‹ Prequel: Milestones: Teenagers
Milestones: Commitment
Wreckage
The rest of Brian's night was spent in anger, or at least that was the only emotion he dared to let Michelle, Valary, or Matt see. Inside he was hurt. He'd lost everything that he'd worked so hard for. Everything but Michelle, which he was glad for. If anything had happened to her...he didn't really know what he'd do.
But while everything else was just things--things that could be replaced--it had cost Brian a lot of hard word and money. And now they had to get all new things; new clothes, new furniture, a new place to live. Brian would have to spend possibly more than he was willing to pay for another guitar. It was something he couldn't go without since the record wasn't yet finished, and they'd be touring after that. He would have just borrowed one of Zack's, but being that Zack's were all left-handed, there was no way Brian would be able to play them.
Michelle had tried most anything she could think of to get Brian to calm down, but nothing worked and she was just as upset herself, so she gave up trying. And as much as she didn't want to wait, she knew that the wedding would probably have to be postponed. She couldn't see anyway that she and Brian could afford a wedding and pay for all the damages at the same time. The thought made her heart sink. There was nothing she wanted more than to marry Brian, and the sooner the better.
Neither of them slept very well in the guest bedroom at Matt and Val's small home. Their thoughts were in complete overdrive, and just when one would be close to drifting off, consciousness would grab hold again. Both Brian and Michelle were dreading going to see the wreckage, but knew they'd have to go to see how bad the damage was and find out if any of their possessions had been saved.
It was a somber scene when Brian and Michelle arrived at the apartment, being driven by Matt and Val. An audible gasp of sad surprise could be heard from Val in the front seat. She couldn't remember the night before, but she had been filled in on what happened. But seeing it made it all the more real.
Seeing the blackened remains of the frame of the apartment house, some of the walls completely burned away, only caused a fresh wave of anger to come over Brian. With a deep sigh he stepped out of the car, Michelle right behind him, and hand-in-hand they walked toward what used to be their home. There were still some foremen on the sight; it seemed as though they were trying to figure out what had caused the fire, or at least that's what it sounded like from what Michelle overheard.
"Woah, wait! You guys can't go in there!" one of the men called out, quickly coming over to them.
"It's our apartment; we want to see. If there's anything that wasn't destroyed, we need to get it," Brian said, his voice hard, his gaze harder.
"I don't think you'll find much in there. But the stairs and the floor are sturdy enough. Just be careful." And with that the fireman began to walk away.
"Wait!" Michelle called out, and he turned back. "...How'd it start?"
"It appears one of the main electrical circuits in the wall was chewed through. We're thinking it was by a squirrel or some other small vermin," the fireman answered, giving a sympathetic look before he walked back to his colleagues.
With a sigh, Brian and Michelle stepped through the space that had once been their front door, leading into the small entrance way. The stairs creaked under them as they never had before. And when they reached the top, they realized that the fireman was right.
There was nothing left.
Walking through the living room, the couch had been reduced to half of its wooden frame, the rest blackened into ashes. The TV looked like a melted chunk of plastic, the glass screen shattered into pieces on the floor. There wasn't much left in the kitchen except for the stove, fridge, and countertops; they were of no use.
Making their way up to the top floor where the bedroom was, Michelle felt tears flood her eyes. Brian's hand pulled from hers as he stepped into their bedroom. She stayed in the doorway of the room that had once been intended as a nursery. The rocking chair in the corner that had been her favorite was a heap of ashes and pieces of charred wood.
Brian, however, had laid eyes on something else in their bedroom across the way. There, in a melted and contorted stand, was one of his electric guitars. The smallest of strings were warped from the heat, while the hard body had begun to melt away as well. Tears of anger flooded his eyes as he picked up the mutated guitar and threw it across the room. It crashed into whatever was left of their bed, and the movement had caused the entire floor of the house to shudder.
"We should go," Michelle whispered, placing a hand on his arm. They said not a single word as they slowly made their way down the stairs and out of the apartment, leaving behind their home.
But while everything else was just things--things that could be replaced--it had cost Brian a lot of hard word and money. And now they had to get all new things; new clothes, new furniture, a new place to live. Brian would have to spend possibly more than he was willing to pay for another guitar. It was something he couldn't go without since the record wasn't yet finished, and they'd be touring after that. He would have just borrowed one of Zack's, but being that Zack's were all left-handed, there was no way Brian would be able to play them.
Michelle had tried most anything she could think of to get Brian to calm down, but nothing worked and she was just as upset herself, so she gave up trying. And as much as she didn't want to wait, she knew that the wedding would probably have to be postponed. She couldn't see anyway that she and Brian could afford a wedding and pay for all the damages at the same time. The thought made her heart sink. There was nothing she wanted more than to marry Brian, and the sooner the better.
Neither of them slept very well in the guest bedroom at Matt and Val's small home. Their thoughts were in complete overdrive, and just when one would be close to drifting off, consciousness would grab hold again. Both Brian and Michelle were dreading going to see the wreckage, but knew they'd have to go to see how bad the damage was and find out if any of their possessions had been saved.
It was a somber scene when Brian and Michelle arrived at the apartment, being driven by Matt and Val. An audible gasp of sad surprise could be heard from Val in the front seat. She couldn't remember the night before, but she had been filled in on what happened. But seeing it made it all the more real.
Seeing the blackened remains of the frame of the apartment house, some of the walls completely burned away, only caused a fresh wave of anger to come over Brian. With a deep sigh he stepped out of the car, Michelle right behind him, and hand-in-hand they walked toward what used to be their home. There were still some foremen on the sight; it seemed as though they were trying to figure out what had caused the fire, or at least that's what it sounded like from what Michelle overheard.
"Woah, wait! You guys can't go in there!" one of the men called out, quickly coming over to them.
"It's our apartment; we want to see. If there's anything that wasn't destroyed, we need to get it," Brian said, his voice hard, his gaze harder.
"I don't think you'll find much in there. But the stairs and the floor are sturdy enough. Just be careful." And with that the fireman began to walk away.
"Wait!" Michelle called out, and he turned back. "...How'd it start?"
"It appears one of the main electrical circuits in the wall was chewed through. We're thinking it was by a squirrel or some other small vermin," the fireman answered, giving a sympathetic look before he walked back to his colleagues.
With a sigh, Brian and Michelle stepped through the space that had once been their front door, leading into the small entrance way. The stairs creaked under them as they never had before. And when they reached the top, they realized that the fireman was right.
There was nothing left.
Walking through the living room, the couch had been reduced to half of its wooden frame, the rest blackened into ashes. The TV looked like a melted chunk of plastic, the glass screen shattered into pieces on the floor. There wasn't much left in the kitchen except for the stove, fridge, and countertops; they were of no use.
Making their way up to the top floor where the bedroom was, Michelle felt tears flood her eyes. Brian's hand pulled from hers as he stepped into their bedroom. She stayed in the doorway of the room that had once been intended as a nursery. The rocking chair in the corner that had been her favorite was a heap of ashes and pieces of charred wood.
Brian, however, had laid eyes on something else in their bedroom across the way. There, in a melted and contorted stand, was one of his electric guitars. The smallest of strings were warped from the heat, while the hard body had begun to melt away as well. Tears of anger flooded his eyes as he picked up the mutated guitar and threw it across the room. It crashed into whatever was left of their bed, and the movement had caused the entire floor of the house to shudder.
"We should go," Michelle whispered, placing a hand on his arm. They said not a single word as they slowly made their way down the stairs and out of the apartment, leaving behind their home.