So this probably isn't my most well-written piece of work, just a corny little love story, but it's sort of a fanfiction if my own life with stuff I've imagined happening between us :) I've changed all names except mine. Enjoy!

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I was pedaling as fast as I could, hoping to get home before the storm got any worse, when I heard it.

The siren.

I needed to get back, and fast. Unfortunately, today had been the day that I decided to test my limits and see how far I could bike. I was about seven miles away from home when the thunder started. I tried to get as far as I could, but I was still about four miles away from home when the siren went off.

I needed to do something. I had asked my mom what I should do if I ever got into a situation like this, and she told me to either a) find a nice, friendly place to wait it out in or b) drop the bike and hide in a ditch. Option b obviously wasn't preferable, but I didn't really know anyone who lived around here.When I had asked my mom if it was worth the risk to go into a stranger's house if there was a tornado, she just said, "Depends how scared you are of the storm."

I was fairly freaked out by the thought of a tornado. Of course, there wasn't always an actual tornado that touched the ground whenever the sirens went off.

But there was this time; I saw it.

It was a ways away, but I could see the funnel reaching down from the clouds.

Plus, I was on a metal bike, soaked to the core, not far away from a few strikes of cloud to ground lightning.

I pedaled a little faster. Maybe I could get to the library in time; I was probably only a couple miles away from that, but it was hard to pedal quickly in the drenching rain.

I scanned the names on the mailboxes as best I could with the wind pelting raindrop after raindrop in my face. Maybe I would recognize someone's name. I didn't think any of my friends lived around there, but it would be nice to at least know whose house I was going to camp out in.

Newman... no, I didn't know of them. Jacobson... no... Anders... again, no...

Half of them didn't even have names, which wasn't that unusual, but it would've been helpful in this case.

Laurence... nope. Houston... didn't anyone live around here? Lopez... Yin... Polaski...

Goodman.

I froze in front of that house, staring at the gold-framed stickers on the mailbox for a second.

There wouldn't be any other Goodmans around here, would there?

It wasn't that common of a last name... was it?

I hoped not. The lightning was getting worse, and I could see the funnel of the tornado touching the ground just a little ways away now.

Slowly, hesitantly, I stashed my bike in the ditch by their front yard and walked up the driveway and down the path to their front door.

Funny how my heart was beating even quicker at the thought of pressing a stupid doorbell that it had when I'd first heard the sound of the tornado siren.

It was too late to turn back now. The storm was only getting worse, and I was drenched.

I quickly combed through my tangled, wet hair, hoping I didn't look like a total madwoman.

And then, before I could change my mind, I pressed my finger to that doorbell.

I heard it ring faintly against a crash of thunder. I waited a second; would they even hear it, down in their basement?

When no one came, I pressed it again. And then once more. Really, I had nothing to lose.

Finally, I heard someone quickly trotting up some creaky stairs and wrench the door open.

There was a woman standing in front of me, fairly short with blonde, curly hair. I faintly wondered how Brice could end up a tall brunette. I supposed he got it from his dad.

"Hello?" his mom asked tentatively.

"Hi," I said shyly, "Um, would you mind if I came in?"

She hesitantly let me in, but folded her arms and asked me what I needed.

"Sorry, I'm not trying to intrude... I know this is probably a little... weird and all, but I was out biking, and the storm started, so I tried to get home but I wasn't fast enough and..."

"You just rang the doorbell of a random house?" she asked. She didn't sound angry, exactly, more like she was actually concerned for me.

"Well... no, not at exactly," I admitted. "I go to school with your son Brice; he is your son, right?" I added anxiously, hoping I didn't have the wrong Goodman family.

"Yeah, he is," she replied. "Does he know you? He's-"

"Mom?" a voice called up the stairs.

A voice that sounded very much like Brice. Granted, it could've been one of his brothers, but it sounded like him.

"Who's there?" I heard his feet coming up the stairs. "You should probably come back down, the storm's- Evelyn?!" he exclaimed upon seeing me.

"You know Evelyn?" his mom asked him.

"Yeah, she was my locker buddy last year-" Brice said. I half-smiled to myself. "What are you doing here?" he asked, looking me over curiously.

I was suddenly aware of how see-through my drenched white shirt must have been.

"I was biking, and-"

"Maybe we should go downstairs," his mom suggested as a particularly loud thunder sounded outside.

