So. I didn't get that many reviews..and I was wondering….are you guys liking the story?? Okay, so here's the new chapter… hope you enjoy it!! Also I do not own anything in this story!!

AVENUE'S SIDE of the STORY:

I couldn't. I just couldn't. I wanted to let him kiss me too, but I just couldn't let myself to it. Ugh. At least I know he doesn't hate me. I mean he asked if he could call me. But still. I should have done it. Shouldn't have I?

Ugh. Again.

I needed to get some sleep. I woke up the next day at 12:00 noon. I was starving and so I went to down to get some breakfast or lunch, or whatever you want to call it. So I went to the kitchen, and of course my dad had already left with his coffee mug still on the counter and his cereal bowl in the sink. I put a bagel in the toaster and washed my dad's bowl and coffee mug. I then got my bagel, put some cream cheese on it, got some orange juice and enjoyed my breakfast . . . or lunch. Whatever, then I washed those dishes too.

I went upstairs to my room and got a shower and decided I didn't really care about how I was looking, so I grabbed the clothes that were closest to me and put my hair in a bun, grabbed my favorite pair of sneakers and ran out the door with my keys locking it behind me. I was in a good mood and felt like exercising so I jogged to my dad's office building. I guess I really was in to good of a mood (except for that whole kiss thing) and didn't notice that even though it was sunny, there was a storm, but it was probably miles away. I was jogging away from it so it wasn't in my view. Oh well, maybe Frank or somebody could give me a ride back home if it comes too soon.

I went inside and was about to step in the elevator (because I was too tired to walk up the stairs) and that thoughtful side of me took over. I thought about how my dad and Frank probably hadn't eaten any lunch and so I stepped out of the elevator just as the doors were closing, and walked out of the three story office building and into a nearby coffee. I was just checking out some of the sandwiches when I heard something coming from a small tv of to the corner.

"So in a couple hours, I advise those of you who can, to stay indoors after this storm passes. Right now we see that it is moving quickly but haven't reached any major cities, and schools might be closing down if this Tropical Storm does a lot of damage."

Tropical Storm? What? Now I'll tell you that I don't really watch much tv, much less the news, but that is only because I'm an out door person and I love to read or be on the computer, but that doesn't mean I'm not worried about storms. Especially if I'm at my home most of the time by myself.

I turned to face the mini television and saw the newscaster speaking. Since when did this come up? Why didn't anyone tell me about it? "This must be why we have so much rain." I guess after those last couple thoughts I actually spoke out loud.

"Yeah, I guess so too." I heard a voice behind me.

I turned around to see Jason Gray.

"Oh hey!" I said.

"Hi! So you didn't know about the storm?" He asked.

"No, actually I didn't. Surprisingly I don't watch much tv, and haven't been socially active I guess either." I kind of laughed.

"Yeah well, it's supposed to be real big, and they are warning us that it might end up being a hurricane."

"Wow, I didn't know." I was picking out a couple of big turkey sandwiches, because the lady behind the counter was looking at me like 'are you going to buy something or not?' so I was kind of distracted. I looked at the lady and put my packages on the counter and ordered some coffee for Frank. "Hi, I'd like a tall coffee with two creams and two sugars." I told the lady.

"Wow, you hungry?" Jason asked. I guess he noticed the food on the counter and the coffee I ordered.

"Oh no, this is for my dad and his employee Frank. I decided to get them a little something before I got up there." I said.

"Oh," Jason had a twinkle in his eye, "so you're not getting anything for yourself?"

"No, I can't, I don't have much money." It was true. Mom gave me some spending money right before she left, but dad only give me enough money for school lunches, supplies and a bit for fun, like this, but only once a week, and I had to pay some overdue fines at the library so I didn't have much. I'm saving up for a new computer because my old one is real slow, so I also take some of my money out of what dad gives me and mom's money was already in my computer fund.

"So you're just going to buy it for them instead of yourself?" Jason asked surprised.

"Yeah, I mean I don't have much money and if I am going to spend my last dollars, why not spend it on the two people I love the most." It was simple, I still had some for my computer and if anything I'd take some out of that, and I still had some for school.

"You love your dad's employee?" Jason asked, surprised again.

"Yeah, Frank's like a second dad to me, and he acts more like a dad to me then my actual dad does. Frank's great." I told him.

"That's cool." He didn't say much again so I was going to get my order and leave, but Jason decided to do something totally nice. "Let me buy you a drink."

"No, that's fine Jason, you don't have to do that." I told him.

