‹ Prequel: Tornado
Flood
Charlotte
I waited outside of Principal Hardwick’s office. I only had two classes on Mondays and I wanted to make sure Spencer was okay. He came out furious and didn’t see me.
“Spencer?” I asked timidly and he turned.
“What?” he snapped.
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” I said quietly.
“No. I’m not.”
“Do you want to-”
He groaned. “Just leave me alone, Charlotte.”
I blanched as he walked down the hall. I didn’t really know what to do so I walked slowly back to my dorm room, reminding myself that he was upset at his friend Norman. Chris told me what he said about his aunt Amy.
I had been in my room doing homework when my phone buzzed. It was Spencer’s mother.
Are you in class?
No.
She called me right away.
“What happened?” she asked, sounding worried. “Spencer came in early and he looks like he’s been in a fight! He won’t talk to me about it.”
I sighed. “You have to promise you won’t tell him I told you.”
“Okay.”
I told her what Chris had told me and I heard a door shut. Then, to my horror, she started crying.
“Mrs. Vance? Are you all right?”
“Could… could you come to the restaurant?”
“Yeah. I’m on my way now.”
-
When I got to the restaurant, Spencer was sweeping the dining room floor. When he saw me, the look on his face was murderous.
“And who gave you permission to tell my mother?” he hissed, gripping the broom like it was a weapon.
I didn’t answer. She warned me he would be mad and I walked right past him into her office. She was at the desk, her hair messy, and Ryder was standing behind her. They had both been crying.
“I don’t understand,” I said, sitting in the only chair. “Spencer looks ready to kill me.”
“My sister Amy,” Ryder whispered, “killed herself 15 years ago.”
“The- The woman who painted the wall?” I asked in a hoarse voice and he nodded.
He handed me a picture of a pretty woman with her arms around a little boy that looked like Spencer.
“They were close,” Ryder explained. “She taught him how to draw. He was five when she died.”
“Why would Norman bring something like that up?” I whispered, disgusted.
“Because he’s a horrible young man,” Juniper said through clenched teeth. “Principal Hardwick wants him to serve his hours here but that boy is not stepping one FOOT in my restaurant!”
“Calm down, sweetheart,” Ryder said, massaging her shoulders.
“Is there anything I can do?” I asked.
“Be patient with my son,” Juniper answered, rubbing her eyes. “He’s mad now but he’ll get over it.”
“Um, I think I know how this all started,” I whispered and handed them the syllabus for our art project.
“Ryder,” Juniper breathed and passed it to him.
Ryder’s face went pale. “What were you guys assigned?” he asked.
“Floods. Please, I’m confused,” I said desperately.
At that minute, Spencer pounded on the door.
“I’m done sweeping the damn floor.”
“I’ll leave you to explain,” Ryder said to Juniper. “I’ll go deal with Spencer.”
He left and I heard him exchange some harsh words before the door clicked shut. I turned to Juniper who passed me a bottle of water from the mini fridge behind her desk.
-
I walked out an hour later, feeling sick to my stomach. It was the start of dinner service and Ryder was in the kitchen, helping prep a few meals. When he saw me, he stopped and stared for a few seconds. I just looked away and walked out the door, getting in my car to go back to my dorm. As soon as I got on the road, I cried. I didn’t want to cry in front of Juniper who had done plenty of crying. I had a feeling that, if I were to cry in front of Spencer, it would just make him angry.
My friends were in the lobby but I didn’t feel like talking and rushed to my room, hoping they hadn’t seen me. I got out a piece of paper and started brainstorming what I could sketch for the project. I wasn’t sure if Spencer wanted to work together on it; especially after I told his mom why he was fighting with Norman.
“Charlie?” Harley came in, looking worried. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve been crying.”
“It’s just been a long day,” I sighed, going back to my list and hoping she’d leave.
“Did you have a fight with Spencer?”
“No.”
“Oh.” She didn’t leave. Instead, she sat on my bed. “Did you hear he got into a fist fight today?” I nodded. “I wonder what happened. Spencer isn’t a violent person. In fact, he’s the exact opposite.” I shrugged. “Well. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. If you want, you can do your homework with us.”
I forced a smile. “Thanks, Harley, but I have a big art project I need to map out.”
She smiled back. “Okay. See you around.”
I had finished making a list when my phone buzzed.
Can we talk?
I frowned at Spencer’s text. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to answer or not.
Busy.
Oh. Dinner?
I already ate.
He texted me back but I ignored it. I wasn’t sure why I was so upset. After all, it was his family that was hurting from all of this, not me. I sighed and closed my science textbook. I figured I wouldn’t get any more work done and it was 11 so I crawled into bed.
-
“So you’re just going to ignore me now?”
I looked up. I was sitting in the library, doing research for an essay I had to write for my history class. Spencer was standing in front of me, his book bag slung over his shoulder.
“Shouldn’t you be in class?” I asked and he sat down across from me.
“I could ask you the same.”
“I have a free period.” He nodded, still staring at me. I sighed. “What?”
“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” he said and I looked at him. “It’s just… the project and Norman….”
“I understand,” I said quietly.
He laughed. “Yeah, right.”
I shook my head and slammed the book shut, making him jump.
