Force of Nature
“Laura, that
cute guy from The Weather Channel is in Omaha.” Chloe’s eyes were fixated on
her laptop. “It’s never good when he shows up in your hometown.”
“Then it’s a good
thing we don’t live in Omaha,” I said.
The campus
library was nearly empty, which wasn’t too surprising considering the darkening
skies and ominous clouds floating along the horizon. Desperate to get to the
dorms, students were rushing out the door, only to be greeted by rain slapping
the pavement and howling winds. The commuters had already headed home, hoping
to make it out of town before the weather became too rough.
The rest of
us—the local, brave souls—were waiting out the storm. Living in Tornado Alley
made you numb to the cautionary tone of a meteorologist’s voice. Sure, you
might head to the basement or the storm shelter when the sirens blare, but you
never really panic—not until there’s a reason to.
There’s rarely a
reason to.
Chloe, a transfer
student from Montana and not at all accustomed to wild weather, always had a
meltdown whenever storms were in the area.
“Omaha is just
west of campus. You never take these storms seriously, Laura.”
“Do you know how
many nights my mother forced me to sleep in a storm shelter just because it
thundered a little too loudly? If you’re going to live in Nebraska, you need to
learn the fine art of relaxation, especially during tornado season.”
With a quiet
sigh, she handed me a stack of novels to add to the cart. “You don’t take them
seriously enough.”
Her voice was
shaky, and for a moment, I considered the possibility that maybe I should be a
better friend. If moving everyone to the basement would calm her down, then
maybe I should consider it.
I glanced around,
counting the number of students left on this floor of the library, when someone
caught my eye. Aiden was in his usual spot by the window, taking advantage of
the Wi-Fi and listening to music.
Like me, he was
here on a music scholarship.
Unlike me, he was
actually happy about it.
Aiden Barnes was
undeniably handsome, with his soft blue eyes and gentle smile. His wicked
talent on the guitar made him my favorite duet partner, and sometimes, we’d
meet in the Fine Arts building and write songs in one of the practice rooms. We
lived in the same apartment building, and occasionally, he’d come up to my room
and we would have an all-night jam session. It was a comfortable friendship,
riddled with unresolved sexual tension we both felt but refused to acknowledge.
“You have a
little drool,” Chloe whispered.
Okay, so maybe
we didn’t acknowledge it to each other. Chloe, unfortunately, could read me
like a book.
“Can you blame
me?”
“Not at all. He
stares at you, too, when he thinks you aren’t looking.”
“You’re insane.”
“He does! You’re
usually shelving books or doing something behind the counter, so you never
notice. Why do you think he’s here all the time?”
I shrugged. “I
don’t know. To study?”
“He can study in
his dorm.”
“The free
Wi-Fi?”
“Have you
forgotten the entire campus is wireless?”
I frowned.
“Trust me,” she
said.
Chloe smiled
brightly at me before making her way toward the multimedia room. Moments later,
I heard the rising volume of the television and the emergency alert message
that always made me cringe. It was the most annoying sound in the world, and
living in Nebraska, you heard it a lot, especially in the spring.
The grating
noise sent a few students rushing toward the exit, and I had just started
checking-in some periodicals when Chloe returned to the counter.
“Tornado Warning
for Omaha.” Her face was pale, her voice shaky, and I knew she was about ten
seconds away from a nervous breakdown.
“Chloe, why
don’t you head home? I can handle this.”
She glanced out the
window at the threatening sky. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. Text me
when you get to your dorm so I’ll know you’re
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