BEAUTIFUL CRAZY

nine. such a pretty head

“I can walk just fine.”

“I know you can, just humor me.”

She narrowed her eyes at the green eyed cowboy, before a sigh left her lips, “fine.”

“Thank you,” he hummed, sliding his arm under her knees as he slipped the other one behind her back. “Grab the pizza,” she rolled her eyes but grabbed the box from the dash and sat it in her lap.

He lifted her out of the truck, kicking the door closed as he started towards the motel. Wren wore a scowl as he cried up the flight of stairs, but it didn't last long as a smile tugged at her lips.

She hummed to herself, her fingers absently playing with the hair at the nape of his neck as she leaned forward and kissed his temple. The action made him smile.

“It's this one.” She pointed at the door, Kate had texted her their room number. “You can put me down now.”

She grabbed the box of pizza as he put her on her feet, she groaned a little, but raised her fist to knock on the door. Wren shifted on her feet a little, hiding a wince as her side pinched with the movement, then the door opened. Kate looked between the two with a raised eyebrow, but Wren just smiled.

“Brought her back,” Tyler stated then he held the pizza box out. “Also thought you might be hungry.”

Kate reached for the box, then grabbed Wren’s arm and pulled her into the room before closing the door, “ow, don’t yank me.” Wren huffed, her hand pressed into her side just above the stitches.

“Sorry,” Kate apologized as she sat on the bed and opened the pizza box.

“He’s really not a bad guy,” Wren sat next to her, groaning a little.

“Are you just saying that because you always come back wearing his clothes?”

Wren looked down at the large flannel that hung off of her body, “my shirt was ruined. Couldn’t exactly walk around half naked.” Kate just looked at her for a moment, “please, just give him a chance.”

Kate rolled her eyes as she pushed herself up and pulled the door open, Wren smiled when she saw him still standing there. “You find the dog?”

“‘Course I found the dog,”

“Who found the dog?” Wren raised an eyebrow, stopping next to Kate.

“Okay, Wren found it,” he conceded, making her smile up at him. Then he looked over at Kate once again, “how you doing after all that?”

She shrugged, “I mean, it doesn't matter. It’s those people that…” she trailed off, shaking her head a little. Wren reached up, softly squeezing her shoulder.

“Yeah, well, you’ve seen the worst of this place,” he said, and Wren bit back a smile. He still thought Kate was from New York, but Wren knew that that wasn’t the case. “Thought it’d be nice for y’all to see something good,” he eyes drifted to Wren as a small smile tugged at his lips. “Wanna take you somewhere. Think it might help. If you’re up for it.”

Wren stepped past Kate, a smile on her lips, “okay.” her hand slid into his, making his smile grow as her fingers intertwined with his. “Kate?” she looked over her shoulder.

Kate smiled small, she liked the smile on Wren’s face. She liked how happy she seemed, it was nice to see after the day they’d had. “Yeah,” she nodded, making Wren’s smile grow even more. “Are you not gonna change?”

“Nope,” Wren started towards the stairs, Tyler chuckling as he followed her, their hands locked.

They made their way across the street to the rodeo, and Wren cheered as the steer was let out of the shute. It took off and the first roper got his lasso around its front leg, and the second got his around one of its back legs. Tyler just smiled at her, and Kate watched the two with a knowing look.

“You ever seen anything like this, city girl?” Tyler asked, looking over at Kate.

Kate shook her head a little, “you keep calling me that. You know, I grew up on a farm? Yeah. Sapulpa. Couple hours from here. This ain’t my first rodeo.”

“Look at that. Learned something about you,” he mused.

“Whoo!” Wren cheered, pushing herself to her feet as bronc jumped out of the shute, but the rider held on.

“Sit down before you hurt yourself,” Kate tugged on the back of her shirt and pulled the girl back into her seat.

“Yes, mom,” she muttered, but she settled into her seat, smiling a little as Tyler wrapped his arm around her. His hand rested on her hip, tugging her closer to him while being cautious of her stitches.

He leaned towards her and brushed his lips against the side of her head, he still couldn't get what she had told him in the truck out of his head. And he wanted to know more, but he knew that she’d tell him when she was ready, not when he asked.

So, he looked over at Kate, “so, tell me this. What was your first tornado?”

“Tell me yours,” She shot back.

“Oh, yes, please.” Wren grinned, turning towards him just a little. “I told you mine.”

Neither noticed how Kate’s shoulders had tensed, they were too busy smiling at each other like two goofballs. But Kate felt a weight on her shoulders, had Wren really told him about that day? The day that altered her life? The day they met in the most tragic of ways?

