Chasing You (Tyler Owens)

ONE

Present Time

"Hey can you watch the door? I've been waiting on this call all week." I asked Susan, my favorite co-worker despite being significantly older. She seems ready to retire, but I'm glad she won't. 

We're both waitresses at Lisa's, a nice cafe that pays well enough for me to wanna spend her mornings here. And with nights as a bartender, I can make rent. 

"Hey, Spencer Nolan speaking." I say answering as Susan nods and I head outback for some privacy. I've been waiting for my landlord to call me back for the past week. My front lock is broken and I'm not a big fan of someone breaking in with no trouble.

"Hey Spencer, It's Javi. It's been a while I know, but I need some help." Words can't explain how shocked I am. Javi tried to get a hold of me for a while after I left, but I assumed he gave up trying a while ago, not to mention this is a new number he's using.

"Um hey, what is it you need help with?" I ask. If it's what I think it is my answer's gonna be a no. 

"Me and my team found a way to get a real life scan of an active tornado, with the data we can help-"

"No." I cut him off, "I'm done chasing, you know that."

"I do, but with your help we can actually make a difference, and help everyone." I go to cut him off again, but he keeps going before I can, "It's getting worse, Spence, and it's coming for the people we care about." 

"There's a reason I left, Javi. Get Kate, she can do just as much as I can."

"I'm on a plane to go see her tomorrow. But I need you both." He pauses for what feels like forever. "5 years of nothing. I'm only asking for a week, Spence. I can't do this without you."

"I-" I'm about to give in when my old friends' faces flash before my eyes.

"Do you ever wonder why it was us who made it out of there alive?" He asks.

"All the time. But I can't. I'm sorry, Javi." I hang up. 

Storm chasing was my whole life at one point, me and Kate thought we found a way to stop tornados before they could do the damage they did. All of data said it should've worked, but once we were in the field testing it, it didn't.

That tornado turned into an EF5. It killed Kate's boyfriend Jeb, and two of our friends Addy and Praveen. Javi, Liam, Kate, and I were the only survivors. It's been 5 years since then, and 4  and 1/2 since me and my brother stopped talking.

I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment, willing their faces away.

A deep breath and I head back in to finish my shift.

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Kate said the same as you, funny how similar you guys are. Lemme know if you change your minds. - Javi

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It's late and I just got home from bartending, I read the text, frowning because I know he's disappointed. It's been two days since he called and I've thought it over. Maybe I should go back, I can help like I've wanted and I do miss it.

I'm gonna help Javi. Just for a week. Please tell me you're in. - Spencer

I hit send to Kate before hearing my front door open. God dammit, I knew that broken lock would be a problem. 

I slip my phone in my pocket and grab the bat I have by my bedroom door and make my way to the front of the house.

"Hello? I have a bat and I will hit you if you come near me!" I yell while hiding around the corner in the tiny hall.

"Calm down it's just me." I hear a familiar voice yet- oh my god.

"Kate?" I come out from the corner. "I just texted you. What are you doing here?"

"I changed my mind, but I won't do it without you." She sets down her bags.

"So you show up to my house with no notice? Are you crazy?"

"Thought it'd be harder to say no if it was in person."

"Well considering I just texted you about changing my mind, I'd say you don't have to worry about it." Her phone dings and she looks down at what I'm assuming is my text going through.

"Oh wow, you did. Great minds think alike huh." We laugh together, what the hell have we decided to get into.

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I got Kate settled in and now we're just at my counter talking and catching up. "Should we text Javi now, or in the morning?" She asks me.

"Morning, make him sweat it a little longer." And it'll also make his day I'm assuming. 

"I really missed you, ya know?" She starts getting sappy on me, sipping her glass of wine. "We should've stuck together, I'm sorry we didn't."

"I was the one that left first." 

"Yeah, but we drifted long before that." We know that. After it happened we both isolated ourselves, which left Javi on his own. I had nobody besides them, and couldn't handle school anymore so I left to Chicago. Kate followed a bit after, but went to New York.

"How'd you know my address?" I break the silence. 

"I called your work, Susan told me." What the fuck, why would Susan- "I told her I was your older sister, which isn't too far from the truth to be honest."

"I'm not surprised." I shake my head and laugh.

"Oh also, why the hell do you not have a lock that works while living in a city like Chicago?" 

"It broke, I've been trying to get a whole of my landlord for the past week." I try to defend myself, "I've got the bat though."

We both laugh and as the noise dies off we both realize what we just signed up for. 

"We're really doing this, aren't we?" She says, sighing.

"I guess we are." 

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