"That's probably a good idea," Brice agreed.

He thought it was a good idea for me to go into his house?

Oh yeah. There was a tornado outside.

Haha.

Minor details.

Brice's mom lead the way, and Brice waved his hand for me to go after.

He was so damn chivalrous even when there was a freaking tornado outside.

I made my way slowly down the stairs, aware and embarrassed that my clothes were dripping water everywhere.

Brice's mom had already gotten downstairs and I was about to step down, too, when I slipped on a bit of water.

Really? Now?

I regretted ever having come to his door. I'd rather be outside in the freaking tornado than embarrass myself like this in front of Brice.

Of course, I pulled back that thought when he instinctively reached out his arms and steadied his hands around my waist. He helped me up, and I noticed the electricity between his skin and mine.

I couldn't help but wonder if he felt the same thing that I did.

Probably not.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," I smiled, sure I was blushing deeply as I looked at it him for a moment too long. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said as we made it safely down that last stair.

"Bricefinally brought a girl home!" a boy that must have been his older brother cat-called. He looked pretty similar to Brice, but judging by his welcome, he was nothing like him.

"Oh, shut up Nick," Bricemuttered.

"No, but who is she?" he pushed.

"Her name's Evelyn," he said coolly, "she was out biking, and she needed somewhere to take shelter while the tornado's out there."

"Ah," Nick replied, "I see. But you still brought a girl home."

I felt my cheeks burning up; not only was it embarrassing for me and Brice, but I realized with a pang how much I wished Nick's words were actually true.

"Sorry," Brice apologized, turning to me. "He's sort of an idiot."

"I can hear," Nick pointed out.

"That's the point."

I snorted.

"But you obviously know her," Nick pressed, "how?"

"She had the locker next to mine last year," Brice explained.

For a moment, Nick didn't say anything. Then he exclaimed, "Oh, this is the locker girl!" Looking over at the other boy sitting in the basement who could only be their younger brother.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

The locker girl?

Had Brice actually mentioned me?

"Aw, crap," Brice said, looking down. "I forgot I told you guys that..."

What the hell was going on?

"Yup, she's the locker girl," their younger brother said, eyeing Brice's reaction.

"The locker girl?" Brice's dad prompted, raising his eyebrows.

"Yup," Nick smirked. "We were playing truth or dare once, me and Brice and Jake. And Brice asked for truth, and the question of course was 'who's your crush?'"

What. On. Earth. Is. Happening.

"So Brice mumbled something about the girl with the locker next to him," Nick continued. "So unless there's another girl next to him..." he trailed off.

I went through the lockers quickly. There was Megan, but she was next to me, not Brice. Next to Brice was... some guy named Jeremy who never actually spoke.

Brice liked me.

Brice Goodman liked me.

"No, there isn't," Brice replied slowly, still not looking up.

There had to be a mistake.

Things like this did not happen to me. My crushes didn't like me back.

I looked over at his mom and dad; they were exchanging a knowing sort of smile as they glanced between me and Brice.

I stuffed my hand in my pocket, not knowing where else to put it.

Then I felt my phone.

"Oh, crap," I muttered, digging it out. "My mom's probably freaking out."

Yup.

I had the volume turned down.

I have seven new messages and three unanswered calls.

I saw that one of them was from my friend Amber, but I opened my mom's first.

Hopefully she hadn't, like, called 911 already.

Mom: you should start coming home now, they are severe storms on their way

Mom: will you be home soon??

Mom: there's a tornado watch now

Mom: there's a tornado warning, can you get to somewhere safe?

Mom: where are you?

Mom: are you okay?

After that, it seemed like she had resorted to calling. I quickly texted her back.

Me: I'm fine I'm at someone's house

Mom: Oh thank god we were really worried about you. Who's house?

Me: just this guy from my class. I recognized the last name so I rung the doorbell and they let me in

Mom: do you know him??

Me: yeah he's really nice and his family let me in and stuff

Mom: okay, call me if you need anything

Me: will do. Love you

Mom: love you, too sweetie

Next, I opened the one from my friend Amber.

Amber: Are the tornado sirens going off at your house?

Me: I think so but I'm not at home right now

Amber: Where are you??

Me: Brice's basement

I sent the message like it was nothing big, like I had every right to be in my crush's basement.