“I was eight,” he started, a smile pulling at his lips. “Driving with my aunt. Sirens are going. All the sudden, this vortex just lowers right down in the center of the road. I was just mesmerized. Then I looked at my aunt – she’s got this look on her face. I realized in that moment I was supposed to be scared.”

“Were you?” Wren asked softly, her hand now toying with his fingers.

“Yeah. Yeah, I was.”

“Wow,”  Kate hummed. “The Tornado Wrangler scared of tornadoes.”

He chuckled, “okay, Sapulpa.” Wren smiled as she sat between them, she liked that they were getting along. Then the bull rider in the area caught Tyler’s attention, doing that silly little tornado thing with his hand which Tyler returned, making Wren laugh.

“You know him?” Kate asked as Wren latched onto his hand once again.

“I used to compete.” He nodded, glancing down at Wren as she laced her finger between his before undoing them. He couldn’t believe that just that morning she was refusing to hold his hand.

She wasn’t refusing any more. And he wondered what had changed, but he wasn’t complaining. “Got my head stomped on by one too many bulls. Thought college might be better for my brain.”

“And it’s such a pretty head,” Wren hummed, looking up at him.

“You’re scared of tornadoes but not riding bulls?” Kate asked, almost in disbelief.

“Well, tornadoes, bulls. Same thing,” he shrugged. “Fear’s the reason you do it. You don’t face your fears, you ride ‘em.”

“I’ll have to remember that,” Wren mumbled, leaning into his side in hopes of getting more comfortable. She groaned a little as she stretched her side, her stitches pinching.

“Be careful, baby.”

“These bleachers ain’t comfortable,” she muttered, twisting just a little more, then she let out a breath as she leaned into his chest. Her legs were angled towards Kate, her back against Tyler’s chest and his arms around her.

“Better?” He raised an assumed eyebrow and she tilted her head back to look up at him.

“A little.”

He chuckled and kissed her forehead, she let out a soft sigh as her eyes fluttered closed. Kate smiled at them, but it faltered as a gust of wind blew through, sending leaves fluttering through the air. She leaned down and picked up a leaf.

Tyler glanced up at the sky as thunder rumbled overhead and lightning struck, and he tightened his arms around Wren, who sat up a little.

“Are you tracking cells out this way?” Kate asked, looking over at him as he carefully moved Wren so she was sitting up.

Wren lifted her hand a little, blinking a few times, “is it me or does the air feel heavy?”

“This isn’t good,” Kate mumbled just as every phone on the stands blared with an all too familiar alert. Then the sirens started ringing, a storm was coming and fast.

“Ladies and gentleman, I just received word that a tornado had touched down near the area!” The announcer called over the speakers as people scrambled to their feet to get away. “We need to evacuate this arena right now!” 

“Come on, baby, Keep moving,” Tyler kept his hand on Wren's back, making sure she and Kate stayed in front of him, not wanting to lose them in the crowd. “Keep moving.”

“Kate,” Wren mumbled, her voice shaking a little and the blonde grabbed her hand.

Chaos. It was pure chaos. The bulls ran around the arena, horses escaped, trampling people just trying to get away.

“Come on, Wren!” Kate nearly shouted, trying to keep the girl close to her as a woman tripped and Tyler was quick to help her to her feet before he grabbed Wren’s hand, keeping her close to him.

People were screaming, scrambling into their cars and driving into one another as they tried to get away.

It hurt like a bitch to run, but Wren stayed as close to Tyler as possible while making sure she didn’t lose Kate as they made their way towards the motel. Wren felt like she was playing frogger as a truck honked and skidded towards them.

“Whoa, stop!” Tyler shouted, holding his hand up. And when they were in the clear, they ran for the motel. “Keep going. Keep going,” he ushered them inside, then something to the left caught his eye.

A woman was trying to get her daughter into their car, “Ma’am, stay outta the car.” He rushed to meet themo, lending them inside before Kate rushed towards the counter where a guy was yelling about the cable and the ac.

“Do you have a storm shelter?”

“Or like a basement,” Tyler rushed out. “You got a basement?”

“No-”

“There’s a line here, buddy,” the boy that was complaining pushed Tyler’s shoulder.

“Nobody gives a damn about the ac!” Wren shoved him into the counter. “We need to get these people underground, now.”

“Okay, there’s no tornado,” the girl in the corner leisurely fanned herself with a magazine. “Nine times out of ten, it's a false alarm.”

Wren's hands shook, though it was mostly because of the adrenaline pumping through her. And her eyes drifted to the window just as the arena was ripped right out of the ground then the sirens cut off just a second later.

“You hear that?” the girl snarked, a smug smile tugging at her lips as the power shut off.

The boy groaned, “and now the power’s out.”