"Yeah, it's cool, I've got money and you definitely deserve some coffee, what do you want?" I looked at Jason and saw that he wasn't going to let it go.

"Alright. . ." I told him what I wanted and we got the drink and sat down for a little while at a nearby table for two. "Thanks, but I was good to go, really."

"What? A guy can't buy a coffee for his brother's girlfriend?" I blushed to that word.

"Oh, I'm not his girlfriend." I told him.

"Yet." I was kind of shocked that he was that confident in me and Nate. So it was silence for a little while, and then we talked a bit some more, and I noticed that I had to get going.

"Well, I guess I might see you around." I said.

"I'm pretty sure you will." Jason replied. And I left.

I walked back to my dad's office building and into the elevator with the food and coffee I was carrying. When I opened the door, I saw that my dad was, what else? but talking on the phone. Frank just came in to my dad's room and noticed me carrying all the stuff, or at least me carrying the coffee. Haha, he came up to me eyeing the coffee cup I had in my hand.

"Hey Avenue, let me help you with that." He said.

"It's cool Frank, this coffee is for you and so is this turkey sandwich." I gave them to him.

"Thanks Avenue, your the best!"

"I know." I noticed things were a bit hectic. "So do you think my dad is going to get off the phone soon?"

"I don't know, we've been getting a lot of calls, from newspapers, news channels, publishers, writers, ecerybody, its been crazy." Frank answered.

"Why so many calls?"

"Oh because we got this new kid. I guess he's famous, in fact he says he know's you -" I cut Frank off, I was hardly paying attention, because I was waiting for my dad to get off the phone. He did just then and I had to go ask him him before another call came in.

"Sorry Frank, just a sec." I rushed up to my dad with the sandwich. "Hey dad!" He looked at me puzzled for a sec.

"Oh hey there Ave, what can I do for you?" He asked. Why does he always have to sound business like when talking to me? Oh well, I guess I'll have to get used to it if I'm going to work for him.

"Hi dad, I was thinking, that um, I could, you know. . ." I was kind of nervous because I hardly talked to my dad, and I knew that he wasn't thinking about hiring his daughter, plus he might get mad for me interrupting his busy work.

"Avenue, just spit it out." He told me. The copy machine was going, and since I was holding my dad back from answering calls, the phone was ringing, then several more phones were ringing, and people were talking, and the coffee maker was going, and my dad was just staring at me, with Frank right behind me watching, and it was so stressfull that I just yelled it out.

"I want a job!" I said. My dad just looked at me stunned. "I want a job. Here." He shook his head.

"No Avenue, I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"Well I don't have the time to hire you."

"So have Frank hire me, he know's I'm good at this stuff!"

"Honey, Frank's busy too." Frank stepped in now.

"Mr. Gena, I would be honored to hire your daughter for you." Frank said.

"Well you don't even know how to do the work, and Frank doesn't even have the time to teach you." My dad told me.

"Dad I know how to do it already!" I said.

"Sir, she very good with the work." Frank said. My dad just shook his head.

"But dad! Even Frank said I know how to do the stuff better than you!" I shouldn't have said that. It just slipped because I was so frustrated! My dad stared at Frank.

"Frank you said that?!" He sounded angry. I hope he didn't fire him.

"Yes sir, I did." Frank said solemnly.

"Well Frank, I better not hear that again!"

"Dad! Come on! Just try to hire me! See what I can do!" I was insisting.

"I'm sorry honey, but all the positions are full." My dad said. He didn't sound very sorry.

"But Mr. Gena, we have all these calls, and stories, we could use her help!" Frank was insisiting too.

"Not another word Frank, or you're fired!" My dad said mad.

"Too late Mr. Gena. I quit. If there aren't enough positions for your own daughter to take then she can have mine, and what better person to do it then Avenue." Frank turned to me. "Avenue, I'm sorry for leaving you like this, but you need the job more than I do, and if there is anything you need, I'm just a couple blocks away, and you know my number." With that he glared at my dad and walked out of the office.

"Mr. Gena, the copies are made and the coffee is ready, plus a couple of writers by the last names of Ryder and Diaz want to submit a couple of stories and are asking for their main publisher Frank, except I can't seem to find him and - wait - Avenue?" I turned to see none other than Nate Gray.

"Nate? What are you doing here?" I asked shocked.

"Oh, this is my new job, I'm working for your dad! I didn't think you would come so soon, especially with that Tropical Storm coming."

"You hired Nate?!" I asked..well yelled too... at my dad.

"Yeah, - wait, you know him?" Then he turned to Nate. "You know her?"

