It was still the weekend. Heavy raindrops were still pouring in the city, though not as bad as the thunderstorm last Friday. Oddey spent it by being in her room sketching on her easel with a green tea placed on her study table to keep her warm.

Meanwhile, Leon took out an old tin box by the drawer. "I don't know about this," Eva expressed her concerns.

"It's time she knows about me," the man said to her. "I have to do this."

"I understand. I just couldn't help, but feel worried. I mean... what happens next?"

"I won't let anything happen to Odette, but she has to know the truth," Leon assured her.

"Alright, I trust you," Eva exasperated as she hesitantly had to agree with Odette's father's decision.

The young artist's door was open and Leon saw her daughter enjoying her passion, "Can I come in?" he said.

"Of course, Dad," Oddey replied. "Look what I'm working on."

Leon glanced at what his daughter was working on while holding a rusty old small tin box with a lock on it and smiled proudly at her, "It's amazing Mochie pie."

"Thanks, Dad. What's that?" Oddey asked as she stopped drawing and saw the little container.

"Uhm... one of those time capsule boxes."

"Cool," she expressed. "Is it yours?"

"Yes."

"What's inside?"

Leon sat on her bed and put the box next to him, "I'll open it in a while because I want to tell you a story first."

Oddey looked at him in a weird way, "A story? About?"

"Of a man, and his name was Hal Jacoby," her father revealed.

"Okay..."

"Hal had a dream to work in Ebony Estates, but he had to prove himself first." Leon started telling her the story, and Oddey just sat there listening to him. He then saw the book on her table lamp so he took it and felt this nostalgia as he touched the cover, "When he was about your age, he fell in love with a girl named Marie, she was beautiful, smart, and kind-hearted. She had beautiful red hair and very pretty olive green eyes."

"But then Hal had to study abroad to pursue his dream, so he and Marie had to go through a long-distance relationship that they had to write letters to each other."

"That's sweet," Oddey commented. Eva was outside her room, eavesdropping on them.

"Mm-hmm..." Leon just smiled and nodded. "One day, he came back for a visit and gave her this book as a present for her."

"The Romantic and Art book?" The young artist became confused. "I don't understand. If it is his, why do you have it?"

Leon became quiet and opened the box. He took out a small photo and then showed it to his daughter. Oddey took the picture from him to look at it better, it was a wedding photo from the nineties it shook her when she saw her father's face when he was younger with a woman in a wedding dress. "Because Hal Jacoby was me."

----

It was Monday morning, and the weather was a lot better. Even though the fall breeze was still blowing, it was back to dry like the city never had the storm, and the sky was a lot clearer.

It was lovely weather to go to school, though not every kid felt that way.

Gage went downstairs, all dressed up to get back to campus, and his parents were by the kitchen having breakfast. "Honey, come on. I made plenty of ham and cheese omelet for you," his mother said as she placed the food on his plate.

"Thanks, Mom." Gage sat beside his father and began eating quickly.

"Slow down there, Son," Adrian told him. "You're eating breakfast, not participating in an eating contest."

"I have to get the 7:30 bus to CarmU and I have less than an hour to get to my nine o'clock."

The parents smiled and exchanged glances. "Maybe it's time," the man mumbled to his wife.

"I guess this is an exception," Marie replied reluctantly.

Gage strangely looked at them. "Huh? What are you guys talking about?"

The couple turned to their son with this weird grin on their faces. "We were supposed to wait til Christmas, but..." his mother answered.

"But we know how hard college can be," Adrian added.

Their son lifted a brow at them. "Like what?"

"Why don't you finish your food, and we'll show you. And don't rush. Don't worry, you'll be in school on time."

"Okay..." Gage just resumed having his breakfast.

After the family ate their meal, Adrian headed to the garage with his son. "Just so you know, it's my idea, and I make it happen," he claimed. "So if your mother says otherwise, then just play along."

"Why can't you just tell me now?" The young man questioned since he did not know what to expect.

Adrian smirked at him and began walking. "Well, what good will that do?"

"Fine," the guy grunted, and he followed his old man to whatever he was leading him to. "But if this is another trap of carrying a box of old stuff from the attic, I'm gonna bolt to the bus station."

"Oh, you won't need to go to the bus station. Trust me." Adrian opened the garage door, and there it was the latest model black Jeep.

Gage's eyes almost popped out of their sockets, "Oh, my God!" he exclaimed in glee like a child having the gift he ever wanted on his birthday. "This is awesome!"

