When the Storm Hits - Chase Stein

Three

Alex looks appalled, "What— hey!" He follows Chase out the glass doors, "Where are you going?"

"As I recall, your dad keeps a bottle of Pappy Van Winkles in his study. I've been sipping on it since I was thirteen," Chase replies still walking across the yard. I snort at the memory, he coughed more up than he got down.

"Yeah, but they're in there now, having their meeting," Alex points out to which Chase blatantly ignores him.

Nico stops Alex to ask him a question. I walk past them though, following Chase towards the study. Chase and I peer into the study from behind the bushes when the coast is clear. I push the door open, not waiting for Chase as he calls to Alex.

The study is just as I remember it, it seems as though nothing has changed.

Chase immediately goes to the liquor cabinet fishing out some expensive-looking bottles.

"Don't touch anything, okay?" Alex says worriedly.

"Too late!" Chase laughs, not looking for glasses to pour the liquid into.

Alex sighs, "Dad says there's no reason to be in here when he's not," Alex says like a true eight-year-old. I don't blame him for being wary, his father is just as scary as my mother and I wouldn't want to be on their bad sides.

Nico reaches down onto the couch picking up a purse, "Why is my mom's purse here?" She asks at the same moment that I spot my own mother's bag.

"Where are they?" I ask, looking at some complicated documents ontop of Mr. Wilder's desk.

"I don't know and I don't care," Chase says, pulling out a bottle, he examines it closely, "All right, he must've moved the good stuff. This'll do,"

Molly slides into a seat, crossing her legs and smiling widely up at Chase, "Bourban on the rocks, shaken, not stirred,"

I lean on the bar, "Slow down there, double-o-seven,"

Chase nods, "Yeah, I don't think so,"

Molly's returning glare does nothing to help her argument, so she drops it and nods sullenly.

Gert takes a seat behind the bar, Chase wordlessly hands her a glass. I can sense the beginning of a conversation I'd rather not be apart of so, I walk over to the bookshelf. Examining the books I know, I'll never end up reading.

Next to the books are photos, mainly baby photos of Alex. But the picture of the whole group catches my eyes, it's the year before Amy died, Nico is wearing more color. In contrast, I was going through a goth phase, so all I'm wearing is black, except my hair which I decided to dye bright red. Gert isn't wearing her glasses, an attempt to protest the use of them to her parents, it failed. Alex's hair is shorter, but unruly, sticking out in different directions. Molly hasn't changed all that much, even if she wants us all to believe she has. Chase is barely taller than me, not yet having hit his growth spurt. And Amy... is just how I remember her.

"—coaster," Alex's voice distracts me from the photo.

Just as I'm about to rejoin the conversation, noisy clanking emerges from the bookshelf. Two doors open, revealing another bookshelf, but it rolls to the side exposing a long passageway on the other side.

"Holy shit, what just happened?" Chase voices, a laugh on the edge of his voice.

"You mean other than a secret passageway opening?" Alex gasps, staring at it in awe.

"Where does it go?" Nico says, glancing towards Alex than back at the door when he doesn't seem to know the answer.

"Bomb shelter?" Gert guesses, shrugging.