"Um, she's my gir- I mean, we go to school together and have been hanging out. . ." Nate was saying.

"I can't believe this!" I shouted. "You're complaining about how you don't have the time to hire me, but you hire him? He doesn't even know how to do it half as well as I do!"

"Avenue, sweety, the only reason why I don't have the time to hire you, but I could hire Nate, was because he was the one who brought us all this publicity. We have more business then ever with him working here!" My dad told me. I knew that business was more important them I was to him, and that he wouldn't fire Nate if it brought down the publishing company, especially since my dad would have fired the Nate Gray. Wow. I was being shot down. And my dad was the one with the gun. I was so mad. I stormed out of the office and to the elevators. I heard footsteps behind me.

"Avenue wait!" It was Nate. I was so mad at him. I couldn't believe he was working for my dad, and took my job, and didn't even tell me. I didn't want to talk to him, much less see, him, or go any where near him.

"Avenue! Please! I know your mad at me just let me explain!" He shouted from across the hall, he was coming up to me so I ran. I could hear his walking footsteps turn into running footsteps. I got up to the elevators and pushed the button to go down like fifty time. Turns out it didn't make the elevator come up, I guess Frank used it to go down, and no one else came up after. Nate was catching up, so I ran a little bit ahead till I found the stairs. Yes, they were the fire safety stairs, but I didn't care. I just ran and opened the door and started to fly down. Not literally but you know what I mean.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted up to Nate who had also come flying down the stairs after me.

"Please, just stop Avenue! Avenue!" I had gotten down the stairs and out the door, and I prayed that it wasn't raining, because I knew it was going to be that tropical storm. Too late. I pushed the office building's main entrance door and saw the black clouds and it was starting to pour. I stopped right there in the parking lot. The rain was coming down on me. It splashed my face, and the pressure was too much for my eyes that were stinging, and I let the tears come down my face. Even though the rain was cold and with the wind blowing my face was hot. Hot with frustration, and being upset, and betrayal and everything else.

I was just standing there. Like nothing else existed. I heard the splattering, wet footsteps of Nate's, stop right behind me.

"Avenue. . ." He was saying.

"No. Don't talk to me okay?" I told him.

"I didn't know. I'd quit but. . ." He stopped.

"But what? You'd quit but what?" I asked frustrated.

"But I have a contract. Avenue come on! You know I would throw this all away if I could, just for you to want to talk to me!"

"Really? And how would I know that?"

"I don't know. . .last night! Last night we almost kissed!"

"Yeah, well I'm glad we didn't because that would have been the worst mistake I've made." That made him think. It made me think. But not for long. I started walking, then running out of the parking lot. I was going home.

"Avenue! You can't run home now! There's a big storm!" Nate shouted at me. There was a big storm, but that wasn't going to stop me.

"I'm going home! Just leav me alone!" I shouted back at him. I was still running, when a lightning bolt struck several yards away, causing an eletric shock to go through me. I screamed and fell down to the pavement.

"Avenue!" Nate came rushing up to me. My eyes werer closed and I was crumpled on the ground. "Avenue, please be okay." I couldn't say anything yet. I was hurting. I was hurting with emotions, and pain from my whole body from that eletric shock. "Avenue, please say something to let me know you're okay." Nate picked me up, holding me in a bridal position. I heard him sniffle. He was crying. Oh no, he wasn't getting off with sympathy.

"Put me down." I said.

"Avenue!"

"Now!" He set me down gently and I stormed away.

"Avenue! You can't go now! Not after this!" Nate yelled at me.

"Just watch me!" I yelled back.

"At least let me take you home!" And to my relief, what happened to stop by for the last time till the storm passed? The city bus.

"No! I'll take the bus!" I told him. The last stop was a block away from my house. No problem. I ran to the bus and hopped on before Nate could do anything to stop me, giving the little bit of money I found in my pockets for the ride. I didn't look back until I got home.

My house was deathly quiet, even with thunder. I turned on our tv real quick, to the news. We weren't even in it yet, this was just the beginning storm. So I went to my room and where my computer was already off, and unplugged it. I got on of my books, and read. A while later, I could tell we were now in the Tropical Storm. Like the weather man had predicted, it was much worse. There was a lot more wind, and the raun was coming down harder now. I went down stairs to get a snack and saw that it was 5 o'clock. I just sat on a stool at the counter and ate a couple poptarts. I went back to my room and got out some homework. After a couple hours of just sitting there thinking, only doing a bit of homework, I went back to reading my book. I don't know how late it was but the power went off and everything was dark. My dad still hadn't come home and I couldn't call any one or get on the computer, nor read because I needed the lights. My cell phone was out of battery and I had no way to recharge it. I was scared, and I was upset. I laid down on my bed, and cried myself to sleep.

