(A few days before)
"Hurricane Steve is closing in onto LA. The president has called a state of emergency everyone in these areas. If you live in these areas it is recommended that you evacuate immedia..."
I shut the tv off and walk into the kitchen it's been raining for a week now I'm just waiting for the water to come gushing into the house. I need to have a back up plan. I have the three suitcases in the attic but where will I go. I decided to call bob.
I dial the number and hear the phone ring
"Hello?"
"Hi bob, how are you buddy?"
"I'm good how about you?"
"I'm kinda ok. Have you been watching the news recently?"
"Yeah why... Mark is this about the hurricane? Are you ok?"
"Yeah I'm good but is there anyway I could come stay with you? I need to evacuate but I don't know where to go... Bob I really need help..."
"Mark I wish I could but my apartment is barely big enough for my wife and I. I'm sorry buddy."
"It's alright I'm going to call wade.talk to you later"
"Good luck Mark"
An with that I hang up the phone and immediately dial wade.
It rings
"Hey Mark how are you buddy"
"I've been better"
I chuckle
"Uh oh what's going on did Sean break up with you?"
I so regret tell him that I have feeling for Sean.
"No. stupid. Have you been watching the News recently."
"Yeah why"
"Well remember that series of storms that were suppose to dissolve into nothing well they... they evolved into a category 4 hurricane. Wade I'm scared and I can't stay with bob because he doesn't have enough room so your my last resort. Please wade."
"Oh my god Mark. Hold on let me ask the girlfriend."
I anxiously pace back and forth if wade says no there's only one person I can turn to and I really don't want to. I walk toward the bathroom. Chica likes to hide in there when there is a storm. I smile at her and walk back into the dinner room.
"Mark you still there?"
"Yeah sorry what did she say"
"Mark I'm really sorry."
"It's fine"
I say as I hang up angrily. I contemplate calling him I don't know if I should it's not a great idea he's been in a rough place too. She broke up with him while ago, 2 months ago actually. he's been a wreck ever since, whenever I call him on Skype he's always crying
Sean
He needs my help but I need his right now I don't know what to do I open my phone and write a message.
MARK
Hey jackiboy
SEAN
hey Mark! What's up?
MARK
Nm I actually had a question for you
SEAN
Oh 😉
MARK
NOT LIKE THAT YOU IDIOT!!!!!!
Anyways, how would you feel if I came to visit for a long while?
SEAN
Why are you planning a trip !?!?!?!!!?!?!,!!,!?!?!,!$;&!$!;!3!,'n
MARK
Nah this is all just hypothetical.
SEAN
Well if it was real I wouldn't mind at all there's plenty of room in my house
MARK
Sweet man thanks so much
SEAN
No problemo I miss you buddy
MARK
I miss you too man
SEAN
Alrighty well I got to go
MARK
BYE BYE!!!!!!!
This gives me a little hope the thought that he'd be fine with me coming over living with him for a while I look up flights I hope that there's a redeye tonight but there's none. The earliest I can get is 5:30 pm tomorrow from LAX. As I close my laptop. I heard a crash. I run to see what has happened.
Chica.
Where is she? I run towards the sound and hope to God that nothing bad happened to her. I get to the sound of there's a tree right through my bathroom underneath it I see the golden tail of Chica under the tree. I can't believe it. I burst into tears. She meant everything to me.
The place where the tree came down water started pouring in. I sprinted up the stairs and into the attic grabbed the suitcases and looked out. My street was flooded. I looked around hoping to find something useful. I thanked my mom a million times for loving kayaking and grabbed the kayak out of the corner and ran down my stairs pushing the kayak out in front of me. By the time I got all the way down stairs there was about 2 feet of water on the floor I looked around the house and said good bye. I opened the door and more water poured into the house. I walked against with the kayak and the suit cases in the kayak. Finally I hopped in and started paddling to the nearest dry spot.
$time skip$
I'm walking down the highway dragging my suitcases with me. I hear a car horn behind me. I turn around and stick my hand up in apology. It honks again when I look a bit closer. It's Nate. I thank anyone I can and move so he can pull over.
"Nate my god is it good to see you"
"It's good to see you to mark. What's going on."
"Not much just trying to make my way to LAX. Is there a way you could give me a ride there."
"Of course dude. What happened?"
"Well the storm kinda flooded my house. And a tree fell through my bathroom."
"Sorry Mark. Do you want to come to my place first to get cleaned up or would you prefer to go the the airport?"
"If I'm not a burden I would prefer to come to yours. The only flight I could find out of here was 5:30pm tomorrow."
"Dude of course. Can you text Matt for me to let him know to make more food for us."
"Sure..."
There is an awkward silence. I ask the question I'm dying to ask.
"So which one of you finally built up the courage to ask the other one out."
"It was him. He texted me one day and was like can you come over and when I got there he had a lot of balloons and a cake. It was so cute."
"You guys sound so cute together. I wish I could do the same."
"Ooo who's the lucky guy?"
"You'll never guess."
"Sean"
I sit there in shock
"Damn is it that obviously?"
"Kinda. Watching when you guys look at each other in your videos"
"God I just wish I would just say it but for some reason when ever I try to my throat goes dry and I can't think straight."