“You see, it’s shit like that that makes people want to hit you back,” I snapped, standing. His eyes were wide. “Don’t think you’re the only one in this world that has a past.”
I stormed out of the library.
“Spencer?” I asked timidly and he turned.
“What?” he snapped.
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” I said quietly.
“No. I’m not.”
“Do you want to-”
He groaned. “Just leave me alone, Charlotte.”
I blanched as he walked down the hall. I didn’t really know what to do so I walked slowly back to my dorm room, reminding myself that he was upset at his friend Norman. Chris told me what he said about his aunt Amy.
I had been in my room doing homework when my phone buzzed. It was Spencer’s mother.
Are you in class?
No.
She called me right away.
“What happened?” she asked, sounding worried. “Spencer came in early and he looks like he’s been in a fight! He won’t talk to me about it.”
I sighed. “You have to promise you won’t tell him I told you.”
“Okay.”
I told her what Chris had told me and I heard a door shut. Then, to my horror, she started crying.
“Mrs. Vance? Are you all right?”
“Could… could you come to the restaurant?”
“Yeah. I’m on my way now.”
-
When I got to the restaurant, Spencer was sweeping the dining room floor. When he saw me, the look on his face was murderous.
“And who gave you permission to tell my mother?” he hissed, gripping the broom like it was a weapon.
I didn’t answer. She warned me he would be mad and I walked right past him into her office. She was at the desk, her hair messy, and Ryder was standing behind her. They had both been crying.
“I don’t understand,” I said, sitting in the only chair. “Spencer looks ready to kill me.”
“My sister Amy,” Ryder whispered, “killed herself 15 years ago.”
“The- The woman who painted the wall?” I asked in a hoarse voice and he nodded.
He handed me a picture of a pretty woman with her arms around a little boy that looked like Spencer.
“They were close,” Ryder explained. “She taught him how to draw. He was five when she died.”
“Why would Norman bring something like that up?” I whispered, disgusted.
“Because he’s a horrible young man,” Juniper said through clenched teeth. “Principal Hardwick wants him to serve his hours here but that boy is not stepping one FOOT in my restaurant!”
“Calm down, sweetheart,” Ryder said, massaging her shoulders.
“Is there anything I can do?” I asked.
“Be patient with my son,” Juniper answered, rubbing her eyes. “He’s mad now but he’ll get over it.”
“Um, I think I know how this all started,” I whispered and handed them the syllabus for our art project.
“Ryder,” Juniper breathed and passed it to him.
Ryder’s face went pale. “What were you guys assigned?” he asked.
“Floods. Please, I’m confused,” I said desperately.
At that minute, Spencer pounded on the door.
“I’m done sweeping the damn floor.”
“I’ll leave you to explain,” Ryder said to Juniper. “I’ll go deal with Spencer.”
He left and I heard him exchange some harsh words before the door clicked shut. I turned to Juniper who passed me a bottle of water from the mini fridge behind her desk.
-
I walked out an hour later, feeling sick to my stomach. It was the start of dinner service and Ryder was in the kitchen, helping prep a few meals. When he saw me, he stopped and stared for a few seconds. I just looked away and walked out the door, getting in my car to go back to my dorm. As soon as I got on the road, I cried. I didn’t want to cry in front of Juniper who had done plenty of crying. I had a feeling that, if I were to cry in front of Spencer, it would just make him angry.
My friends were in the lobby but I didn’t feel like talking and rushed to my room, hoping they hadn’t seen me. I got out a piece of paper and started brainstorming what I could sketch for the project. I wasn’t sure if Spencer wanted to work together on it; especially after I told his mom why he was fighting with Norman.
“Charlie?” Harley came in, looking worried. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve been crying.”
“It’s just been a long day,” I sighed, going back to my list and hoping she’d leave.
“Did you have a fight with Spencer?”
“No.”
“Oh.” She didn’t leave. Instead, she sat on my bed. “Did you hear he got into a fist fight today?” I nodded. “I wonder what happened. Spencer isn’t a violent person. In fact, he’s the exact opposite.” I shrugged. “Well. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. If you want, you can do your homework with us.”
I forced a smile. “Thanks, Harley, but I have a big art project I need to map out.”
She smiled back. “Okay. See you around.”
I had finished making a list when my phone buzzed.
Can we talk?
I frowned at Spencer’s text. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to answer or not.
Busy.
Oh. Dinner?
I already ate.
He texted me back but I ignored it. I wasn’t sure why I was so upset. After all, it was his family that was hurting from all of this, not me. I sighed and closed my science textbook. I figured I wouldn’t get any more work done and it was 11 so I crawled into bed.
-
“So you’re just going to ignore me now?”
I looked up. I was sitting in the library, doing research for an essay I had to write for my history class. Spencer was standing in front of me, his book bag slung over his shoulder.
“Shouldn’t you be in class?” I asked and he sat down across from me.
“I could ask you the same.”
“I have a free period.” He nodded, still staring at me. I sighed. “What?”
“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” he said and I looked at him. “It’s just… the project and Norman….”
“I understand,” I said quietly.
He laughed. “Yeah, right.”
I shook my head and slammed the book shut, making him jump.
“You see, it’s shit like that that makes people want to hit you back,” I snapped, standing. His eyes were wide. “Don’t think you’re the only one in this world that has a past.”
I stormed out of the library.