Lights Are On | Scott x OC

A Close Call

Savannah and Kate found Javi and Scott in the diner near the motel the next morning, with a man they'd never seen before. As they approached, Sav immediately grew suspicious as Scott stopped talking and covered his mouth. They made eye contact and held it for a minute before Kate spoke, pulling Scott's attention away.

"When do you want to head out?"

"Oh, uh, Kate, Sav, this is... this is Marshall Riggs," Javi said. "We've been working together. He's one of the Storm Par investors I told you about."

"How scary was that tornado yesterday?" Riggs asked with a smile, directed at Kate. Kate looked like a deer caught in headlights for a moment before collecting herself. "Not at all."

Scott made a noise of "hm" behind his hand. Sav frowned at him and he shook his head, looking away and giving a thumbs up.

"Listen, c-can you give us a couple minutes?" Javi asked. He was acting weird too. "Maybe grab something to eat or... And then we can head out." Kate nodded wordlessly and walked away. Sav followed her and could feel Scott's eyes lingering on her back.

"They were acting weird," she said to Kate once they were out of the diner. "Yeah..." Kate kind of shrugged it off.

But it was still on Sav's mind an hour later as she sat in Scott's passenger seat on their second chase.

"Scott?"

"Hm?"

"What exactly is Riggs getting out of being your investor?"

Scott cleared his throat. "He's my uncle," he explained, avoiding the main point. Sav knew he wasn't telling her something, but she didn't have the energy to get into an argument about it. After all, she and Scott were practically strangers.

"Mm."

Scott glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He opened his mouth to say something, hesitated, then shut it. As a funnel formed in front of them, Kate had once again picked the right storm, Sav felt slightly less scared than she had the day prior.

The term exposure therapy briefly crossed her mind.

She and Scott repeated what they'd done yesterday, putting on their goggles and jumping out of the truck. As Scott locked and turned on the radar, Sav stared at the tornado. They were much closer to it than they had been yesterday.

Suddenly, she realized with horror that the path had shifted. The tornado no longer looked like it was moving, which meant it was heading straight for them. "Scott..." Sav said fearfully, backing up. But Scott was talking to Javi on the radio. "Scott!" She cried.

Scott turned to look at her, just as Javi's voice became urgent. "Scott, the path changed, it's coming for you guys, get out of there!" Scott saw the terror in Sav's face. "Get in the truck!" he yelled, jumping in the driver's seat.

The tornado was right there. Scott floored it, but they didn't get far before a wagon wheel came crashing into the windshield. Sav screamed and Scott yelled, swerving the truck into a ditch. The truck rolled onto its side from the force of the turn.

"Are you okay!?" Scott yelled. Sav didn't respond, pushing with all her might to open her door as the car had landed on the driver's side. She got it open and began to climb out. "Come on!"

Scott clambered out after her.

Realistically, Sav estimated the tornado to be an EF2, strong enough to pick them up should they be in it without cover or something to hold onto, but not strong enough to pick up the truck. If the windshield wasn't shattered, maybe she'd have stayed in the truck.