Coach Jones saw the boys arguing outside his office and went to confront them. “What is going on here?” he asked.
“Nothing, coach. Everything is just fine,” Jake said as he walked away.
Chapter Seven
The next Friday was the first game Heather got to cheer at. It was a home game, and many people came to watch the game, including uncle Mick. Heather had showed some of the other girls how to do back flips and different tumbling techniques. Some of the girls caught on quickly and decided to join a gymnastic class. The cheers looked more professional with organization and a more polished routine. Many team supporters came to watch the cheerleaders as well as the football team.
The team won the game against the Brooks High School Lions 21 to 3, which brought the attention of other teams around. The Huckleburg panthers were determined to make a name for themselves and show to the world that nothing was going to stop their will power. They were determined that they were going to win and beat the Lions no matter what.
Xxxxx
After the game, Heather changed from her cheerleading uniform. She walked toward the parking lot and saw Shawn standing next to her car. “Hey,” she said looking at Shawn.
“Hey, I need a ride. Do you think you can, my truck won’t start?” Shawn asked.
“Of course. Jump in,” Heather replied.
After Heather pulled her car out of the parking lot, she looked over to Shawn. “Are you all right? You seem upset,” she inquired.
“I’m just a little confused,” Shawn replied.
“Why, what’s the matter?” Heather asked.
Shawn took a short pause then responded, “I’m just a little confused. I thought that we had something going between us,“ Shawn replied.
“What are you talking about?” Heather asked.
“Come on Heather. I see how you look at Jake. Are you interested in him?”
“Jake! Are you kidding me?” she responded trying to play off the question. “Heather, I’m not stupid. I know you like him, just tell me the truth.”
“Jake is a big jerk, but I’m trying to get along with him,” Heather said. “Why are you trying to get along with him? What do you owe him?” Shawn asked.
“I don’t owe him anything. He is in some of my classes and I just don’t want to have any enemies here.”
“So are you telling me that you don’t have a thing for him?” he asked.
“No, I don’t. Now can we drop this,” she replied.
Heather did have some feelings for Jake and for Shawn but she wasn’t ready to make any commitments, so she tried to play off Shawn’s question as if Jake didn’t matter to her at all.
As she pondered his question she tried to focus on driving. “Tell me how to get to your house,” she said.
After taking three curves, and two sharp turns they arrived. Heather was amazed at the size of the house in front of her. “Is this your house?” she asked. “No, this is my father’s house. I just live here,” he replied with a smile. Heather couldn’t imagine how many rooms they had in it. It had to be the biggest house in Huckleburg, and that made her opinion of Shawn change drastically. All this time she pictured Shawn as some hillbilly who lived in a barn. She was amazed at how Shawn acted considering where he lived. This made her like Shawn more.
The house was a tan colored brick house with two stories and a basement. It was about the size of her house in Manhattan and probably cost just as much. Heather tried to comprehend how a principal could afford such a nice house.
“Do you want to come inside and look around,” he asked.
“Yes, but I better get home. My uncle is probably worried about me. Can I take a rain check on that?” she asked.
“You sure can. Any time you want to stop by, feel welcome,” Shawn said as he shut the car door and walked inside. Heather was so shocked that she couldn’t move for a second. She watched him walk inside and she thought, Now I have definitely seen everything.
Chapter Eight
Mick was sitting in the living room waiting for Heather to get home, trying to act as if he wasn’t waiting for her. When she walked in, she saw that Mick was in the living room.
“You weren’t worried about me, were you?” she asked.
“Worried. No,” he replied as he started to whistle. He looked down at his paper acting as if he was reading it. She looked down and noticed that the paper was upside down in his lap. She thought it was a little funny that her uncle was concerned where she was.
“Uncle Mick, the paper is upside down,” she said as she walked toward her room.
She threw down her purse on her bed and went to her desk to open her history book. As she tried to read Chapter Nine, she couldn’t help thinking about Shawn. She started daydreaming about what type of life that he could give her if they ended up together. She was still baffled about who she liked better. She decided to quit dwelling on it, and she tried to study. The more she tried to focus, on her homework, the more she thought about him. So she got up and went to turn on the television. The picture was worse than ever. Small curvy lines filled the screen and no audible sound could be heard.
“Uncle Mick, something is wrong with my television. Can you fix it?” she yelled through the walls to Mick.
Within seconds she heard an alarm sounding. “What in the ----”, she said. Her bedroom door came flinging open and Mick ran inside.
“Heather, there’s a tornado warning going on. We got to head to the storm pit!” he exclaimed.
“What?” Heather questioned.
“I said come on,” Mick said as he grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. Heather didn’t know what to think. She had never been in a place where tornadoes ever doomed the city, so she just followed Mick’s lead.
As Mick opened the front door, Heather was stunned to see the sky so dark. It had only been a few minutes that she drove into the driveway with a clear sky. Now suddenly a dark cloud hovered overhead. Heather and Mick ran toward the back of the house. Heather started to worry when she saw a cement looking building carved into the ground. Mick grabbed the door handle and pulled it.
“Get inside quick or we are going to be blown away!” he exclaimed.
