Avi went inside and took a quick shower. He was upstairs getting dressed when he hears someone knock on the door and his sister answers it. He smiles when he hears Kirstie's voice.

He slips on some jeans, a t-shirt and a green hoodie. He picks up the ring and puts it in his pocket.

"Hey! You alive up there!" Kirstie calls from down stairs.

"Yea, just gotta get my shoes on." He calls back.

Thoughts were going through his mind. What if she wasn't serious about being his girlfriend. He's gonna make a fool out of himself. What if she doesn't like the ring he made her.

He stood up, looking into the mirror as he put his beanie on.

Kirstie climbs up the ladder to the loft when she sees him staring at himself in the mirror with such a serious face.

"Hey, gorgeous." She says softly causing him to jump and look around. She was so afraid that he was hearing those voices again. "Are you alright?" She asks, walking up to him gently rubbing his bearded jaw.

He nods. "Yea, I'm O.K." He says quietly hanging his head.

"Don't listen to them, Sweetie." She whispers taking him by the chin, lifting his head. Seeing his eyes glistening with tears, broke her heart. "You're beautiful. Inside and out."

He sighs and wipes his eyes. "I finished what I was working on." He says putting on his jacket.

"Oooo, I can't wait." She says glancing down at his untied converse. "You're gonna trip if you don't tie your shoes."

He looks down at his feet. "Esther always ties them. I don't know how." He mumbles.

She mentally slaps herself. "I'll do it." She says stooping down tying his shoes. She raises back up noticing his red cheeks. She kisses him lightly. "You wanna go for a ride? We can take my car. It looks like it may start to rain."

"Sure". He says heading for the ladder.

He waves bye to Esther who was on the phone. "Hold on a second, Tim." She says pulling the phone away from her ear. "Where y'all running off too?"

"Just out riding. We won't be out late. I have my door key in case you wanna go to bed." He says leaning over kissing her on the cheek.

"O.K., Sweetie. Y'all be careful." Esther says as they go out the door.

They rode around for a little while then ended up down by the creek. It had started raining so they just sat in the car.

Kirstie unbuckles her seatbelt and turns in her seat to face Avi. He sat in the passenger seat staring out his window at the creek.

"Uh, Kirstie. Umm..Where you serious...uh..when you said you'd be my...my girlfriend?" He asks nervously not taking his eyes off of the creek.

She smiles at his nervousness. Reaching over taking him by the hand, she spoke softly. "Avi, Honey? Look at me."

He sighs and looks around, his eyes meeting her's. "Yes, I was being very serious. Being your girlfriend makes me very happy." She says, smiling.

He smiles and slowly reaches into his pocket. "I don't have a high school ring to give you to wear, so I made you this." He takes her hand and drops the ring into it. "If you don't like it, you don't have to pretend too."

Kirstie stares at the ring in her hand as tears fill her eyes. "Avi." She whispers looking up with tears rolling down her cheeks. "That is the most beautiful thing I've ever laid my eyes on. You made this?"

He bites his bottom lip and nods. "Do you like it?"

"Oh God, I love it! Will you put it on me?" She asks, handing the ring back to him.

He smiles taking the ring and reaching for her hand. He slides it onto her finger and breathed a sigh of relief when it fit perfectly.

She smiles through her tears as she grabs him into a hug.

"Kirst, I've fallen in love with you." He whispers to her as they hug.

She gently pulls out of the hug and cups his face in her hands. "I love you too, Angel."

~~

They laid in the back seat of Kirstie's car, just holding on to one another. Kirstie had her head laying on Avi's chest just listening to his steady heartbeat as the rain tapped on the roof of the car.

She raises her head to look at him. He had dozed off with his arms wrapped around her. She softly rubs his jaw taking in the features of his angelic face. She couldn't, for the life of her, understand how anyone could be so cruel to such a beautiful person.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

"Hello?" She speaks softly trying to keep from waking him.

"Kirst? It's Esther. Where are you guys?" She asks with panic in her voice.

"Down by the creek. Why?" Kirstie answers as Avi stirred a little.

"We are under a severe thunderstorm warning, with hail, damaging wind, and a possible tornado. It's headed straight for us. Could y'all please come home?" Esther asks.

"Holy crap!" Kirstie says out loud, and Avi's eyes pop open. "We're on our way." She ends the call and quickly raises up off of him. "Honey, come on we need to get home."

"What's wrong? Is it Esther?" Avi asks raising up thinking something had happened to his sister.

"That was her on the phone. There's a bad storm heading our way." She says, hopping over in the driver's seat. Avi climbs between the seats to the passenger seat.

The rain and wind had begun to pick up.

"God, I hate storms." Kirstie says as she grips the steering wheel.

"I would drive if I could." Avi says, gently rubbing her on the shoulder trying to calm her.

By the time they drove up in front of the house the rain was pounding down.

They jump out of the car and start running toward the house. Esther opens the door for them.

Avi slips on some mud and falls to his hands and knees. Kirstie stops to try to help him up when lightning lights up the sky. She screams and covers her head. A loud clap of thunder soon followed causing her to scream again.

"KIRSTIE! GET TO THE HOUSE! NOW!!" Avi orders as he tries to get up from the slippery mud. Rain pounding both of them. She turns and runs to the house to a waiting Esther.

He finally manages to get up and runs to the porch. His pants, shoes along with his hands covered in mud. Once under the covered porch and out of the rain, he stops to take his shoes off to leave them on the porch.

A bolt of lightning strikes a tree in the corner of the yard with a loud crack.

Esther and Kirstie screams. Avi grabs them, pushing them inside the house. He closes the door behind them, leaning against it trying to catch his breath. Rain dripping from his hair and beard.

The lights flicker and goes out. Both girls scream. He knew she sister was scared of storms but he didn't know his girlfriend was too. "This ain't good." He mumbles to himself.

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