[JASMINE]

   We walked back into the living room. Naomi and Chorís had been talking, Chorís drinking some Bud Lite and Blake nowhere to be seen.

"I didn't know you were a smoker." The ex-SEAL noted while taking a sip of his beverage.

I nodded. "Want some?"

He shook his head. Naomi picked at some scabs on her arm from being bitten by her dog, not knowing what to say to me.

I sat down beside Chorís and Klaire sat by her sister. Blake walked in from the bathroom.

   He had stitches from the car crash I hadn't noticed-- one lining his right leg and the other a small one on the back of his hand.

   "How ya feeling?" Chorís asked as the fair-haired boy sat down on the separate chair across the two couches we were sitting on.

   "Oh, better than I'll ever be," he replied in a hoarse voice. "After a good time with your mom, chief."

   I felt a bit disgusted at the joke-- but I didn't say anything. Chorís chuckled.

   Blake glanced at me. "Did I ever know you, before chief introduced us?"

   I shrugged. "I'm bad with memorizing."

   He nodded, and then the rest of us joined in on the conversation. We talked through the night, I only got home by about 1-- and I'm only usually home by 12, oddly.

   After a few minutes upon arriving home and sitting on my run-down couch, my phone had rung.

   Klaire was calling. We all exchanged numbers.

   I picked up. "Hey."

"Hello. I have another question."

"Shoot it at me."

"Why didn't you tell Chor the whole story?"

I paused for a bit.

"I actually don't know."

"Do you not trust him?"

"Well, we only had met a week ago."

Klaire gave a small "mm-hm" and hung up.

I went back to staring at the screen blankly. I wasn't really listening, just thinking.

I hadn't spoken about the fire in a long time. It got to me a bit.

I kept my eyes fixated on the screen, and some words got into my ear while daydreaming.

"Storms are likely to create a tornado tomorrow, so be prepared folks. Our friends in the weather warning section'll keep a look out."

"Great," I muttered. I hated storms, and nonetheless I hated tornadoes.

Turning the TV off, I stretched and got up, going back to room.