Heather could hear a roaring sound like a strong wind approaching them. She turned to look at the sky when she saw a funnel shaped cloud in the distance. Suddenly, fear came over her and she didn’t know what to say or do. Mick pushed her inside, and he pulled the door closed. Then he latched the door closed. “What are we going to do?” she cried.
“Don’t worry, we are safe in here. I’ve been through several of these storms in the past and everything will be fine,” Mick said, trying to console her. Mick tried to act calm for Heather’s sake but deep down he was terrified. He was worried that the tornado was going to blow the door off the storm pit, and they were going to be sucked out into the twister. He had been fortunate in the past to escape a tornado’s fury, when it ravaged his neighbor’s farm and left his untouched. He wasn’t convinced that this time, he would be as lucky.
Mick’s words of encouragement did nothing to calm Heather’s nerves. She was more scared than she ever had been before. She didn’t know what to expect or what to think about the idea of a tornado approaching. That is something that she never had to experience living in Manhattan.
An extreme fear came over her and she was in shock. Yes, her parents’ passing had traumatized her, but she never felt this type of terror and doom before in her life. She was afraid that this could end her life and Mick’s and she wasn’t ready to leave this world yet. She felt her life was just beginning. She hadn’t lived the life that she always wanted to live.
Mick could see the panic in Heather’s eyes and by the expression on her face. Mick heard Heather mumbling something that he couldn’t make out. Then he saw her close her eyes as if she were praying. She cried as she asked God to forgive her and to protect her and Mick from the storm. Heather wasn’t a religious girl but she believed in a higher power. She believed in God
as a creator of all things. She knew that now was the best time to make her peace with God, because she didn’t know if she would make it to live another day.
Then suddenly without warning they both heard loud noises coming from outside. Heather heard a crash like something had been hit by a fast moving train. Then she head a hard thud and some clattering and crashing sounds. Her body could feel vibrations through the ground and the walls.
“Lord, I don’t want to die, please help us God,” she cried. Trying to keep his emotions to himself, Mick reached out to hug Heather. She held her uncle tightly hoping that the storm would soon be over.
The vibrations from the ground grew stronger while the deafening booming sounds got louder and louder. Then all of the sudden, there was a complete silence. The storm had only lasted a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity to Heather. After everything became quiet, Heather fell to her knees and began to sob.
“Heather it’s over, don’t worry,” Mick said. Mick was concerned and worried what kind of terror was going on inside of her head. He could see her distress, but he didn’t know what to do, except hold her until she stopped crying. He was hoping that he could regain his own composure in the process. “Everything will be alright, I promise,” he consoled.
After sitting on the concrete floor for several minutes, Heather finally quit shaking. After seeing Heather come back to herself, Mick leaped up off the concrete floor and went to open the door to the outside. The sky began to lighten and he walked outside to look around. Heather slowly got up on her feet and crept outside. She was taken back at the sight she saw before her eyes. A pile of rubble sat where the house once stood. All she could see was a dirty field full of debris. Their furniture and possessions looked like garbage, scattered across the ground.
“Are you okay,” Mick asked.
“Yes, I’ll be fine,” Heather replied.
“I guess things could be worse. At least we weren’t injured,” Mick said as he surveyed the area.
“How can you say that? You lost everything in that terrible storm. Don’t you care that we are both now homeless?” Heather asked with frustration.
“I know you are upset, but we’ll figure something out.”
Heather couldn’t understand why Mick was so calm and unemotional. He has lost his mind or something, she thought.
After climbing over a pile of wood Mick said, “Look, your car is over there and there is my truck. Maybe they are drivable.”
Mick walked over to his truck and tried to crank it. The truck started up without a hitch. “Come on Heather, let’s go see if someone might need our help.” Heather was still a little shaken up and confused when she followed Mick to his truck and climbed inside. Mick started to drive down the gravel road leading away from his farm when they observed a horrendous sight. They both were astounded at what they saw before their eyes. They looked around as Mick drove and they saw piles of debris scattered along the road and fields. They noticed the path of destruction was over several miles and only a few homes were left untouched.
“It is weird but it looks like the tornado picked it’s targets,” Heather said.
“I see what you mean. Some houses are left and others are completely gone. It even cleared out all the trees,” Mick replied.
Mick pulled over to the side of the road by a mound of rubble. He jumped out of the truck and ran over to where a house once stood. “Is there anyone in there?” he yelled.
“Please help us!” Noises came from underneath the wood fragments. Mick ran to the debris and started pulling off planks of wood and garbage. “Come help me!” Mick exclaimed as he motioned for Heather. Heather quickly hurried to help Mick pull off the jagged and sharp boards from the heap of rubble. “Be careful, these have nails in them,” Mick instructed.
Finally, Mick could see an older couple peering out from underneath the wreckage. He dug faster but carefully trying not to injure them. At last, an elderly man and woman climbed out from underneath.
“Thank you! Thank God, you came. We don’t know how long we would have been under there,” the man said. Heather could see how glad the man and woman were that they were rescued. Suddenly Heather felt good that she was able to help the couple. After checking for injuries, Mick told the couple that they were going to look for other people who needed help. They waved goodbye as they quickly drove down the rode. So many people were out examining the area looking for survivors and anyone that was trapped.
