Chapter Three

ARROW POV

I grin down at my best friend Scarlett, before leaning down and gently pressing my lips to hers. It was her tenth birthday today and she had looked so cute running from Malachi, and the small tinge of pink that had appeared on her face after she accidentally ran into me, in my own ten year old brain it was the perfect idea and at least to me it sounded like the type of girly thing she might like. She pulls away from me in shock, her cheeks pinker than they had been, before she punches me in he face, i feel my nose break and the blood begin to gush don my face. I cup my hands to my face. "OWW SCAR! what the heck was that for!" I cry out, my voice muffled by my hands.

"Maybe think next time before kissing a girl' she spins on her heel, her flower sundress spinning as she races back across the street to her house.

Dad wasn't to happy about my nose, not that i told him the truth about how it happened, as far as he knows i ran face first into a tree. No way was i going to give up my little firebird, that's what i had decided i was going to call her after today, i mean she rarely ever called me Maverick, maybe one day i would change my name for her, take the name she had given me, Arrow. I couldn't wait until tomorrow when I could tell her my plan, maybe my brothers would do the same, i know we all loved her in our own ways.

I awoke to the sounds of sirens, the pungent stench of smoke hung in the air. I threw my covers off leaping out of bed and rushing to wake my brothers, the house was on fire we needed to get dad and get out. I've woken two of my brothers when my fathers voice makes me freeze in my tracks. "Boys stay here, do not go outside, do not look out the windows, go to the basement and don't come out until i come get you do you understand?" I open my mouth to protest but he cuts me off before i can say anything. "It's not our house." The look he gives me sends chills down my spine, and before he can stop me i take off running, past his outstretched hand. I dart down the hall as fast as my legs will carry me, my breaths coming in short gasps as panic takes hold with each step closer to the door i get. I can hear my dad and brothers following behind me, I don't care what Dad told us, i needed to get outside. I throw the front door open, taking in the scene before me, a strangled scream escapes me, but before I can take off running, strong arms wrap around me from behind tugging me into t string chest. I scream kicking flailing to get away from my father. I need to get to her, i need to make sure she is okay. "Maverick!" His voice is hushed in my ear, "If you go over there now you can get hurt, what good will you be to her if you are hurt? Shes going to need you after this. Stay strong for her." He pulls me into the house, my brothers following behind, worry etched onto their faces.

We sat at the kitchen table for what seemed like hours in silence, as we waited for the firefighters to leave, my heart never left my throat and tears burned my eyes, i needed to get to her. Something wasn't right i could feel it. My stomach twisted painfully when there was a knock at he door. I frowned Scarlett knew she could just come in, she didn't have to knock this was practically her house too. Despite his glare, I followed my Dad to the door my brothers close behind.

My dads brother stood on the front porch, his face grim as he took all of us in, he must have been one of the fighters on the fire, i could see they had stopped the fore so where was Scarlett and why was Uncle Dan here? My brother Malachi whimpers behind me, his eyes dancing between Uncle Dan and Dad. All it takes is a barley perceptible shake of Uncle Dans head to turn my entire world upside down.

There had been no survivors in the fire, my Little Firebird was gone, i choke back a sob, my knees hitting the hardwood floor, i never got to tell her how i feel, she hadn't wanted that kiss. Why did i have to do that? She died hating me. A scream sounds in the distant, broken and raw. My face is on fire and it takes a moment for me to realize the scream is coming from me. My chest tightens and I can't breathe. She died hating me playing on loop in my head. I stumble back to my feet, ignoring everything as i stumble across the street to the remains of the once beautiful house. Tears streaming down my face. I pick my way through the rubble to where i know Scarletts room to be. There's nothing here but ash, everything that had been her was gone. I throw my head back and let out another scream,kicking a pile of ash, sending a cloud up into the night sky. I scan the darkness for any sign of something they may have missed. She wasn't dead, she couldn't be. "Mav" the soft voice of Malachi sounds behind me. I turn to find him, hands stuffed in his pockets, tears streaming down his face as he takes the scene before him. "Coco" he exclaims softly rushing forward to grab something out of one of the piles of ashes. He turns around, a small stuffed dragon clutched in his hands. I rip it from his hands, hugging it to my chest ignoring the soot that now clings to me. i take another moment before handing it back to my brother, it's only fair he is the one that found it.

That day everything changed, my brothers and i changed our names, we went by the names she had given us, we all agreed she would have loved that, she told us they were more fitting to us. My brothers and i no longer cared what happened to us or anyone around us, we didn't even care what happened to ourselves, all we wanted to do was join her.