And she knew how much I liked him, too.

She replied quickly.

Amber: WTF. SERIOUSLY???

Me: yup :)

Amber: Why...?

Me: I was out biking kind of far away from home and the sirens were going off so I need somewhere to go. I saw Goodman on the mailbox so i rang the doorbell and they let me in

Amber: wow. that must be awkward. sitting in your crush's basement...

Me: yup haha

I laughed out loud without even realizing it. In the silence, everyone stared at me.

Well, except for Brice. He was still staring intently at the carpet.

"What's so funny?" Nick asked in that cocky voice.

"Nothing," I said quickly, but he was already up, long legs striding quickly over to where I was sitting. It tried to turn my phone off, but he was sitting next to me with his hand on it before I got the chance.

"'Wow. That must be awkard,'" he read aloud. "Sitting in your... siting in your crush's basement?" Nick practically exclaimed, a smirk growing on his face.

Great.

That was not how I had hoped to reveal it.

I looked down now, too, face burning, realizing how Brice had found the old carpet so fascinating.

I could feel Brice looking over at me, but I didn't look up. This is not how it was supposed to happen; it was supposed to happen romantically, alone, at our own pace, not because of his idiot brother.

Of course, I really shouldn't have been complaining.

"Well, anyone want to play a game?" His mom asked cheerfully, breaking the ultra-awkward silence. I couldn't possibly imagine facing them all after what had just been admitted, but I was in their house, after all, and so I settled down for a awkward game of Trivial pursuit.

It was actually surprisingly fun; their basement was cozy and warm as we sat there on the carpet; the whole family, even Nick, was quite competitive at the game, but I was doing well all the same. Nick actually seemed pretty impressed with my skills, and everyone was laughing despite the storm outside. We kept playing after the sirens was were gone, Brice's mom saying that I shouldn't have to bike home in the rain, and I was actually thankful for that.

Of course, my enjoyment could have also been due in part to the fact that Brice was close to me, brushing his arm against mine when he reached for a card. He kept glancing at me out of the corner of his eye, and I was doing the same to him. Once and a while we'd catch the other's eye, and just grin at each other. No one even mentioned anything about crushes.

Unfortunately, at some point, it had to end. The rain was mostly over, and the storms were gone. The tornado had gone back up quickly in the clouds without ruining anything except for a few trees.

"That was fun, Evelyn," Mrs. Goodman said I got up to leave. "You should come again sometime."

I wasn't exactly sure how to take that, considering she now knew Brice and I liked each other; did she mean that she really approved of me, that she wanted me and Brice to date? The thought made my heart flutter.

"Thanks," I replied honestly, "I had a good time." I looked over at Brice again, still not quite believing my luck. Who thought so much good could come out of getting stuck outside with a twister brewing?

"I'll... Walk you to the door," Brice said, also getting up. Nick smirked at us, and I knew why; we were going to be alone; for the first time ever, I'd be really, truly, alone with Brice Goodman.

Not even his parents stopped us.

We walked silently up the stairs, and out the front door. Miraculously, my bike was still laying in the ditch, in perfect condition. We walked all the way to the end of the driveway, until, he stopped and looked at me.

"It's... really true?" He asked, looking at the ground.

"Yeah," I answered softly. "You don't know how much... how much I like you. Is it true for... For you, too?"

"Yeah," he replied softly, in the same tone.

And in that moment, it was perfect. The sky was dim, but we stood next to a warm, golden street light. It was still raining outside, and we were both starting to get wet, but we didn't care. At least, I know I didn't.

I don't know who did it. I don't know if I reached up or if he reached down, or if we both shifted toward each other with some magical magnetic pull, but I did know that then, he was kissing me. And I was kissing him back. The rain was picking up, but it didn't matted. We kissed until Nick came to the front porch and coughed quite loudly.

We broke apart, panting, hardly daring to believe what we'd just done.

"Brice and Evelyn sitting in the rain, K-I-S-S-I-N-G," Nick sang.

"Oh, shut up Nick," I called to the door, laughing as I imitated Brice's earlier words.

"That's not how you talk to your elders," Nick said in mock outrage.

I snorted. "I still beat you at Trivial Pursuit," I called.

"You're going to fit in pretty well here," Brice said, grinned at me.

I grinned right back.