Heather saw steel power lines snapped in two. Cars and trucks were turned upside down on their axles. Huge trees were uprooted and pulled up from the ground with the roots lying on top of the ground. Cement slabs were robbed of the houses that once stood on their surfaces. Shreds of cloth that once resembled clothing lay on the ground. Pieces of twisted tin were wrapped around trees that still stood amongst the wreckage.
Heather was grieved at what she saw. She marveled at what had become of the town. As she looked into the distance she saw Principal Thomas approaching.
“Hey Mick. Are you two alright?” Principal Thomas inquired.
“Yes, we are fine. We lost our house, but we are not injured,” Mick replied. “I have plenty of room at my house, you can stay there with me as long as you need,” Mr. Thomas replied.
“I might have to take you up on that, especially for Heather’s sake. You know me, I could live in my truck, but she needs a place to stay,” Mick said. Heather smiled as she heard Mick accept Mr. Thomas’ invitation. She was amazed but elated at what she heard. Someone actually offering her and her uncle a place to live was completely unheard of. She never imagined someone being that admirable as to offer a place, like their home to someone else. Especially since they were not family.
“Why don’t we take Heather back to the house, and we can partner up looking for anyone that needs our help,” Mr. Thomas said.
“That’s acceptable with me. I’m sure Heather could use the break,” Mick replied.
“No, I want to help,” Heather replied after hearing Mick and the principal talking. Heather felt something inside her that day that she never felt before. She felt a feeling of worth and joy that she could help someone in their time of need.
“I know you want to help, but it is getting late, you need to get something to eat and get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a doozy,” Mick said. Heather didn’t want to disagree, but was starting to feel tired and overwhelmed at what had just happened.
They followed Mr. Thomas back to his house. Heather saw Shawn approaching them. She felt relieved and was thrilled that she was going to be staying with him, even for a short time.
“Oh my, are you alright?” Shawn asked looking at Heather.
“I’m fine,” she replied.
“Are you sure, you look like you have been through the ringer?” Shawn asked referring to the black smudges all over her face and clothes.
“I’ve been helping Uncle Mick rescue an older couple from the debris,” she replied.
Shawn was amazed at what he heard. He couldn’t ever imagine Heather getting dirty or lifting a finger to help someone that needed her.
“Thank God, you weren’t injured.”
“Shawn, Heather and her uncle are going to be staying with us for a while, they lost their home in the tornado,” Mr. Thomas said. Shawn looked at Heather, “Come on and I’ll find you some clothes so you can get cleaned up. Don‘t worry Mr. Brandon, I’ll take care of her,” Shawn said.
Mick didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t decide whether to push Shawn away from Heather or thank him. Suddenly, he felt protective of her and he had never felt that way before toward his niece. That is what I’m afraid of, Mick thought to himself as he walked away.
Heather followed Shawn upstairs to a large room in the back of the house. It resembled the room she had in Manhattan. She felt fortunate to have a place to stay, and overjoyed that it would be with Shawn and his family.
Xxxxx
After a couple of hours Mick and Mr. Thomas returned to the house
while Heather was in the kitchen with Shawn eating dinner. “Good, I’m glad you have something to eat,” Mick said.
“Yes, Mrs. Thomas cooked the best chili and fried potatoes that I have ever eaten,” she replied.
“Heather, I told you to call me Tanya,” Mrs. Thomas said.
Heather turned and smiled, “I’m sorry, I forgot.”
“Sit down Mick, we have plenty to eat and I bet your starving,” Tanya said. “Thank you ma’am,” Mick replied as he sat down to fix himself a plate.
Tanya tried to get everybody’s attention off the tornado. “So Heather, how are you liking Huckleburg. I bet it is much different than living in Manhattan.” “Yes, it is, but everyone here has been so kind,” she replied. Shawn couldn’t help to snicker at what she said, knowing how he had treated her in the beginning.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, knowing exactly what he was laughing at. She smiled at him and he looked back at her with a smirky look on his face. His mother knew that his heart had been touched by Heather and that made her feel good. No one had ever affected her son like that before; and she was ready to see him grow up and become more responsible. Responsible for himself and for the things that he chose to do with his life, including his love life.
Chapter Nine
The next day, Mick and Heather drove back to his farm and they spent a few hours looking through the debris and trying to salvage anything that could be salvaged. After stacking up a few items in a small pile next to the road, Heather sat down on the ground and wept.
“Heather, I told you every thing was going to be fine,” Mick said. Heather wiped her tears from her eyes and replied, “Mick, I know everything is going to be fine. I am just thinking about what could have happened. My life, your life could have been taken away so easily. I am just thankful that God spared us both.”
“It teaches you that life is more important that possessions or objects, doesn’t it?” Mick responded.
“Yes, it does. It’s funny, though. I feel like my mother and father are looking down and teaching me from Heaven. I never believed in things like that before, but now I know that there is a God and he is in control of us and our lives,” Heather replied.
Southern Attraction Page 4
