[2.1] THE BRIGHTEST LIGHTNING, tyler owens

A YouTube Channel, Really?

Jaymes looked out the window of Javi's truck, seeing fields, cows, and the one thing she's learned to hate: overpasses.

The pair had dropped off her horses at an older man's farm, someone Javi personally knew and trusted.

"Not gonna lie, I didn't think you'd come." Javi said flashing a smile at her.

"Yeah, me neither," Jaymes said. She supported Javi and what he was doing, she just didn't expect it.

"Nice upgrade from the old one, right?" He asked, motioning to the computer in the front and the other equipment in the back.

"How do you pay for all of this?" She questioned, looking into the backseat and seeing monitors and other computers.

"We have investors, the storms became more erratic, a lot of new housing developments going up, so the developers, they want full time weather data. So any time a new building goes up, I want a Storm Par right there to let the people know what the storm's gonna do." He said confidently.

Jaymes nodded, taking in all the information.

"I'm gonna tell you, I really feel like we can change the game, Jaymie."

Jaymes nodded with him while a small smile crept on her face.

"What?" Javi asked, curious at her sudden reaction.

"Oh, it's just um, business entrepreneur is not how I saw your future. We used to be lucky if we'd be able to get you to wear pants." She teased him while he smiled at the memory.

"Well, you haven't completely changed ." Javi smiled at her before looking back at the road to continue their journey.

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The pair pulled into a gas station filled with Storm Par equipment and people. They walked out together and while Javi took a confident step, Jaymes, however, took a smaller, more reserved step.

"Bring it in team," Javi commanded as six people gathered in a circle, "alright, you guys have all heard me talk about Jaymes. How no one has better instincts, she's the smartest person I know, she's the best. And, you will never work with a more talented team than this one." He said, watching Jaymes gives brief nods to everyone on the team.

"Look, we got PHD's from NASA, FEMA, NOAH, and WUS." Javi said pointing to everyone while Jaymes nodded.

"Got the whole alphabet." She joked. "We're the best, except for Scott, my partner here, he went to MIT instead of Mistkobe State. But, uh, he makes up for it with his beautiful, amazing personality." Javi entertained everyone while putting his hand on Scott's shoulder.

Scott flashed her a full, bright-white smile before returning to his usual state.

"Well, Jaymes is only giving us a week, and while we have her, ooh, it's gonna be the wildest tornado week you've ever seen, fellas!" Javi said, hyping up his team.

"Yeah, and everyone with a ten dollar weather all knows it." Scott said, effectively ruining the mood.

"We gotta stay ahead of the circus." He finished.

Everyone's attention was brought to a reinforced, red Ram truck, who's horn was being honked. People immediately started cheering as it pulled in. Jaymes' eyes squinted in confusion as a motor home pulled in behind it.

A man with shoulder-length hair who was hanging out the window with a camera was the next thing to catch her eye.

"Hey Storm Par, you're live on YouTube, say something."

"Shut up, Boone." She heard one of the team members say.

"Hey, smile man, science is fun, right?" Boone taunted as they pulled away.

Jaymes' eyebrows were still furrowed as her eyes were glued to the truck. "Who are they?"

"Chasers out of Arkansas." Jaymes could tell this was the 'circus' they were talking about.

Scott started to chew his him faster as  annoyance crept into him. "Hillbillies with a YouTube channel."

Jaymes couldn't help but roll her eyes at the sight before her. She couldn't tell if she was annoyed or impressed.
"Wow, just wow."

She started as a tall man in a cowboy hat got out of the red Ram. People immediately swarmed the truck and started to cheer louder.

"And if you feel it," the man yelled, "you chase it!" The crowd screamed back.

"He looks like an attention loving idiot." Jaymes said, observing the crowd and him.

"He's a cocky asshole." Scott replied, "the only thing he cares about are his number of views."

Jaymes continued to watch the man with a confused expression. She was surprised when he turned around and made eye contact with her, tipping his hat to her and smiling in the process.

"That's Tyler Owens. He calls himself the Tornado Wrangler." Javi said observing Tyler in the crowd.

"What's that even mean?" She asked as another woman burst through the door to the motor home open and yelled to the crowd.

Javi shook his head slightly as she held up T-shirts that had a tornado and Tyler's face on them. "It means our world is going to shit."

She watched as a man came out of the motor home holding mugs for people to buy. Another girl held up her drone for everyone to see.

Javi took a computer out of Scott's hands and sighed, "Alright, let's get ahead of this bunch."

He handed Jaymes the computer that had a radar on it, tracking the storms pace and how wide it was. "Alright, Jaymie, what storm should we chase?"

She looked down at the screen and back up at the sky while Scott took off his sunglasses and peered down at the screen.

"There's a nice looking cell over to the east." He said slightly cockily, something Jaymes didn't like.

She looked at him and smiled, "I have eyes, thanks though."

She walked past him and Javi chuckled, "I told you, she knows what she's doing."

She turned around when she noticed that Javi had caught up with her, surprised to see the entire team following her. She leaned towards Javi as she voiced her concerns.

"It's been a while, I'll just watch on this first one."

"No, Jaymie, Jaymes, it's alright, you get this. That's why you're here."

She nodded, grateful for Javi's support but she soon became uncomfortable again when she looked back at the team.

Javi noticed and stepped in, "Alright, alright, everybody get their last bathroom break in."

She sighed when she noticed the other team taunting hers, calling them names and making sounds.

She broke off from everyone else and walked to the edge of the gas station, looking up at the sky.

That's when Tyler noticed her, wearing a white turtleneck tank top, a striped half buttoned button down, a pair of jeans shorts, and a pair of work boots. His interest only peaked when he saw he looking at the sky.

She looked back and forth between East and West, giving herself a pep-talk in the process.

Javi smiled watching her, they were the closest out of the Tornado Tamers team, practically inseparable before the accident. It made him happy to see her back in the game.

"What's she doing?" Scott asked, coming to a stop beside him.

Javi shrugged, looking back at her, "She's just doing her thing, man."

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First chapter done! Hope you guys enjoy it!
Word Count: 1210