COME ON. THIS'LL BE FUN.

KATE CARTER HAD JUST FINISHED MEETING THE STORM PAR TEAM and was waiting anxiously for her sister, who should've been pulling into the combination gas station and diner at any moment. The parking lot was full of cars, people getting ready for the oncoming storms, but not one of them was her little sister's beat up, green truck.

"She'll be here," Javi told her, a smile on his face. He was glad that Kate was eager to see her sister — even though she was the one that had been avoiding her and their mother.

"Well, she might not," Scott said, coming over. "She said she's a bad driver when I met her."

"Not bad," Kate said, shaking her head. "But wild from the way she makes it sound."

He nodded with a tense smile that looked out of place on his face. Kate didn't know him well but figured Scott didn't smile much.

Javi rolled his eyes and slung and arm over Scott's shoulder. "Scotty Boy says no, but I think he's got a crush on our Care Bear."

Scott rolled his eyes as Kate peered at him. "You know she's nineteen, right?" she asked in an almost accusatory tone. "How old are you?"

"Alright, calm down, Kate," Javi said soothingly. He didn't point out that Kate hadn't been present in her sister's life for five years and therefore had no say in her love life. She was lucky Carolina even opened up about the one night stand from the other day. "Now, when Care gets here—"

He was cut off by loud honking, which had him rolling his eyes, knowing who was coming as loud music followed. Obnoxiously loud music.

Everyone turned to watch as a huge red truck pulled into the lot, the other people around them hollering and cheering for them. Kate didn't quite understand why as she frowned and examined the truck. It had lights all over it, all terrain wheels, and what looked like some kind of launcher on the side of it, as well as the standard storm chasing equipment strapped to the top of it.

As the truck passed, a man with round sunglasses on poked his head out of the window with a huge camera in his hands. "Hey, Storm PAR, we're live on YouTube. Say somethin'."

"Blow me, Boone!" one of the team members shouted, making the rest of the Storm PAR crew chuckle.

The so-called Boone was unbothered as he grinned. "Hey, smile, man! Science is fun, right? Whoo!"

"Who are they?" Kate asked as the truck pulled past them, followed by a beat up camper that was just as decked out in equipment.

"Chasers out of Arkansas," Javi said, clearly not impressed.

"Hillbillies with a YouTube channel," Scott muttered before huffing.

Kate watched with the confused frown still fixed on her face as the driver of the truck stepped out, flocked by countless fans that were there just for him. He had on sunglasses and a huge white cowboy hat. Then Boone got in his face with the camera.

"Hey, T. Tell the folks how ya feelin'."

"I'm feelin' pretty good, Boone. And if you feel it—"

Suddenly the crowd chimed in with what was clearly a catchphrase. "Chase it!"

"I said, if you feel it—"

"Chase it!"

Someone on the team cupped his hands around his mouth and joined in. "Chase it!" He ignored all the unimpressed looks he got.

Then Boone got in the frame with the man in the hat, who said, "Oh, it's a beautiful day."

"Beautiful day—"

Boone was the one cut off by loud music this time as a new vehicle drove on the scene, the windows of the old, beat up green Chevy rolled down. He and Tyler peered at it, not quite making out who was behind the wheel as the truck drove right up to the other Storm PAR cars. But that car was exactly like the one described to them just two nights ago.

"Ty," Boone muttered. "That's like her car, ain't it?"

Tyler just nodded numbly, trying to get a better look at the driver.

But when the familiar form — very familiar form — hopped out with big pink sunglasses on her face, both Boone and Tyler froze, forgetting all about the fans surrounding them and the YouTube live that was going on. Several confused people at home were now watching the girl that Boone was so transfixed by.

She was in a tiny white tank top and cut off shorts that were hiked up, a red flannel tied around her waist. Tyler's flannel.

Carolina had shut off the early in her career, country Taylor Swift song that was playing before having to literally hop down out of her truck. She first spotted Javi and let out a squeal, running to him.

He was ready for her, letting her hug him tightly just as she had when they reconnected the week prior. Javi lifted her off the ground and slung her around playfully.

A sight that Tyler and Boone fucking hated for some reason. It made their guts twist uncomfortably.

"Missed you, Javi," she said to the older boy as he sat her down.

"You saw me just a week ago," he laughed, his arm still around her shoulder. Then he turned her around. "But I got someone you really do miss."

Carolina smiled softly as she looked at her sister, noting that both of them had dyed their hair blonde, much to her amusement. Kate looked the same, but there was a sadness lingering in her eyes. A sadness that had been there since the day Jeb, Addy, and Praveen died in the storm.

But in spite of that sadness, Kate could still smile genuinely at her sister and pull her into a hug. To keep from crying, Carolina hid her face in Kate's neck, just so happy to be back with her. Maybe this meant Kate wouldn't keep playing the avoiding game every time Carolina tried to call her.

"Missed you, Care Bear," Kate whispered.