"Dude you just have to relax and take a deep breath the worst thing that could happen is him saying no and it happens. This is me do you want to leave you stuff in here or would you prefer to bring it in."
"I'll leave it here as long as you don't mind."
"Not at all let's head up"
We walk into a set of doors. I look around me. This looks beautiful. The grand stair case the piano playing it self in the corner. Nate and I walk up to an elevator and he presses the button and we walk in. He starts to type a lot.
"Nate what are you doing?"
"Oh my bad Matt and I live in a suit that we have a passcode on the elevator."
"Wow the music industry has treated you well."
"You could say that."
We both laugh as the elevator starts to move up. The elevator dings and we step out. I hear the scratching of dogs feet on the hardwood floors. My eyes start to water as I think about Chica. I wipe my eyes as I see Matt and put a smile on your face.
"Mark longtime no see how have you been"
"I've been ok. Could be better"
"Mark had a really rough night. His house got hit by a tree and flooded. I offered for him to stay."
"Right I got your text Mark"
"Yeah uhh could we eat I also ran out of food at the house and had no way to get out."
"Of course. I hope you like Italian because we are gonna have a lot of that"
Matt and Nate laugh. I chuckle quietly but their dog Rylo keeps hitting my leg and I can help but shed a few tears. Chica. She was there for my mental health and always could make me smile.
"Mark"
I hear my name being called I look up to see everyone had disappeared. I wipe my eyes and start walking towards their voices
"Sorry."
"You have no reason to apologize."
"Ok thank you for having me over Nate and Matt I'll be out of your hair soon. I'm just going to need a ride to LAX tomorrow."
"Not a problem anything for a friend. Who are you going to stay with?"
"Again you'll never guess"
"Sean"
They say together. God I didn't realize it was that obvious. I nod and smile down at my lap. Sean. I wish I had the courage to ask him out. I was so ready to do it one day. I had it all scripted out I wasn't wearing a shirt it would have been great but the moment I was about to call him, he called me. Crying. I asked him what was wrong and kept asking is there anything I could do. All he wanted was someone to talk to so I gave him that. He thanked me a million times and said he would come and visit and that he wanted me to. Sean was never one of those crushes that you could just get over. It's like the itch on your back that someone else has to get for you. That box that is to high for you to get off the tallest shelf. Sean is that crush that makes you flustered and frustrated all at once.
Nate leads me into the living room of their place where we sit down. Rylo runs into the room and sits on the couch next to me and I move away from him.
"Mark? Are you alright? You've been very weepy around Rylo. Did something happen to Chica?"
At that point I give into my emotions. I start bawling and saying Chica over and over again. I feel Nate and Matt sit on either side of me trying to comfort my sorrows of my lost companion.
"Mark?" Nate said with a concerned tone "Did Chica get hurt during the storm"
I take a deep breath and start telling them the story of what happened to Chica.
:time skip to after dinner:
Matt leads me to one of their many guest rooms
"Alrighty here's the most devine room we have for you sir" he says in a joking tone. "I had the butler lay out some sweatpants in your size for you to sleep in. There's a bathroom and a king size bed for you in there. Feel free to do what ever you need"
"Thank you Matt. You and Nate have been nothing but kind to me. Thank you."
"Get some rest. We will get you to the airport tomorrow to go see Sean."
"Good night Matt."
I walk into the room and see a luxurious bed sitting in the center of the room. There's a large television on one of the walls as well as a large mirror opposite it. I find my way into the bathroom and I turn on the hot water and just stand there for a moment and let my body feel the warm water rush around me. I turn the water off and dry off quickly. I slide into the sweatpants with ease. And throw my dirty clothing on a chair and get under the covers and fall into a dreamless sleep.
%Time skip%
I wake up to the smell of pancakes and bacon and jump out of bed. I look over to the chair where I threw my clothing yesterday and see them sitting on the chair, cleaned and folded. I slip the flannel and jeans back on and walk down the hall to find where the amazing smell is coming from.
I walk into a grand kitchen where Matt is standing in a pair of sweatpants and an apron flipping pancakes with Nate sitting behind him at a kitchen island.
"Good morning Mark!" Matt says "pancakes?"
"Thank you Matt" I say as I reach for a pancake
I cut into the pancake and put a little raspberry jam on the top and pop a piece in my mouth. It's the best pancakes I've ever had. I keep eating until there aren't any more left. Then Nate and I say goodbye to Matt and head to the airport. We walk into LAX and walk up to the line to buy a ticket.
"Nate, I have no idea how I will ever repay you and Matt?"
"Mark you never have to. I know you would have done the same for us if we ever needed."
It's my turn on line to purchase my ticket. I turn around and hug Nate.
"Thank you Nate"
"Bye Mark. Have a safe flight."
I turn to the desk and start talking to the lady at the desk
"Good morning sir! How can I help you?"
"Hi, whats your earliest flight to Brighton?"
"The eariliest we have is 12:39 pm"
I check the clock on the wall and it reads 10:56 and pay for my ticket and find my gate and take a seat. This is going to be a long flight.
End of Chapter