? My kids just told me and one of them showed a Snapchat video someone recorded. Do you need anything?

Margaret: Wait someone fill me in. What happened?!

Hannah: The kid got in Caroline’s face and cussed her out after he refused to work. Then he trashed her student cart.

Margaret: Oh my GOODNESS! Caroline, what do you need? Are you alright? What can we do?

Hannah: I’ve never seen anything like it. Surely that’s his last strike right?

Margaret: I would really hope so.

I take a deep breath before responding to their messages. Bless my sweet friends. I can feel their concern through the phone and try to settle my nerves.

Me: Hey girls. I’m good. It’s gonna be okay. I don’t know what’s gonna happen.

Margaret: I am so sorry girlie. I am whipping up lots of comfort food tonight. I think you could use it.

I smile at the message from her, realizing that while we’ve barely known her for two weeks. Margaret has become a big part of our circle, and I am really not sad about it. I hear my phone buzz again and check it expecting a message from Hannah. Instead, I see a number I don’t have saved on my phone. I go to delete it, but I instantly stop when I see Theo’s name in the first line.

Theo: Hey Caroline. It’s Theo. I just heard some of the guys at the station talking about your morning. I pestered Margaret for your phone number because I wanted to check on you. Are you okay?

Me: I am good. Thank you so much for checking on me. And remind me to tell Margaret thank you :)

Theo: I will check on you again after school Miss Tyler.

Me: I look forward to that, Mr. Johnson. Talk to you soon!

I drop my phone back into the desk and take a sip of my drink before making my way back over to my students. This morning might have been a shitshow, but the texts I just got seemed to have settled me. Maybe this day won’t turn out to be that bad after all.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

THEO

Halfway through Thursday morning, I was working on making sure our equipment was up to date when I heard a few of the guys talking about an incident in Caroline’s classroom. That was two hours ago, and I haven’t been able to focus on working since. I thought I’d feel a bit more settled after Margaret broke down and sent me Caroline’s number, but instead, I am feeling more anxious. I know she said she was fine, but is she really? I’ve become a pro at ignoring my issues, but I don’t want the light I see in Caroline to be extinguished the way mine has.

My thoughts of Caroline are cut short by the screech of the fire alarm in the station. My radio blares with the call for a house fire. I jump to my feet and feel the familiar shot of adrenaline hit my system. It’s been two weeks since I started working in Springside, and this is the first emergency call I’ve heard come in. Most of the time, the calls we receive are for medical backup and fallen trees. I run over to my truck as Zach and a few of the other firemen jump into the fire engine. Throwing the truck into gear, I follow the fire truck as it weaves through the roads of Springside with the sirens blasting.

After five minutes of frantically racing through the country roads, the firetruck slows to a stop at a small farm on the outskirts of town. I look around quickly for signs of smoke or distress, but I don’t see anything.

“This is Miss Mabel’s house,” Zach explains to all of us. “She lives alone and is in her seventies. The call center said she called in and reported smoke in her house.”

Zach may be the youngest guy at the station, but he knows this community better than anyone. I appreciate him clueing me on what we are walking into. I nod in acknowledgment, and we quickly make our way to the door. It’s obvious the home was once a beautiful white cottage with a lilac door, but time has not been kind to the farmhouse. The paint is chipped and some of the wood is beginning to show through along with some obvious cracks in one of the windows. Weeds have started to creep up the house in addition to completely taking over the yard. The grass in the yard is up to the middle of my knee, and the walkway to the door is so uneven it’s almost impossible to walk on.

“Miss Mabel?” Zach yells loudly as he bangs on the door. I hear a bit of shuffling inside, and a second later an elderly woman with a kind smile opens the door.

“Oh my goodness, Zach! Samuel! Derrik!” Miss Mabel responds, naming each of the men from the station. “Please come in! I was in here cooking lunch and saw smoke from behind the oven. I got worried so I thought it was best to call it in,” the elderly woman explains as we make our way to the kitchen.

I notice that there are casseroles, vegetables, salad, and a pound cake on the counter as we walk over to the oven. Zach and Derrik make quick work of pulling the oven out from the counter so that we can look behind it. There is no sign of smoke, and everything looks normal. The guys talk quietly making sure they haven’t missed anything while I notice Miss Mabel grabbing out plates from the cabinet before grabbing some silverware.

After the guys have checked the wiring to the outlet, Zach stands and walks over to Miss Mabel. “Miss Mabel, we weren’t able to find anything. Are you sure it came from behind the oven?” he asked the woman who was now filling cups with ice and grabbing a pitcher of sweet tea out of the fridge.

“Oh, I could have sworn I saw something. But oh well, you know these old eyes. Either way, y’all come eat. I’ve fixed enough poppy seed chicken, noodles, broccoli, salad, and cornbread for everyone. Y’all grab a plate for the inconvenience.”

I feel my temper start to rise as I open my mouth. “Miss Mabel, we can’t stay here and eat. Fire safety is not something to play with. We thought you were in danger!”

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