"Missed you more, Katy Bear."

When the sisters parted, Javi clapped his hands together. "Alright, alright. This is gonna be a hell of a week with you two back together. Care's gonna chase her first big girl storm."

She rolled her eyes and punched him lightly in the shoulder before looking at the third person amongst them, who was leaning against the white Storm PAR truck. "Hello, again, Scott. Nice to see you."

Kate watched Scott carefully as he raised his sunglasses up to his head and actually smiled a crooked smile at Carolina, that all but confirming what Javi had said before. "Good to see you again too, Carolina."

She grinned and came to lean against the truck with him, crossing her arms as she nodded to the tablet in his hands. "So, do we have to wait for some action, or has it already started up?"

From the red truck, Boone and Tyler watched as that annoying Scott fellow faced Caroline, leaning one elbow on the truck and smiling a dimpled smile at her as he said something. Sure, Javi and Kate — who they didn't know yet — were right there, but still. A feeling that was certainly jealousy was bubbling up inside of them but they tried to ignore it.

Then Carolina laughed at something Scott said, which what the fuck could she be laughing at? Scott had the personality of a board, in their opinion.

In truth, he'd made a sarcastic comment, and Carolina had always loved sarcasm. As she laughed, she shook her head, her eyes skimming the parking lot that was full of amateur storm chasers. Her gaze passed over them for half a second before snapping right back, making eye contact — well, she assumed it was eye contact but they were both wearing sunglasses — with Boone, who looked as stunned as she was. Next to him was Tyler, wearing that same cowboy hat she'd fucked him in just a few days ago.

Seeing that she was distracted, Scott looked over his shoulder and then scoffed. "Yeah, we've got some little celebrities," he said, sneering a bit.

"We were just telling Kate," Javi went on. "They're storm chasers with a YouTube channel. Really getting in our way. That's Tyler Owens. He calls himself a Tornado Wrangler."

Carolina's mouth felt painfully dry as her eyes traveled to Tyler, who was now smirking now that he had her attention. Even from across the parking lot, he could read the pure shock on her face.

"What does that even mean?" Kate asked, confusion washing over her, not noticing her sister's distress.

All Javi did was just shrug, having no clue either.

Then the back of the camper opened up, distracting Carolina for a moment as a woman came out, a hand full of t-shirts with her. She somewhat recognized her from that night in the bar. "Hey, you tornado nerds. Who wants a t-shirt?"

People were already holding up money, clamoring to buy one. It was red and white, and Carolina couldn't make out the words from that far away. But who would buy tornado merchandise?

"This means our world is going to shit," Javi sighed as another man got out of the camper with a box full of thermoses in hand.

"We've got mugs. Whatever you put in here, it's gonna taste better. You're gonna get thirsty. You look thirsty. You look sweaty. Gimme some cash."

Another girl that Carolina semi-recognized got out of the camper with a drone. It looked nice, not that she knew much about things like that. But it must've been for getting sky-footage of storms.

"What do you make of them, Care?" Javi then asked Carolina, interpreting her intense gaze as curiosity.

Carolina's eyes snapped back to Tyler, who smirked and tipped his hat to her.

Goddamn, she was fucking screwed.

She sucked in a deep breath and forced herself to turn away from Tyler and Boone, a smirk on her face. "Look like a bunch of dumbasses with a camera to me."

"That surmises it," Scott said with a smirk.

"Alright, let's get out of this bunch. Can I see this?" Javi asked, gesturing to Scott's tablet, which he handed over.

"Yeah."

Once he had it, he passed it to Kate. "Alright, Kate, which storm should we chase?"

She took in a deep breath and received an encouraging look from Carolina. And Carolina was bouncing on her toes excitedly — one of her favorite parts of growing up was watching her sister do this.

"There's a nice looking cell over the east," Scott offered, thinking she needed a boost.

Kate nodded in thanks before walking off, Carolina at her side. Only to stop and look back when she realized the entire team was following her, which made her nervous. She looked to Javi and whispered so the others wouldn't hear.

"It's uh, it's been a while. I'll just watch on this first one."

"No, no, Kate. It's alright. You got this. It's why you're here," he comforted her. Then he looked back at the team. "Alright. Alright, guys, let's go. Everybody get their last bathroom break in."

"Be quick, fellas," Scott ordered. "We're on the clock. Five minutes, then we're loading up. Here we go!"

It gave Kate the space she needed, and she walked off, Carolina moving to go with her. But first, Scott touched her elbow, a gentle look on his face. "You want me to get you a soda or anything?"

Carolina smiled sweetly. "A Mountain Dew would be perfect."

He nodded and jogged off with the rest of his team. Then Carolina joined her sister, both walking over to a grassy area away from the noise. Kate passed the tablet to her sister, not needing it. Instead, she opted to pluck a fuzzy dandelion from the grass.