"It should be." The father took out the keys from his back pocket and dangled it in front of him. "It's yours."

"No way!" The college kid's jaw dropped to the floor.

"Way!" His father confirmed to him as he tossed the car keys to him. "Your mother and I planned to give it to you at Christmas. But since you've been doing so well lately, I think you deserve to have it now."

"Thanks, Dad!" Gage was over the moon and hugged his father tightly.

"Ahem..." Marie appeared in the garage and even watched Gage's reaction when he saw they got him a car.

"You too, Mom." The guy embraced his mother and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm proud of you, Champ. Now, you can finally put your driver's license to good use."

Gage grabbed the keys and clicked the button to unlock the doors. He excitedly got in the driver's seat as he admired the interior of the car. "This is so awesome. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I can't wait to drive this to school and show it to Felix and Courtney."

"It sure beats taking the train, right?" Adrian jestered.

"Big time."

----

Later, at Carmela University, the area was a mess from the wrath of the bad weather. There were trees bent off from its roots, and leaves were scattered around the ground.

The architect major's friends were outside the campus waiting for their friend because he told them to, however they had no idea why. "I was hoping the storm didn't stop til today," Courtney sighed. "I don't want to go to my classes."

"Dude, that storm was the reason that Gage and Oddey were trapped in the elevator in the first place," Felix reminded. "I don't wish on that even if I am failing every subject."

"I am not failing every subject," she growled.

"Right, just most of them, "Felix snickered. "I told you to hit the books in your free time."

"I have a main role to rehearse," she said defensively. "This is my time to be the lead of the play."

"I get that, but how would you do that if you drop out of school?" Felix gave her a reality check. "I mean, don't you need to maintain a grade point average so you could be allowed to be in the club?"

"Not when your club coordinator is Madame Vestia. She will let me be in the play while I keep my grades up. Let's just say she cares more about our passion than our test scores... if we can balance both that's it."

"Sounds hard. But hey, who am I to underestimate you? Right?"

Courtney sighed. "You sound like Gage."

"Speaking of which, why do you think Gage wants us here?" Felix asked.

"How should I know? He messaged me to be here too."

Felix was annoyed by her tone. "Sorry, I asked."

They saw Oddey coming. She was heading to Usagi cafe to get coffee before going to class. Felix waved at her, so waved back at him. "Oh, brother," Courtney sighed.

Gage finally came with his hot ride. He slid down the window, "Hey, guys," he smirked. "Wanna lift?"

His two friends were wowed and dashed to Gage. "Oh my God," Courtney gasped. "You got a car?!"

"Dude, sick ride," Felix said and gave his buddy a fist bump.

Oddey was also impressed by Gage's fancy car as she waited for her coffee but now she knew the whole truth about him and his family, she was not sure how to be around him now even though they had been on good terms since the storm.

While his friends checked out the car inside and out and also talked about the places they could go with it, Gage caught Oddey staring. He had this sense of giddy inside when he saw her

She flinched and pretended to look away, then put on her headphones.

"Hey, guys, I'll be back in a second," the architect major said to his pals.

"Yeah, sure." Felix got so distracted by the car that he did not hear what his roommate was saying.

Gage ran to Oddey and called her name loudly as she got her coffee, then rushed to the entrance. Fortunately, he caught up to her that he held  Oddey's arm, and that she had no choice but to face him. "Hey!"

"Hey..." Oddey stammered yet tried to play it cool.

"You okay?" he asked while Courtney watched them and couldn't help but feel jealous now that the two are okay with each other since the storm.

"Uhm... yeah, why?"

"I mean after the elevator incident and all?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm okay, you?" Oddey responded.

"Same," Gage uttered

"That's great."

"I just want to make sure that you are." Gage gave her his smile which made her melt, so she looked away.

"Nice car, by the way," Oddey commented.

"Thanks."

"Anyway, I have to go, I want to be in class early." She turned around and was about to walk away.

"I'll see you around?" he quipped.

Oddey held her coffee cup a bit tightly, then shifted to him again and replied, "Of course." After that, she headed her way to the gate.

Gage went back to his friends as they were still admiring his car, "wow, you guys are really on talking terms now," Felix remarked.

"Yeah, we are," Gage answered.

"Probably being stuck in the elevator, do you two good."

Courtney did not feel like listening to the said topic first thing in the morning, "Hey!" she interrupted them. "Why don't we cut class and go on a ride, eh?"

"Oh yeah, let's do that. So that Courtney keeps failing her classes," Felix said in a mocking tone.

"Shut up," the girl snapped.