Burning Flames ¦ Evan Buckley

Chapter 16 - Earthquake

It was another day at work and Bobby was slaving away over another delicious meal for the team to devour. "All right, speed round. If you weren't doing this, what would you be doing?" Bobby asked.

"Fighter pilot. Topgun. Call sign: Shogun." chimney spoke to which Hen gave an enthusiastic laugh.

"What about you Hen?" Bobby asked.

"Editorial cartoonist, The New Yorker" Hen spoke however was met with confused looks from El, Chimney and Bobby. "I have a lot to say"

"You draw?" Bobby questioned.

"No, it's a dream. It's not supposed to be attainable" Hen sassed "Topgun? You can barely drive, you rebar head."

"Hey!" Chimney spoke with a soft chuckle. Buck had now joined them "Buckeroo, if you were not a member of the LAFD, what would you be doing?" Chimney asked.

"Uh, I don't know. I'm not getting fired, am I?" Buck spoke confused.

"I wish" El grinned at him, sipping on her iced coffee. The team began to reel off possible jobs that Buck could be doing, none of them anything special compared to what he was doing now.

"What about you mystery Rhodes?" Chimney asked as he bit down on his fork with sas.

"Probably an olympian" El shrugged "Gymnastics, diving or surfing. I couldn't pick between them" She spoke casually, as if it was no big deal.

"Hang on, you're speaking as if that was your reality" Hen rebutted.

"It was" She shrugged once again, "I've been doing them all since I was a kid, I became a lifeguard and then moved out here to do this. Womens sports is bitchy" She confirmed, grimacing at the thought.

"You would have fitted right in" Buck spoke, almost a little too plainly.

El gave him a sarcastic smile and flipped him off, their friendship still a little on edge at times.

"What's going on with you kid?" Bobby asked Buck, sensing he wasn't in his usual joyful mood.

"Just traffic sucks in this town unless you're driving ten tons of engine with sirens. It took me almost two hours to get from Abby's place to the call centre downtown, then back over here. Just told Maddie she needs to start ubering" Buck complained.

"Why don't you just steal the truck again, you're good at that" El sent her sarcastic comment his way only to be shut down with eyes of steel from Bobby. With a face like a child being caught doing something they shouldn't, El grabbed her plate of food and joined Hen and Chim.

"How's your sister settling in down there?" Bobby asked.

"Well, she's a Buckley. Practically running the place." Buck spoke with a wide, proud smile to which made the trio get up from the counter, plates in hand and walk away.

-

All of a sudden while El was cleaning under the truck, the whole room began to shake. Earthquake. Yells broke loose as things began to break and shatter, people diving for cover or running for the door to escape. El however was completely under the truck, struggling to move due to the ground's excessive shaking.

"Anyone else back there?" Bobby yelled as everyone began to evacuate the building.

"Down here" El yelled as she began to shimmy out from under the truck. Buck leant down and dragged her by the arm and to her feet, clutching her tightly, the pair locking eyes for just a few moments before running outside together.

El took a few moments to breathe once they were outside, the ground still shaking under her feet. "Thanks Buckley" El gave him a little smile as she caught her breath.