Carolina watched in awe like she always did as Kate did her thing. She still didn't quite get how the old methods worked, struggling to not rely on the Doppler. But one day, especially now that her and Kate had reconnected, she hoped for it to come easier and easier to her as time passed.

Both girls watched as the dandelion fuzz floated from Kate's open palm, taken away by the wind. It was beautiful, Carolina thought. The nice moment, however, was interrupted by Carolina's worst nightmare.

Tyler and Boone.

"You know, I used to do that too. Compare the wind direction to cloud movement. Get you a feel for the shear," Tyler said, taking his glasses off, speaking to Kate instead of Carolina. "Yup, sometimes the old ways are better than the new."

It seemed he was ignoring her while Boone couldn't keep his eyes off her. Carolina didn't know which treatment she preferred given that her older sister was right next to her.

Much to Carolina's amusement, Kate just ignored Tyler.

"Where you two coming in from?" he asked her. Of course, he already knew where Carolina came from.

"New York," Kate answered simply, not admitting that she was from Oklahoma too. That she and Carolina were siblings.

"Well, you're a long way from home, City Girl," he said with a smile. Then that smile was aimed at Carolina. "What about you, gorgeous?"

She didn't know if she preferred him acting like he knew her or didn't either.

"Oklahoma, born and raised," she said, crossing her arms stiffly.

Unfortunately, she was wearing a tank top, and Tyler's eyes hungrily followed how it pushed her cleavage up.

"So, y'all like working for Storm PAR?" Boone then asked with a frown. He didn't think that a girl like Carolina would be working for a company like that. That she'd be so close with the founder.

Kate remained silent while Carolina looked back at the fancy equipment that she wasn't entirely sure how it functioned. Neither girl offered an answer — Kate because she was stubborn and Carolina because she was regretting being born.

Then they were then interrupted by an older, balding man in glasses who had a notepad in hand. 

"Tyler, do you know which storm we're going after yet?" he asked.

"Why don't we ask..." When Tyler realized he didn't have Kate's name, he trailed off.

"Kate," she offered.

"Hi, Kate. I'm Tyler," he introduced. Then he turned to Carolina with an annoying smirk on his perfect face "And you?"

"Carolina," she said simply. Then her eyes fell on Boone, giving him the attention he so craved. "Boone, right?"

God, this pretending they didn't know each other act was driving Boone crazy, who just wanted to bound right up to Carolina and kiss her until she was breathless. But Tyler told him to play it cool, and so he would.

"I'm Ben," the other man awkwardly introduced. "I'm a reporter doing a piece on American storm chasing. Tyler's letting me ride along."

"And Ben just had to promise to write nothing but good stuff about me," Tyler said, patting the reporter on the chest and chuckling.

"Good luck with that," Kate said before walking away, Carolina following her with her head down.

"Hang on," he said, stopping them. "You didn't say which way we're going yet. Now, from what I gather, west, we double our chances. East, well, it's high risk, high reward."

"You should to reward then," Carolina said, speaking softly. "Ben might think you're boring if not."

That goddamn smirk drove her wild as his eyes fell back on her. "Well, boring is not usually a problem for me, Carolina," he bragged.

Not liking how he was looking at her sister, Kate moved in front of her. Then she lifted her chin, more certain of herself. "Two cells to the west are fighting each other for the same window. They'll choke each other out. This one to the east has the sky all to herself. Moisture, wind shear, instability — all the things you need to give Ben a good show."

Carolina frowned and looked back at the clouds to the west, squinting at them. She didn't know as much as Kate, of course, but she could've sworn her sister was making a mistake, which was out of character for her. But before Carolina could voice her opinion, Kate stomped on her foot from behind.

Tyler raised an impressed eyebrow. "Well, City Girl knows her stuff, Ben," Tyler said as the girls then walked away, not getting a reaction from them. "I said City Girl knows her stuff, Ben!"

"Thanks," Kate said, looking back at him. "Maybe if I work real hard, I could be a tornado wrangler, too."

It made Carolina giggle, and Tyler hated the sound, feeling like she was laughing at him.

Then the girls returned to Javi and Scott, the latter of the two giving Carolina a cold bottle of Mountain Dew. She smiled sweetly at him.

"Thanks, Scott."

"Talk to us," Javi said, looking to Kate.

"We want the cells to the west," Kate said, making Carolina grin, realizing she'd lied to Tyler. It was what he deserved for acting so cocky, she thought. And for pretending to not know her while looking at her like he'd seen every inch of her naked body — because he very much had.

"Uh, the one to the east has much better numbers," Scott said with a frown.

"No. Conditions don't feel right. Cap is too strong. It'll never break," she explained.

"You heard her," Javi said, giving the tablet to Scott. "Let's move. Alright, let's move, fellas."

Kate and Javi walked off, leaving Carolina with an annoyed Scott. "Guess we're listening to the dandelions now."

"She's a dandelion-whisperer, Scott," she said teasingly, trying to lighten his mood. "Come on. This'll be fun."

"If you say so."