𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐒. ᵒᵘᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃⁿᵏˢ ¹

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 03.

━ 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗲

    𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐘 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 brown van had stayed in my mind the whole bike ride home, and I didn't like it.

It annoyed me that he was the first person, let alone a teenager like me, that I'd met on this new island, and I acted foolish. I made a fool out of myself with the bike, and then stormed off like a child. Of course I didn't want to be rude, but he had started the argument. As I biked home, I figured that maybe the whole shoving-the-can-into-his-chest-and-storming-off thing was a bit much. But it was his fault, and I didn't like the drink anyway.

    When I'd gotten back to my grandparents' home, I placed the red bicycle on the tree where it was before. The hammock swayed in the wind, that had actually picked up quite a bit on my way back, and the leaves on the trees blew in every direction which created a rustling noise. I tamed my hair down that was flying in every direction, and quickly skipped up the porch stairs and pushed open the screen door.

    Caroline and Daryl were both sitting on the red sofa beside each other, in front of a big radio. Daryl had his elbows leaning on his knees, and his hand covering over his mouth. Caroline sat with her hands folded, a worried expression on her face. They both looked up to me as the screen door shut with a slight bang behind me, sounding over the radio station. I slid off my shoes and placed them neatly beside the door.

    "Charlotte, you're back," Caroline's face then relaxed into a soft smile as she stood up from the couch.

    "It's pretty windy, do you want me to move the bike somewhere else?" I asked suddenly, glancing back at the heavy wind outside.

    "No, it's fine," she breathed out, then grabbing my forearm delicately. She led me over to where she was previously sitting, motioning for me to sit down as well.

    "There's going to be a hurricane tomorrow," Daryl announced, quietly.

    A hurricane. The first time I leave New York, I get faced with a hurricane.

    "Tomorrow? " I said, almost a whisper.

    The biggest storm I had ever been apart of went nothing higher than a simple thunder and lighting show. Of course I knew what a hurricane was, I'd seen videos on the news of the damages it does all around the world, and stuff like that. But of course, I have never been apart of a hurricane, nor did I know what to expect being in one.

    "They're calling it for late afternoon," Daryl spoke again, his voice sounding slightly coarse. "We were gonna give your dad a call, maybe he'll want you to go bac—"

"No, don't call him." I said. "Please don't."

Caroline exchanged a look with her husband.

    "We're going to get everything ready tonight," She swallowed, and then stood up from the couch and walked around the coffee table towards the front door. "You stay inside, okay?" She smiled a soft smile.

    "Okay," was all I said, nodding once.

    Daryl stood up from the couch as well, patted my shoulder once, and followed his wife outside. I didn't know what 'getting everything ready' meant, but I assumed it had something to to with the boat, because they were headed straight for it. I sat criss-crossed on the sofa, listening to the tree branches hit the windows around me and the strong wind whistling past the rickety house.