Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18 ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER HOLLY'S HOUSE Flames were everywhere; trees were exploding. Josh ran as fast as he could, but it was no use. He fell onto his back. And then… Fffffffft. Fffffffft.

Josh's eyes shot open. Bubbles had her head resting on the bed, inches from Josh's face. Fffffffft. The lizard licked him again, then made a purring sound. Wake up! Josh's heart was still pounding. He wondered how long he'd be having these nightmares. A long time, he guessed. He rested his hand on Bubbles's smooth head. "Good morning," he said. Fffffffft. A kiss on his chin. He looked around—the sun was shining bright outside. Mom's bed was neatly made, her suitcase all packed. "Bubbles?" Holly's voice called out. "Where are you?" A minute later she came in, hobbling on her crutches. It was good to see her moving around, not wincing with every step.

"You know the rule," Holly scolded when she spied Bubbles. "No lizards upstairs!" Bubbles let out an insulted little hiss and scuttled out. Josh and Holly both shook their heads and laughed. But then they went quiet. Holly eyed Mom's suitcase. "I wish you could stay," Holly said. "Me too," Josh said, his throat tightening. He and Holly looked at each other, and Josh got a lump in his throat. She sure was different from him. But something had happened to them in that fire. Like what Lucas and Eleanor had said happened to them and the rest of their crew after the River Complex Fire. He and Holly had come together. They'd gotten each other through. And now it felt like they were tied together somehow. And it was different from how he felt after a good game with his basketball buddies. Basketball was important to him, but it was just a sport. That

feeling of togetherness he and the guys felt after a big win didn't last between games. This tie with Holly? Josh knew it would last forever. Aunt Nicole's voice echoed up the stairs. "Holly! Josh! Breakfast!" "It's your goodbye feast," Holly said. "Mom's been cooking since dawn." They laughed, and Holly left him to get dressed. The smell of muffins and bacon pulled Josh out of bed. His stomach growled. Finally he had his appetite back. And he could swallow. Breathing in all that smoke had hurt his throat. And his lungs. He and Holly had both been in bad shape. After the Huey landed at the air attack base, they'd been rushed to the hospital. Holly needed surgery on her broken leg. The burn on Josh's arm was deep, and doctors had to take skin from his leg and put it onto his arm. His hand needed treatment, too. For days they both wore oxygen

masks to help them breathe. They were still using inhalers three times a day. But they were both getting stronger. And finally the doctors had said Josh was well enough to make the trip home to New Jersey. Mom had booked their flights a couple of days ago. Josh got dressed. He tied his sneakers, staring at the nasty burn scars on his arm and fingers. At least they didn't hurt so much anymore. Josh got up and looked out the window. The part of the forest behind the house was still green—the winds had shifted and carried the flames away. That's the only reason this house was still here. That last-minute change in the wind. The fire—named the Carr Fire—had spread far and was still burning in some places. More than a thousand firefighters from around the state and the country were battling it, including Eleanor and Lucas. Firefighters were starting to get it under control, but the fire was still dangerous. It had already

destroyed nearly two hundred thousand acres. It had spread into the big town of Redding and burned a thousand houses. Eight people had died. Meanwhile, another huge fire had broken out north of here. 2018 was already one of the worst fire years in California history. And as Lucas had said, it wasn't even the busy time of fire season yet. After breakfast, Mom and Aunt Nicole loaded the car. Josh and Holly went to say goodbye to King Kong. The big snake had returned to his enclosure the same way he'd escaped, through the little hole in the floor. (And right after he returned, Aunt Nicole had fixed the floor!) Josh stood and watched King as he wrapped himself around his log, his green-and-gold skin glistening in the sun. Finally Josh waved goodbye to the snake, and walked to Bubbles's enclosure.