Chesa sighed. "It is in the bottom drawer!" Chesa yelled back.
"Oh, OK! Thanks!"
"No problem." Chesa replied, "He is such a little kid." Chesa muttered.
"Guys! I was just watching the TV when it said that a hurricane was coming through!" Rachelle yelled.
"Damn." Chesa muttered.
"They say it is a pretty strong and fast hurricane and that it should hit in two hours." Rachelle yelled down.
"Yeah?! What else?" Brian yelled up.
"That we should go into the basement with food and crap when it hits." Rachelle announced. Chesa rolled her eyes.
"OK, Rach, gather everyone in the kitchen, OK?"
"OK, Chester." Rachelle yelled back. In five minutes everyone was downstairs.
"OK, guys, a really strong hurricane is gonna hit in about two hours. Get a backpack or something and put a change or two of clothes in it and what ever
you want to bring for entertainment. Bring it all into the basement, then we will gather blankets and stuff for us to sleep and keep warm. So, go gather
your stuff and meet back down here in-" Chesa looked down at her watch," half an hour, at one, OK?"
"OK." They all agreed, then everyone went to pack their stuff.
"Sorry I'm late." Howie apologized as he walked into the kitchen.
"Howie, you are only two minutes late, don't sweat it." AJ told him.
"OK, anyway. Do all of you have your stuff down stairs?" Chesa asked. They all nodded.
"Alright then. We have to get candles just in case-"Chesa started, then lights flickered.
"Whoa-well, just in case the electricity goes out, and we also need blankets, and food, maybe."
"OK." They all replied.
"Kevin, you may take over." Chesa told him.
"Huh?" Kevin asked.
"Go on, you are the leader." Chesa told him with a smile. Kevin shrugged.
"OK, if you say so." Kevin replied, "OK, uh, Amber, you go get the candles. Chesa, you go get the blankets. AJ, you gather up some food."
"Amber, I'll go with you." Nick told Amber as she started to walk off.
"OK." She replied, then they walked off.
"Off to get the blankets I go." Chesa sighed.
"Chesa, I'll help ya carry them down." Brian said and followed her.
"I'll go with Chesa and Brian." AJ announced, as he left the room, Kevin called him back.
"McLean, get back here." Kevin called to him, AJ walked back in, "You have to gather the food, member?" AJ smiled innocently.
"Oh yeah!" AJ exclaimed.
"Man, you gotta quit worrying about Chesa. She is a big girl and can handle herself." Howie assured AJ.
"I know, I know. I just feel like I have to protect her."
"AJ, you don't have to protect her from anybody." Kevin sighed.
"AJ, you especially don't have to protect her from Brian." Rachelle told him catching on to what was going on. AJ knew that they were right, it was just
that instinct that he felt as though he were he guardian. AJ nodded.
"I'll lay off."
"Good. You are starting to worry me, Bone." Kevin told him.
"Me too." Howie agreed.
"How come we just can't get the blankets from the bed?" Brian asked following Chesa up the attic stairs.
"Because the flannel ones are warmer." She replied shining her flashlight around, cursing herself under her breath for not changing the light bulb to the attic and attic stairs before. "And Brian, if you want, you can go back down stairs, I can get the blankets by myself." ...She got no answer. "Brian?" She called out softly." .....Brian, this isn't funny.....Fine, but if you get lost up in the attic, I'm not gonna save you." She assured, fumbling
through the attic. Chesa turned a corner where the boxes were stacked up and Brian jumped out with the flashlight shined on his face. Chesa let out a
yelp. Brian started cracking up and Chesa could feel her face go red. "You are so immature. That wasn't funny, you know."
"Sure it was." Brian replied, following Chesa as she headed for the back of the attic. She stayed silent.
"I didn't really scare you, did I?" Brian asked, Chesa could feel a trace of concern in his voice, but she still didn't reply. Chesa spotted a pair of
fake dracula teeth a grabbed them, with out Brian realizing. Chesa forced fake tears down her cheeks and turned to face Brian.
"Yeah, actually, you did. And I would appreciate it if you wouldn't do that anymore." Chesa whimpered softly. Brian was stunned and wrapped his arms
around her. Chesa stuck in the dracula teeth as Brian held her close. Chesa then lightly dug the teeth into Brian's neck. Brian quickly pulled away and
looked at a smiling Chesa with dracula teeth. Chesa then took out the teeth, "Ha-ha!"
"You didn't fool me for a moment, I knew what you were doing!" Brian lied, slightly embarrassed.
"Sure." she replied with a large grin, then headed off for the blankets again. But Chesa had been so caught up in the trick that she was playing that she didn't stop to think how great it felt for Brian to hold her.
"OK....Chesa keeps the candles on the shelf in the back...." Amber muttered to herself in the storage room. Nick was standing behind her.
"Huh? What was that?" Nick asked. Amber rolled her eyes.
"Nothing, I was just contemplating on whether you're gonna be any help or not." Amber replied.
"Very funny." Nick murmured and walked up behind her.
"What was that?" Amber asked, mimicking him.
"Can't you just read my mind?" Nick asked and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"No, that 'Space for rent' sign is in the way." Amber replied, pleased with herself at the come-back she had thought up.
"Ha-ha-ha." Nick whispered in her ear. Nick kissed her neck as she spotted the candles.
"Ah-ha." Amber grabbed some candles, "Nick, be an angel and help me with these."
"Sorry, babe, you are mistaken, Angel is my sister." Nick replied with a grin.
"Just take the damn candles." Amber ordered and they headed back up-stairs.
"Yo, Howie, pass me the wheat bread, please." AJ asked as he packed up some food. Howie open the pantry and threw the bread over to AJ. "Thanks."
Just then Amber and Nick walked in.
"Do you know how useless he can be?" Amber teased.
"Yeah, we know." AJ replied.
"Shut-up Bone." Nick ordered.
"Sorry! Don't be so defensive." AJ replied with his hands up as a block.
Amber and Howie chuckled. Kevin then walked in.
"Alright. I just listened to the radio and they say that it should last until sometime this afternoon." Kevin told them.
"THIS afternoon?" Nick asked.
"Nick, it is 1:45 am." Kevin told him. Nick blushed.
"Oh, yeah! I knew that!" Nick lied.
"OK! We got the blankets!" Brian announced with a Jamaican accent.
"Good. Lets go on down and get everything set up." Kevin said.
"Where is Rachelle?" Chesa asked.
"Right here." Rachelle replied walking in.
"Where were you?" Amber asked.
"Oh, I was in the basement." Rachelle replied.
"Doing what?" Chesa asked.
"Getting my stuff set up so that I had the best spot!" Rachelle replied with a grin. Chesa and Amber stuck out their tongues at her.
"Bone, you got the food ready?" Kevin asked.
"Yepper, that's a roger, Train." AJ replied.
"Alright then, let's head on down." Kevin suggested.