“No tornado,”

“We gotta find a shelter. Fast,” Kate rushed out and Wren quickly moved, making her way past the counter and into the back room as the manager yelled at her. The room didn’t have windows, which was good but she was sure it wouldn’t hold up.

As she looked around for a door to a cellar, Kate ran past her towards a door and pushed it open. But it just led outside, Wren moved towards her, her eyes on the empty pool, shouting over the wind, “that’ll have to do!”

Kate rushed back towards the lobby, “everybody, come with me!”

“Follow her. Follow her!” Tyler told the mother and her daughter, who rushed towards the blonde. “Come on, move. Move, move!” he ushered the two annoyed customers, just as the speakers smashed through the window, making the girl scream.

“There’s a tornado! There’s a tornado!”

“Come on, this way!” Wren shouted, grabbing the little girl by the hand and dragging her towards the pool. “Keep moving!”

“Go! Go! Go!” Tyler shouted, bringing up the rear just as they reached the gate and Wren pulled it open.

“Down the ladder, go!” She told them and the mother was down first and Tyler helped the little girl down.

“We gotta move faster!”

“Go! Damnit!” Wren shoved the manager forward when he faltered and he stumbled, but didn’t fall down.

“Wait, where-” Kate shouted, looking for the other two but when she saw them they were in their truck. “No! No! Stop!”

“Fuck!” Wren watched as the truck got flipped then sucked into the storm.

“We gotta go! We gotta go!” Tyler shouted, pulling the two girls towards the ladder.

“Kate, go!” Wren pushed her forward, and the blonde quickly made her way down the ladder before leading the mother and her daughter towards the exposed pipes in the deep end of the pool.

“Come on, baby!” He urged and she started down the ladder, “there you go!”

“Tyler!” She shouted once she was on her feet and he jumped down, his hand on her waist then the manager jumped down, stumbling back when a vending machine landed right in front of him. The impact knocked them all off their feet.

“Go!” He pushed her towards Kate before he turned, crawling towards the manager.

“Tyler!” She moved after him with tears in her eyes, but he stopped her.

“No, baby! Please, please, stay with Kate.” He told her and she stopped, then Kate pulled her back as they watched the cowboy make his way towards the manager on his stomach.

“Help me!”

Wren shook as Kate pulled her backwards, both staying low. And while Kate was trying to keep the two against the wall calm, Wren watched as Tyler reached the manager, only for him to lift his head too high and the updraft got him.

Then a horse trailer landed right where the manager had once been, entirely too close to Tyler, “Tyler!” She pulled away from Kate, ignoring her as she pulled herself across the pool’s floor. “Tyler!”

She reached her hand out and his fingers curled around hers, she let out a breath and pulled as he pushed. Then the trailer started to tip towards them, she was sure it was the adrenaline as he tugged on his arm, finally pulling him towards her.

They reached the wall just as it tipped over, the lip of the pool catching it and giving them a sort of shelter from the storm. Kate held onto the pipes, Wren was right next to her with her eyes closed… It was too much. Too similar to that day five years ago.

Tyler covered them with his body, his hands tight around the pipes and his face tucked close to Wren’s shoulder and he hated that he could hear her crying even over the raging storm. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you, baby.” He muttered, hoping to bring her some comfort but it only made her cry harder.

And then it was over nearly as fast as it had started.

Wren sobbed, resting her forehead against the pipe as she tried to catch her breath. Then Tyler moved, just a little and she nearly panicked, her eyes snapping open as she turned. A relieved breath left her when she saw him still standing there and she nearly jumped at him.

“I’m right here, baby,” he breathed out, his voice a little rough. She squeezed him, leaning into his chest from a moment as he rubbed her back.

“Kate,” she muttered, pulling away from him and a relieved breath left her when she saw the blonde crouching by the pipes. Kate pushed herself up on shaky legs, wrapping her arms around the girl, who was still in tears. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” her voice shook and Kate knew she wasn’t apologizing for today.

Just like Kate, that had just brought up everything from five years ago. From the day that still haunted them.

“Are you okay?” The mother asked, keeping her daughter close to her.

“Yeah,” the girl’s voice shook a little but she was okay.

“Is it over?” The woman looked up at the three and the two girls pulled apart. Wren latched onto Tyler’s hand as they stepped out from under the trailer that probably saved their lives. As they made their way towards the shallow end of the pool, Wren could see that everything was gone.

The rodeo, the motel... everything was reduced to ruble.

Tyler wrapped his arm around the still shaking girl and she curled into him. But as his hand landed on her side he realized her shirt – his shirt – was warm and wet. He raised his hand a little to see that his fingers were red, “baby, you’re bleeding.”