Chapter Two: [placed before the storm hits, before Chapter One]
Part II
"Gale forces are predicted to reach record highs this evening. But that's seems to be all the radar is telling us for now."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She stood there like a promise amidst the paper window frame, the roof and shutters fluttering gently around her from the ridiculous wind. But that didn't make sense, he thought to himself shaking his head. It should be blowing away. A house of cards couldn't withstand this. How did her home make it? She smiled apologetically towards him, tugging gently at her lower lip in that way that was distinctly hers, and he promptly forgot about logic. Reason had no place here, he thought as he moved towards her papyrus tower.
But the storm fuming around them would not let up, and his body was forced to the ground by a howling cry. He felt the voice travel through his chest pushing him closer to the pavement beneath him. It was muddled and undistinguishable. He had the faint notion that he should care what it was telling him or who it was that the voice belonged too, but to be honest, he didn't need to know. It was painful, and he had had enough of that. He just wanted to be in the safe house before him; protected by whatever charms she possessed to keep it together.
He stood up, resolve firmly in place and trudged forward. The voice grew and called the winds and rains to gather around him and buckle at his knees. He could almost recognize the sound now. It was so familiar. It was like...
A ring of a bell. Nathan's head jolted forward as he woke from the reoccurring dream. He gathered his books and shuffled out of his last class thanking his teacher's obliviousness for not getting into trouble for his little nap. He had mentioned the dream in passing this morning, but truth be told, it had been plaguing his thoughts for days. Regardless of the fact that its symbolism was practically hitting him over the head, it always stuck with him. There was something...textured about it – whatever that meant. Everything in his life was falling apart, well except for Haley he smiled to himself. It was a close call, but he was not going to let his tendency to screw things up work its way into this relationship. He wasn't like that anymore. He wasn't sorry. For so long, that was how he "fixed" everything – a temporary salve of apology and regret. But he realized sorry was never good enough. He needed to own his actions and take responsibility for them. His choices determined who he was, and he wanted to be better.
He had seen Haley in fifth period. They studied the latest set of geometric theorems. She was calm and patient and beautiful. Like always. The slight discomfort he had felt earlier that day when she had mentioned them not being "100%" had dissipated within moments of talking to her. During the tutor session, he was tempted to ask if that was really the reason she had neglected to mention her parents' absence, but he left it alone. If she wanted him to know something, she would let him in. He trusted her judgment better than his own anyway.
And now he was headed home since all after-school activities including basketball were canceled due to inclement weather. He snickered at the word home. Home was where the heart was, right? And right now, the Scott household was severely lacking in that category. Yelling, yes. Threats of legal action, for sure. But Love was playing the silent partner in the deal. Maybe she would speak up eventually. But Nathan didn't see that coming anytime soon as he was greeted by the raised voices of his mom and dad screaming in the entranceway.
Part II
"Gale forces are predicted to reach record highs this evening. But that's seems to be all the radar is telling us for now."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She stood there like a promise amidst the paper window frame, the roof and shutters fluttering gently around her from the ridiculous wind. But that didn't make sense, he thought to himself shaking his head. It should be blowing away. A house of cards couldn't withstand this. How did her home make it? She smiled apologetically towards him, tugging gently at her lower lip in that way that was distinctly hers, and he promptly forgot about logic. Reason had no place here, he thought as he moved towards her papyrus tower.
But the storm fuming around them would not let up, and his body was forced to the ground by a howling cry. He felt the voice travel through his chest pushing him closer to the pavement beneath him. It was muddled and undistinguishable. He had the faint notion that he should care what it was telling him or who it was that the voice belonged too, but to be honest, he didn't need to know. It was painful, and he had had enough of that. He just wanted to be in the safe house before him; protected by whatever charms she possessed to keep it together.
He stood up, resolve firmly in place and trudged forward. The voice grew and called the winds and rains to gather around him and buckle at his knees. He could almost recognize the sound now. It was so familiar. It was like...
A ring of a bell. Nathan's head jolted forward as he woke from the reoccurring dream. He gathered his books and shuffled out of his last class thanking his teacher's obliviousness for not getting into trouble for his little nap. He had mentioned the dream in passing this morning, but truth be told, it had been plaguing his thoughts for days. Regardless of the fact that its symbolism was practically hitting him over the head, it always stuck with him. There was something...textured about it – whatever that meant. Everything in his life was falling apart, well except for Haley he smiled to himself. It was a close call, but he was not going to let his tendency to screw things up work its way into this relationship. He wasn't like that anymore. He wasn't sorry. For so long, that was how he "fixed" everything – a temporary salve of apology and regret. But he realized sorry was never good enough. He needed to own his actions and take responsibility for them. His choices determined who he was, and he wanted to be better.
He had seen Haley in fifth period. They studied the latest set of geometric theorems. She was calm and patient and beautiful. Like always. The slight discomfort he had felt earlier that day when she had mentioned them not being "100%" had dissipated within moments of talking to her. During the tutor session, he was tempted to ask if that was really the reason she had neglected to mention her parents' absence, but he left it alone. If she wanted him to know something, she would let him in. He trusted her judgment better than his own anyway.
And now he was headed home since all after-school activities including basketball were canceled due to inclement weather. He snickered at the word home. Home was where the heart was, right? And right now, the Scott household was severely lacking in that category. Yelling, yes. Threats of legal action, for sure. But Love was playing the silent partner in the deal. Maybe she would speak up eventually. But Nathan didn't see that coming anytime soon as he was greeted by the raised voices of his mom and dad screaming in the entranceway.