The next day I woke up to some more clouds. It wasn't raining and I knew the Tropical Storm had passed, but I knew that it was going to rain anyways. The power came back on, so I plugged in my cell phone charger and charged up my cell phone. I went down stairs to get some cereal and again, my dad was here (no matter if it was only breakfast) and then was gone, leaving his coffee cup and plate of toast and eggs in the sink. I washed the dishes and got my cereal and went back upstairs to go check my e-mail. Most of all were from Nate. Each subject had something to do with "I'm Sorry" or "Or Please Forgive Me" or "I didn't know!" I didn't read any of them either. Another e-mail was from Frank. I opened that one. It read:

Hey Kiddo!

Sorry for leaving you like that! I reall wish none of this happened! But I want you to know that I love you, your like a daughter to me, and if there's anything you need you know where I live! Also how was your night? The storm hit pretty hard and I was wondering if you were okay. Also, I haven't heard from Parker in a while, tell her I said hi and if she needs anything to call! Hope to see you soon!

Frank

Like I said before. I love Frank. He is the best! He never let's me down and even though he has no kids to practice with he knows exactly how to treat me and and Parker. He's never married either and was a single child, plus his sdad was in the Navy and his mom was a doctor, so he knows what it's like to come home to an empty house. I wrote back real quick telling him I was fine. Apparently he was on, and invited me for lunch at his house. Of course I said yes, and I got off to go get ready for the day. When I was almost done, my cell kept ringing. I looked at the caller ID and saw it was Nate. No way was I answering the phone. He called six times before I left. And finally when I walked over to Frank's house it was a total of twelve times. I was thinking about turning off my cell when I got up to Frank's front door, but he opened it and I got distracted.

"Hey!" I said.

"Hey Avenue! Come on in!" Frank said. "No Parker today?"

"No, I actually haven't heard from her in a while. Her mom wanted to spend some time with her, but I was pretty sure she'd call by now."

"No problem, so how does peanut butter and honey sound?"

"Great!" I said, and then my phone started to ring again. "Ugh! That stupid phone!"

"Someone calling?"

"Yeah, Nate."

"Oh, him again. You know I didn't even realize it was him you were talking about until he came to work."

"Really? Well he does make a big deal out of himself, I'm pretty sure he didn't mention anything about me once he was getting all that publicity."

"Actually no. . . He was a sweet kid, and he was always talking about you."

"Yeah well, I thought I made it pretty obvious to him yesterday, not to bother me again."

"Aw come on Avenue, give him a chance."

"I did! I gave him a chance and he blew it!"

"He didn't understand your situation."

"Yeah, but he understood my mom is gone somewhere across the country, and that I don't really talk to my dad, and he didn't even tell me about his job at the publishing company!"

"He wanted to surprise you! And he probably didn't understand about you and your dad. He has a good family, he probably doesn't realize what it's like to be ignored or really get into a fight."

"Sure, but still, he's got a brain. He should just use it now." My phone kept rining. This was the fourth time.

"If I were you, I'd answer it." Frank told me.

"Yeah but your not me." I said.

"Yeah, but I know you better than anybody." I sighed. I looked one last look at my phone and put it on silent. Now Frank sighed.

"I'll answer it when I'm ready. Just give me a chance." I told Frank.

"Alright, but I hope you talk to him soon." He told me.

"Maybe." I answered. After that we at and tallked for a while and then watched a movie, soon it was hitting 6:30 and I decide to go back home before it got real dark. Frank made sure I put my phone on, just in case when I walked home, if something bad were to happen. I looked at all my missed calls. Fourty-two. Nate called me fourty-two times. I walked home, and he called another three times totaling it to fourty-five times. I got dinner because now it was 6:45 pm and then went up stairs. I sat on my bed and wondered. Maybe Frank was right. Maybe I needed to give Nate a chance. But I don't think I'm ready. But maybe I am. Sure enough my phone rang again. I looked at the caller ID and sighed. Then I picked up the phone and answered it.

"Hello?" I asked.

So tell me what you think!! It was kind of weird because some of the storming parts I wrote, it was actually stormimg over here. Also I keep changing my mind about the ending to this story..and a I also am adding to the ending...soooo there are going to be a few more chapter then what I expected... I hope you guys love it! Reviews would be cool! Also sorry it was sooo long!!.