two disasters as well. I shaded my eyes with my hand. Yeah, like the lights were too bright or something. Maybe I could disappear that way.
“We probably need to get that move going ASAP,” Micah said.
“Yes, we do. Thanks for the information. I will get with your boss on those plans. But we need those buffering panels installed now. There was some signal somewhere in the building that didn’t stop that brought that storm on. That happened with the last storm that caused so much destruction. Doing security sweeps isn’t turning anything up.” Brandon messed up his hair in frustration. “You two should go clean up so you’re not leaving puddles everywhere you go.” Brandon turned to Jim and gave him instructions on what to do before he focused his attention to his tablet. Jim ignored him and followed me out of the control room.
“Are you really okay? How bad was it?” He massaged my shoulder lightly.
“I’m fine. It was scary, but we’re okay. At least Micah didn’t chew me out after we thought we were going to die.” I rubbed my eyes. There was no reason to cry about that.
“Please let me know if you fall into that dark place again.” He squeezed my shoulder gently until I looked at him.
I nodded. “I will see you sooner rather than later, okay?”
He waved before going back into the control room.
Micah walked me to my apartment. We didn’t have much to say to each other. Probably because we were both walking funny with our wet jeans, waterlogged shoes, and I was still shivering. I stopped before we got to my door and faced Micah. “I would invite you in but, you know.” I pointed at his wet self and then back at my drippy status. I rubbed my arms trying to stop the trembling. “Next time you stop by, I’ll let you in. I promise.”
Micah tried to stuff his hands in pockets, but he stopped when it was pointless with wet jeans. He looked at the floor a moment before he looked up at me. “Well, it was nice surviving with you this evening. At least it was a night we’ll always remember.”
I laughed. “That’s for sure. But let’s not try that again next time.”
“Next time we should do something much more low key.”
“I agree. You know what? I don’t even know where your apartment is.”
“I’m closer to the cafeteria than you, thank goodness. I think everyone needs to move down deeper in the bunker. Or at least you should be. I think you’re too close to the lobby.”
“It’s never been that bad on this floor.”
“You weren’t in your apartment the two times it was that bad. Today and that day in the Hydroponics safe room were the two worst storms we’ve had and I’m sure it will be getting worse than this one.”
“I’ll see what Jim can do for me.”
“Well, I’ll see you around.” He patted my shoulder before turning to leave.
“Okay,” I said softly. Such a wimp. I didn’t push for more information on where his apartment was. I could have tried to hug him before he left to thank him for being awesome, but there wouldn’t be much warm and fuzziness when we were still cold and dripping. I opened my door once he disappeared into the stairwell and let the dogs out to do their business.
That night I stared at the ceiling when I couldn’t sleep. Flashing on Micah protecting me from harm, Micah holding me while everything crashed down on us, the fear, the noises of metal twisting and creaking, the relentless lightning and thunder, and Micah …
11
Blooming Wallflower
The next few days I immersed myself in teaching the kids. I struggled with my curriculum. I struggled to get Aaron Cooper, the seventeen-year-old know-it-all, to quit flirting with me in front of everyone. I also struggled with acting as if everything was fine and normal when lockdown happened while I was teaching. I was frustrated I never saw Micah and had no idea where to look for him besides the top floor storage facility. I wasn’t going there anytime soon.
On my table one morning, there
“We probably need to get that move going ASAP,” Micah said.
“Yes, we do. Thanks for the information. I will get with your boss on those plans. But we need those buffering panels installed now. There was some signal somewhere in the building that didn’t stop that brought that storm on. That happened with the last storm that caused so much destruction. Doing security sweeps isn’t turning anything up.” Brandon messed up his hair in frustration. “You two should go clean up so you’re not leaving puddles everywhere you go.” Brandon turned to Jim and gave him instructions on what to do before he focused his attention to his tablet. Jim ignored him and followed me out of the control room.
“Are you really okay? How bad was it?” He massaged my shoulder lightly.
“I’m fine. It was scary, but we’re okay. At least Micah didn’t chew me out after we thought we were going to die.” I rubbed my eyes. There was no reason to cry about that.
“Please let me know if you fall into that dark place again.” He squeezed my shoulder gently until I looked at him.
I nodded. “I will see you sooner rather than later, okay?”
He waved before going back into the control room.
Micah walked me to my apartment. We didn’t have much to say to each other. Probably because we were both walking funny with our wet jeans, waterlogged shoes, and I was still shivering. I stopped before we got to my door and faced Micah. “I would invite you in but, you know.” I pointed at his wet self and then back at my drippy status. I rubbed my arms trying to stop the trembling. “Next time you stop by, I’ll let you in. I promise.”
Micah tried to stuff his hands in pockets, but he stopped when it was pointless with wet jeans. He looked at the floor a moment before he looked up at me. “Well, it was nice surviving with you this evening. At least it was a night we’ll always remember.”
I laughed. “That’s for sure. But let’s not try that again next time.”
“Next time we should do something much more low key.”
“I agree. You know what? I don’t even know where your apartment is.”
“I’m closer to the cafeteria than you, thank goodness. I think everyone needs to move down deeper in the bunker. Or at least you should be. I think you’re too close to the lobby.”
“It’s never been that bad on this floor.”
“You weren’t in your apartment the two times it was that bad. Today and that day in the Hydroponics safe room were the two worst storms we’ve had and I’m sure it will be getting worse than this one.”
“I’ll see what Jim can do for me.”
“Well, I’ll see you around.” He patted my shoulder before turning to leave.
“Okay,” I said softly. Such a wimp. I didn’t push for more information on where his apartment was. I could have tried to hug him before he left to thank him for being awesome, but there wouldn’t be much warm and fuzziness when we were still cold and dripping. I opened my door once he disappeared into the stairwell and let the dogs out to do their business.
That night I stared at the ceiling when I couldn’t sleep. Flashing on Micah protecting me from harm, Micah holding me while everything crashed down on us, the fear, the noises of metal twisting and creaking, the relentless lightning and thunder, and Micah …
11
Blooming Wallflower
The next few days I immersed myself in teaching the kids. I struggled with my curriculum. I struggled to get Aaron Cooper, the seventeen-year-old know-it-all, to quit flirting with me in front of everyone. I also struggled with acting as if everything was fine and normal when lockdown happened while I was teaching. I was frustrated I never saw Micah and had no idea where to look for him besides the top floor storage facility. I wasn’t going there anytime soon.
On my table one morning, there
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