FOURTEEN Sebastian #3
I laugh. “Forgive me. I couldn’t help it.”
“And I can’t help it if the next thing I throw at you is another shoe. Be a good boy and wait in the hall.”
“You know how much I like being a good boy. Your wish is my command, Quinny baby. Holler when you’re ready. I can’t wait to be an honorary guest and give your viewers what they want.”
“Didn’t lose any of that cockiness in the tornado, did you?”
“Nope. If anything, I think it’s stronger than ever.”
“Lucky me,” she says as I slip into the hall. “I’m going to humble you one of these days.”
“I’d like to see you try.” I close the door behind me and try to fight off another grin, failing miserably.
THE RAINY DAY SHOW brOADCAST
Sebastian:Hi, chasers. I’m Quincy Monroe and—just kidding. I’m Sebastian Dunn, Quincy’s longtime idol, the meteorologist she aspires to be, and the only one to ever score better than her on a college exam. Today I’m— Ow. Sorry about that, folks. She threw a pillow at me.
Quincy:Because no one likes a liar.
Sebastian:What am I lying about? I did score better than you on a college exam. Don’t you remember? It was Physical Meteorology, and—
Quincy:We should talk about the tornado last night, not things that happened ten years ago.
Sebastian:You’re still disappointed, aren’t you?
That’s fine. The tornado is a much bigger topic of conversation than my academic superiority.
It’s why you’re watching me on your screen and thinking, gee.
Why is that good looking dude hosting The Rainy Day Show today?
I’ll tell you why: because Quincy hurt her ankle, and she’s resting it with some ice.
Quincy:He banished me to the couch and won’t let me do any work. If it were up to me, we’d be talking about vortexes and the central core the storm last night had.
Sebastian:It’s for your own good, Monroe. Like she said, we did chase a storm last night. We’ve both experienced tornadoes before, but this one was different. It reminded me a lot of—
Quincy:The 2013 El Reno tornado.
Sebastian:God. It’s like you’re in my head.
Quincy:Or someone who studies weather for a living.
Sebastian:The El Reno tornado is the widest tornado with the highest wind speeds on record.
Last night doesn’t come close to the intensity of the one back in 2013, and I’d never compare a storm that had eight deaths with one that had, blessedly, no casualties, but its path was similar with erratic movement.
Our proximity to the storm should’ve kept us safe, but these things do what they want.
There’s no rhyme or reason for why they move the way that they do.
At one point it felt like it was chasing us.
Quincy:It took on a life of its own, didn’t it?
Sebastian:Perfect way to describe it.
Quincy:I’ve never been in a situation like that. It’s a miracle it dissipated when it did. No casualties, no structural damage.
Sebastian:Just us almost shitting our pants. Wait. Am I allowed to say that? Are the social media police going to shut down your show if I drop the S bomb?
Quincy:I’ve said it before, and I haven’t been shut down yet. We also cursed yesterday during the tornado and no one seemed to mind.
Sebastian:Yeah, but that was The Rainy Day Show after dark. The sun is shining right now, and I don’t want to offend any of your day guests.
Quincy:I have a form on my website where they can contact me if they’re appalled by your four-letter word choices.
Sebastian:Okay, good. I see some of your comments asking about Quincy’s health. I don’t want to speak on her behalf, but she’s doing okay. An ankle sprain that will hopefully heal in a few days. Anything you want to add, Monroe?
Quincy:I was caught up in the moment and tripped over a rock.
I’m sorry for not following up with y’all sooner.
It’s a good reminder that no matter how much we study weather, no matter if we have a PhD or years of experience out in the field, none of us will ever be able to figure out the method behind their destruction.
I’m really glad I had Sebastian with me last night.
Sebastian:You are?
Quincy:Yes. You saved me, and I’m … grateful doesn’t begin to cover it.
Sebastian:I’m blushing, y’all. Actually blushing. Between you and the person saying they’re going to start a petition for me to join you on every show, the compliments keep rolling in. This is fun.
Quincy:Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Sebastian:Admit it. You like having me around, don’t you? It’s more fun to talk about the things you like with someone who also likes them, isn’t it?
Quincy:I’m not answering that.
Sebastian:Because it’s totally true.
Quincy:Last night was scary. I know we were on the cusp of danger, but I’ve never felt more alive.
Sebastian:Ditto. I haven’t had a moment like that in a while.
Quincy:Really?
Sebastian:Really. See? More alike than you think, Quinny baby.
Quincy:All right. That’s it for today.
Sebastian:My fan club is going to be so disappointed. They said they’re getting shirts.
Quincy:I really hope they make it through this challenging time.